Driving the Westfjords Way from Ísafjörður: The Vestfjarðaleiðin Loop

What the Westfjords Way Is

The Westfjords Way, or Vestfjarðaleiðin, is a signed touring route of roughly 950 km that loops through the fjords and peninsulas of Iceland’s northwest. It was formally launched in October 2020, timed to the opening of the Dýrafjörður tunnel, which links Arnarfjörður and Dýrafjörður and finally made year-round travel between the northern and southern Westfjords realistic. The route passes through eight Westfjords municipalities plus the Dalabyggð district in West Iceland, and it’s built for exactly the kind of trip most visitors already want here: slow driving, frequent stops, and long views down narrow fjords rather than a race between checkboxes.

Ísafjörður as Your Hub

Ísafjörður is the largest town on the loop, sitting roughly in its northern arc, and it works well either as a base for day trips into the surrounding fjords or as an overnight stop while circling the full route. From town, Route 61 and Route 60 fan out toward Súðavík, Bolungarvík, and the western fjords, while the Dýrafjörður tunnel opens up an efficient run south toward Þingeyri and on to the southern Westfjords. Because the town has a real harbour, a pool, and a working selection of restaurants and shops within walking distance, it’s a practical place to restock, do laundry, or just sleep in a real bed between gravel stretches.

Planning the Drive

The Westfjords Way is not a route to rush. Large sections remain unpaved, and mountain passes add switchbacks and reduced speeds even where the surface is good. Treat any distance estimate as a floor, not a target — 80 km on the map can easily mean two hours or more once you factor in gravel, single-lane bridges, and stops for the scenery that’s the whole point of coming out here. Parts of the route, particularly higher passes, close seasonally with snow; check current conditions with Vegagerðin, the Icelandic road administration, before setting out, especially outside the June–August window.

• Getting there: Ísafjörður is reachable by road from Reykjavík (about 5-6 hours depending on route and stops) or by domestic flight from Reykjavík City Airport
• Full loop duration: most visitors take 3-5 days to drive the complete ~950 km circuit at a comfortable pace
• What to bring: a full tank before remote stretches, a paper or offline map as backup, layers for wind at viewpoints, and a vehicle suited to gravel (check rental terms on F-roads and unpaved sections)
• Timing: best driven June through September; verify pass and road closures via Vegagerðin (road.is) before winter or shoulder-season trips

Where to Stay

The Ísafjörður Inn sits in town, walkable to the harbour, pool, and restaurants, which makes it a convenient place to break up a Westfjords Way circuit — arrive with a full day of fjord driving behind you, resupply and rest without needing a car for the evening, then push on toward Dýrafjörður or back north the next morning. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Barry Marsh via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.