Hornbjarg Cliffs

To ensure that we are able to operate our Hornstrandir tour as frequently as possible, even with fewer participants and/or under less perfect weather conditions, then on the date of the tour your guide and boat captain will together decide on one of the following three great hiking itineraries - in order of preference:

Plan A - Hornbjarg circle hike. Requires at least 10 participants and excellent weather & sea conditions.
You will have 4-5 hours for a circle hike along the cliffs and enjoy the magnificent views. The hiking is of intermediate difficulty on a trail with undulating terrain, from sea level up to about 500 meters altitude and down again to sea level. The cliffs are home to millions of sea birds, and therefore the Arctic fox is never too far away either. The boat ride takes 2.5-3 hours each way. Visiting Hornbjarg is an incredible experience; at the same time, this is one of Iceland's remotest and harshest environments and suitable sailing conditions & weather can never be guaranteed.

Plan B - Adalvik to Hesteyri one-way hike. Requires at least 6 participants and good weather & sea conditions.
The hiking route between the abandoned villages of Saebol and Hesteyri offers multiple stunning viewpoints. A view of the northern fjords of Isafjardardjup bay opens up as you ascend up about 300 meters from the beautiful Adalvik creek up to the Slettuheidi mountain pass. As you continue east towards Hesteyri, the view only gets better as you now have most of the jagged Jokulfirdir "glacier fjords" in front of you. The icing on the cake is the picture-perfect Hesteyri village, which greets you towards the end of your hike in it's nestled setting in the sheltered Hesteyrarfjordur fjord. Hesteyri is surrounded by pristine waterfalls, mountains and beaches - believe us that if this was the early 20th century, we would have moved there with you too. The hike takes 5-6 hours and the boat ride about an hour each way - plus 2 extra hours to enjoy the village of Hesteyri after the hike. We know you won't say no to the complementary pancakes at the Doctor's House either!

Plan C - Hiking around Hesteyri village. Requires at least 2 participants and moderate weather conditions.
There are so many great hiking trails from Hesteyri. Take the lone village road - a gravel construction from the era of the last residents - to the Kagrafell mountain (500m) for a top view over Hesteyrarfjordur and the rest of Jokulfirdir. Hike further onto the Mannfjall mountain for a splendid panoramic view over Adalvik creek. Other options include hiking along the coastline towards Slettuheidi, for the signature view over Jokulfirdir and Isafjardardjup; crossing the river and hiking to the old whaling station at the bottom of the fjord; leisurely strolling along the pristine black sand beach of Hesteyri, visiting the site of the former church that got taken away; and finally looking out for the Arctic fox! And of course, we hope you enjoy your complementary pancakes and the historic setting at the Doctor's House. We will spend 7-8 hours in and around Hesteyri and the boat ride takes about an hour each way.

The minimum number of participants for operation of this tour is 2 persons.