Snæfellsjökull

On a clear day in Reykjavík, look north-west across the bay. That white cone floating on the horizon, far too far away to be real, is Snæfellsjökull. People who've lived in the city all their lives still stop and point at it. It's that sort of mountain.

Snæfellsjökull (anglicised Snaefellsjokull) is a glacier-capped volcano at the very tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, rising 1,446 metres above the sea it practically stands in. Jules Verne picked it as the way into the Earth in his 1864 novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and plenty of locals will tell you, only half joking, that there's some kind of energy to the place. The volcano is dormant, not dead. Its last eruption was around 1,800 years ago.

Tours that visit Snæfellsjökull

top pick

Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.8(1,644)

From 17.490 ISK

Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Kirkjufell Small Group Tour

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.6(77)

From 18.990 ISK

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Snæfellsnes Peninsula in a small group tour with home-cooked meal included

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.9(905)

From 28.990 ISK

Snæfellsnes Peninsula Small Group Tour

11 hours · From Reykjavík

4.9(364)

From 19.490 ISK

Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour from Grundarfjordur Port

5 hours · From Grundarfjörður

4.4(173)

From 26.240 ISK

Snæfellsnes en español con almuerzo incluido en una granja en minibus

12 hours · From Reykjavík

5(24)

From 28.990 ISK

What to see in Snæfellsjökull National Park

The glacier sits inside Snæfellsjökull National Park, founded in 2001 and unusual in Iceland because it runs from the ice right down to the sea. You don't have to set foot on the glacier to get a lot out of it. The drive around the tip of the peninsula takes you through moss-covered lava fields, past the Lóndrangar sea stacks, down to the black pebble beach at Djúpalónssandur, and into small villages like Arnarstapi and Hellnar, where the coastal path between the two is one of the best short walks in the west.

Underground, there's Vatnshellir, a lava cave you can visit on a guided tour down a spiral staircase. Most of the time the glacier just watches over all of it. On some days it disappears completely into cloud, and you'll have to take our word for it that it's there.

Can you hike Snæfellsjökull?

Yes, but only with a guide. Guided glacier hikes and summit tours run in the summer months, roughly June to September, with crampons and gear usually provided. You need decent fitness and a good weather window. The ice hides crevasses, and the weather at the top changes quickly and without much warning. Do not walk onto the glacier on your own, even if there are tracks, and don't try to drive up the mountain roads outside summer. Some of the tracks towards the ice are rough mountain roads suitable only for 4x4 vehicles, and they are closed for much of the year.

Pro tip: do the loop clockwise from Reykjavík, south side first. You'll reach Arnarstapi and Djúpalónssandur in the morning, see the glacier from the west as the light moves round, and finish on the north side at Kirkjufell in the evening, when the tour buses have mostly gone.

How to get to Snæfellsjökull from Reykjavík

The eastern end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula is about two to two and a half hours' drive from Reykjavík, and the glacier is another hour or so further west. That makes a full peninsula loop a long but doable day, and a comfortable one if you stay a night. The national park is free to enter. The roads are paved around most of the loop, but the wind on the peninsula can be ferocious, especially in winter. Check road.is and the weather before you set off, and hold on to your car door when you open it.

Best time to visit Snæfellsjökull

Summer gives you long days, open mountain tracks and glacier tours. Winter is quieter, with a real chance of northern lights over the ice from about September to April, but short daylight hours mean you need an early start. Whatever the season, the glacier is shy. Clear mornings tend to be your best bet.

If you want to see it without the long drive, nearly every Snæfellsnes day tour from Reykjavík circles the glacier, with stops like Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur and Kirkjufell. Tours that include Snæfellsjökull are below.