Women’s Bikepacking Weekends

90.000kr. – 300.000kr.

3 days • Experience the best of the Westfjords with women from around the world

Experience the Westfjords in one of our women’s three day guided intro to bikepacking trips. These tours are guided with a designated route and camping location each night. Food, accommodation and resupply are up to the participants as they choose (guidance provided) to help keep costs down.

  • Svalvogar Loop: July 5-7
  • Witch of the Westfjords: August 9-11
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Description

3 days • Experience the best of the Westfjords with women from around the world

Experience the Westfjords in one of our women’s three day guided intro to bikepacking trips. These tours are guided with a designated route and camping location each night. Food, accommodation and resupply are up to the participants as they choose (guidance provided) to help keep costs down.

Svalvogar Loop: July 5-7

Witch of the Westfjords: August 9-11

  • These tours are for any woman who wants a short Westfjords cycling tour, whether as an add-on to a longer trip, or your first-ever bikepacking experience.
  • For those that are brand-new to bikepacking, we will provide materials to help you decide what to pack, where to load it on your bike, and how to pack your bike box! We also have rentals available here.
  • This year we are offering two options: the Svalvogar Loop Tour, and the Witch of the Westfjords. Click through the tabs to decide which adventure is right for you!

We believe everyone should experience the Westfjords the best way we know how – on a bike. But data shows that women often face barriers getting into cycling, especially bikepacking. The percentage of women who visit the Westfjords by bike is growing, and we want to help by offering accessible guided tours for women interested in learning about self-supported riding, or who just want to ride with a group of women from around the world. 

*We use the term women in the broadest definition to include cis, trans, or any women-identifying persons.

Why book with us?

We call the Westfjords home. We created the routes you’re riding, but even more importantly, our connections are your connections. When you book with us you know you are getting the best information on accommodations, hidden gems, and local secrets. And if anything goes wrong, you have access to our extensive network of Westfjords contacts to help get you sheltered, fed, and back on route.

Svalvogar Loop

The Svalvogar Loop route is the perfect intro to the Westfjords, and it hits all our favorite highlights. It has more pavement than gravel, but the gravel sections can get rough. We recommend a gravel bike (40mm tires minimum recommended, rentals available). Since it’s an intro to bikepacking, we will plan on camping all nights, but we can help you book an accommodation if desired where it is possible.


Tour highlights:

  • Breiðalsheidi – an abandoned mountain pass
  • The villages of Flateyri, Þingeyri, and Suðureyri
  • Camping at Dynjandi waterfall, the pearl of the Westfjords
  • Bikepacking in a supportive space with like-minded women

Itinerary 

Day 0

Arrive to Ísafjörður at your leisure and build bikes at the Fjord Hub if necessary. A mechanic will be available for any last minute adjustments and you can stock up on any necessary accessories needed such as C02, tubes, or Westfjords memorabilia. Choose from the many hotels or Airbnb for this night’s accommodation.

Optional: Group shakeout ride to Bolungarvík via the old road at 3pm. 30 kilometers.

Dinner and group meetup: Dokkan Brugghús at 7pm

Day 1

The trip begins with coffee and cake at 8am at Heimabyggð (optional). Depart Ísafjörður at 9am. This day features one of the hardest mountain passes of the route, but we will do it together as a group. The village Flateyri waits for us on the other side where we can visit the oldest family run store in Iceland and get food if necessary. The day finishes with a scenic paved ride to Þingeyri where camping is included or you can choose to stay in a guesthouse (additional). 68 kilometers with 1,140 meters of elevation.

Day 2

Start the day by experiencing the local swimming pool and plan to roll by 10:00am. The day features the famous Svalvogar road, which was created by a farmer who carved the road with his small bulldozer called The Teaspoon. There is very little resupply until we arrive at Hrafsneyri, the birthplace of Jón Sigurðsson who led the Icelandic independence movement in the 19th century. The day finishes with camping under the pearl of the Westfjords, our Dynjandi waterfall. 74 kilometers with 1,050 meters of elevation. 

Day 3

With our strength built up, the last day is the longest, but does not have as much gravel as the previous days. We will ride to Suðureyri where Fisherman will take us on their food trail walk. We finish the day back in Ísafjörður with a celebratory meal at Tjörhusið, an all-you can eat traditional Icelandic fish restaurant. 95 kilometers with 1,250 meters of elevation.

Witch of the Westfjords

The Witch of the Westfjords is perfect for those who want a more adventurous route with more gravel and a bit of technical riding. This remote route covers some of the most spectacular scenery in the Westfjords, and we recommend tacking it on a full-suspension or hardtail mountain bike. Learn more about the route here.

