Car Hire in the West fjords Iceland and tips for road trip

The capital of Iceland’s West fjords is Isafjordur (Ice fjord in English) and despite its population of only 2600, it has two daily scheduled departures to and from Reykjavik (RKV) airport.

Cheap car hire in Isafjordur airport (IFJ) is available from Euopcar using CarTrawlers search engine. Car hire is also available from Patreksfjordur which however doesn’t benefit from a commercial airport.

It takes just under an hour to fly from Reykjavik to Isafjordur, which is situated in Skutulsfjordur between the steep mountain sides in the far north west of Iceland. Not only do the west fjords offer a variety of unique tourist attractions but a road trip between Reykjavik and Isafjordur is highly recommended.

Compare car hire prices in Isafjordur Airport 
(and other car hire locations in Iceland)

Car hire Road Trip Reykjavik-Isafjordur
For outdoor, wild life and photography enthusiasts this 5-6 hour road trip is an absolute must. The melting water of a prehistoric glacier has carved dozens of steep mile deep fjords into the underlying lava, eventually forming the peninsula we known as the Icelandic west fjords today. Most fjords are surrounded by almost vertical mountain sides out of which some exceed 3,000 feet offering breathtaking views along the route. The scenery changes constantly along the route and depending on the season, weather, choice of route and luck it’s also possible to experience whales, seals, puffins, Icelandic ponies, Arctic Foxes, hot springs, Northern lights and spectacular waterfalls. Please note if you are planning your Isafjordur car hire during winter season, usually only one route is open between Reykjavik to Isafjordur

Attractions in Isafjordur and Westfjords
It’s no coincidence that the Westfjords are positioned on the ‘Lonely Planet’ 2011 top 10 list of regions to visit in the world. Regardless if you choose to visit the area in summer or winter there’s plenty to see and do. A lesser known fact about Isafjordur is that there are excellent skiing facilities typically open from late December to April at very affordable prices.

During the summer the Westfjords benefits from 24 hour daylight and mild temperatures ideal for active outdoor experiences such as hiking, fishing and even golfing on one of the Westfjords 6 golf courses.

Some attractions in the Westfjords are however less accessible unless you get car hire from Isafjordur or one of the other 15 car rental locations in Iceland. To mention just a couple of top attractions where car hire is a necessity, are Iceland’s most western point Látrabjarg and the spectacular 330 feet waterfall Dynjandi Foss.

Culinary experience
Situated immediately next to the queue where the local fishing boats bring in their haul of fresh Atlantic fish, Tjöruhúsið restaurant cherry picks only the very best seafood for its diners. Tjöruhúsið will only open its doors once a fresh haul of fish has arrived, after which it will raise the Icelandic flag to let locals and tourists know that the kitchen is open for business.

Uncompromised quality of ingredients and excellent but simple preparation has made Tjöruhúsið restaurant a huge culinary success, which has attracted foodies and world renowned celebrity chefs such Heston Blumenthal. See Heston Blumenthal prepare Wolf Fish in the Tjöruhúsið kitchen.