Westfjords · Backpacking
Checked 1 September 2026 · 6 official sources
ON A BUDGET
Almost nothing here charges admission; the budget goes on the 900 kilometres of driving it takes to reach the things that don't.
What a day costs
A pitch at Tungudalur is 1,900 ISK a night with under-18s free. The Ísafjörður pool is 1,420 ISK for an adult and free under 11. A foot passenger on the Baldur ferry is 7,700 ISK one way in summer. Fuel and the car, not food or beds, are the line that decides your week.
📍 Map & photos · $
Tungudalur campsite, Ísafjörður
Open 15 May to 15 September in a wooded valley about 900 metres off Skutulsfjarðarbraut, split in two by the Bunárfoss waterfall. Two service buildings, kitchen with hob and microwave, washing machine and dryer, playground, wifi, dogs allowed; tents on one side, campers on the other.
📍 Map & photos · $ · Website ↗
The Baldur ferry, and what it saves
Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur via Flatey, cutting out the whole northern loop. Summer 2026 fares are 7,700 ISK for an adult, 3,900 ISK for 12–17s, free for under-12s with a parent, and 7,700 ISK for a car up to five metres. Book ahead if you have a vehicle.
📍 Map & photos · $$ · Website ↗
Fly in and skip the car
Icelandair flies Reykjavík–Ísafjörður twice a day in forty to fifty minutes, against seven to nine hours on the road for the same journey. If your plan is Ísafjörður, the Hornstrandir boats and the fjords around Ísafjarðardjúp, that beats a week of hire car and fuel.
📍 Map & photos · $$
Drangsnes hot pots
Three tubs set right on the shoreline in the middle of Drangsnes village on the Strandir coast, free with a donation box and open whenever you turn up. On the eastern approach road, so you can use them coming in and going out without a detour.