Description
Summary
When to book
Most travelers book about 2 weeks ahead. June is the cheapest month, from US$103 per person, and December is the busiest month.
Description
See the volcanoes, black sand beaches, glaciers, and waterfalls of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland on this bus tour from Reykjavik, with stops at Kirkjufell Mountain, Djupalonssandur Beach, and Arnarstapi Village.
The day starts in central Reykjavik. Then you drive north along Route 1 before turning west toward the peninsula.
Your first stop is Berserkjahraun Lava Field, formed in an eruption 4,000 years ago, which you see from the Vatnaleid Viewpoint. The eruption also created the Raudkula and Grakula Craters. According to the Eyrbyggja Saga, two Swedish berserkers cleared a path through the lava for a local farmer, who then betrayed and killed them.
Next, you visit Kirkjufell Mountain near the town of Grundarfjordur. This arrowhead-shaped mountain is only 1,519 feet (463 meters) high, but it stands out above the flat land around it. A path leads to Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall for the classic view of the falls in front of the mountain. Kirkjufell also appeared in season 7 of Game of Thrones.
The tour continues into Snaefellsjokull National Park, on the western tip of the peninsula. Snaefellsjokull Glacier sits on top of a stratovolcano and can be seen across Faxafloi Bay from Reykjavik on a clear day. In Jules Verne's novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth," it's the entrance to the center of the Earth.
In the national park, you stop at Djupalonssandur Beach, a black sand beach surrounded by lava formations. Fishermen once tested their strength here by lifting stones, and to get a place on a boat, they had to lift the 119-pound (54-kilogram) stone. You can try the stones yourself. The wreck of the trawler Epine GY7, which sank in 1948, still lies on the beach.
On the south side of the peninsula, you see the Londrangar Basalt Pinnacles, two volcanic plugs 246 and 200 feet (75 and 61 meters) high, standing in the sea. A walking path lets you view them from different points.
Then you visit Arnarstapi Village, a small seaside village that was once an important fishing center. Seabirds nest on the cliffs, and viewing platforms overlook basalt columns and rock formations. You can walk across a stone bridge where the sea has carved the cliff into an arch.
Next is Budir Black Church, built in 1848, which stands in a remote landscape and is a popular subject for photographers.
Your final stop is Ytri Tunga Beach, a golden sand beach that is one of the best places in Iceland to see seals resting on the rocks offshore. Then you head back to Reykjavik.
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