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Ísafjörður

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Hornbjargsviti

Valley to Valley

Venture into the mountains surrounding Ísafjörður. A guided hike for those wanting a personal companion in the wild valleys.

The Seljalandsdalur and Hnífsdalur offer stunning vistas of the surrounding landscape. The mountains around Ísafjörður are uniquely shaped, demonstrating the raw power of glacial movement which carved out the terrain around us.

Contents of this tour

Tour overview

Description

The route takes us along mountain lakes, crystal clear streams and carpets of fluorescent moss that is quite characteristic for the mountains in the area.

Experience the colourful wildflowers which bloom during the summer months, and look carefully for the elusive Golden Plover, although they will definitely be heard before they’re spotted!

This shorter hike, 8km, will take you across a mountain pass with a ridge view looking down into two stunning valleys.

Please drop us an email if you’re interested!

 

 

 

 

Meeting point: Our Service Center (white container), Ísafjörður harbour.

Departure: 10:00 AM. Be there half an hour before departure time.

Minimum age: 12 years.

Group size: We need a minimum number of 2 participants to operate the tour. Maximum group size is 8, but most of our tours are between 2–6 people.

Trip Difficulty:  Moderate.

Duration of trip: 5 hours.

Included: Transportation to the drop off point and pickup at the end of the hike and a professional guide.

Photos

Itinerary

The journey begins at our Service Center (white container) where you meet your guide half an hour before departure and make final preparations. We then make the 5 minute drive up to the ski area in Seljalandsdalur where we begin the hike.After roughly an hour, we get to the base of the mountain with Þjófatindar peaks looming above. We zig-zag up to the pass between the peaks for a spectacular view over the surrounding mountains and fjords.

After breaking for refreshments, we’ll continue down into the valley on the other side of the pass where the quaint town of Hnífsdalur sits along the shore. The car will be waiting to take us back to Ísafjörður.

Please note that there is one steep section which we descend on the side of the pass. It is very short and our guides will be there to help every step of the way!

What to bring

  • Warm outdoor clothing. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry.
  • Waterproof jacket and pants.
  • Hiking boots. Please use waterproof high-top hiking boots which provide ankle support.
  • Hat and gloves.
  • Sun glasses.
  • Sunscreen.
  • Small backpack.
  • Lunch for the day. One or two sandwiches and your favourite snacks.
  • Water bottle.
  • Don’t forget your camera!

FAQ

The hike is approximately 8km and we hike over rough terrain with no trails. We start at approximately 300m and the highest point is approximately 600m, so we gain around 300m in elevation. There is one steep section which we descend to the other side of the pass. It is very short and our guides will be there to help every step of the way! If you are an active hiker then you will have no trouble on this hike.
You arrive in Keflavik International Airport about 40 minutes away from the capital city of Reykjavik. From the domestic airport in Reykjavik there are 2-3 daily 40 minute flights to Isafjordur. You can take the Fly-Bus between the airports and most of the time you can continue same day. Check out Air Iceland Connect for schedules and special offers. You can also rent a car and drive to Isafjordur. The drive, over mountain passes and through fjords is an adventure itself. It’s about 440-500 km depending on which route you take. A new road via Arnkötludalur opened in 2009 which completes the asphalted pathway the whole way, and kills the old myth of bad roads in the Westfjords! The drive will normally take you 5-6 hours. A new tunnel opened in September 2020 under the infamous mountain pass between the fjords of Arnarfjörður and Dýrafjörður. That tunnel makes it much easier to travel through the Westfjords all year round and shortens the route up the West coast. For accommodation in Reykjavik there are many options of hotels and guesthouses that we can book for groups. Please ask us for individual bookings. We strongly recommend you to spend a few extra days visiting the West Fjords and other parts of Iceland. We’re happy to help you arranging few days in the area or give you good tips about exciting things to do while in Iceland.

Map

The valley to valley hike with Orvar was fantastic. He was a fun and professional guide; explaining the geology of the area, throwing snowballs with the kids, and setting a good pace.

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