
- Best Time to Visit
- All year round
- Coordinates
- 64.54481, -21.91034
- DIstance from Reykjavík
- 73km (45mi)
The History of Borgarnes
Borgarnes dates back to the early settlement era in Iceland and its history spans more than a thousand years. The first mention of the Borgarnes area is in Egil's Saga which tells of Icelandic life between the years 850 and 1000 AD. The town’s name derives from Borg á Mýrum, the farm of Egil Skallagrímsson who is the saga’s protagonist. You can see a cute wooden church at Borg á Mýrum, just a short drive from Borgarnes, and there has been a church at this site since the year 1000.

How to Get to Borgarnes
It’s a relatively short drive from Reykjavík to Borgarnes and it’s easy to navigate here as the town sits on the Route One ring road that encircles the entirety of Iceland. The drive is about 75 kilometres from the centre of Reykjavík to the centre of Borgarnes and takes about an hour or so. The most direct route is through the Hvalfjörður Tunnel which runs for six kilometres beneath a sprawling fjord.
If you’ve got time to spare it’s worth taking the scenic route, following Route 47 around the perimeter of Hvalfjörður fjord instead of tunnelling under it. As it’s on the island’s main road, driving yourself to Borgarnes is easy and can be done year-round. But if you’d rather leave the driving to someone else, you can join a guided day trip to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula from Reykjavík.
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Things to See and Do in Borgarnes
Sitting out on a peninsula surrounded by the ice-cold water of a fjord, Borgarnes is a pretty sight in itself. You can spend a couple of hours wandering along the shoreline and admiring the steely water flanked by snow-topped mountains.
At the very tip of the town, you’ll find the perfect spot to admire the Northern Lights in winter. When the aurora makes an appearance on a cloudless night, you can watch the green glow reflected back on the smooth surface of the fjord. With very little light pollution, Borgarnes is a popular place for people to hunt for the Northern Lights on a deep winter’s night.
If you want to get a feel for the ancient history of the town and area, the Borgarnes Settlement Centre has you covered. Iceland’s earliest days are recreated in exhibitions inside, with rooms dedicated to the Icelandic Sagas and life on the island a thousand years ago.
You can experience Iceland’s outdoor bathing and swimming culture at Borgarnes swimming pool. It sits on the edge of the fjord and there are both indoor and outdoor heated pools, hot tubs and saunas. Twisting flumes and water slides can keep the little ones entertained.
There’s another naturally heated swimming pool close to Borgarnes – Hreppslaug Swimming Pool was created in 1928 and is considered a cultural heritage site. It’s now run by a non-profit youth organisation and offers a slice of local life in West Iceland where folk gather to bathe and swim outdoors in the warm water and unwind together.

