Choose the entry point first: Take Baldur to Brjánslækur, spend the first night in Flókalundur or Patreksfjörður, and use day two for Látrabjarg or Rauðisandur; head towards Dynjandi and Þingeyri on day three, reach Ísafjörður on day four, and leave on day five according to your flight or road exit. Entering from the south and leaving from the north cuts out one return leg, but you must coordinate two fixed deadlines: the ferry and the roads.
ICENAVI ROUTE FIT · WESTFJORDS
For five days in the Westfjords, your bases matter more than your attraction count
These three scores cover the factors most likely to change the route.
Baldur removes part of the overland drive, but the date, vehicle space and first night after arrival all need to line up.
A fjord road does not turn map kilometres directly into driving time; allow something each day for parking, photographs and missed turn-offs.
Patreksfjörður covers the south-western cliffs, while Ísafjörður handles northern towns and supplies before departure; one fewer hotel change means one less round of sorting wet clothes.
StykkishólmurBaldur southern endBrjánslækurFerry arrivalPatreksfjörðurSouth-west baseDynjandiWaterfall stopÍsafjörðurNorth base and suppliesDay one is for arriving and settling in
After taking Baldur to Brjánslækur, the easiest mistake is seeing daylight left on the map and driving straight to Ísafjörður. Disembarking, collecting the car, buying supplies and negotiating fjord bends break the afternoon into small pieces; staying in Flókalundur or Patreksfjörður gives you the option of moving Látrabjarg to the following day if the weather turns.
If you enter overland from Reykjavík, Borgarnes is the last major place for supplies. Check the Westfjords destination hub for the road and accommodation roles before deciding whether the ferry is worth the kilometres it saves; five days are not improved by adding entrances, but by having a bed you can reach on the first night.
Day two: choose the cliff day or the beach day
Látrabjarg is a seabird cliff, while Rauðisandur is a long beach; both sit in the south-west, but neither is a casual add-on for one afternoon. For seabirds and cliffs, Patreksfjörður is the more practical base; for a slower beach-and-village day, accept the longer return drive. Use southern Westfjords accommodation options to place Guesthouse, Breiðavík and Patreksfjörður back in the context of dinner and shower time.
| What you want to protect | Accommodation base | Itinerary benefit | Real trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffs and seabirds | Patreksfjörður/Breiðavík | An early start on day two and one less return leg | Fewer dinner options and rooms |
| Dynjandi and northern towns | Ísafjörður | After the waterfall, continue towards Þingeyri and Bolungarvík | The southern cliffs become a long day |
| Fjord scenery only | Three nights in one base | Less luggage moving and easier weather reshuffles | One remote stop must be dropped |
Day three: make Dynjandi part of the route
Dynjandi is not a five-minute photo stop. Coming from the south, allow time for the path, parking, wet ground and returning to the car; from the north, it competes with Þingeyri, seaside towns and the practicalities of checking in at Ísafjörður. On a five-day trip, placing it on day three usually leaves more room than chasing the waterfall on the final day.
Once you reach Ísafjörður, town supplies and restaurants change the value of a hotel base. Stay in town if you plan to visit Bolungarvík or Súðavík the next day; if you leave the Westfjords immediately, work backwards from the airport, ferry or main-road exit. For two northern nights, compare southern and northern Westfjords accommodation rather than treating every town as the same base.
Day four is your weather and town day
Do not add another cross-fjord long drive on day four. Keep Ísafjörður old town, the maritime museum, coffee and a short walk together, so rain or fog still leaves you an indoor option; extend towards Súðavík or Bolungarvík only when the weather is kind. Day five can then follow the actual road and transport conditions instead of letting one headland delay the whole return.
Westfjords hotels are not automatically better because they are farther out. Staying near parking and food gives you a late-night arrival without searching gravel roads for an entrance; staying near the cliffs gives you early light and a shorter second day. Read the hotel decision guide, the daily driving time guide and the cancellation options for activities together to see which room genuinely fits the route.
