The $79.71 Bus Tour to Dynjandi From Ísafjörður
West Travel runs the cheapest guided trip to Dynjandi and the busiest one: 1,976 people have rated it, and it averages 4.8. Three and a half hours door to door, an hour each way on the coach, ninety minutes on the ground at the falls. One traveller in July put it plainly after taking it: pretty much identical to the tour their cruise ship offered, at a fraction of the price. Here is what that ninety minutes buys you and where the tour falls short.
About the Tour
One hour on the road each way, ninety minutes at Dynjandi
Per person, the lowest price of any guided Dynjandi trip
More ratings than the other eight Dynjandi trips put together
Full-size bus with legroom, live guide in English
Departs the new cruise ship dock; hotel pickup included
The operator asks for proper footwear, and the upper path earns it
Check Dates and Times
Live availability and the current price in your currency. Morning departures go first on days with two ships in port.
What You Are Paying For
Ninety minutes, and why that number matters
Most Dynjandi trips give you 45 to 60 minutes at the falls. This one gives 90, and the operator states it in the itinerary. That is the single biggest reason it holds a 4.8 across nearly two thousand ratings.
Ninety minutes is enough to climb to the base of the main fall, spend real time there, come back down past the lower falls, and still eat a sandwich at the car park. Sixty minutes is enough to climb and come straight back. If you only want the photograph, the shorter trips are fine. If you want to stand under it, this is the one.
When the timing slips, travellers notice. Reviewers who mark this tour down almost always mention feeling rushed, and the operator's own review summary acknowledges the request to keep the advertised 90 minutes intact. Against every Dynjandi waterfall trip we track, this is the one that trades the village stop for time on the ground.
The drive is an hour, and it is not filler
The coach runs south from Ísafjörður through the Dýrafjörður tunnel, then along the north shore of Arnarfjörður to the head of the fjord. Flat-topped basalt mountains fall straight into the water on both sides for most of it.
Guides use the hour. Reviewers name what they came away with: the Dynjandi legend, how Icelandic Christmas works, rhubarb cake, hardfish, smoked birch salt, where locals actually go to soak. One family spotted seals from the coach. It reads as a driving commentary rather than a script.
The road has single-lane stretches and blind rises. A slow camper in front sets the pace for everyone, which is one reason the operator builds the schedule the way it does.
What You'll See at the Falls
Seven falls, one path
The main drop is 100 metres, about 30 metres wide at the top and roughly 60 metres at the base. Six smaller waterfalls sit below it on the same river, and the path threads between them on the way up.
The operator's own listing repeats the old Wikipedia names for those lower falls, which are wrong. Háifoss is in South Iceland, not the Westfjords. Ask your guide, or use the list below, which matches the signage at the site.
- Bæjarfoss, also called Sjóarfoss, nearest the car park
- Hundafoss, wide and low, loudest after rain
- Hrísvaðsfoss, easy to walk past without noticing
- Göngumannafoss, drops into an open bowl beside the path
- Strompgljúfrafoss, cut into a narrow slot in the rock
- Hæstahjallafoss, the last step before the main fall
What's Included and What Isn't
In the price
Coach transport both ways, a live guide in English, hotel pickup and drop-off, and the stated 90-minute stop at Dynjandi. There is no entry fee to Dynjandi itself, so nothing is being skipped or queue-jumped.
- Return coach from Ísafjörður, roughly an hour each way
- Local guide commentary through the drive
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within Ísafjörður
- 90 minutes on the ground at the falls
Not in the price
No food, no drinks, no farm stop and no village stop. This trip goes to the waterfall and comes back, which is why it costs $79.71 rather than $141.71.
Bring water and something to eat. There are toilets at the car park and no café, shop or visitor centre. Several reviewers treat the stop as a picnic.
How the 3.5 Hours Break Down
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0:00
Ísafjörður new cruise ship dock
Board the coach at the dock, or get picked up at your hotel in town.
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0:00–1:00
South through the Dýrafjörður tunnel
Along Önundarfjörður and Dýrafjörður, then 5.6 km of tunnel and out onto Arnarfjörður.
