Ísafjörður Shore Excursion: Dynjandi and Bolungarvík
Every other trip from Ísafjörður drives south to the waterfall and comes back. This one goes north first, to the cliff-edge skywalk on Bolafjall, the turf-roofed fishing huts at Ósvör and a lighthouse on the point, then turns around and drives an hour south for ninety minutes at Dynjandi. Six hours, $204.97, and the only trip here that shows you the Westfjords in both directions.
About the Tour
The longest single-day trip from Ísafjörður, five stops in total
Per person, the highest price of any shared Dynjandi trip
A viewing platform built out over the cliff, weather permitting
Turf-roofed fishermen's huts and a rowing boat on the beach
Matched only by the cheapest bus trip, and longer than every other
The smallest sample of the shore excursions; guides rate 4.7
Check Dates for the Six-Hour Trip
Live availability. This one needs a long port call, so check your ship's departure time before you book.
Why Take the Long One
It goes north, which nothing else here does
Bolungarvík sits fifteen minutes north of Ísafjörður at the end of the road, a fishing town of about 900 people wedged between a mountain and the sea. Above it, Bolafjall rises to 638 metres, and near the top a steel platform juts out over the cliff edge with nothing under it.
On a clear day the view runs to Hornstrandir and the Arctic Circle. On a bad day the road up is closed and the stop is dropped, which the operator states as weather permitting rather than pretending otherwise. Every other option in our Dynjandi waterfall tour rundown runs south and comes straight back.
Ninety minutes at the falls, in a six-hour day
The itinerary allows an hour and a half at Dynjandi. Only the cheapest bus trip matches that, and every other shore excursion gives you between 45 and 75 minutes.
So the six hours are not padding. Two hours of it is the return drive to the falls, ninety minutes is the falls themselves, and the remaining hour covers three stops north of town. Nothing here is a coach-park photo pause except the lighthouse, which is listed as exactly that.
What the ratings say and do not say
It carries 4.3 from 28 reviews, the lowest headline figure of the shore excursions. Read the sub-scores and it looks different: guides 4.7, transport 4.6, value 4.3. Nobody is unhappy with the trip, and some people think six hours at this price is a lot of money.
The operator replies to reviews, including a critical one about arriving at the waterfall at peak time on a cruise day, which they said they would look at. That is more than most operators do.
What You'll See
Ósvör, and how Icelandic fishing actually worked
Ósvör is a reconstructed fishing station from the era of open rowing boats: a salt hut, a fish-drying shed, a turf-roofed sleeping hut where a crew lived through a season, and a replica six-oared boat on the stones.
The warden works in the wool and skin clothing the crews wore. It takes twenty minutes and it explains the entire Westfjords: why towns exist where they do, and why so few people still live in them.
Dynjandi, with time to use
The main fall drops 100 metres, widening from about 30 metres across at the top to roughly 60 at the base. Six smaller waterfalls sit below it on the same river, each with its own name.
Ninety minutes is enough to make the 100-metre climb to the foot of the main fall, stand there long enough to stop noticing the noise, come back down slowly past every lower fall, and eat something at the car park. That is the difference between this trip and a 45-minute stop.
- Bæjarfoss, nearest the car park, named for the farm that stood beside it
- Hundafoss, wide and low, loudest after rain
- Hrísvaðsfoss, mid-slope and easy to miss
- Göngumannafoss, falling into an open bowl beside the path
- Strompgljúfrafoss, cut into a narrow slot
- Hæstahjallafoss, the last step below the main drop
How the Six Hours Run
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0:00
Ísafjörður new cruise ship dock
Board at the dock. Small group, live guide in English.
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0:15
Bolungarvík
Fifteen minutes north to the fishing town at the end of the road, driving through.
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0:35–0:55
Bolafjall viewing platform
Twenty minutes on the skywalk over the cliff, weather permitting. Hornstrandir and the Arctic to the north.
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1:05–1:25
Ósvör Maritime Museum
Twenty minutes among the turf huts, the salt shed and the six-oared boat.
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1:28–1:38
Óshólar lighthouse
A ten-minute photo stop on the point.
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2:40–4:10
Dynjandi
An hour south, then ninety minutes at the falls: the climb, the base, and the six lower waterfalls.