Tour Highlights

  • The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft – this route is more than the line we travel. We learn more about the region’s history before starting our journey.
  • Trékyllisheiði – an abandoned mountain pass with sections of flowy doubletrack, shifty shale and fast descents
  • Stunning views along the remote Strandir coast, the least populated municipality in Iceland
  • Krossneslaug – one of the best hot pots in all of Iceland and the pinnacle of reward after traversing the mountain pass. Choose to soak after the first day or the morning of the second depending on arrival time.
  • Hótel Djúpavík – for a mid-ride snack and glimpse into the old fishing community.
  • The Old Herring Factory – seasonal art gallery and the tanks Sigur Rós famously played in.
  • Hótel Laugarhóll – best dinner on-route and hot pot. Choose a hotel room or camping.
  • Drangsnes Hot Pots – seaside hot pots before finishing the route.

Itinerary

Day 0

Arrive to Ísafjörður at your leisure and build bikes at the Fjord Hub if necessary. A mechanic will be available for any last-minute adjustments and you can stock up on any necessary accessories needed such as C02, tubes, or Westfjords memorabilia. Choose from the many hotels or Airbnb for this night’s accommodation. You may choose to be transported with Cycling Westfjords the next day or plan to meet us at the Witchcraft museum at 10:30am on August 18.

Optional dinner and group meetup: Dokkan Brugghús at 7pm

Day 1

Arrive to the Fjord Hub at 6:30 am for an early departure to the route, which is about 3 hours away. Last minute tweaks and bike setups can be done before the departure. You may choose to be transported with Cycling Westfjords or meet us at the starting point. A light to-go breakfast will be ready for participants. We will arrive at the Witchcraft Museum in Holmavík to gain a deeper understanding of the region at around 9:30am. We will then start riding by 11am. This is the mountain pass day and features the crux of the route. We will have a midride lunch before descending to Norðurfjörður for dinner and a warm bed. 72 kilometers with 1,600 meters of elevation gain.

Day 2

The second day starts early again, at 8am with breakfast at our guesthouse. We will then ride to Krossneslaug, the hot pot at the end of the road. After a nice soak, we will continue on our journey down the Strandir coast around 11am. We will stop for lunch at Hotel Djupavík and visit the seasonal art exhibit and tanks where Sigur Rós played. Dinner and another hot pot soak is delivered at Hotel Laugarhóll for the night. 88 kilometers with 1,500 meters of elevation gain.

Day 3

The last day is the shortest, but delivers unmatched fjordscapes and another hot pot soak before the trip is completed at the Witchcraft museum for celebratory soup and optional beer at Galdur Brewery. 53 kilometers with 750 meters of elevation gain. Travel back to Ísafjörður and celebrate with dinner at Tjörhusið.

Inclusions

Price for trips include: 

  • Local guides
  • Accommodations (Witch of the Westfjords)
  • Camping (Svalvogar Loop)
  • Consultation call to help you prepare/ pack if it’s your first-time bikepacking
  • Transportation to/from Ísafjörður airport
  • Transport to and from Ísafjörður to Holmavik (Witch of the Westfjords)
  • Dinner at Tjöruhúsið (Svalvogar Loop)
  • Access to museums 
  • Cycling Westfjords starter pack include microfiber towel, Icelandic delicacies and map
  • Bike box/bag storage during tour

Price does not include:

  • Flight or transfer to and from Ísafjörður
  • Bicycle and equipment (you bring your own)
  • Food, except at Tjöruhúsið

Accommodation:

  • Camping is included while on tour
  • Camping is the only option for day 2 at Dynjandi (Svalvogar Loop)
  • Hotels/guesthouses may be booked separately (contact us)

Additional Information

These trips are perfect for anyone who:

  • Identifies as a woman
  • Is looking for an introduction to bikepacking in a supportive environment at a comfortable pace

What you will need:

  • Recommended bike for Svalvogar Loop: Gravel bike or hardtail mountain bike with at least 40mm tires or similar (rentals available through our parter, the Fjord Hub)
  • Recommended bike for Witch of the Westfjords: Full suspension or hardtail mountain bike with at least 40mm tires or similar (limited rentals may be available at a discounted rate, contact us for info)
  • Bikepacking bags + sleep system (we can offer advice on bags and setup prior to your trip. We may also have a limited supply of rentals – contact us for more info)
  • Biking gear from wool base layers to shoe covers. A recommended gear and clothing list will be emailed to registered participants
  • Trip insurance that covers cycling

Meet Your Guides

 

Halldóra Björk Norðdahl 

Halldóra (Dóra) is born and raised in Ísafjörður and is the brains of the Cycling Westfjords operation. When she isn’t biking, she works at her knitting and clothing store Klæðakot in downtown Ísafjörður. In 2020, she graduated from Hólar University where she wrote a bachelor’s thesis on the experience of bicycle tourists in the Westfjords which paved her way into starting Cycling Westfjords.

Lynnee Jacks

Lynnee moved to the Westfjords in 2021 after living all around the West Cost of the United States. When she isn’t riding bikes, you can find her studying at the University Centre of the Westfjords, or off in the mountains on her next adventure. 

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