Birding Westfjords Iceland Tour

If you are interested in Birding Westfjords Iceland Tour, come and join us at Kaiyote Tours!

The Westfjords, Ísafjördur and Látrabjarg Cliffs 

Iceland really is a magical and mystical place.  The natural geological wonders, landscapes, birds, and ocean life are unforgettable! 

Please join us! You will see and experience amazing waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, fantastic birding, eating at the finest restaurants in Reykjavik, walking the incredible landscape of this amazing island, soaking in natural thermal hot springs, sleeping at great hotels, snuggling in cozy cabins, Nordic shopping, Icelandic horses, and charming Vikings!

We start out this 11-day trip in Reykjavik. This is a great area for birding and walking the shoreline. Reykjavik is a great city for art and culture.  We will fly to the Westfjords and spend four days visiting some of the most amazing landscapes, waterfalls, and birding colonies in Iceland. We will spend our last 2-days on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Printable Bird List
(This is a checklist of birds that we have seen in the months of May and June)

• Travel Dates: 
• May 29 – June 8, 2025, spots left = 6
• June 1 - 10, 2026, spots left = 6
• Additional Dates:  
• Tours by Request, May through September is a good time to visit.
• Group Size:  6 travelers, plus guides
• Trip Length: 11 days
• Rates: Rate per person = $5,650 (based on double occupancy)
• Rates include: Domestic transfers, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, scheduled group tours, park entrance fees and basic travel insurance.
• Not included: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, trip cancellation insurance.
• Adventure level:  Easy, please check "Welcome" page for definition 

Special offer:  Included with your trip (one per room) is a copy of the “Icelandic Bird Guide: Appearance, Way of Life, Habitat” by Johann Oli Hilmarsson.  You will receive this when you reserve your trip so you will have time to study and know the beautiful birds of Iceland.

Map of the travel route here:  Westfjords Iceland (opens new page)

Basic Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrive in Reykjavik
Flights are usually overnight with early morning at the Keflavik International Airport (KEF).  It is a 45-minute shuttle ride to Reykjavik from the airport, we will spend 2-nights in the city.  First stop after leaving the airport is for a traditional Icelandic breakfast offering of fish, cheese, vegetables, meats, breads, cereals, etc. Activities for the day depend on your arrival time. We will spend the morning birding in the Keflavik area. Birds:  Redwing, European Blackbird, Common Raven, Black-headed Gull, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Arctic Tern, and Common Snipe.

Day 2:  Reykjavik 
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and is rich in maritime history and close to numerous geological wonders. Options for today are hiking along the peninsula, birding, and checking out the shops and museums of Reykjavik. In the harbor and along the peninsula birds we easily see:  Common Redshank, Northern Fulmar, Tufted Duck, Common Snipe, Common Eider, Long Tailed Duck, and Brent Goose.  And in the evening, a stand-up comic show at the beautiful Harpa Performing Arts Center:  "How to become Icelandic is 60 minutes". 

Day 3:  Ísafjördur
On this day we will be traveling to Ísafjördur, a beautiful and remote village in the Westfjords.  It is a 6-hour drive to see the landscape and birds along the way.  Once we arrive in Ísafjördur, we will be staying at the Ísafjördur Hotel.  Dinner will be in town. There will be time for birding, hiking, and exploring Ísafjördur.

Day 4:  Patreksfjörður
From Ísafjördur it is a beautiful drive and amazing road to the quaint little seaside town of Patreksfjörður with many sights to see, including some amazing waterfalls like the Dynjandi.  For the next three nights we will be staying at lodging in town. 

Day 5:  Látrabjarg
The Westfjords is all about birds and amazing landscapes.  We travel to the Látrabjarg cliffs to view puffins, razorbills, guillemots, cormorants, fulmars, gulls and kittiwakes nesting colonies.  We will also see arctic foxes and many other species of birds. This will be a full day of watching the birds and the arctic foxes of Látrabjarg cliffs and the Westfjords.  This area has great hiking, too.

Day 6:  Látrabjarg
We will be visiting the Látrabjarg cliffs very early in the morning to find foxes and birds.  During the midday we will be visiting a village called Tálknafjörður for lunch and a swim in the geo-thermal pool.  In the afternoon we will be visiting one of the most spectacular beaches in all of Iceland called Rauðasandur. Dinner will be at Breiðavík on our way back to the Látrabjarg cliffs for an evening with the puffins. We will be returning to Patreksfjörður late enough to see the sunset at 11:30pm.

Day 7:  Stykkishólmur
From Patreksfjörður it is a 1-hour drive to the villages of Brjánslækur and Flökalundur.  From here we will be taking a 2.5-hour ferry boat across the Breiðafjörður to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula where we will be spending the night in a town called Stykkishólmur.  In this area we have seen White-tailed Eagles and Gyrfalcons.

Day 8:  Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur is located on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.  We will drive the full length of the peninsula looking for birds and geological wonders.  

Day 9:  Reykjanes Peninsula
We will take the day to get back to Reykjavík and we will stop at lava fields and birding areas along the way.  From Reykjavik we will drive out to the Reykjanes Peninsula for our last 2-nights.  This area is great for birds and geological sites.  On the Reykjanes Peninsula we will be staying at an area that is close to coast and ponds for excellent birding.  Here we will easily find Rock Ptarmigans. 

Day 10:  Reykjanes Peninsula 
In the morning we will be visiting the wonderful and amazing thermal pool called the Blue Lagoon for a swim and a soak. We will be staying at the edge of the Reykjanes Peninsula which is an excellent birding location with numerous geological sites. Reykjanesfólkvangur is a large nature preserve to protect flora, fauna and geological areas.

Day 11:  Fly Home 
Flights usually leave in the late afternoon, so we will have time in the morning for birding and hiking.  Our place of lodging is about 15 minutes from the airport.  There will be time in the morning for birding.