Dynjandi Waterfall Day Trip by Bus from Isafjordur

Ísafjörður, capital of the Westfjords

Ísafjörður is the largest town in the Westfjords, built on a curved gravel spit in the fjord of Skutulsfjörður and surrounded by steep mountains. It has been a trading post since the sixteenth century, and its old quarter of Neðstikaupstaður keeps a group of eighteenth-century timber houses, one of which holds the Westfjords Heritage Museum with its collection of old fishing boats and maritime life. Today the town is a busy cruise port in summer.

The tour starts at the new cruise ship dock, Sundabakki, so it is ideal as a shore excursion, but independent travellers can join too. If you only have one day in the Westfjords, a Dynjandi day trip from Ísafjörður is the most rewarding way to spend it, and the bus means you do not have to drive the mountain roads and tunnels yourself.

The drive through the Westfjords tunnels and fjords

The Westfjords are one of the oldest and least-visited parts of Iceland, a maze of flat-topped mountains and deep fjords. Leaving Ísafjörður, the bus enters the Vestfjarðagöng tunnel, about 9 kilometres long, which runs through the mountain and even has an underground junction. You emerge in Önundarfjörður, then cross a mountain pass to Dýrafjörður and the village of Þingeyri.

Since 2020 the Dýrafjarðargöng tunnel has linked Dýrafjörður to Arnarfjörður, cutting a slow gravel mountain road and making a half-day trip to Dynjandi possible. Along the way the guide talks about the region's fishing villages, the farms clinging to narrow strips of land and the long winters. The drive takes about an hour each way, with wide views of fjords, sea and mountains.

Dynjandi waterfall

Dynjandi, whose name means the resounding one, is the largest and most famous waterfall in the Westfjords. The river Dynjandisá drops about 100 metres over a series of rock steps, about 30 metres wide at the top and spreading to some 60 metres at the bottom, so the water fans out like a bridal veil or a giant staircase. It is also called Fjallfoss, the mountain fall, and has been a protected natural monument since 1981.

Is Dynjandi worth visiting? It is often called the jewel of the Westfjords, and standing at its base in the spray is one of the most memorable sights in north-west Iceland. The best time to visit Dynjandi is from June to August, when the road is open and the flow is strong; in late summer the fall is a little gentler but still impressive.

The lower falls and the trail

Below the main fall the river tumbles over five smaller waterfalls, each with its own name: Háifoss, the high fall; Úðafoss, the spray fall; Göngufoss, the walking fall, where the path lets you step behind the curtain of water; Hundafoss, the dog fall; and Bæjarfoss, the farm fall, closest to the car park. Together they make the walk as rewarding as the destination.

The trail from the car park to the foot of Dynjandi takes about 15 to 20 minutes up, climbing roughly 100 metres on uneven, rocky steps. With 90 minutes at the site you have time to stop at every fall, take photos and enjoy the view down over Arnarfjörður before walking back to the bus. Wear hiking shoes, and take care on wet rocks near the water.

Arnarfjörður

Dynjandi spills into Dynjandisvogur, an inlet of Arnarfjörður, one of the largest and most beautiful fjords in the Westfjords. Its name means eagle fjord, and the white-tailed eagle, Iceland's largest bird, still nests in this region. Steep, layered basalt mountains rise straight from the water on both sides, built up by lava flows millions of years ago and carved by glaciers.

From the viewpoint at the top of the waterfall trail you look straight down the fjord, a classic Westfjords panorama. Small farms and the remains of old settlements dot the shore, and the guide explains how people once lived from fishing and farming here, cut off for much of the winter. The bus then returns the same way through the tunnels to Ísafjörður.