Activities and Experiences Around Borgarnes
If you take the scenic route between Reykjavík and Borgarnes, there are many pretty places to stop and admire Iceland’s dazzling wilderness around Hvalfjörður fjord. Waterfalls rush and bubble through rivers, and the viewpoints out over the fjord are a photographer’s dream.
Borgarnes is a key stop on the beautiful Silver Circle route, an area rich in myth and legend. The Silver Circle is home to many attractions, including Glanni Waterfall, where elves and trolls are said to gather, and the impressive Grábrók crater, a testament to the region’s volcanic past. Steeped in Icelandic Sagas, Borgarfjörður’s landscapes and folklore make it a fascinating stop on this scenic route.
There are several waterfalls on the Silver Circle within striking distance of Borgarnes and perhaps the most distinctive is Hraunfossar where a series of waterfalls cascade over old lava tracks, orange as tiger stripes.
Further up the valley, towards the Húsafell region, you’ll find the small settlement of Reykholt – birthplace of poets and creatives. You can experience some of Iceland’s geothermal pools at the nearby Krauma Spa, which is fed by Europe’s most powerful hot spring – Deildartunguhver.
The Húsafell area is also home to Iceland’s longest glacier, the aptly named Langjökull, where you can embark on a glacier hike or descend Into the .
Questions and Answers about Borgarnes
Borgarnes is known for its location on a slim peninsula, creeping into the Borgarfjörður fjord. It is surrounded by water so walks along the shoreline here are a popular way to pass the day, looking out to Iceland’s often snow-tipped mountains. It also acts as the gateway to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula where you’ll find waterfalls that tumble over ancient lava, glaciers fit for day hikes and a landscape often referred to as ‘Iceland in miniature’.
Borgarnes has a handful of hotels that suit a range of budgets. There are a couple of comfortable 3-star hotels, a few family-run guesthouses and some privately run apartments if you prefer self-catering. The town also has a choice of supermarkets and cosy places to dine serving up warming Icelandic stews and fresh seafood. There are a couple of pubs for a nightcap too.
The easiest way to reach Borgarnes from Reykjavík is to follow the Route One main road out of the capital. Borgarnes is directly on Route One, about 75 kilometres (around 46 miles) from Reykjavík, so you can’t miss it if you’re driving yourself. The drive takes around an hour, but you might want to avoid the long tunnel beneath the Hvalfjörður fjord and choose the scenic route around the fjord’s edge to enjoy the rugged landscape. The scenic route adds about another hour to the drive time. If you’d rather not drive yourself, you can join a Snæfellsnes day trip from Reykjavík, which often stop in Borgarnes for a break on the way to the peninsula.
Similar to the Golden Circle in the south of Iceland, the Silver Circle is a sightseeing route from Reykjavík that takes you to the natural wonders of West Iceland and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It covers waterfalls that tumble over tiger-striped volcanic rocks, geothermal baths heated by Europe’s most powerful hot spring and isolated villages steeped in folklore. One of the most popular day trips from Reykjavík, the Golden Circle can get crowded, especially in the summer months. The Silver Circle offers a quieter experience with just as much natural wonder.
In old Icelandic, the term ‘borg’ referred to a small, dome-shaped hill or a stronghold or fortification. Over the centuries it came to mean town or city, so Borgarnes roughly translates as city and headland, possibly referencing the fact that Borgarnes sits on a peninsula. It takes its name from the nearby farm and now tiny settlement Borg á Mýrum, which is a major reference point in Egil's saga.
Isolated out on a peninsula and surrounded by water, Borgarnes is considered one of the best places in Iceland to spot the Northern Lights. There’s a dedicated lookout point at the very tip of the town (marked on Google Maps), where you can see the dancing green lights reflected on the water for an extra special experience. Since it is such a small town, there is low light pollution, meaning you’re more likely to spot the Northern Lights in Borgarnes than in Reykjavík.
With the surrounding mountains dusted with snow, Borgarnes is a beautiful sight in winter. It sits directly on the Route One main road, so it remains accessible even in the coldest months. What’s more, this small town is one of the best spots on the island to see the Northern Lights which only appear in winter.
Just off the Route One main road around Iceland, Borgarnes is a great place to pause and refuel on a long car journey. You’ll find hot springs, rivers and waterfalls in the area around Borgarnes and a couple of museums within the town itself. Jutting out into a fjord, the town is also a popular place to spot the Northern Lights.
West Iceland is home to Iceland’s capital and largest city – Reykjavík. But it is really considered a region in its own right. Within the Western Iceland region (Vesturland), the largest town is Akranes but the official seat of the region is Borgarnes.
If you are taking the scenic route (route 47 around Hvalfjörður fjord) to Borgarnes, there are several waterfalls and scenic points to stop at along the way. Laxfoss and Fossarétt are pretty little tumbles in the weaving rivers that lead to the fjord, but the biggest attraction is Glymur. And we mean ‘biggest’ quite literally – it’s Iceland’s second-tallest waterfall at 198 metres high. Apart from waterfalls, there are plenty of scenic outlooks to admire the mountains cascading down to the fjord.
While Reykjavík Airport is the closest airport to Borgarnes, it is the capital’s domestic airport and is only connected to other airports in Iceland. The closest international airport to Borgarnes is Keflavík Airport, which is where nearly all of Iceland’s international flights land. Keflavík Airport is 115 kilometres (around 71 miles) from Borgarnes and driving between the two takes about an hour and a half.
Tours to Borgarnes

Silver Circle in West Iceland
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
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
Silver Circle with Krauma Geothermal Baths
Explore West Iceland's Silver Circle, a carbon-neutral tour showcasing stunning landscapes, rich history, authentic experiences, and a relaxing stop at Krauma Geothermal Baths.
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