Which Iceland island day trip fits? Check the ferry before changing your route

Four islands that are far apart on the map—and farther apart as decisions

From Keflavík, the Westman Islands lie offshore from the south coast; from Akureyri, Hrísey and Grímsey are the short and long crossings. Baldur runs from Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula to Brjánslækur in the Westfjords. In photographs, all four look like “one more day by the sea”. Put the departure port, return time and next morning’s first stop on the map and their four different route roles become clear.

ICENAVI · ICELAND ISLAND FERRY MAPCheck the departure port before you board

Westman IslandsLandeyjahöfn · main tripAkureyriHrísey / Grímsey departure areaGrímseyArctic Circle markerStykkishólmurBaldur departure portBrjánslækurWestfjords gateway

Westman Islands: the ferry is part of the route.Akureyri: Hrísey for half a day, Grímsey for a full day.Baldur: save driving across the sea to reach the Westfjords.

Westman Islands: if you want island life, do not compress it into a day return

Herjólfur runs between Landeyjahöfn and Vestmannaeyjar, with public timetables commonly showing several return sailings a day; bus connections from Reykjavík to Landeyjahöfn are also available. The sailing itself is short. The time goes on driving to the port, checking in early, securing a vehicle place and moving around the island. The 2026 price list puts an adult one-way fare at about 2,700 Icelandic króna, roughly HK$162 or NT$648; a small car is about 4,050 króna one way, making an early estimate of about HK$810/NT$3,240 for two people driving there and back with the car, excluding accommodation and fuel.

With only one day, volcanic trails, sea cliffs and museums compete for the same hours; two nights let you give the arrival afternoon to the harbour and town, then see cliffs or puffins the next day, with room to change plans in poor weather. The two-day Westman Islands itinerary helps check the ferry and accommodation order; if you only want a short south-coast stop, the Westman Islands accommodation guide starts with breakfast, parking and your return-to-mainland timing.

Hrísey: the easiest half-day island to make work near Akureyri

Hrísey departs from Árskógssandur, takes about 15 minutes by ferry and has several sailings year-round. Public northern transport information lists an adult return fare of about 2,000 Icelandic króna, roughly HK$120/NT$480; the bus reaches Litli Árskógur, but the harbour is still about a 2 km walk away. That walk determines whether travellers without a car can catch the sailing. The island suits a slow walk and birdwatching, with an afternoon deliberately left unhurried; keep a buffer before the return boat rather than using the short crossing to estimate the whole half-day.

From Akureyri, Hrísey can sit on the city’s second day while you keep your accommodation at the Akureyri base; if you are heading towards Mývatn or Húsavík the next day, sleeping back in town is easier than chasing a ferry with luggage. If you want an island break without changing hotels, this is the lightest commitment of the four.

Grímsey: the Arctic Circle is not a quick tick-box stop

The ferry from Dalvík to Grímsey takes about 3 hours, and flights from Akureyri are another option. Public northern transport information for 2026 lists an adult one-way ferry fare of about 4,400 Icelandic króna, roughly HK$264/NT$1,056; an early flight fare is about 12,650 króna one way, roughly HK$759/NT$3,036. These figures set a budget floor only. The flight, sea conditions and return plan determine whether the day works.

If Grímsey is part of a three-day northern itinerary, reserve the whole day first, then decide what to postpone between Mývatn and Húsavík. The sailing is long and the time on the island is fixed; missing the return means more than skipping one attraction. To cover the Arctic Circle marker, seabirds and an island walk, keep two nights in Akureyri or one night around Dalvík; do not stack whale watching, Mývatn’s volcanic sights and Grímsey into the same day with rigid time slots. Use the three-day northern base and sequencing guide to reorder the following day.

Baldur: it serves a Westfjords route, not an island photo stop

Baldur connects Stykkishólmur and Brjánslækur, with some sailings calling at Flatey. Its value is turning the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and the Westfjords into a shorter sea crossing; if you are only driving from Reykjavík to Snæfellsnes, detouring to the port for the ferry may not repay the time saved on land. If the itinerary already enters the Westfjords, however, Baldur can replace a long drive around and move a night of accommodation into the southern Westfjords.

Flatey requires planning where you will board and leave the boat, and a stop turns the transport day into an island walking day. To compare three or four nights in the Westfjords, start with the Westfjords nights guide; from Snæfellsnes, use the Stykkishólmur port destination page to check parking, sailings and the next stop. Whether Baldur is worthwhile lies in the stretch of driving you want to remove, not in the view from the deck alone.

Put all four options into the same time budget

Island checks before you buy a ticket

1. Is the island the theme of this trip, or do you simply want a stretch of sea scenery? If it is only scenery, the mainland coast usually preserves more flexibility.
2. Do you need to take a car? Vehicle space on Westman Islands and Baldur changes the booking order; on Hrísey and Grímsey, deal with walking or island transport first.
3. Where will you sleep after the return crossing? Write landing, collecting the car, dinner and the next departure as four separate slots; if one has no room, add a night.
4. If sea conditions change the sailing, can the next fixed activity move? Keep an island day away from an airport, whale-watching check-in or long transfer.
5. What do your companions actually want: volcanoes, seabirds, the Arctic Circle, island community life or less driving? Choose the return first, then choose the island.