Your cart is currently empty!
- Please choose product options by visiting The Witch of the Westfjords Guided Tour.
Women’s Bikepacking Weekends
90.000kr.
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
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
- 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.
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.
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)
- 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.
Related products
-
Group Rides & Guided Tours
Cycling Westfjords Beach Party Overnighter
2 days • Kick off the season with us!
Join the Cycling Westfjords team to kick off the bikepacking season! We’ll take you to all of our favorite spots in and around Ísafjörður, including our favorite campground on a secluded and remote beach where we will roast s’mores over a bonfire and party under the midnight sun. Join as …
-
Group Rides & Guided Tours
Bike and Hike to Troll Seat
Cycle the Westfjords at your pace with one of our expert local guides!
We offer custom guided tours for all passport routes and group rides, suited to your pace and interests.
Contact us to request availability for your dates!
-
Group Rides & Guided Tours
Custom Guided Tours
Cycle the Westfjords at your pace with one of our expert local guides!
We offer custom guided tours for all passport routes and group rides, suited to your pace and interests.
Contact us to request availability for your dates!
-
Group Rides & Guided Tours
Westfjords Way in 8 Days Supported Tour
8 days • Supported • Experience the Route that Started it All
The official supported Westfjords Way bikepacking tour is the perfect option for those who want a fully planned and supported adventure. You’ll ride without a biking guide, but the driver guide and van will be available for any needed support — giving you the option to ride as much …