Reykjavík to Snæfellsnes: Drive, Bus or a Guided Day Tour

• Top choice Full-Day Tour from US$145 Duration11 hours^[2]Rating4.72 from 3,765 reviews^[2]Live guideEnglish^[2]PickupPickup available, check availability^[2]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before^[2] Check availability
• Premium Minibus from US$161 Duration11 hours^[4]Rating4.77 from 789 reviews^[4]Live guideEnglish^[4]PickupPickup included, check availability^[4]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before^[4] See this tour
• Kirkjufell Small Group from US$138 Duration12 hours^[3]Rating4.60 from 478 reviews^[3]Live guideEnglish^[3]PickupPickup included, check availability^[3]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before^[3] See this tour

How far is Snæfellsnes from Reykjavík?

The peninsula sits 136 km (85 mi) from Reykjavík, roughly a 2-hour drive via Route 1 and Route 54.^[1] That measurement is for Snæfellsnes as a whole rather than for one village or one viewpoint, and it matters when you plan, because the places you have come to see are strung out along a long coastal loop rather than gathered in a single spot. On a clear day you can see the glacier-capped volcano, Snæfellsjökull, from the capital itself, which gives you a sense of how the mountain sits on the western horizon.^[1]

Most people treat the peninsula as a long day out rather than a quick side trip. The road that loops around it links fishing villages, black sand beaches, sea cliffs and a glacier-topped volcano in one continuous run, so the driving is never only about getting from A to B. The south coast is gentler, with farmland and small churches, while the north side feels wilder, with lava fields and long views across the water. If you are weighing up whether to drive yourself or join a tour, the distance is only half the decision. The other half is how much of the loop you want to cover and how much you would rather leave to somebody else.

Driving from Reykjavík to Snæfellsnes

The drive from Reykjavík to Snæfellsnes follows Route 1 north out of the city and then Route 54 west onto the peninsula.^[1] The roads are paved and the going is easy in good conditions, with farmland, low hills and long fjord views for company. Petrol stations and small shops thin out as you head west, so it pays to fill up and pick up supplies before the landscape opens out. Once you are on the peninsula the coastal road narrows, the villages spread further apart and the pace drops, because there is another beach, another cliff or another photo stop every few minutes.

If you would rather not rush back to the city in the evening, Hotel Snæfellsnes sits in the middle of the peninsula, 32 km from Stykkishólmur, 38 km from Grundarfjörður, 57 km from Ólafsvík, 35 km from Búðir, 54 km from Arnarstapi and 58 km from Hellnar.^[8] Staying out west turns a long there-and-back day into a gentler couple of days, and it leaves room for a walk, a soak or a second attempt at a viewpoint the weather spoiled first time.

Driving also gives you the freedom to follow the light. Photographers often loop the peninsula in one direction and stop wherever the view opens up, which is much harder to do on a fixed itinerary.

The coastal road west of Reykjavík runs past lava fields and small fishing villages.

Taking a coach, bus or guided tour from Reykjavík

The full-day tour from Reykjavik runs 11 hours with a live guide in English, and the starting times are shown when you check availability.^[2] It can be reserved now and paid later, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.^[2] Pickup is available, with the pickup options listed when you check availability.^[2] The route takes in Vatnaleið, Kirkjufell, Ólafsvík, Djúpalónssandur, Londrangar, Arnarstapi, Búðakirkja and Ytri Tunga before the run back to the city.

There are alternatives if the timing or the group size does not suit. A premium minibus tour runs 11 hours from US$161, and a small-group trip runs 12 hours from US$138.^[3][4] An 11-hour option with a homemade meal starts from US$230, and a further small-group day trip runs 11 hours from US$160.^[9][10] Whichever you pick, the shape of the day is much the same: a coach or minibus west along the coast, a string of short stops, and a late return to the city.

Coaches and minibuses also solve the winter problem. Driving a long loop in short daylight, on roads that can turn icy, is the part of the trip most people would rather not think about, and a driver who knows the peninsula takes that off your plate.

