The Snaefellsnes Peninsula got its nickname ‘Iceland in miniature’ after people realized that it offered everything the larger island offered, in a very easy to travel peninsula. The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is home to black sand beaches, a glacier, dormant volcanoes, interesting wildlife and beautiful waterfalls. Whether you’re visiting Iceland for a weekend or a week, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is close enough to Reykjavík to make it easy to travel to. So if you plan to visit this area, here are our favorite things to do on the Peninsula.
Guide Tour vs. Self-Drive
The two most popular ways to see the Snaefellsnes Peninsula are via a self-drive road trip or by catching a ride on a guided tour. So which is right for you?
If you have a car already rented for your other Iceland adventures, we think the self-drive option is best. We love self-driving as we can set our own timelines and enjoy fun unexpected stops (like our 2nd favorite stop in all of Iceland, see below). Without the self-drive option we would have missed several of our favorite things to see on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Also, the roads here are well paved and easy to travel with any type of vehicle.
However, we understand that there are reasons you may want to go with a guided tour. First, guided tours allow you to sit back and relax – no need for the stress of driving. And driving in Iceland can feel stressful as there are few signs to guide you. This also may be your most cost effective option if you don’t already have a car rented. Guided tours of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula leave Reykjavík daily and are almost always full day tours. These tours range in price from $100-200 USD.
Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge
Cost: FREE
This was our second favorite thing we did in all of Iceland! And it wasn’t even planned. We saw the road sign for a tourist attraction and we stopped. And boy was it neat!
This gorge is said to be the home of a half-man, half-troll who was banished to the cave. And we visited during seagull nesting season which meant that the dead seagulls who fell out of the nest littered the cave floor. Combine that with the cloudy morning that made it impossible to see the top of the gorge and we had one eerie experience.
Once in the gorge, you can hike your way up the river – yes, river. The river that cuts its way through the gorge is relatively small, about 3 feet in most areas, and shallow. So you can walk your way up the river as long as you are wearing some waterproof shoes. This also includes climbing your way up several small waterfalls, including one that requires you to use a rope to get up it. Just walk up the river until you’re half tired, and then walk back out.
You will get soaked but you will likely see no one and be in such a unique environment. Make sure to wear rain gear and pack a change of dry clothes if you plan on hiking (which you can see from the pictures, we did not). It was truly amazing.
Time: 1 hour
Sönghellir Cave
Cost: FREE
Just a few minutes from Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge is Sönghellir Cave. This cave is also rumored to be a famous dwelling place of the half-man, half-troll who inhabits the Gorge. What makes this cave neat, besides the Icelandic lore, is the acoustics of it! Plus, the old graffiti of early Icelandic travelers (don’t add your name) is fun to read.
Time: 15 minutes
Bjarnarfoss
Cost: FREE
This large waterfall is visible from the road. However, there is a small car park and short trail if you want to get closer. It’s actually a more impressive waterfall that the popular Kirkjufellsfoss as it is a tall two tiered falls.
Time: 30 minutes
Búdakirkja Black Church
Cost: FREE
Okay, this is on every list of things to do on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, so I’m grudgingly adding it. We saw it and just kept driving. There are pictures on the internet that make it look beautiful and remote. It’s not. It has a car park right next to it and is generally packed with tourists. So you can stop, get your photo and go.
Time: 15 minutes
Arnarstapi Village
Cost: FREE
This village is the first town on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula that your tour will bring you to. It is a small fishing and trading village that now trades in tourism. There are beautiful buildings, a neat wharf, and a cliffside walkway that allows you to view the columnar basalt cliffs of the town.
Time: 30 minutes
Gatklettur
Cost: FREE
Gatklettur is along the Arnarstapi coastal walk. It is a giant bridge in the columnar basalt along the coast. It is beautiful. This is a popular area for sunrise photography. This is also one of the most accessible stops in Iceland. The paved flat-ish trail from the parking lot leads you to a beautifully built viewing area.
Time: 30 minutes
Snæfellsjökull Glacier
Cost: FREE for entrance
Snæfellsjökull National Park is located at the tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and is most notably home to the Snæfellsjökull glacier which sits atop a dormant volcano, as well as several other things on this list.
Here you can take a guided glacier walk on the glacier that is the start to Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Even if you don’t do a guided walking tour, you can explore the glacier by driving around it and taking in the views.
Time: 2-4 hours
Lóndranger
Cost: FREE
This is on the tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Here you’ll find towering basalt cliffs and lava pinnacles. You can hike along the coastline here to enjoy the beautiful geology. You’ll also see the Malarrifsviti lighthouse near the visitor’s center.
This is a fun place to bring the kiddos as there are play equipment interspersed along the walkways to keep them entertained.
Time: 2-4 hours
Vatnshellir Cave Tour
Cost: $4500 ISK
The Vatnshellir Cave Tour will take you into the old lave tubes of the volcano below the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. These tours last about 45 minutes but take just over a hour if you include meeting and getting outfitted with helmets and headlamps. You’ll learn some neat Icelandic folklore, get a geology lesson and get to say you walked inside a volcano.
Time: 1 hour
Djúpalónssandur Beach
Cost: FREE
While you can’t go swimming here, there is still plenty to do on this beach. This black sand and stone beach is one of the best things to do on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
First, from the parking lot, you can go to a boardwalk with an overview of the beach. Next, you’ll walk through a canyon as you make your way to the beach.
There, you’ll see tons of wreckage from a British ship, washed up on shore along with beautiful black sand and stones. Be careful not to get too close to the water, this place is known for sneaker waves.
If you still have time, consider hiking along the shoreline. From this hike, you’ll see a bird’s eye view of the beach before hiking to see some old foundations from an ancient settlement.
Time: 1 hour
Saxhóll Crater
Cost: FREE
This short stop give you a pretty easy option for seeing a volcanic crater. There are stairs to the top of this crater as well as a path around it. If the weather is clear, you’ll be able to have a great view of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Time: 30 minutes
Kirkjufellsfoss
Cost: FREE
This is one of the most popular photography destinations in Iceland, made popular by Game of Thrones. While this isn’t the most impressive waterfall Iceland has to offer, the destination makes many Iceland bucket lists because of the beautiful pointy mountain in the background. If you have extra time, you can even climb the Kirkjufell mountain to look out at the ocean below.
Time: 30 minutes
Is the Snaefellsnes Peninsula Worth a Visit?
Yes, if you’re short on time or have some extra time. Okay that doesn’t make the best sense so let me explain.
The Snaefellsnes Peninsula doesn’t have the best of anything in our opinion (except that Gorge we raved about above). Everything here is smaller and somewhat less impressive that other areas in the country. So smaller waterfalls, smaller glaciers, less impressive lava fields, less beautiful beaches.
However, this area has EVERYTHING Iceland offers in one easy to cover area. So if you’re spending 10 days in Iceland driving the Ring Road, you may be disappointed by the things to do on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. But, if you have four days in Iceland, spending a day or two will give you a sampler platter of everything the country offers – and who doesn’t love a sampler platter.
However, if you have extra time to spend in Iceland, we still think it’s worth visiting the Snaefellsnes Peninsula for a day simple to see the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge. Again, have I mentioned how cool this hike was. I’ll say it one more time, the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge was our most unexpected and the most underrated stop in Iceland.
Okay now that I’ve gushed over that gorge one more time, I’ll wrap it up. Hopefully, we’ve given you some ideas to inspire your Snaefellsnes Peninsula visit. Please leave any comments or questions in the section below and we’d be happy to help.
