Iceland: Private Westman Islands - Volcano, Wildlife & Scenic Views
by VAREN Iceland · Puffins · Volcanoes & lava · South Coast
- Eco-certified
from €1,355.34 per vehicle
No published departures in the coming months — ask us
1 / 17
Duration
13 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
May – Sep
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
07:00, 08:00
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before
About this experience
The Westman Islands rise straight out of the Atlantic off Iceland's south coast. Heimaey, the only inhabited island, carries the story of one of the most dramatic nights in Icelandic history. On this private day your vehicle sails with you on the ferry, so you explore the island at your own pace.
Your group gets a dedicated driver-guide and a vehicle that belongs entirely to you for the day. No fixed pace, no waiting for other passengers, no compromises.
From Reykjavík you drive along the south coast to the Herjólfur ferry. On Heimaey you visit Eldheimar, the museum built around houses dug out of the ash of the 1973 eruption, when the whole town was evacuated overnight. Then you climb Eldfell, the volcano born that night, for views over the harbour, the lava field and the neighbouring islands.
A drive around the island takes you to the best viewpoints and bird cliffs. From mid-May to August, the Westman Islands are home to one of the largest Atlantic puffin colonies in the world. In summer you can add a boat tour: a fast RIB ride into sea caves, or a gentle sightseeing boat around Heimaey.
Throughout the day your driver-guide shares stories, sagas and practical tips about Iceland's nature, history and culture.
Full details of each stop are in the itinerary. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the Capital Area, including the cruise terminals, is included. Herjólfur ferry tickets are not included in the tour price: a ticket is required for every traveller and is added per person when you book. The order of stops may be adjusted on the day due to weather, sea conditions or the ferry schedule.
Choose a Private Sedan for 1-3 guests or a Private Van for up to 8 guests. One price per vehicle, not per person.
Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Pick-up in the Capital Area
- Herjólfur ferry to Heimaey
- Heimaey and optional boat tour
- Eldheimar Volcano Museum
- Eldfell Volcano and island drive
- Return to the Capital Area
Included
- Private Westman Islands tour, just for your group
- Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
- Private Sedan or Private Van for the whole day, on the island too
- Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or cruise terminal
- We book your ferry tickets, museum entry and boat tour for you
- Help with your luggage and gear
- Bottled water
- USB charging on board
- Child seats, free of charge (add them when you book)
- All parking fees and local taxes
Not included
- Gratuities (optional, always appreciated)
- Herjólfur ferry tickets for travellers (required, added per person when you book)
- Eldheimar and boat tour tickets, unless added when you book
- Meals and snacks (cafés and restaurants in Heimaey town)
Good to know
- Warm, windproof and waterproof clothes, a hat and gloves, and shoes with good grip for the walk up Eldfell.
- You will receive your booking confirmation right after you book.
- Please count everyone in your group, including children and infants, as everyone needs their own seat.
- We pick up and drop off at any accommodation in the Capital Area and at the cruise terminals in Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður. Staying somewhere else? Send us a message before you book and we will gladly help.
- Arriving by cruise ship? This is a long day, so please check your ship's all-aboard time before you book. We plan the start time and the route around it, so you are back at the port well before all-aboard time.
- This is a full day of about 12 to 13 hours door to door.
- A Herjólfur ferry ticket is required for every traveller and is added per person when you book. Travellers aged 16 to 66 take the adult ticket, teens aged 12 to 15 and seniors 67+ take the reduced ticket, and children under 12 sail free.
- We book the crossing for your group and your vehicle. From Landeyjahöfn the crossing takes about 35 minutes. In winter or rough seas the ferry sails from Þorlákshöfn instead, about 2 hours 45 minutes each way, and we plan the day around it.
- If the ferry operator cancels the sailings, we move your tour to another date or give you a full refund.
- Eldheimar tickets are optional and priced per person. Children under 10 enter free.
- Boat tours run from mid-May to September and sail only with a minimum number of guests. If your boat tour does not sail, the ticket is refunded.
- The RIB tour is for ages 6 and up and is not suitable during pregnancy or with back or neck problems. The covered sightseeing boat is the gentler choice for all ages.
- Puffins nest on the islands from about mid-May to mid-August.
- The walk up Eldfell is short but steep, on loose volcanic gravel, so it is not suitable for guests with serious mobility limitations. The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- Children of all ages are welcome on the tour.
Cancellation for this tour
Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
If the weather cancels this tour
Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is sea state — the skipper decides an hour or two before departure. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.
- 1VAREN Iceland decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
- 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
- 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.
What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.
Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Who this is not for
- Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 13 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
- Not for late risers on your first morning — the earliest departure is 07:00, and Reykjavík pickups start before that.
Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.
Why we list it
VAREN Iceland is one of 207 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 VAREN Iceland
Read all 126 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · a year ago
Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.
★★ · a year ago
We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.
Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026
Read before you book
- Hekla volcano tour: what you actually doMostly you drive: a super jeep up Hekla's lower slopes and lava fields, often with Landmannalaugar. Nobody we list guides you to the summit.
- Private family tours in Iceland: what they costTaste Iceland's private family tours run €1,024 to €1,595 per booking. What you get for that, which age limits apply, and when a cheaper family tour wins.
- Private self-drive guided tour in IcelandA guide leads, you drive your own Land Rover Defender. What the Volcano Trails tours cost per vehicle, what is included, and who should skip it.
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.
Puffins — questions people ask
When can you see puffins in Iceland?
Mid-April to mid-August. Puffins arrive at the nesting cliffs in April, hatch chicks in June and leave for the open sea by late August. July is the safest month for numbers and for chicks being fed. Outside this window there are none on land, and a tour sold as a puffin tour in October is a boat ride. Reykjavík puffin boats usually run May to August; check the tour page for the exact dates each year.
Can you see puffins from Reykjavík?
Yes. Two small islands in Faxaflói, Akurey and Lundey, hold puffin colonies ten to fifteen minutes by boat from the Old Harbour. One-hour trips like Elding's classic puffin watching (/experience/1299/) circle the islands slowly; you do not land. Bring binoculars, because the boats keep a respectful distance and puffins are small. It is the easiest puffin option in Iceland and a good fit for children or a spare hour before dinner.
Where is the best place to see puffins up close?
On land, at a cliff, not from a boat. Látrabjarg in the Westfjords, Borgarfjörður eystri in the east and Dyrhólaey on the South Coast let you sit a few metres from birds that ignore you. Vestmannaeyjar has the largest colonies. Reykjavík boat trips are convenient but distant. If you are travelling the Ring Road in June or July, the puffin tour from Seyðisfjörður (/experience/973294/) gets you to the eastern cliffs with a guide.
Are puffin boat tours good for kids?
Yes, mostly. They are short, an hour or so, and stay in the sheltered bay, so seasickness is rarer than on a three-hour whale trip. Children usually enjoy the boat as much as the birds. The downside is distance: puffins look like specks without binoculars, so ask if the boat has some to borrow. Combined whale-and-puffin trips (/experience/1569/) run six hours, which is long for under-eights.
Hotels
Where to stay for this tour
From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.
from 16.181 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Reykjavík
Old Town Reykjavík
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 40.115 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Reykjavík
Black Pearl Reykjavik
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 60.840 kr.Top end
Hotel · Reykjavik
Hótel Holt
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
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