The Fjord Everyone Misses

The short version

• Completely private — your guide and vehicle belong only to your booking
• The fjord everyone skips — since the tunnel opened in 1998, the old coast road is nearly empty
• Hvammsvík sea baths — natural geothermal pools on the shoreline, shaped by the tide
• Real stories — a WWII Allied naval base, whaling history, and life on a quiet fjord
• Glymur valley — a look into the gorge country of Iceland's second-highest waterfall, conditions allowing
• Your pace — an unhurried half day, back in Reykjavík by early evening
• Pickup and drop-off directly at your Reykjavík accommodation

Thirty minutes from Reykjavík, and somehow a secret

Hvalfjörður — the Whale Fjord — curls deep into the mountains just north of Reykjavík. For decades, everyone drove around it; since the tunnel opened in 1998, almost everyone drives under it. Which means the old coast road, one of the most beautiful short drives in Iceland, is now nearly empty.

That's the tour. We follow the quiet road along the water — steep mountainsides, waterfalls, seals if we're lucky, and the remains of one of the largest Allied naval bases of the Second World War, hiding in plain sight on a peaceful shoreline. Your guide tells the fjord's stories the way they deserve: the war years, the whale station, the farms that stayed.

And then the reward: Hvammsvík, the sea baths on the fjord's southern shore, where natural geothermal pools sit right at the waterline — some of them swallowed and reborn with every tide. Soak with the fjord in front of you, dip in the cold sea if you dare, and be back in Reykjavík by early evening feeling like you found something most visitors never see.

Why this, instead of another famous stop?

The day, roughly

1. Pickup Your driver-guide collects you directly from your Reykjavík accommodation. The mountains across the bay — Esja among them — are exactly where we're headed: the mouth of Hvalfjörður is barely thirty minutes away
2. The old road We skip the tunnel and turn onto Road 47, the old route around the fjord. Waterfalls on one side, still water on the other, and hardly another car. We stop wherever the light is good
3. War on a quiet fjord At Hvítanes and along the shore lie the remains of a WWII Allied naval base — thousands of servicemen, convoys to Murmansk, an extraordinary chapter hidden in a peaceful landscape. Your guide tells it as a story, standing where it happened
4. The fjord head Around the innermost curve of the fjord: river deltas, mountain walls, and a look into Botnsdalur — the valley that leads to Glymur, Iceland's second-highest waterfall. When conditions allow, we walk a short way in for the view; the full Glymur hike is a serious add-on, not a surprise
5. Hvammsvík The main event: around two hours at the Hvammsvík sea baths. Natural geothermal pools sit right on the shoreline — their number and temperature shift with the tide, which is exactly the charm. Warm up, cool off in the sea if you're brave, repeat. There's a bistro for a light lunch or soup (own expense) and your guide is on hand or happily invisible, as you prefer
6. Return Dried off and warm, we roll back to Reykjavík — about 45 minutes — with time for recommendations for the rest of your trip. Drop-off at your accommodation, roughly 6–7 hours after we picked you up

Want to go further?

Optional activities may change the total duration and price and must be arranged in advance.

The quiet way north

Good to know

Who is this tour for?

• Couples
• Friends
• Families
• First-time visitors easing into Iceland
• Repeat visitors who've done the famous routes
• Hot-spring lovers
• History enthusiasts
• Photographers
• Anyone with a spare half day and sore legs

The standard tour involves only light walking. Hvammsvík has its own admission rules for children — tell us the ages when booking and we'll confirm the details.

Warm water, cold ocean

Pool temperatures vary with the tide and the weather, surfaces can be slippery, and the sea itself is genuinely cold. Your guide and the Hvammsvík staff will point out which pools are warmest on the day, and cold-water dips are always optional — never expected.

Bring a swimsuit and towel (rentals may be available at Hvammsvík). Changing rooms and showers are on site.

The tide sets the mood

That means no two visits are quite the same: low tide opens up more pools, high tide brings the fjord almost into your lap. We check the tide tables when planning your day and time the visit for the best experience conditions allow.

It also means this is a year-round tour — steam over cold winter water is, if anything, the best version.

The route

Photos