Seal Watching, Sudavik village & Scenic Fjord Tour from Isafjordur
This half-day experience offers a wonderful introduction to the remote landscapes of Iceland’s Westfjords, where dramatic geography has created both breathtaking scenery and fascinating local history.
This scenic fjord tour combines wildlife encounters, coastal landscapes and traditional Icelandic villages in one memorable journey from Ísafjörður.
- Súðavík fishing village
- Hvítanes seal watching area
- Scenic coastal roads and fjord viewpoints
- Avalanche memorial
- Lónafjörður fjord landscapes
- Views towards Vigur Island
What wildlife can you see during the tour?
At Hvítanes, shallow waters and rich fishing grounds create ideal conditions for a small seal colony that regularly visits the area during summer.
Harbour seals and Grey seals are among the most common visitors, and the tour maintains a respectful viewing distance while allowing time to observe these animals in their natural surroundings.
The surrounding cliffs also attract nesting seabirds, including Eider ducks and Arctic Terns, while whale sightings may occasionally be possible.
Why visit Súðavík and the Westfjords?
Súðavík is a picturesque fishing village where life has long been connected to the sea and the surrounding fjords.
During the visit, you will learn about local history, including the events of the 1995 avalanche and the village’s memorial dedicated to those affected.
The journey also follows spectacular fjord landscapes shaped by glaciers over multiple ice ages, creating the distinctive scenery that defines the Westfjords today.
If you would like to experience more Icelandic nature and wildlife adventures, you can also discover our Goðafoss waterfall small-group tour with whale watching from Akureyri.
Experience the landscapes, wildlife and coastal beauty of the Westfjords on this memorable journey from Ísafjörður.
Tour highlights & itinerary
- Enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides
- Pickup and drop off in Ísafjörður
- Free WiFi
- Food or drink
- Snacks and water
- Good walking shoes and rain jacket are recommended
- Why not combine this tour with our 3.5 hour Dynjandi waterfall tour! We offer special deals if you book both, with pickup and drop off from your ship.
- The tour takes around 3.5 hours. We tailor our departure times to fit the Isafjordur cruise ship schedule but please do make sure that the tour fits your ship´s port times
- Disclaimer: Your tour´s duration and route can vary due to weather, road works or unforeseen circumstances
- Standard cancellation policy: Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance. No refund if cancelled less than 24 hours before the tour time
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Itinerary
Itinerary
Meeting pointCruise ship dock in ÍsafjörðurThe meeting point for this tour is the cruise ship dock in Ísafjörður. Ísafjörður is becoming increasingly more popular as a cruise ship port of call. Once everyone we meander around the fjords coastal road, admiring the stunning mountain views as we go.
1 Hvítanes Seal ColonyWe travel along the winding fjord road to our first stop – Hvítanes seal colony. Here a large colony of harbour seals make their home, with easy access to the rich hunting grounds of the sheltered fjord seas. The seals lol and play along the rocks here – our viewpoint gives you a great view of these playful creatures.
To the north, beyond the seals, catch a glimpse of Vigur Island, famed for its eider duck, from which eider down is collected annually. Eider down is condsidered the finest and rarest downs in the world.
2 Súðavík villageOn your way out of Ísafjörður you may have noticed avalance defense barriers on the hills overlooking roads and homes. The westfjords experiences some of the most hostile weather in Iceland, with heavy snowfall and storms each winter. In 1995, two tiny towns in the region were hit by deadly avalanches – Flateyri saw 20 deaths, while Súðavik village lost 14 souls. Today a small cross marks the location of the deadly site in Súdavík. We will visit a small memorial dedicated to the disaster, as well as the recovery and resiliance of the town and its people. We will also watch a short excerpt from the acclaimed 2024 documentary on the disaster – “When the mountain roars”.
The disaster forever changed Súðavik – most of the town was moved south under the protection of newly constructed avalanche defence barriers. The northern part of the town remains unprotected – for this reason it is not permitted to stay in the homes here in winter time.
3 Scenic fjord viewsOn our way back to Ísafjörður and your ship, we will make a photo stop, with stunning panoramic views of the mountains and fjords. On a clear day you may be able to see Hornstrandir to the north – an uninhabited 600km2 nature reserve and arctic fox habitat, accessible only by boat.
This will give you one last opportunity to appreciate and take in this unique landscape – and the ponder the hardy folk who called this region home.
Drop-offÍsafjörðurAfter these photo stops, we return you to your ship in Ísafjörður.
The meeting point for this tour is the cruise ship dock in Ísafjörður. Ísafjörður is becoming increasingly more popular as a cruise ship port of call. Once everyone we meander around the fjords coastal road, admiring the stunning mountain views as we go.
We travel along the winding fjord road to our first stop – Hvítanes seal colony. Here a large colony of harbour seals make their home, with easy access to the rich hunting grounds of the sheltered fjord seas. The seals lol and play along the rocks here – our viewpoint gives you a great view of these playful creatures.
To the north, beyond the seals, catch a glimpse of Vigur Island, famed for its eider duck, from which eider down is collected annually. Eider down is condsidered the finest and rarest downs in the world.
On your way out of Ísafjörður you may have noticed avalance defense barriers on the hills overlooking roads and homes. The westfjords experiences some of the most hostile weather in Iceland, with heavy snowfall and storms each winter. In 1995, two tiny towns in the region were hit by deadly avalanches – Flateyri saw 20 deaths, while Súðavik village lost 14 souls. Today a small cross marks the location of the deadly site in Súdavík. We will visit a small memorial dedicated to the disaster, as well as the recovery and resiliance of the town and its people. We will also watch a short excerpt from the acclaimed 2024 documentary on the disaster – “When the mountain roars”.
The disaster forever changed Súðavik – most of the town was moved south under the protection of newly constructed avalanche defence barriers. The northern part of the town remains unprotected – for this reason it is not permitted to stay in the homes here in winter time.
On our way back to Ísafjörður and your ship, we will make a photo stop, with stunning panoramic views of the mountains and fjords. On a clear day you may be able to see Hornstrandir to the north – an uninhabited 600km2 nature reserve and arctic fox habitat, accessible only by boat.
This will give you one last opportunity to appreciate and take in this unique landscape – and the ponder the hardy folk who called this region home.
After these photo stops, we return you to your ship in Ísafjörður.