What you see on the way around the loop

Kirkjufell, the arrow-shaped mountain that rises above Grundarfjörður, stands at 463 meters (1,519 feet) and is one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland.^[11] It is the postcard image of the peninsula, and the waterfalls and the small church nearby make it an easy place to spend a while. Further west the road runs into Snæfellsjökull National Park, and the glacier-capped volcano at the centre of the park is 1,446 meters high.^[12] The national park was established in 2001.^[12]

Búðakirkja is a small wooden church on the south side of the peninsula, standing alone in a lava field.^[13] It is the other stop that turns up on nearly every itinerary, and the black timber against the pale ground is hard to walk past without a photograph. Between the church and the mountain the route threads past seal beaches, lava fields and a scatter of small fishing villages. Guided tours and self-drivers follow much the same line along the coast, so the stops can feel busy in the middle of the day and quieter early and late.

Ytri Tunga, the seal beach on the south coast, appears on the full-day itinerary as well.^[2] Keep a respectful distance from the seals and use a zoom rather than walking close to them.

Beaches, cliffs, birds and a lava cave

Djúpalónssandur is known for its four historic lifting stones, the remains of the British trawler Epine GY7 wrecked here in 1948, the natural rock arch Gatklettur, and its black pebble beach at the foot of Snæfellsjökull glacier.^[14] It is one of those places where people linger longer than they planned, testing their strength on the stones and picking a careful route down to the water over the rounded pebbles.

At Londrangar, puffins, guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes nest from late spring to summer.^[6] The cliffs are a short walk from the parking area, and a pair of binoculars turns a quick look into half an hour of watching. If you want to go underground, the guided Vatnshellir lava cave tour lasts 45 minutes and starts from US$46.^[7][15] It works best as an add-on if you have a car and a spare hour, or if you are staying overnight out west.

At Arnarstapi there is a small, easy trail that starts very close to the Bardur statue and takes about 2 hours return along the coastline, past basalt columns, rock arches and the birds that live there.^[16] You do not need to walk the whole thing to enjoy it. A short stretch in either direction gives you the cliffs and the sea stacks, and you can turn back whenever the weather or the schedule says so.

Whale watching, hot baths and horses

The peninsula is not only a drive-through. Whale watching on Snæfellsnes is run from Ólafsvík, and the tour lasts 3 hours from US$116.^[17][18] The boats head out from the harbour and give you a completely different view of the coastline you have been following by road. Inland, Lýsulaugar has geothermal baths that include two hot tubs, a large geothermal swimming pool and a cold tub.^[19] Both are good ways to stretch a day trip into two and to warm up after a windy morning on the coast.

Horse riding is another way in. Stóri-Kambur offers riding tours that take riders into the heart of Snæfellsnes.^[20] And the peninsula has its own saga. According to Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss, Bárður Snæfellsás was the settler of the area, half a troll and half a man, with a father who was half a titan and a human mother.^[21] It is a good story to carry with you when you pass the statue at Arnarstapi, which is where many of the coastal walks begin.

These extras rarely fit into a single day tour. They work best on a night or two out west, when the light is long in summer and the hot tubs are warm in any season.

Weather, packing and making the day work

The weather on Snæfellsnes is overall quite good throughout the year, but it can change quickly, so a flexible travel plan is a good idea, especially in winter.^[5] In practice that means layers, a waterproof shell and shoes that can handle wet gravel and loose pebbles. Wind is the thing people underestimate on the coast, and it decides how long you are willing to stand at a viewpoint. A hat that stays on and gloves in the bag cost you nothing and save a lot of complaining.

The standard day tour runs 11 hours, with starting times shown when you check availability, so an early pickup and a late return are the norm.^[2] Reservations can be made now and paid later, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, which helps if the forecast turns.^[2] Bring snacks and water, charge your phone for the photographs, and keep the evening free rather than booking something for the moment you get back.

One more planning note: the peninsula is big, and a day tour cannot stop everywhere for long. Decide before you go whether you want the classic circuit with the famous stops or a slower look at fewer places, then pick your tour or your own route to match.

Plan your Snaefellsnes day

1. Check the starting time

   Starting times for the full-day tour are shown when you check availability, so match the pickup to your accommodation before you book.^[2]

2. Decide on group size

   Coach, minibus or small group changes the feel of the day more than the route does.^[4]

3. Book with flexible terms

   Reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the full-day tour.^[2]

4. Pack for four seasons

   The weather changes quickly, so layers, a waterproof shell and grippy shoes earn their place in the bag.^[5]

5. Plan a slower second day

   If you stay out west, Hotel Snæfellsnes is 54 km from Arnarstapi and 58 km from Hellnar for a gentler second morning.^[8]

Good to know first