Must See Mountains in Iceland

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Which are the most stunning mountains in Iceland? Where can you find them and what makes them special?  Iceland is far from being a flat country and the varied landscape, dramatic mountains, volcanoes and craters makes driving around the country a unique experience. In this blog you’ll find everything you need to know about the most beautiful peaks of Iceland, to photograph as well as to hike up! 

 

  • Kirkjufell

 

Located in Grundafjörður is Kirkjufell mountain (Church Mountain), the landmark of Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This beautifully shaped symmetric mountain is one of the most photographed peaks in Iceland and was featured in the famous TV series Game of Thrones, referred to as “The mountain shaped like an arrowhead”. Kirkjufell is 463 meters (1519 ft), it is possible to hike up but we recommend joining a guide since the hike is steep and difficult at times. Within a walking distance from the mountain is Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall, the most epic location for photographers to shoot this stunning landmark from. 

Book a tour to see Kirkjufell Mountain HERE.

 

  • Vestrahorn

Vestrahorn (Western horn) is a 454 m (1490 ft) tall mountain located at Stokksnes, a scenic peninsula in South-Eastern Iceland. The mountain rises up from a flat black volcanic sand and dominates the view while mirroring in the clear sea water located beneath it at high tide. The contrast between the mountain, black sand and the grass dunes is a breathtaking sight and makes this area a photographers dream! Behind Vestrahorn mountain on the right is a smaller mountain called Brunnhorn mountain, sometimes referred to as “The Batman mountain” because it is shaped like the Batman logo.

Book a tour to see Vestrahorn and Stokksnes HERE.

vestrahorn iceland

  • Lómagnúpur

Located beside the ring road in Southern Iceland is a tall palisades called Lómagnúpur. This 764 m (2507 ft) rock is eye catching when driving along the south coast but people usually drive pass it simply because they don’t know how beautiful the area around it is. Lómagnúpur offers a lot of great photography foregrounds like pools for reflection, a gravel road for leading lines and the volcanic sand which the mountain stands tall from. If you are interested in Icelandic Saga, Lómagnúpur is mentioned in Brennu-Njáls Saga. The mountain appears in a nightmare Flosi had where he had killed Njáll and a giant came out of the rock announcing the death of his people. 

 

  • Mælifell

 

Mælifell (Measure hill) is a beautiful remote composite cone volcano which was formed in a volcanic eruption in Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Although this mountain peaks at only 200 m (656 ft) it stands tall, contrasting its vivid green color against the black volcanic sand. Mælifell is located in the Icelandic highlands so it’s only accessible by a 4×4 car from July-October. To get there you have to drive a rocky mountain road called Fjallabaksleið syðri (F210) and cross some glacier rivers. 

 

  • Landmannalaugar

 

Landmannalaugar should be on every hiker’s bucket list! This area is an absolute hiking paradise and is indeed the beginning and/or the end of the most popular hiking trails in Iceland. For example the 55 km long Laugavegur trail. All around the area you’ll see beautiful vivid Rhyolite mountains and raven-black lava fields which create a spectacular sight! The most characteristic mountain for Landmannalaugar is Mt. Bjarmur peaking at 900 meters (2953 ft) and dominating the fantastic view! To get to this remote place you need to cross rivers and drive rocky mountain roads which makes Landmannalaugar only accessible from June to September. We recommend joining a guided tour to get the most out of your experience there!

Read more about the campsite and the hot pool in the area!

 

Hornbjarg (Corner cliff) is one of the most difficult mountains to get to in Iceland because it is located at the most remote place in Iceland; Hornstrandir (Corner Shores), a nature reserve at the northernmost part of Westfjords. To get there you need to take a boat from Ísafjörður or Bolungavík and hike for hours. It is recommended to join a guided tour since you need to follow strict rules when visiting the area. Hornbjarg reaches 500 m (1649 ft) straight from the sea which makes standing on top of the mountain feel like you have reached the edge of the world. This area has varied wildlife and is one of the best places in Iceland to spot arctic foxes and multiple different species of birds. 

Book a guided tour to see Hornstrandir HERE!

Snæfellsjökull Glacier

 

Snæfellsjökull is a volcano-glacier located at Snæfellsnes Peninsula like Kirkjufell mountain, mentioned earlier. The mountain is 1.446 m (4744 ft) tall and visible from Reykjavík city on a good day. If you have read or heard about Jules Verne’s book titled “Journey to the Center of the Earth” you might recognize the name “Snæfellsjökull glacier” which he describes as the entrance to the center of the earth. There are great hiking trails leading to the top of the glacier where you’ll get a 360° panoramic stunning view over the surrounding unique landscape.

Book your Snæfellsjökull glacier hike HERE.

Now we have covered some of the most beautiful mountains in Iceland but there are so many others that didn’t make the list! Here is a list of other stunning mountains you won’t regret visiting:

Eyjafjallajökull, Keilir, Hekla, Hvannadalshnúkur, Þórsmörk hiking trails, Hrútfjallstindar, Búlandstindur, Herðubreið, Skjaldbreiður, Blátindur, Eystrahorn and more!

See also Top 13 Things to Do and Places to See in Iceland

Enjoy exploring the peaks of Iceland!  

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