One Day on the Westman Islands Without A Car: Exploring Vestmannaeyjar – Iceland’s Best Kept Secret
Oh, Vestmannaeyjar. When I say this stunning island holds a big piece of my heart, I am not exaggerating.
Our one day on the Westman Islands (“Vestmannaeyjar” in Icelandic) was my favorite day on our 7 days in Iceland itinerary for so many reasons, from our puffin scouting to our volcano hike and every step in between.
When we were preparing for our summer trip to Iceland, Vestmannaeyjar was not found on most of the resources and blogs I came across, but I am eternally grateful to whatever long-lost source I came across that recommended it.
So I’m paying it forward to the next adventurer (you!) in hopes that you will also discover all the incredible things to do on Vestmannaeyjar and why you should absolutely plan to visit the Westman Islands during your Iceland vacation.
Not only will this article help you plan your day trip to the Westman Islands, but it will show you how you can – and should – visit the Westman Islands without a car!
Where is Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands)?
First, a little information to help you ground yourself and figure out how to fit a day trip to the Westman Islands into your Iceland summer itinerary.
Vestmannaeyjar is a municipality and archipelago (collection of islands) off the southern coast of Iceland. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of about 4,500 people, most of whom live in Vestmannaeyjarbaer, the largest city on the islands.
If you are planning to add a trip to the Westman Islands to your Iceland itinerary, you’ll be able to visit Heimaey and spend most of your time in Vestmannaeyjarbaer. Collectively, this area is referred to as the Westman Islands for the sake of this article (and for most tourism-related content).
The Westman Islands are located just near the middle of the southern coast of Iceland, and an easy day trip from Reykjavik or Vik, depending on how you fit it into your itinerary.
Getting to the Westman Islands
Because you’ll be traveling to an island, you will need to travel by ferry to the Westman Islands. There is an airport on Vestmannaeyjar, but it is not regularly used for flights, and honestly – the ferry trip is part of the charm of this day trip to the Westman Islands.
To get to the Westman Islands, you’ll need to take the ferry from Landeyjahfn to Heimaey, which is about an hour long trip through (usually) turbulent seas. The drive to the ferry station is really beautiful, with close proximity to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, and a drive through desolate black marsh that will instantly make you feel like you’re in Game of Thrones.
You don’t need to book your ferry in advance, but I strongly recommend you do to guarantee your spot on the ferry. There is limited space for both cars and walk ons, so secure your spot early.
If you are booking your tickets, make sure you book through the official ferry website and not through a tour company.
PRO TIP: Book the earliest ferry heading across and the latest ferry coming back to make the most of your day trip to Vestmannaeyjar.
Make sure you arrive about an hour early, leave your car (or campervan) in the parking lot, and join the line for walk ons. Trust me – the seats inside the ferry fill up quickly, and you will want a seat with a good view!
Explore the Westman Islands Without A Car
The biggest question I had when planning our trip to the Westman Islands was “can I visit the Westman Islands without a car?” The answer is a resounding YES!
Honestly, I don’t think I would even advise taking a car at all unless you require a car for mobility, for very young or very elderly travelers, or if you plan on staying overnight and want to stay in your campervan. The island is easily explored without a car, and we definitely had more fun not having our campervan with us for our day trip to the Westman Islands.
You can leave your car in the ferry terminal’s parking lot. I know this can feel unsafe, but Iceland truly is a very safe country, and you don’t need to worry about leaving your car behind for a full day, even with all your belongings in it.
There are many different ways to tour the Westman Islands, including formal tours through tour companies, by rented bike, or by rented scooter. We chose to rent scooters and I think it was the funnest way to visit the Westman Islands.
We grabbed a map in the ferry terminal and – after departing the ferry – found scooters in the parking lot right outside the arrival terminal. We simply downloaded an app, paid via credit card, and we were off to self-drive the Westman Islands on our scooters!
Here’s why I recommend you visit the Westman Islands by scooter:
- Low cost: this is an Iceland budget travel tip to remember.
- Better views: riding on the sidewalks got us a better view of our ride than we would have gotten in a car.
- No parking concerns: we were able to move about freely without worrying about finding parking. Whenever we stopped, we just left our scooters right by the entrance.