Day five: choose the exit before the final photograph
If you leave from Ísafjörður Airport, keep the morning for checking out, refuelling and checking the weather; if you are returning to Reykjavík, the road already fills the day and Látrabjarg should not be added. If you take Baldur south, stay near Brjánslækur the night before and keep one cancellable night for delays. The final photograph should not override a fixed transport deadline.
The road has two main approaches; five days cannot treat them as one loop
What to cut from a five-day itinerary
If a road or ferry delay hits, drop the second viewpoint at the remote cliffs first, then protect the accommodation you have booked and the next fixed exit. Dynjandi, Látrabjarg and Rauðisandur do not all need to happen; keeping two can leave real time for supplies and an early night in Ísafjörður.
Long daylight from May to September can make every day seem expandable, but Westfjords bends, parking and dense fog make an hour much longer. Write a latest departure time and a latest check-in time into the itinerary; once either is passed, return to base rather than letting one photograph decide the safety of the whole evening.
When you assess accommodation, look at the entrance logistics: does Patreksfjörður have dinner available, can Breiðavík support an early cliff start, and is Ísafjörður practical for supplies and departure? Put room rates, parking and cancellation terms in the base comparison instead of adding them as an afterthought, so the itinerary has a workable finish.
Travellers without a car must separate a ferry passenger ticket from local transfers; Westfjords attractions are far apart, and a day-tour stop list cannot be treated as public transport. Seeing cliffs, a waterfall and towns usually requires more nights to create transfer space. With a rental car, add fuel stops, signal gaps and slower driving in rain or fog to each day rather than relying on map time alone.
With older travellers or children, two consecutive nights in Patreksfjörður make lunch, laundry and an unplanned rest easier to arrange; photographers may find it worthwhile to base themselves near Breiðavík or the cliffs for early light. Changing hotels every night is the first thing to remove those choices.
When leaving the Westfjords on day five, check the road and transport exit first, then decide whether to add one more town. The road from Ísafjörður, domestic flights and ferry connections each have fixed deadlines; if any one of them is uncertain, leaving early protects the whole trip better than chasing one last attraction.
Travellers without a car must separate a ferry passenger ticket from local transfers; Westfjords attractions are far apart, and a day-tour stop list cannot be treated as public transport. Seeing cliffs, a waterfall and towns usually requires more nights to create transfer space. With a rental car, add fuel stops, signal gaps and slower driving in rain or fog to each day rather than relying on map time alone.
With older travellers or children, two consecutive nights in Patreksfjörður make lunch, laundry and an unplanned rest easier to arrange; photographers may find it worthwhile to base themselves near Breiðavík or the cliffs for early light. Changing hotels every night is the first thing to remove those choices.
When leaving the Westfjords on day five, check the road and transport exit first, then decide whether to add one more town. The road from Ísafjörður, domestic flights and ferry connections each have fixed deadlines; if any one of them is uncertain, leaving early protects the whole trip better than chasing one last attraction.
The best thing to preserve in a five-day Westfjords trip is not a complete checklist, but one cancellable option every day.
Do your base and exit line up?
Check Westfjords accommodation and transport first
Fix the entry point, vehicle, number of nights and next exit, then compare accommodation and ferry arrangements for the same dates.
Choose your Westfjords entry
Westfjords destination hub · Your first night after leaving Baldur · Three or four nights in the Westfjords
More reading
Then handle roads and hotels
How to choose a Westfjords hotel · Daily driving time guide · Skjaldborg Film Festival
Q&A | Five days in the Westfjords
Can you enter from the south and leave from the north in five days?
Yes, but you need to lock in the ferry, vehicle space and northern exit together; when road weather changes, the final night needs room that can still be recovered.
How many bases should you use for five days?
Two bases offer the best balance: Patreksfjörður covers the south-western cliffs, while Ísafjörður covers northern towns and supplies. Three or more bases usually add check-in tasks without adding useful time.
Do you need to give up the Westfjords without the ferry?
No. Entering and leaving from the north reduces the timetable constraint, but you must add the opening and closing road distance and rental-car time back into the total cost.