There’s no better place in Iceland to hop into a kayak than the Westfjords—its most remote region visited only by a small portion of travelers. Nestled just below the Arctic circle, the area is marked by rugged verdant mountains, deep fjords, gleaming glaciers, and calm ocean waters, making it the perfect setting for 3 to 4 days of guided kayaking explorations. It also makes it a true wildlife haven, so prepare your cameras because you’re about to become a wildlife photographer! Instead of other people crowding the areas you’re exploring, seals, whales, puffins, Arctic foxes, and porpoises will be your fellow travelers on this journey.
Paddle your way across tranquil waters to otherwise inaccessible areas
Immerse yourself into the rugged wilderness and remote areas of Iceland
While you might not encounter other people, seals and other wildlife will pop up to say hello
What you get on this adventure:
Note: You’re welcome to bring your own paddling gear and clothing. We suggest bringing good dry pants and a top with rubber cuffs or at least a 3mm neoprene wetsuit with a windproof top. For footwear, neoprene boots wink ankle support and thick coles will work best. To keep your hands warm, bring neoprene gloves, mittens, or pogies.
What’s not included:
While there aren’t challenging river rapids in the Westfjords, this kayaking tour in the sea is still strenuous. Depending on the chosen tour, you’ll paddle anywhere between 5 and 15 miles per day (8-24 km), so excellent fitness and good stamina is still required!
The less you have with you when you’re kayaking, the easier it will be! If you pack wisely, you’ll have plenty of space in your kayak, so pack light.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Kayaking in Iceland’s Westfjords can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies, and deposits are no longer refundable. The remaining 70% of the amount is paid at the latest 3 months (90 days) prior to the departure.
All cancellations must be made by e-mail. In conformity with business practices within the Icelandic travel industry:
All rates are based on current purchasing prices in Iceland. Your guides reserve the right to change prices without notice due to inflation, changes in prices, taxes, or any other cost increases that are outside the guide’s control. Your guides will absorb an amount equivalent to 5% of the price. Amounts that exceed 5% will be charged and clients will be entitled to cancel their booking with a full refund if the surcharge exceeds 10%. Eventual changes in rates will not be made with less than 4 weeks’ notice before departures or on already confirmed bookings.
Your guides reserve the right to alter tours and itineraries due to weather or road conditions. All programs can be changed or canceled at any moment during the trip to assure the safety of the clients and staff. No responsibility is accepted for losses, or expenses due to delays, changes of flights, or other services or because of strikes, accidents, sickness, damage, negligence, weather, war, changes in schedules, or other similar causes.
All kayaking tours depart from Isafjordur, the largest town in the Westfjords. Your guide will let you know the exact address on time. There are two ways to reach Isafjordur, either by car or by plane from Reykjavik.
If you have enough time, driving from Reykjavik takes 5-6 hours and it is an incredibly scenic drive. You can also reach Isafjordur by plane—there are scheduled flights 2-3 times every day from Reykjavik to Isafjordur and it takes around 40 minutes. Once you get to Isafjordur, ferry and/or car transportation are included in the price of the trip.
On the last day of the tour, your guides will drop you off in Isafjordur around 4 pm, just in time for the afternoon flight for those flying back to Reykjavik.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Iceland, please refer to Iceland’s COVID-19 information.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
