Six Days Five Nights Trip Diary in Iceland: A Guide to a One-Day Tour of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Exploring Hidden Gems

Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Trip Diary - Guide to Iceland Local Tour

3/20 今天的行程是snaefellsnes(斯奈山半島)一日遊，這半島有名的是電影白日夢冒險王冰島的取景地。 後來查資料才知道整部白日夢冒險王旅遊的四個地方:格蘭凌、冰島、尼泊爾、喜馬拉雅山其實都是於冰島取景，而斯奈山半島是代表冰島的取景地 冰島市區不大，local tour的乘車地點走路8分鐘就可以到，從雷克亞維克(冰島首都)到斯奈山半島車程約2小時，一路上我時不時對著外面風景拍照，土黃色的大地聳立著一座座黑色的高山，上面覆蓋著絲滑的白雪，這就是冰島的顏色!

Along the way, we also stopped by another small town to pick up passengers, which gave us a chance to visit a supermarket and buy some food. The tour guide said today's itinerary was pretty tight, so we should just grab something simple to eat on the bus as lunch.

斯奈山半島的第一個景點是海豹沙灘Ytri Tunga，車上導遊跟我們說有高達9成的機率可以看到海豹，只要看到一群人圍在那就是了。 下車步行五分鐘，果然看到一群人圍在一個地方看，延伸過去就是翻身躺在岩岸上的海豹，有趣的是我本來拍攝時注意的是離我較近的海豹，後來檢查照片才發現遠方白色的也是!

Besides the seals being the main attraction, the scenery here is also very beautiful. The seals only occasionally lift their heads or move their tails a little; the rest of the time they stay completely still — it's really so chill. The second spot is the Black Church, one of Iceland's oldest churches. This church is a popular proposal spot in Iceland, and it's also a popular place to view the Northern Lights on a self-drive trip. The pure black paired with pure white looks just like Iceland's mountain and snow scenery.

When we arrived at this spot, it started snowing lightly again, adding a touch of romantic atmosphere

The third attraction is the town of Arnarstapi and the trail beside it, which is a place many independent travelers choose to stay. Just like yesterday, it was very windy today, making the walk along the coast pretty tough, but the scenery was absolutely amazing.

The end of the trail is Gatklettur - Arch Rock, a sea cave formed by erosion.

Walking from the trail toward the parking lot, you'll see a giant rock statue, like a guardian spirit of the coast.

The fourth spot isn't far away by car, and it's also part of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula's coastal scenery — Londrangar. It has a striking nickname, "Monster Coast," highlighting the oddly shaped rocks along the shore. This scenery reminded me of the Twelve Apostles in Melbourne.

Continuing along the coast, the fifth attraction is also on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula — Djúpalónssandur, the black sand beach on the west side of Iceland. Walking down from the parking lot to the black sand beach, you'll pass a set of trial stones, which were originally used by Icelanders applying to become sailors. There are four levels: 23kg, 54kg, 100kg, and 154kg. 23kg is what a normal person should be able to lift; if you can lift 54kg, congratulations, you can be a sailor, but you'll only get half pay; at 100kg, congratulations, you'll receive full pay; and if you can lift 154kg, congratulations, you are the captain of this ship!

I used every ounce of strength I had and could only lift 54 kilograms, so I obediently went to collect half pay (sigh). As I walked down the black sand beach, the wind and snow suddenly picked up — stepping on the black sand and gravel, with white snow swirling across the sky, it looked just like a scene from an outer space movie.

Because the wind and snow were really heavy, the group only stopped briefly at the Black Sand Beach before hurrying back to the bus. We arrived at Church Mountain around 4pm, but by then a fierce blizzard was raging — even though it was daytime, it felt like night. The scenery had lost all contrast, leaving only a sea of white. Visibility was so poor that we couldn't see Church Mountain at all (back in the car, a fellow traveler tried hard to take a photo in its direction, and could just barely make it out). It seems Iceland was destined to leave me with some regrets.

After finishing the tour, we drove back to the city, and at 17:20 we finally saw the sun again, which lifted the earlier worry about bad weather ruining the rest of our itinerary. We even spotted a double rainbow at the rest stop (though the camera could only capture one of the arcs).

I returned to the city at 19:30, and since tonight's aurora tour was cancelled again, I could enjoy a nice meal tonight as well. I chose another restaurant recommended by Guide to Iceland, Seabaron, which specializes in seafood.

You still had to line up to get inside, but it wasn't as crazy as yesterday, and most of the faces inside were Western. This restaurant's signature dish is lobster soup, and even though a bowl costs almost 600 dollars, everyone still had to order one each! We also ordered two skewers of grilled fish, plus two skewers of grilled potatoes just in case we weren't full enough.

The lobster soup was super rich, and the amount of lobster was generous too; we ordered two grilled fish dishes, blueling and wolf fish, both of which were pretty delicious. By the time we got to the potatoes at the end, we were already quite full! Eating like this, the average cost per person came to almost 1400 — given Iceland's prices, this place is probably really good value for money! After eating, we walked around downtown as usual. Shops in Iceland actually close pretty early (most only open until 5-6pm). Walking around after 8pm, the only things you could still find open were restaurants, supermarkets, and souvenir shops.

The clouds are too thick today, so there's absolutely no hope of seeing the aurora — better to rest early and prepare for tomorrow's itinerary~ Explore more of this fantastical 6-day-5-night journey through Iceland! 👉 【Iceland 6-Day Highlights Self-Drive Guide】Itinerary Planning × Local Tour Experiences × Cost Estimates Get a full picture of the itinerary and plan your dream trip to Iceland! 👉 Iceland 6-Day-5-Night Travelogue: The Start of the Journey and a Bumpy First Day Arriving in Iceland, strolling through Reykjavik 👉 Iceland 6-Day-5-Night Travelogue: Snæfellsnes Peninsula Day Trip Guide and Hidden Gem Exploration Explore Iceland's enchanting peninsulas and capture breathtaking natural scenery. 👉 Iceland 6 Days 5 Nights Travelogue: Golden Circle Day Trip - Classic Sights and Itinerary Guide Feel the stunning charm of Iceland's classic attractions and gain memories you'll treasure for a lifetime. 👉 Iceland 6 Days 5 Nights Travelogue: Exploring the Magnificent Black Sand Beaches and Waterfalls of Vik in the South (Part 1) Step into the mysterious world of Vik and feel the natural beauty of the south. 👉 Iceland 6 Days 5 Nights Travelogue: The Wonder of the Blue Ice Cave and a Southern Adventure Under the Northern Lights (Part 2) Experience blue ice cave exploration firsthand, capturing the aurora's dazzling display in this wonder of the northern lands. 👉 Iceland 6-Day 5-Night Travelogue: A helicopter volcano sightseeing experience, overlooking the magnificent lava landscape Fly over Iceland's volcanic terrain and enjoy a truly one-of-a-kind adventure.