- Easy exchanges: it was easy to find new scooters if ours were snagged by fellow travelers or if our battery started running low. They’re everywhere!
- More fun: this is the big one for me – we had a great time visiting the Westman Islands by scooter.
In the spirit of full transparency and fairness, here’s some of the reasons you might not want to visit the Westman Islands on a scooter:
- Physical limitations: if you have mobility issues, require a car seat, or otherwise can’t really be on your feet all day, a scooter just isn’t the way to go.
- Out of bounds areas: there are some areas that are out of bounds for the scooters. This does not mean you can’t take the scooters to those areas (I’m not encouraging this level of wild behavior) but it does mean you will be charged if you leave your scooter in an out of bounds area.
- Bound by battery life: This mostly applies to if you’re in an out of bounds area or going for a “highway” cruise – you don’t want to run out of battery! We found they had a really good battery life, so check your battery before you venture outside of the city, or swap out for a new scooter before you go adventuring.
- Weather: if it’s a particularly wet, windy, or cold day, you might be happier with a solid roof over your head. We had a few sporadic rain storms, and used those as an opportunity to slip into a store or restaurant, and took advantage of our rain jackets.
PRO TIP: if you choose to explore the Westman Islands by scooter, know that there are laws in place to ensure your safety and the safety of drivers on the road. You need to keep to the sidewalk and drive in the direction opposite of traffic (“into traffic”), otherwise the local police might fine you.
All that to say – yes, you can absolutely visit the Westman Islands without a car, and frankly, you should strongly consider it.
Westman Islands Travel Guide
Don’t let the small size fool you – there are so many Westman Islands things to do to fill your day trip to Vestmannaeyjar. Here are some of the things we did – and a few we didn’t do – to help you plan the perfect day trip to the Westman Islands for you!
Find the Westman Islands Puffins
Every summer, the puffins return to Vestmannaeyjar to nest and hatch their young. You can find them in many spots throughout Iceland, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to see puffins on your day trip to the Westman Islands (of course, I can’t guarantee it, but chances are really high).
There are many recommended spots that are known for their puffin colonies on the Westman Islands, most notably at Storhofdi on the southern tip of Heimaey. You can make your way there easily by scooter or bike – it’s just a few miles and about an hour from the center of town.
If you want to head out there by vehicle, you can book a puffin tour ahead of time and be transported there by a guide.
In order to keep our expenses down, we decided to seek out puffins on our own, and we were thrilled to find them quite easily along a cliff side on our loop around the western coast of Heimaey. I have to say, this was my favorite free thing to do in Iceland!
We just pulled our scooter off to the Elephant Rock viewing area, walked along the cliffs for a few minutes, and found ourselves within feet of the puffins. We kept our respectful distance, but I couldn’t believe how close up we got to the Westman Island puffins!
PRO TIP: the puffins feed in the mid morning and mid evening, so if you time your scouting right, you’ll get a fabulous show of puffins flying off the cliff sides in search of food.
Sightseeing by Scooter (Or On Foot)
Heimaey had a great network of well kept sidewalks, and we were able to bring our scooters across the entire western coast of the island. The sights were incredible and well worth exploring at the (slower) scooter pace, including the famous Elephant Rock, which will be instantly recognizable as it really looks like its namesake!
If you want to get some beautiful views of the other, smaller islands, get close to puffins and explore the neighborhoods, I highly recommend devoting an hour or two to simply following the sidewalk wherever it takes you.
Spend Time in Vestmannaeyjarbaer
The town of Vestmannaeyjarbaer – where your ferry to the Westman Islands will dock – offers a lot of things to do in Vestmannaeyjar. Whether you are looking for restaurants, galleries, shopping, tours, or historical sites, you’ll most likely spend most of your day trip to the Westman Islands in Vestmannaeyjarbaer.
After I had my fill of puffin viewing (if one can ever have enough puffin viewing), we took our scooters through the neighborhoods of Vestmannaeyjarbaer and into the city center. I highly recommend taking some time to cruise through the neighborhoods to get a look at what life is like for the people living on the Westman Islands.
