We knew we wanted to make the effort to see Kirkjufell Mountain and Falls the same day we were going into the glacier because they were in the same basic direction and we didn’t have much planned for that morning since our glacier tour was later in the afternoon. It’s about a two hour drive up the coast from Reykjavik and what a pretty drive it was. We stopped on a few occasions to take pictures and of course stock up on road snacks. There is a town just before Kirkjufell called Grundarfjörður which is a perfect place to use a restroom, get snacks, gas or anything else you might need before getting to your destination. Once we arrived at Kirkjufell we were pleasantly surprised at the amount of parking.
Kirkjufell also known as church mountain, is arguably the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Game of Thrones fans probably recognize it immediately from an episode of the hit HBO show. It is found on the Snaefellsnes peninsula and sits at 463 meters high. It is not recommended to climb Kirkjufell unless you are an experienced hiker and have a guide with you. Despite this, a stop to Kirkjufell is well worth the visit. We recommended heading to Kirkjufell before or after the “into the glacier” tour if this is also something you are planning on doing.
The Waterfall near Kirkjufell is Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall also known as Church Mountain Falls. The falls have a nice path leading you up along one side across a bridge and down the other. Many places to stop and take photos of the Falls, the mountain and both together.
If you are interested in photography even a little bit, this is a great place to visit. Bring a tripod and set yourself up to get great waterfall shots with a beautiful mountain as the backdrop. There’s also a large lake at the base of the mountain that if you’re at the right angle perfectly reflects Kirkjufell.
Driving to Kirkjufell you pass through a large Lava Field, we opted to save this until our way back since we were hoping to beat the crowds at Kirjufell. It was a really pretty and unique landscape unlike anything we had seen before. It was interest to see the contrast of the black lava rock and the fresh green moss growing on top of it.