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5:10
Back at the dock
An hour north along Arnarfjörður and through the tunnel to Ísafjörður.
Important Things to Know
Not suitable for everyone, and the operator says so
The listing names three groups directly: people with mobility impairments, people with vertigo, and people over 95. The middle one is not a joke. The Bolafjall platform is a steel deck cantilevered over a cliff with a long drop below it, and the drive up is a mountain road.
The waterfall path adds its own problem: 100 metres of climb on uneven wet stone with no railing at the top. You can see the fall from the bottom without climbing, but most of this trip assumes you are on your feet.
What to pack
Six hours in the Westfjords covers more weather than three hours does.
- Boots or trainers with grip, for wet stone at the falls and gravel at Ósvör
- A windproof and waterproof layer, since the skywalk is exposed at 600 metres
- Warm clothing even in July, because the cliff top is colder than the town
- Food and water: no meals are included and there is no café at Dynjandi
- A camera, and something to dry the lens after the falls
Weather rewrites the route, and refunds the day
The operator states that conditions may cause minor adjustments, and that if weather forces cancellation or rescheduling you get a full refund. The Bolafjall stop is the first thing to go, since the road up shuts before anything else does.
One July reviewer had a cold and rainy day and still called the stops and the landscape outstanding. That is the Westfjords bargain: the weather is not the point, and it is also not optional. Which month gives you what is worth reading before you pick a sailing.
Where the Tour Goes
North to Bolungarvík, Bolafjall and Ósvör, then south to Dynjandi at the head of Arnarfjörður.
Who This Tour Is Best For
Book it if
Six hours is the whole proposition. If you do not have six hours, nothing else about this matters.
- Your ship is in port for eight hours or more
- You want ninety minutes at the falls and the north side of the region as well
- The Bolafjall skywalk and the Ósvör huts appeal on their own terms
- You would rather see one region properly than one landmark quickly
Not ideal for
Half the people reading this should take a four-hour trip instead.
- Short port calls: six hours leaves no margin against a ship's departure
- Anyone with vertigo, which the operator lists explicitly
- Travellers with mobility limits, given the platform and the waterfall path
- Anyone whose only target is Dynjandi, at half the price on the bus trip
Questions Before You Book
How long is the Ísafjörður shore excursion to Dynjandi and Bolungarvík?
Six hours from the new cruise ship dock and back, with five stops: Bolungarvík, the Bolafjall viewing platform, the Ósvör turf huts, Óshólar lighthouse and ninety minutes at Dynjandi. It needs a port call of eight hours or more to be comfortable.
Is the Bolafjall skywalk guaranteed?
No. The operator lists it as weather permitting. The road to the top of the 638-metre mountain closes in poor conditions, and it is the first stop to be dropped. If the platform is the reason you are booking, accept that it may not happen.
Is this tour suitable for people with vertigo?
The operator says no, and lists vertigo alongside mobility impairments as unsuitable. The Bolafjall platform is a steel deck built out over a cliff edge with a long drop beneath it. The rest of the trip is fine; that one stop is not.
How much time do you get at the waterfall?
Ninety minutes, matched only by the cheapest bus day trip and longer than any other shore excursion. That is enough for the 15-minute climb to the base of the main fall, real time there, and a slow walk back past the six lower falls.
What happens if the weather cancels the tour?
A full refund, stated in the listing. Minor route changes happen without a refund, since the itinerary is built to flex. Free cancellation also runs to 24 hours before departure and nothing is charged when you book.
What if I only have four hours ashore?
Take one of the shorter runs south. The four-hour Flateyri excursions and the 3.5-hour bus day trip are both timed against ship departures.
What Travellers Wrote
We loved it! The program was excellent and included all we could see. Beautiful vistas from the viewing platform and the trip to the waterfall was beautiful! We stopped at an old fishing village and got pictures and learned about the history of fishing, so important to the area!
We loved this trip with Bruno! He detailed the history past and present and his enthusiasm for the country made the day special. Although the weather was cold and rainy, the stops and the landscape were outstanding.
Jonathan was a good guide and the van was comfortable. I liked that as we were always on time he could adapt and take quick little detours to see something else. Maritime museum was more interesting than I expected it to be.