This post focuses on Day 8 (Seydisfjordur, Tvisöngur sound sculpture, and hiking Stóruð) of our Ultimate Itinerary for 2 Weeks / 14 Days in Iceland.

If you’ve just starting planning for your vacation or holiday in Iceland, check out our Iceland planning and resources post.

NOTE: Our itinerary outlines activities and drive times. Everybody has different eating habits so stop for groceries and food as needed. Picnic areas are suggested when extraordinary, otherwise eat where and when you want. We rarely ate out and instead enjoyed yogurt and fruit for breakfast, prepared quick lunches and snacks throughout the day, and cooked a hot meal every evening at the campground.

Iceland Itinerary Day 8 Summary

Activity	Time Allocation	Note
Seydisfjordur Campground	accommodation
Seydisfjordur + Tvisöngur sound sculpture	2 hrs
Drive	1 ½ hr	Includes ½ hr stop at the green solar powered hut
Stóruð hike	7 hrs
Drive	15 min
Borgarfjörður eystra Campground	accommodation	1200 ISK per person; 400 ISK per shower
	Total = ~ 11 hrs

 

Iceland Itinerary Day 8 Details

Day 8 Activities

Seydisfjordur + Tvisöngur sound sculpture

Assuming you were unable to explore Seydisfjordur yesterday evening, take an hour or two to stroll around this artsy harbour town this morning. In addition to seeing town, check out the super cool Tvisöngur sound sculpture.

TIP: The parking lot and trailhead closest to the Tvisöngur sound sculpture is across the street from Brimberg Fish Factory. Just past the parking lot, tucked away off the side of the road, is a phone booth sculpture commemorating the first cable communication between Iceland and Scotland.

From the parking lot, walk about 20 minutes uphill to the sculpture. The Tvisöngur sound sculpture, “Singing Concrete”, can be seen as a visualization of the Icelandic five tone harmony tradition. It is constructed of concrete and consists of five interconnected domes of various sizes. Each dome has its own resonance that corresponds to a tone in the five-tone harmony and works as a natural amplifier to that tone. Sing your heart out up!

Stórurð hike

After enjoying the morning walk, drive an hour to the Stórurð information booth and trailhead. The journey out of Seydisfjordur takes us back through the mountain pass and past the Mt. Bjolfur viewpoint. If you’re lucky enough to have nice weather you’ll have stupendous views.

FUN STOP: Along the drive on Route 94 you’ll pass a man-made roadside attraction: a green hut containing a solar-powered refrigerated vending machine. Spend ½ hour here and enjoy a beverage.

There are a few parking areas from which you can embark on the Stórurð (“The Giant Boulders”) hike via five different routes. We chose the parking area that contains the Stórurð information booth and restrooms (see below map).

TIP: Be sure to have a map! The routes are marked with colored poles but with so many routes it is easy to get turned around. Also bring plenty of food, water, and layers. Plan on spending at least 6 hours on the Stórurð hike.

Using the numbered references on the below map and associated information placard, we approached Stórurð via route 1 and returned via route 3.  

Route 1 is 7.7 km and took 2 ½ hours. This included fewer stops than usual (for us) because the weather was quite foggy so we couldn’t see much. However, upon reaching Stórurð the weather cleared and we were welcomed by amazingly beautiful scenery unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Stórurð is a stunning milky blue glacial lake with humongous boulders left behind from 10,000 years ago when the glacier retreated. We spent two solitary hours wandering around the loop trail in this magnificent fairy tale.

TIP: Be sure to find and sign the guest book!

Our return route was via route 3 (5.5 km) and the jeep trail (2.6 km). The first two hours on route 3 were spent walking along the hillside. We had some of our favorite sheep encounters on this route. This was followed by 40 boring minutes on the gravel jeep trail to return to our vehicle parked at the Stórurð information booth.

All in all, this hike was quite magical and well worth it.

Day 8 Accommodation

Borgarfjörður eystra Campground

The Borgarfjörður eystra Campground is a 15 minute drive from the Stórurð trailhead. The campground is sprawling with multiple areas to park. Cooking facilities and a dining area are also available on-site.

Camping at Borgarfjörður eystra Campground costs 1200 ISK per person and showers are an additional 400 ISK per person for four minutes.

Iceland Itinerary Day 8 Map

Day 8 covers points 32 – 35 on the map layer Our 2 Week / 14 Day Itinerary.

Other layers include additional points of interest, accommodation (camping and hotel), and dining/groceries. Most of these points have a description and a link for more information.

September 9 – 10, 2018