Meet your guide at 7 am, have a briefing, and catch a ferry to Kvíar Farmhouse in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. In case your guide is already at Kvíar, another member of the staff will brief you before boarding the ferry. Once you get there, pack your kayak and start paddling through the remote Icelandic wilderness. As you kayak across the bay, get a good look at Leirufjörður Fjord with the gigantic Drangajökull Glacier in the distance. Head along the shoreline towards Grunnavík Bay and, along the way, discover a monumental rock arch that you can pass under at high tide. As you kayak closer to the shore, watch out for cute porpoises, close relatives of dolphins! Once you reach Grunnavík, have a well-deserved rest or explore the area on foot. Enjoy your dinner and set up camp at the beach. Meals: Dinner Distance: 11 miles / 18 km Accommodation: Tent
After breakfast, slip into your kayak and paddle into the big bay of Ísafjarðardjúp, one of the best kayaking spots in Iceland—enjoy spectacular views of flat-topped mountains and spot whales! Along the way, discover rarely-visited waterfalls, since only a small number of people visit these cascades, as they’re inaccessible by foot. Continue along the coast of Snæfjallaströnd, the northeastern shore of Ísafjarðardjúp. Depending on weather conditions, you’ll either camp out in the silent cove in Ytraskarð (12 miles from the starting point) or near the Möngufoss Waterfalls (15 miles from the starting point). Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Distance: 12-15 miles / 20-24 km Accommodation: Tent
After a hearty breakfast, kick off the last day by first visiting the island of Æðey—also known as Eider Island, it takes its name from the hundreds of eider ducks that nest on its shores. The waters around the island are also home to countless breeding puffins, Iceland’s most beloved birds. Then do a long crossing to the island of Vigur, where you can spot arctic terns, eider ducks, puffins, and guillemots. Here is where you’ll find Iceland’s only windmill and the smallest post office in the country. After a hot cup of coffee, hop back into your kayak and paddle to the village of Súðavík, where a car will be waiting for you and take you back to Ísafjörður. Arrive back in town around 4 pm—head back to Reykjavik or ask your guides for recommendations in the area and stay longer! Meals: Breakfast and lunch Distance: 14 miles / 22 km
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!