There was something really charming about wandering the neighborhoods, coming across schools with hand print art hanging in the windows and houses with their summer gardens in full bloom. We found the community pool and stumbled upon a soccer practice in full swing.
The town center was lovely, offering sculptures and art displays, clean public bathrooms, and a dockside walk that was so picturesque I felt like I was in a film. All this to say – spend some time just walking through Vestmannaeyjarbaer during your one day on the Westman Islands without a car.
Support the Iceland Wildlife
The Westman Island puffins aren’t the only notable wildlife associated with Vestmannaeyjar or Iceland! In the summer, you can see whales off the coast of Iceland’s shores!
If you’re interested in getting up close and personal with Iceland’s puffins and whales, check out the Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary and Puffin Rescue, where you can learn about the incredible conservation and rescue work the Icelandic people are doing to support the whale and puffin populations.
This is a “must do” for your one day in the Westman Islands with kids, and you should absolutely add this to your Iceland summer itinerary! You will have to pay for tickets, but you can feel good knowing your ticket fee helps with rescue efforts for Westman Island whales and puffins.
Westman Island Whale and Puffin Tours
While perhaps not the most budget friendly activity on the list, a whale or puffin tour of the Westman Islands is something you might consider for your one day on the Westman Islands. We did not opt to do a paid tour so I can’t recommend any one in particular, but there are a lot available and you can absolutely find one that fits you and your travel party.
If you are considering booking a tour, I recommend booking in advance and organizing your ferry times to ensure you have plenty of wiggle room around the start and end of your tour.
Full disclosure: while we did see puffins without a tour, we did not see any whales, so if seeing whales is important for your summer trip to Iceland, you might want to book a tour. There are many whale tours in Reykjavik, but I personally would add this to my one day on the Westman Islands itinerary.
Explore the Site of a Historic Iceland Volcano Eruption
The Westman Islands got worldwide attention in 1973 when the Eldfell Volcano erupted, burying a large portion of Heimaey in lava and forever changing the community. Today, you can explore the volcanic site by foot at the Eldfell Volcano Trail.
The trailhead for the Eldfell Volcano trail is located on the eastern edge of Vestmannaeyjarbaer, about a 20 minute walk from the ferry terminal. This was not something we planned on, but rather stumbled upon while exploring the city, but I definitely recommend adding this to your one day on the Westman Island itinerary.
The trail contains markers with historical information, highlighting the sites of different storefronts, businesses and homes that were destroyed by the eruption, giving the hike a sobering look at the very real threat of volcanic activity in Iceland. The trail is also teeming with plant life and craggy trails, making it a visually interesting walk.
From the trail, you’ll get some really spectacular views – of Vestmannaeyjarbaer from above, of nearby volcano Helgafell, and of the eastern coast of Heimaey. You can spend as long or as short as you want there, so it’s an easily adaptable hike for families or more experienced hikers, and will give you a truly otherworldly view of Iceland.
Other Things to Do in Vestmannaeyjar
Vestmannaeyjar is brimming with Icelandic history and cultural sites, and there’s a lot to do. Some of these things will require a vehicle transport, so if want to explore beyond the walkable distance, consider bringing a car or booking a private tour.
- Skansinn – visit a beautiful old wooden Viking church (stave church)
- Herjolfsdalur – visit the ruins of the farmhouse of the first settler of the Westman Islands
- Organized Tours – there are a TON of tour offerings for Vestmannaeyjar, and you can see it by boat, bike, private vehicle, and even ATV. Because the island is small, most of these tours will last 1 – 4 hours, so plan accordingly.
Is One Day on the Westman Islands Enough?
We only put one day on our week in Iceland itinerary to explore the Westman Islands and it was truly a perfect day. That said, if I could go back and plan our trip to Iceland all over again, I would have planned to stay overnight on the Westman Islands.
That is 100% a personal preference because I really fell in love with our time in Vestmannaeyjar, but I think for most travelers with tight itineraries, one day on the Westman Islands is the perfect amount of time!
Make the most of your time by booking an early ferry and returning on the latest one – this will give you a full day on the Westman Islands to explore and you won’t need to cut anything short.
