Driving the Westfjords: Routes 60 and 61, Bases and Roadworks

Choose an entry and an overnight area

Routes 60 and 61 connect the region with the rest of Iceland. Use the actual destination and current road conditions to choose the approach. A straight-line distance across a fjord gives little indication of the road journey.

Southern Westfjords: a Patreksfjörður or nearby base can support selected visits toward Rauðasandur or Látrabjarg. Inspect each access road and calculate the return to your bed before combining them with a long transfer.

Ísafjörður area: use a northern base for town visits and departures booked from that area. A drive to Dynjandi needs its own route and time allowance. Do not route over an old mountain pass simply because an earlier travel guide describes it.

For a trip covering both areas, make the transfer a travel day with selected stops. If it consumes the time you wanted for walking, stay longer or choose one base.

What has changed on Route 60?

The road authority’s project summary, checked September 10, 2026, describes major work at Gufudalssveit and Dynjandisheiði. It expects the final Dynjandisheiði stage in September 2026 and the full Gufudalssveit project in 2028.

A target completion month does not confirm that a section is open today. Check Umferðin for current traffic arrangements, closures and conditions. Old claims about the percentage of gravel or fixed driving times can become misleading as new sections open.

Choose the rental for your exact route and travel dates. A four-wheel-drive vehicle does not override a closed road, a construction restriction or a rental exclusion.

A ferry connection needs a vehicle reservation

The road authority identifies the Baldur connection between Stykkishólmur and the Westfjords via Flatey. Before using it in a driving itinerary, confirm that the service operating on your date takes your vehicle, that a space is available, and where and when you must check in.

A passenger sailing to Flatey is not proof of a car-ferry connection to the Westfjords. Enter the confirmed arrival time before booking a long onward drive. Keep the road alternative in mind if sailing changes make the connection unsuitable.

Hornstrandir is a separate commitment

A Hornstrandir visit needs a boat connection or an organised excursion and a plan for conditions and return transport. It cannot be added as the next driving stop after Ísafjörður.

If that visit is the reason for the trip, arrange the departure and return first and leave room around them. Choose town or nearby land-based activities for the spare day rather than booking the same hours twice.

Make fewer stops, with more time at each

Our Westfjords regional guide can help you choose between waterfalls, beaches, villages and museums. Put opening hours and any required booking beside each chosen stop. Rural services may have seasonal hours; check the actual business instead of assuming the whole region shares one season.

Before leaving the overnight base, check the day’s roads and weather warnings, identify fuel or charging, and decide which optional stop to drop if the journey takes longer. The useful buffer is time you have kept free, not a promise of a fast drive.