6-Day Sea Kayaking Tour in Iceland

Meet at 8 AM at the location on your booking voucher for last-minute checks. Then board the 9 AM passenger boat to Hesteyri, a former settlement in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. 

Once ashore, prepare your kayak and head for Kvíar Farmhouse, crossing the fjords of Hesteyrarfjörður and Veiðileysufjörður. Waterfalls spill down the coastal cliffs, and you may spot white-tailed eagles or marine wildlife along the way.

Arrive at Kvíar, your home for the first 3 nights. Built in 1921, it’s the only house in Kvíadalur valley, and its last residents left for Ísafjörður in 1948. After dinner, relax in the sauna next to the farmhouse.

Distance: 18 km (11.2 mi)

After breakfast, leave most of your gear at Kvíar and paddle into Lónafjörður fjord. Follow the whole coastline, taking breaks as you go, and watch for seabirds and seals.

The fjord shows no sign of human presence, and the small bay of Sópandi holds a large seal colony.

Return to Kvíar for dinner and another evening in the sauna.

Distance: 17 to 20 km (10.6 to 12.4 mi)

Paddle from Kvíar across the bay for views into Leirufjörður fjord, with Drangajökull, Iceland’s northernmost glacier, rising in the distance.

Leirufjörður means “silty fjord,” a name that reflects the sediment carried into its waters by a glacier-fed river. Where the silt enters the fjord, the water can change from deep blue to brown.

You’ll have two options: land in the small cove of Kjós and hike up the headland for a better look at the glacier, or paddle into Leirufjörður and walk toward the ice. Afterward, return to Kvíar for dinner, the sauna, and your last night at the farmhouse.

Distance: 15 to 18 km (9.3 to 11.2 mi)

Pack your kayak and leave Kvíar behind as the camping part of the trip begins. Cross Jökulfirðir bay and follow the coastline toward Grunnavík.

Before you reach the bay, you’ll pass a natural rock arch that you may be able to paddle beneath at high tide. You also have a good chance of spotting porpoises near the shore, especially when the sea is calm.

At Grunnavík bay, where a church and a few summerhouses stand, you’ll set up camp near the beach. Your guide will introduce low-impact camping practices before your first night outdoors.

Distance: 15 km (9.3 mi)

Leave the Jökulfirðir glacial fjords and paddle into Ísafjarðardjúp bay along the Snæfjallaströnd coast. You’ll pass waterfalls that few people ever see, because they can’t be reached on foot.

Where you camp depends on the weather, sea conditions, and the group. You may stop in the cove of Ytraskarð after about 20 km (12.4 mi) or carry on to Möngufoss waterfall at 24 km (14.9 mi).

Set up camp for your final night outdoors and enjoy dinner by the water. End the evening around a campfire on the beach and watch the sunset.

Distance: 20 to 24 km (12.4 to 14.9 mi)

Begin the day with a stop on Æðey island, where puffins, eider ducks, and other seabirds gather along the shores. Bring your binoculars to watch the birdlife before setting off toward Vigur island.

The next stretch is a 9 km (5.6-mi) crossing and your best chance on the trip to spot humpback whales, which spend the summer in Ísafjarðardjúp.

You won’t land on Vigur, but you’ll paddle past puffins floating in large groups around the island. Vigur’s farmers built stone walls to help nesting eider ducks.

From Vigur, head on to Súðavík village, where a car takes you on the 20-minute drive back to Ísafjörður.

Distance: 22 km (13.7 mi)

Meeting Point Info

The pre-trip briefing is in Ísafjörður at 5 PM the day before departure, and Day 1 starts there at 8 AM. Your booking voucher lists the exact meeting location. Travel to and from Ísafjörður isn’t included. 

Icelandair has daily flights of about 40 minutes from Reykjavík’s domestic airport to Ísafjörður. The drive from Reykjavík takes 5 to 6 hours over mountain passes and around fjords.

Drop-off Place

A car transfer brings you back from Súðavík to Ísafjörður around 4 PM on Day 6. Times can shift with sea conditions, so allow extra time when planning onward travel. 

Accommodation

The first 3 nights are at Kvíar Farmhouse in Kvíadalur valley, and the last 2 are wild camping on the coast. Tents are provided, but bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping pad. 

Practical Info

Rated Challenging, the trip is for experienced sea kayakers, and parts of the route can be exposed to strong winds and moderate swell (rolling waves from the open ocean). 

On Day 1 and from Day 4 onward, all your personal gear travels in your kayak. On Days 2 and 3, you can leave most of it at Kvíar. Pack light, and test at home that everything fits in your dry bags.

What’s Provided

All kayaking equipment and paddling clothing are provided, but you’re welcome to bring your own.

If you do, dry pants and a dry top with rubber cuffs work best, or at least a 3 mm neoprene wetsuit with a windproof top. Neoprene boots with ankle support and thick soles suit the rocky shorelines. Neoprene gloves, mittens, or pogies (mitts that wrap around the paddle shaft) keep your hands warm.

Please Note

The itinerary is subject to change depending on weather, sea conditions, and the group’s ability. Daily routes, distances, and camping locations may vary.