Top Things to do in West Region
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What to do and see in West Region, Iceland: The Best Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in West Region, Iceland including Snaefellsjokull National Park & Glacier, Hraunfossar, The Settlement Center, Cave Vatnshellir, Kirkjufell Mountain, Lighthouse Sugandisey, Glymur, Eldborg Crater, Helgafell, Stykkisholmskirkja.
Restaurants in West Region
1. Snaefellsjokull National Park & Glacier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 358 reviews
Reviewed By Margo7850p
As many other things in Iceland, this place is very special and very beautiful. This beautiful place is one of my favourite places in the whole country. Spectacular trails, make sure to allocate good chunk of time to explore the shoreline. Dramatic coastline, waves pounding on rocks and cliff faces, not too many tourists. It's such a beautiful and magical place. Great place for traveling and photography purpose. Stunning beauty. Mother nature at her best.
2. Hraunfossar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 640 reviews
Reviewed By 940lizh - Whitehaven, United Kingdom
Definitely worth a visit. We have visited here before on a sunny day when the water was a gorgeous blue colour. Today was a bit cloudy so water not as blue. None the less definitely worth a visit. Well signposted. Easy to get to plenty of parking. Now there is a cafe not too far away so you can have a chance to warm up on a cold day .
3. The Settlement Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 749 reviews
The Settlement Center is closed until May 13th. Looking forward to seeing you. Settlement- & Egils Saga exhibition offering a wealth of information, the Settlement Center provides a wonderful insight into Iceland’s history. It also gives you the chance to put your visit into the context of the country’s past. The exhibitions recreate the fascinating drama of the sagas and the birth of this island nation. They also bring to life one of Iceland’s most important cultural treasures, Egils Saga. The exhibitions at the Settlement Center tell the story of the first settlers and the story of Iceland’s most important saga – Egils Saga. Egill Skalla-Grimson was a famous Viking and poet and his father and was one of the first settlers and his family settled at Borg near Borgarnes. The goal is to make the ancient sagas accessible to all ages.
Reviewed By paulaD1696NV - Toronto, Canada
Getting ready to go to Iceland, we had listened to some of the Sagas. The Settlement Centre had two different audio guided tours, one about the history of the settlement of Iceland and the other a guide through Egil’s Saga, one of the most famous (and longest) of the Sagas. Both were perfect! The information was accessible and the audio guide left you in perfect control of pacing. The staff was helpful and pleasant. Anyone with time in Borgarnes should visit the Settlement Centre. Also, the only gift shop where I actually bought anything in either Iceland or Norway this trip! (See separate but just as glowing a review of the attached restaurant!)
4. Cave Vatnshellir
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 443 reviews
Follow the path of the lava flow, about 200 meters into the cave and 35 meters below the surface to see amazing colors and lava formations. The 8000 years old cave is located in Snaefellsjokull National Park, about 10 minute drive from Hellnar.
Reviewed By Ramona_P-B - Bulle, Switzerland
We went there spontaneously and it was just amazing. Walking through the caves with torches and being in total darkness for a short moment (just listening to the sound of the cave) was a great experience. Our guide was funny and very friendly and we would definitely recommend the visit.
5. Kirkjufell Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 634 reviews
The mountain is near Grundarfjordur, a teensy-weensy town in west Iceland. With a summit 1,500 feet above sea level, Mount Kirkjufell the biggest landmark in the village of about 900 residents. Kirkjufell stands on snaefellsnes peninsula of its own, a stunning backdrop for the multicolored Icelandic sky.
Reviewed By sbizzle - Ludlow, United Kingdom
Worth the long drive to see this iconic mountain from all sides! Grundafjordur to east is nearest place for food and petrol. There is also a fabulous waterfall opposite.
6. Lighthouse Sugandisey
7. Glymur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By dr_j_now - Germantown, United States
This hike was seriously amazing. It took some convincing to get my wife to agree to it, but we went for it and had a blast. The views the entire way are just absolutely stunning and it was a ton of fun doing river crossings and conquering the parts of the trail that were challenging. As others have mentioned it's recommended that you hike up the Southern side (right, facing the falls) and return on the North (left, facing the falls). Once you get going you'll understand why as some areas of the trail up do have loose rocks and are quite steep, so it's much easier to go up than come back down that way. The views on the way up were way better than on the way down as well, so definitely don't skip that side altogether. That said, to do both sides you have to cross the river twice. At the start there is a log most of the year and a cable to hold onto to help you across. You'll still want waterproof boots as otherwise the rest of the hike could be miserable with waterlogged shoes. You'll encounter a cave to walk through on the way up as well which is pretty neat. It seemed like very few people ventured to the very top, but it's totally worth the bit of extra effort for the views (and sense of accomplishment). It is at the very top that you'll encounter that 2nd river crossing to get to the Northern side. The crossing at the top is quite a bit wider than the first, so there's no cable or log to help you across here. The depth may vary throughout the year, but when we visited there were areas up near our knees (which doesn't sound bad at all, but the water was downright frigid). Wearing our shoes, even though waterproof, was out of the question considering the depth, so we took them off and went barefoot. We relied on each other for balance to help make it across since some of the rocks were slippery and/or rather painful to step on barefoot if we hit them on the wrong part of our foot. We made it though, dried our feet/legs off, put our boots back on, and carried on to head back to our car down the Northern route. Truly, this hike was amazing; by far our favorite hike anywhere thus far. This is basically the tallest (accessible) waterfall in Iceland at 198 meters. They discovered a taller one in 2011 (Morsi), but it's recommended that you be an experienced glacial hiker with the correct equipment to get anywhere near it, so that leaves most of us to explore Glymur. For Glymur, if you're reasonably fit you shouldn't have much of a problem, so just do it (being careful along the way of course)!
8. Eldborg Crater
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By leohking - Chelmsford, United Kingdom
What a wonderful hike! We visited here after seeing good reviews, to find it we put Snorrastadir Farm Holidays in google maps and it takes you straight to the car park. Free parking and also a warm building with toilets, showers and a kitchen area which was also free to use. The hike took about 1hr 45 for the round trip up to the crater. Clearly signposted start and fairly well trodden path in the snow. Compared to many of the spots in Iceland it was wonderfully remote and we only saw 2 others whilst on the hike. It was minimal incline until the last 5 mins of going up the crater itself which was a bit steep but had metal chains to hold onto and well worth the climb. Beautiful views from the top especially on a sunny day, I really would recommend including this on your Iceland itinerary, it did not disappoint!
9. Helgafell
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 157 reviews
Reviewed By skyisblu - Montreal, Canada
This 73 m-high hill in an otherwise flat valley, once considered holy to the worshipers of Thor, is a nice place to stop and stretch your legs. There is a small fee to climb, as the hill is on private property, and the gentlemen manning the entrance was selling beautiful hats he was knitting himself! The climb is easy save the last little bit of scrambling up rocks, but the views of the surrounding valley, river and fields are spectacular. Bring a jacket, as the wind on the top is fierce. Also, take note on the wish-granting protocol clearly marked at the beginning of the climb, and you will have your wishes granted upon reaching the top! Note that there is a small car park on site, and clean washrooms across the road, which are reserved for people who pay the entrance fee.
10. Stykkisholmskirkja
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 193 reviews
Reviewed By KeithFagg - North Geelong, Australia
This extraordinary church building dominates much of the village skyline. The external design seems over the top, with a lot of different themes, but the internals are simple and stylish, right down to the minimalist light fittings. Set on an elevated site, the car park offers lovely views over the many surrounding islands. Do visit this lovely church.
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