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1:00–2:30
Dynjandi
Ninety minutes: the climb to the base of the main fall takes about 15 minutes, the six lower falls fill the rest.
-
2:30–3:30
Back along Arnarfjörður
Same road north, different light on the water. Guides use the return leg for the longer stories.
Important Things to Know
The path is wet and it is a climb
About 100 metres of climb from the car park to the foot of the main fall, roughly 15 minutes up over 900 metres of path. The lowest section is paved and level. Above that it is packed gravel, then loose stone with built steps, wet from spray in any weather.
There is no railing at the base and no barrier on the outer edge of the path. Keep children within reach.
What to pack
The operator asks for hiking shoes and means it. Everything else on this list comes from what travellers wished they had brought.
- Boots or trainers with real grip, not smooth soles
- A windproof shell, because the valley funnels wind at the falls
- Water and a snack, since there is nothing to buy at the site
- In July, a head net or a hat with a brim: midges swarm the path on still days
- A cloth for your lens, which will be covered in spray within a minute
It gets crowded when the ships are in
Dynjandi is quiet compared with Gullfoss, and busy compared with itself. When two cruise ships call at Ísafjörður on the same day, every operator in town runs the same road at the same time and the car park fills.
One July reviewer called the falls magnificent and very crowded in the same sentence. If you have a choice of dates, pick one with a single ship in port, or take an afternoon departure.
Where the Tour Goes
Ísafjörður to the head of Arnarfjörður, 60 km south on Road 60 through the Dýrafjörður tunnel.
Who This Tour Is Best For
Book it if
It is the right trip for most people reaching Dynjandi without a car.
- You want the longest stop at the falls for the lowest price
- You are off a cruise ship and want the same trip the ship sells, cheaper
- You would rather have 90 minutes at one place than 45 minutes at three
- You are travelling solo and the per-person price matters
Not ideal for
Some travellers want more than a waterfall in their half day, and other operators build for that.
- Anyone who wants a farm, a village or a coffee stop worked into the trip
- Travellers who cannot manage 100 metres of climb on uneven wet stone
- Groups wanting a private vehicle and a flexible schedule
- Winter visitors, since the mountain road decides whether anything runs
Questions Before You Book
How much time do you get at Dynjandi on this tour?
Ninety minutes, stated in the operator's itinerary. That is the longest stop of any half-day Dynjandi trip from Ísafjörður, and it is the main reason to pick this one. Fifteen minutes goes on the climb, fifteen on the way down, which leaves an hour at the falls themselves.
Is this the same tour the cruise ship sells?
Effectively yes, and cheaper. A July traveller wrote that it was pretty much identical to the ship's excursion at a fraction of the price. The difference is who carries the risk if the coach runs late, so leave a buffer against your departure time.
Does it include hotel pickup?
Yes, pickup and drop-off within Ísafjörður are included, and the tour also departs from the new cruise ship dock. Confirm your pickup point when you book, since the meeting sign is small and one reviewer struggled to spot the bus.
Do you need hiking shoes?
The operator asks for them. The path climbs about 100 metres over packed gravel and built stone steps that stay wet from spray. Trainers with grip are fine. Smooth soles slide on the upper section. The walk described in full covers the surface and the midges.
What else is worth booking from Ísafjörður?
If you want a village or a farm in the same half day, the Flateyri trips and the farm trips cost more and give you less time at the waterfall itself.
What Travellers Wrote
A great trip. Sally, our guide, was very knowledgeable and informative. It was a clean and comfortable ride there and then the perfect amount of time to get all the way up and back again. Pretty much identical to the tour the cruise ship offered at a fraction of the price.
Sunny was excellent! We enjoyed her humor and the knowledge she shared about Iceland. The waterfall was magnificent, very crowded wished we had more time to enjoy the area and waterfall.
Our tour was great. There was enough time for a quick picnic and hike up to the waterfall. We especially liked our guide Camilla. She was friendly and knowledgeable.