Kirkjufell tours from Reykjavik

Which tours go to Kirkjufell from Reykjavik?

Seven day tours and one two-day tour leave Reykjavik and stop at Kirkjufell. Two more trips start in Grundarfjörður itself.

All of them, cheapest first. The column that tells you most is the time at the mountain, taken from each listing's itinerary.

How long do you actually get at Kirkjufell on a tour?

Between 20 and 50 minutes. Most day tours give about 30; the Arctic Adventures small group gives about 40 and the premium small group about 20.

Half an hour is enough to walk from the car park to the footbridge over Kirkjufellsfoss, take the classic photo and walk a little way along the river. It is not enough to wait for the light to change. The walk from the bus is short, but on a busy summer afternoon the footbridge has a queue of tripods.

Listed times are targets. A reviewer on the shore excursion wrote that "they say 40 or 50 minutes but give you 15 minutes less at each place". The operator replied that the scheduled times were kept. On a coach of 50 or more, the minutes it takes everyone to get off and back on come out of your stop. If the mountain is the reason you are going, look at the Arctic Adventures tour first.

How much does a Kirkjufell tour cost in 2026?

From $143 per person on the big coach, $150 to $164 in a small group, and $224 to $234 with lunch included. A two-day trip costs $559.

The jump from $143 to $150 buys a group of 19 instead of 65, and pickup from downtown points. The jump to $224 buys a sit-down lunch and hotel pickup. What the cheapest ticket leaves out:

• Hotel pickup costs extra on the classic tour. The free option is to walk to Bus Stop 12 at Höfðatorg, Þórunnartún 1.
• Food is not included on five of the seven day tours. There is a café or restaurant stop, usually at Arnarstapi, but it can be short and busy.
• Parking at Kirkjufellsfoss is paid for drivers, but on a tour the operator covers it.

Children pay less on most listings; the child price shows at checkout. Tipping is not expected in Iceland.

The cheapest full day to Kirkjufell: a big coach, a guide and about 30 minutes at the falls, plus Djúpalónssandur and Arnarstapi.

★ 4.8 · 11 hours · from $143

Explore the classic Snæfellsnes day tour → Tour details

Which Kirkjufell tours include lunch?

Two: the EastWest day tour with a home-cooked lunch at Lýsuhóll farm ($224) and the Gateway to Iceland minibus with lunch in Arnarstapi ($234).

On the farm lunch tour the stop at Lýsuhóll, a horse farm on the south coast, is listed at 1 hour 15 minutes. It is the meal most reviewers mention first. The Gateway to Iceland minibus stops at Samkomuhúsið, the community house in Arnarstapi; one guest recommends the lamb soup.

On every other tour, bring food. One guest on the Your Day Tours trip put it plainly: "best to bring your own lunch/ protein as lunch stop is 30 min with few choices." On the cruise excursion another wrote that "some savvy passengers took a packed lunch!"

Lunch at a horse farm, hotel pickup and about 30 minutes at Kirkjufell at the end of the day.

★ 4.9 · 11 hours · from $224

Explore the day tour with farm lunch → Tour details

Is Kirkjufell the first stop or the last, and does it matter?

It matters for light and energy. The classic and premium tours reach it late in the morning; most small groups save it for the end of the day.

Tours go round the peninsula in one of two directions. The premium small group makes Kirkjufell its first stop, and the classic coach comes second, after the Berserkjahraun lava field. You arrive fresh, and in summer before the afternoon crowd. Your Day Tours, Nicetravel and EastWest go along the south coast first and finish at Kirkjufell, often in softer evening light. One Nicetravel guest wrote: "Kirkjufell was lovely at sunset".

In deep winter, flip that logic. Around the December solstice Reykjavik gets about four hours of daylight (timeanddate.com). A tour that ends at the mountain after a long day can arrive in the dark. From November to February, a first-stop tour is the safer bet for seeing it at all.

Which Kirkjufell tour is best for families with children?

The classic coach takes children from 2, the farm lunch tour from 4, Nicetravel from 5. Kayaking starts at 10.

Minimum ages, from each listing:

The real limit is the 11 to 12 hours, five of them on the road. Small children cope better with the lunch tour, where the long sit-down break splits the day. Bring snacks whichever you choose.

Can you visit Kirkjufell from a cruise ship in Grundarfjörður?

Yes. The BusTravel Iceland shore excursion meets at the Norðurgarður pier and gives about 50 minutes at Kirkjufell, the longest stop on any tour here.

Grundarfjörður is the town at the foot of the mountain, and cruise ships anchor or dock in its fjord. The shore excursion runs about five hours: Kirkjufell first, then round to Djúpalónssandur, Arnarstapi and Búðakirkja, and back to the pier. The bus is white with the BusTravel Iceland logo, and it carries up to 59. Lunch is not included, and guests say there is little time to buy food on the way.

If your ship stays long enough, kayaking below Kirkjufell starts at Sæból 18 in town and lasts two hours.

Off the ship and at Kirkjufell within minutes: about 50 minutes at the mountain, then the national park coast.

★ 4.3 · 5 hours · from $214

Explore the Grundarfjörður shore excursion → Tour details

Is a two-day Snæfellsnes tour worth it?

Yes if you hate rushing. It costs $559 with a hotel night in Borgarnes, and the second day adds the Víðgelmir lava cave and Hraunfossar.

The Nicetravel two-day tour follows the same loop as its day trip on day one, with about 30 minutes at Kirkjufell, then sleeps in Borgarnes instead of driving back to Reykjavik. Day two goes inland: Hraunfossar and Barnafoss, an hour and a half inside the Víðgelmir lava tube, the hot spring at Deildartunguhver and a horse farm. Breakfast is included; dinner is not.

It does not buy more time at Kirkjufell. For that, you need your own car and a night in Grundarfjörður. See driving yourself or taking a tour.

Frequently asked questions