History at Hesteyri

by Sjóferðir ehf · Sightseeing day tours · Reykjavík

Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €159.6 per person

No published departures in the coming months — ask us

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8 photos from Sjóferðir ehf. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
5 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Hesteyri
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Sjóferðir
Ásgeirsgata, Ísafjörður
Departs
09:00, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30 …
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 10% of the price within 365 days of departure, rising to 50% within 14 days.

About this experience

If you are looking for an easy, calm day tour to the Hornstrandir area, this is the choice. We offer you a guided day tour of the abandoned village of Hesteyri. The village is only be reached by boat and the boat ride from Ísafjörður takes up to 70 minutes. Lying in one of the renowned Glacier Fjords (Jökulfirðir), the peaceful Hesteyri village has beautiful scenery and rich history. In the late 1940s, the people of the village made a common decision to move away, and in 1952 the village stood totally abandoned. Upon arrival the guide will take you for a walk around the village and you´ll get an insight into the history and a feeling of how it was to live almost on the edge of the earth. It is also a great way to enjoy the pure, colorful nature of the Hornstrandir area, popular with hikers. The walk ends in the old Doctor´s house where you´ll be served traditional Icelandic refreshments. If lucky you´ll get a chance to see seals, arctic foxes, or even a whale on this tour.

Description from the operator, Sjóferðir ehf. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

Boðið er uppá kaffi og kökur í gamla læknishúsinu að göngu lokinni.

Good to know

Warm clothes and goof shoes

Hlý föt og góða skó

It is important to have warm clothes and good shoes. All passengers should arrive half an hour before the departure times.

Mikilvægt er að vera vel klæddur í góðum skó og mæta hálftíma fyrir brottför

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 10% of the price within 365 days of departure, rising to 50% within 14 days. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Reykjavík Luggage Storage in BSI Bus Terminal from BagBee is €12 — €147 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Sjóferðir ehf · €160	BagBee · €12
Changing your mind	Not stated	Free until 2 h before

On everything we can measure, the BagBee tour is the better buy. The €147 is not buying anything we can point to, so unless you want this operator in particular, take the cheaper one.

Why we list it

Sjóferðir ehf is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Sjóferðir ehf

Read all 45 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.7/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Lynn Meehan
★★★★★ · a month ago
Had a first rate whale watching experience with Sjóferdir today. Saw many whales. Judith, the guide, was excellent- enthusiastic and informative. Very competent captain as well. Comfortable boat. Small group. Gorgeous scenery. Highly recommend!!
Grace Mitton
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
This was such a magical, spectacular day and I’m so glad I booked with this company. Our tour guide was fantastic, keeping us at a pace that wasn’t too rushed where we had plenty of time to take in all of the beautiful sights. And she was so knowledgeable about the area and wildlife, and we were lucky enough to even spot a family of Arctic foxes. By far this was the highlight of my trip thanks to our amazing tour guide. Such a beautiful area.
Rebecca Douglas
★★★★★ · 9 months ago
One of the absolute highlights of my year was spending time at sea with these guys. A beautifully guided trip where the whale encounters were shared with care and integrity. We went out in late September and early October and saw SO many whales, it was absolutely mind blowing. Thank you so much for all that you do!
Kevin Gent
★★★★★ · a year ago
Today we went on our trip to see the whales and other wildlife. We weren't disappointed. Within 20 mins we were surrounded by groups of 4 and 5 whales. Absolutely awesome trip can't fault it. The Captain was exceptional and the young man who throughout the trip filled us with information was brilliant. We stayed out at sea for approx 2 hrs and my phone battery was empty after taking so many photos. The Captain turned the engines off and as we drifted we could here the whales calling each other..truly emotional. Cannot recommend this company and crew highly enough. There was one toilet on board which was easily accessible. But I must say the amount of narrow walkways and steps on board makes it non accessible for wheelchair confined persons. The weather was bright and a gentle breeze which made for a great trip. If I ever return I will be booking again. Thankyou again for a once in a lifetime experience.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Ísafjörður tours: what to book, by time you haveThree hours in Ísafjörður: Vigur island. Half a day: Dynjandi or a whale boat. A full day: Hesteyri. Kayaking is for fit adults with eight hours.

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Ísafjörður, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site. Ourhotels is our sister company — the same people, a different business — so we list it first and say so.

All hotels in Westfjords →

One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
203 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it

from

€159.6 per person

Sjóferðir ehf's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs09:0013:0014:0014:3015:00

· Cancelling costs 10% of the price within 365 days of departure, rising to 50% within 14 days.
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Sjóferðir ehf cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Sjóferðir ehf's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €7 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.