Snæfellsnes Day Trip from Reykjavík – Our 15-Stop Road Trip
We had been wanting to spend a full day exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, so before leaving Reykjavík we planned our route and stops using the GoIceTravel Trip Planner.
Rather than deciding where to go as we drove, we already had the day mapped out. We could follow the route from one stop to the next and use the upcoming GoIceTravel app during the drive.
It was also a good chance for us to test the trip in the way travellers will actually use it — planning the route first, then taking it out onto the road and seeing how it works in the real world.
Our 15-stop Snæfellsnes itinerary planned with the GoIceTravel Trip Planner and followed during our road trip.
Leaving Reykjavík
We left Reykjavík on a Saturday morning in October. And, of course, it was raining.
The forecast for the day had been cloudy but mostly dry, so as we drove out of the city we were already wondering whether the Icelandic weather gods were going to cooperate with us. Hopefully. But hey — this is Iceland.
Coffee stop in Borgarnes
There was no way we were driving straight through Borgarnes without stopping for coffee.
After a short break, we continued through town and turned west towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. And yes — it was still raining.
我们体验的照片和视频
准备预订？
GoIceTravel
旅游运营商
冰岛本地公司·团队亲身体验
本页面部分链接为联盟链接 — 如果您通过这些链接预订，我们可能会收取佣金，而不会给您增加额外费用。
Explore more — waterfalls, glaciers, hot springs and more.
Gerðuberg Basalt Columns
Our first proper sightseeing stop was Gerðuberg, an impressive wall of naturally formed basalt columns. The cliff looks almost engineered when you first see it, with rows of geometric basalt columns standing side by side.
Rauðamelskirkja
From Gerðuberg we continued to Rauðamelskirkja. This is a completely different kind of stop — quiet, small and away from the major tourist attractions.
Lýsulaugar — one of the more unusual stops
Next came Lýsulaugar, and this is definitely an interesting stop. The geothermal pool uses naturally hot mineral-rich water and is known for its unusual geothermal bathing experience. If you are following the route outside summer, check opening times before driving there.
Ólafsvík — give yourself some time here
From there we continued around the peninsula towards Ólafsvík. Ólafsvík deserves more than simply driving through. It is one of the main towns on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and makes a useful place to stop, stretch your legs and explore before continuing around the western edge of the peninsula.
Following our Trip Planner around western Snæfellsnes
From Ólafsvík, we continued following the route we had already built in the GoIceTravel Trip Planner. This was where having the route prepared in advance became especially useful. Instead of repeatedly opening a map and deciding what to see next, we could simply move from stop to stop.
Gufuskálavör
One of those smaller stops was Gufuskálavör. The western edge of Snæfellsnes is full of reminders of the area's long relationship with fishing and the Atlantic Ocean, and places like this add context that you do not get if you only visit the largest attractions.
Svörtuloft
Then came Svörtuloft, where the landscape becomes dramatically more exposed to the Atlantic. The orange lighthouse stands against dark lava cliffs, and this western edge of the peninsula feels completely different from the greener countryside we had driven through earlier.
Saxhóll Crater
Next on our planned route was Saxhóll Crater. A staircase leads towards the top of the crater, making this one of the easier volcanic viewpoints to add to a Snæfellsnes road trip.
Beruvík
From Saxhóll, our route took us towards Beruvík. This is another example of why we wanted more than just the standard five or six Snæfellsnes attractions in our itinerary.
Want to add a lava cave?
If you would rather explore part of Snæfellsnes with a guide, GoIceTravel has a Private Snæfellsnes & Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour. It combines the peninsula with a guided descent into Vatnshellir Lava Cave, with live availability and booking through GoIceTravel.
Around the southern side of Snæfellsjökull
Continuing around the peninsula, Snæfellsjökull increasingly dominates the landscape. Our Trip Planner route continued through smaller stops including Völundarhús, Þúfubjörg and Bárðarlaug before taking us towards the better-known coastline around Arnarstapi.
Gatklettur and Arnarstapi
At Gatklettur, the scenery changes again. The natural stone arch sits in the dramatic coastline around Arnarstapi, where waves, basalt cliffs and sea stacks create one of the most recognisable coastal landscapes on Snæfellsnes.
Vegamannahellir
Our route also included Vegamannahellir. These smaller historical and geological stops are exactly where the Trip Planner becomes useful because they can easily disappear among the major attractions when you plan a trip manually.
Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge
Our final section brought us to Rauðfeldsgjá, one of the most dramatic-looking stops on this side of Snæfellsnes. From the road it appears as a narrow split in the mountain. You can walk towards the entrance of the gorge, although how far you should continue inside depends heavily on conditions.
Was 15 stops too much for one day?
A 15-stop route sounds like a lot — and it is. But not every stop needs an hour. Some places are short photo or viewpoint stops, while others deserve considerably more time. That is why planning the order before leaving Reykjavík made such a difference.
How did the GoIceTravel Trip Planner work?
Planning a journey on a screen is one thing. Actually driving it is another.
This trip allowed us to take a route created with the GoIceTravel Trip Planner and follow it in the real world using the upcoming GoIceTravel app. The biggest advantage was simple: we already knew where we were going next.
Instead of building the itinerary while travelling, the stops and route were already there. And because the route included both major attractions and smaller places, we ended up seeing locations that would have been easy to drive straight past.
Would we recommend a Snæfellsnes day trip from Reykjavík?
Absolutely.
Snæfellsnes packs an enormous amount into one peninsula: volcanic craters, basalt formations, fishing towns, lighthouses, lava fields, geothermal water, cliffs, caves and the ever-present Snæfellsjökull.
You can do it in a day from Reykjavík — but start early. And if you prefer spending a long time at every attraction, consider staying overnight instead.
For us, the goal was different. We wanted to see whether we could plan a substantial Snæfellsnes road trip in advance, load it into our route and simply follow it throughout the day.
That is exactly what we did.
Prefer a guided Snæfellsnes tour?
If you like the route but do not want to self-drive, there are several Snæfellsnes tours available through GoIceTravel. These are separate from our own road-trip experience above, but they are useful alternatives for travellers who prefer to leave the driving to a guide.
BusTravel Iceland: Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour — a full-day guided option from Reykjavík covering major peninsula highlights.