If you’re planning any dedicated guided tours, it might be worth considering staying for a night so you can explore the rest of the island at your leisure.
One Day on the Westman Islands Itinerary
I listed out a ton of different things you can do on the Westman Islands, but if you’re looking for a succinct “One Day on the Westman Islands Itinerary,” here’s what I would do on a return trip:
- Early ferry from Landeyjahfn to Heimaey
- Pick up scooters near port and head west toward the coast
- Stop at the Elephant Rock viewing location along the coastal road and get up close to some puffins.
- Continue to Storhofdi to see more puffins – note this area will be out of bounds for your scooter, so make sure you have a full battery and don’t leave it there or risk being fined. Only add this in if time allows.
- Backtrack the way you came, and turn into any neighborhood. Spend some time riding through the streets and taking in the sites.
- Head into the Vestmannaeyjarbaer city center. Drop off your scooters (anywhere) and have lunch.
- Check out the Sea Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary.
- Spend 2 hours exploring the Eldfell Volcano trail.
- Walk back into the city center and walk the docks on your way back to the ferry
- Ferry back to Landeyjahfn.
If you have time after arriving back in Landeyjahfn, make sure you take a quick trip to the nearby Seljalandsfoss for some evening photos. Depending on your Iceland summer itinerary, consider heading to one of southern beaches like Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, where you might be lucky enough to catch puffins at their evening feeding hour.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit the Westman Islands?
You can definitely make a day trip to the Westman Islands fit any budget. We chose to be a bit thrifty, so our major expenses were our ferry tickets and scooter rentals, but the rest of our activities were absolutely free.
If you’re traveling to Iceland on a budget, here’s what the basic costs are to spend one day on the Westman Islands:
Here’s what else we paid for during our one day trip to the Westman Islands without a car:
As I said, we didn’t opt for paid tours and didn’t tour the Beluga Whale and Puffin Sanctuary, so the rest of our activities were free, making our one day on Vestmannaeyjar a really affordable adventure during our 7 days in Iceland itinerary.
If you’re planning any dedicated guided tours, it might be worth considering staying for a night so you can explore the rest of the island at your leisure.
What to Bring With You to Vestmannaeyjar
If you’re leaving your car or campervan and traveling for a day trip to the Westman Islands, you’ll want to make sure you have everything you need for the day in a backpack. Here’s what I would make sure to bring with you for one day to Vestmannaeyjar:
- Passport, Cell Phone, Other Electronics: Listen, Iceland is a very safe country and you don’t usually need to worry about leaving anything in your parking lot, but I always recommend keeping anything irreplaceable (or difficult to replace) on your person. Toss them in a plastic bag in your backpack (to keep them dry) and just feel reassured that you have everything on you.
- Layers: Like all of Iceland, the Westman Island weather is unpredictable. Pack your waterproof outerwear (rain jacket and pants), puffer, hat, gloves, and an extra pair of socks – just in case.
- Water bottle: From your hike to your scooter adventures, you’ll be doing a lot of activity, and you’ll want to keep hydrated.
- Lunch: Iceland is notorious for its expensive food, and it gets even more expensive to import it to the Westman Islands. Bring lunch with you to save some extra money, and enjoy it as a picnic at one of the Vestmannaeyjar’s many scenic locations.
- Sea Sickness Medicine: even if you’re not prone to seasickness, it’s quite a dynamic ferry ride to the Westman Islands and it you might be really grateful for some Dramamine in your bag. If you are planning your trip in advance, bring this with you from home because it might be hard to locate in an Icelandic pharmacy if you don’t speak the language.
While planning your summer trip to Iceland itinerary, I really hope you leave one day to explore the Westman Islands. Whether you treat it as a day trip from Reykjavik, or a stop on your way from Reykjavik to Vik, the Westman Islands offer you an opportunity to engage with all the classic Iceland things to do, from puffin watching to volcano hikes.
A day trip to the Westman Islands is a great addition to your Iceland summer itinerary, a wonderful family-friendly Iceland trip idea, and a budget travel option for your Iceland vacation. Leave your vehicle behind, bring your sense of adventure, and spend one day on the Westman Islands without a car for an absolutely memorable addition to your Iceland vacation itinerary.
