Iceland · Westfjords · Premium route guide
Westfjords Way
Iceland's wildest corner: fjord after fjord, gravel and puffin cliffs.
A remote multi-day loop through Iceland's Westfjords, with gravel sections, long fjord roads and very few fuel stops. Built from our own track.
- Distance
- 756.1 km
- Peak elevation
- 497 m
- Elevation gain
- 4,830 m
- Best months
- Late Jun–early Sep
- Iceland · Westfjords
- Multi-day
- Mixed surface (75% paved)
- Seasonal closure
The route
A loop from Budardalur north to Holmavik, round the long Isafjardardjup fjords to Isafjordur, through the tunnels to Dynjandi waterfall, on to Patreksfjordur and out to the Latrabjarg bird cliffs, then east via Brjanslaekur and back to Budardalur.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~0 m at the base to 497 m at the top, 4,830 m of total climbing across the route.
Our track is 756 km with about 4,800 m of climbing, around 18 to 19 hours of riding. Visit Iceland gives about 950 km for the full Westfjords Way, which includes more side fjords than these waypoints. Plan 4 to 6 days.
Gravel sections move every year as roads get paved, so expect a mix of new asphalt and old gravel.
Why ride it
Very few people, huge fjords, the Dynjandi waterfall and the Latrabjarg cliffs at the western edge of Europe. It feels like a real expedition without leaving the road network.
Hazards
Gravel, single-lane bridges, sheep, steep unguarded drops and fast weather changes. Long tunnels can be cold and wet inside.
Fuel
Holmavik, Isafjordur and Patreksfjordur are the reliable fuel stops. There is no fuel at Latrabjarg.
Best months and difficulty
Late June to early September. Difficulty: hard, ADV-light.
What to see along the way
- Budardalur - Start and finish.
- Holmavik - Fuel and food before the long fjord road.
- Isafjordur - Main town of the Westfjords. Fuel and stays.
- Dynjandi - The tiered waterfall below Dynjandisheidi.
- Dynjandisheidi - Mountain plateau, the highest point of the loop.
- Patreksfjordur - Last fuel before Latrabjarg.
- Latrabjarg - Bird cliffs at the western tip of Iceland.
- Brjanslaekur - Ferry quay on Breidafjordur (the loop does not use the ferry).
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Westfjords Way
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Isafjordur - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
Rentals powered by BikesBooking. StayToRide may earn a small commission - no extra cost to you.
Verified stays within 30 km
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