The Ultimate Guide to driving Snæfellsnes Peninsula in a day

Snæfellsnes is the smallest national park in Iceland and can be found on the west coast of the country just two hours outside of Reykjavik. The combination of breathtaking scenery from the glistening ice cap on the volcano to the mysterious lava fields and pounding waterfalls rates Snæfellsnes as one the most beautiful places in Iceland. The location makes it perfect to visit if you only have a few days in Iceland.

To get to Snæfellsnes you’ll follow route 1 out of Reykjavik and drive around the fjord of Hvalfjördur or you can go through the underwater tunnel Hvalfjardargöng, that goes underneath the fjord. Follow route 1 until you get to Borgarnes where you’ll turn onto Snæfellsvegur (road 54) which takes you to the National Park. The drive from Reykjavik to Peninsula takes about 2 hours.

There are so many beautiful sights in Snæfellsnes, but only a day to spend and a two-hour long drive back and forth from Reykjavik will not give you enough time to see everything. I’ve listed my favourite sights of Snæfellsnes in this guide.

We went to Iceland in the fall and in Snæfellsnes the weather was harsh! Remember to pack warm and waterproof clothes! Unfortunately, it was also really cloudy which limited our view of this magical landscape. However, this tour was still my favourite part of the trip!

Check also out my: Ultimate Guide to Driving Iceland’s Golden Circle

I would recommend stopping by one of the old villages to get a bite to eat at this point. There are not a lot of families living in these villages year around, but in the summertime, however, the villages are homes to both birds and people. Along the coastline, you’ll find basalt columns which make the landscape truly eye-catching and underlines the “out of this world” look that Iceland is known for.

The Lóndrangar Basalt Cliffs are the remains of a crater which has been shaped into a castle-looking sculpture by the sea. The place is rumoured to be the home of elves. The sea stacks measure 75 meters in height.

The black sand beaches of Driftvik and Djúpalónssandur are two of a few beaches you can easily access by walking a short distance to the shore. The black pebble stones cover the beach and the shipwrecks with larger stones scattered around. Surrounded by cliffs in unusual formations gives the beach an alien-like look.

Back in the olden days the beach used to be the home of several fishing operations and men came to the beach to test their strength. It’s told that men who could not lift at least a rock weighing 54 kilos were unsuitable to work as fishermen.

Snæfellsjökull Glacier is an ice cap that covers the top of the volcano located in the middle of the National Park. The glacier rises to an impressive 1446 meters and is one of the most famous sights in Iceland. To get to the breathtaking view from the top of the volcano you’ll need a Super Jeep as the road to the top is a bumpy offroad track.

This charming fishing village is the perfect place to stop and re-fuel and get some more supplies for the road back. The village is relatively large with over a thousand inhabitants and a lot of history to be discovered.

Kirkjufell is often quoted as the most photographed landmarks in Iceland. It rises 463 meters above the shoreline and is surrounded by beautiful walking trails. The mountain is set in an isolated location jutting out into the sea which makes it such a focal point for people coming by. It is also situated near the beautiful waterfall Kirkjufellfoss which makes a perfect photo opportunity. This is also the last stop before you’ll start making your way back to Reykjavik.