Destination Guide
Cycling in Reykjavík & Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Reykjavík cycling hub and Snæfellsnes Peninsula: Kirkjufell mountain, Snæfellsjökull glacier-volcano, Golden Circle from the capital, and the best-supported cycling infrastructure in Iceland.
Reykjavík is the most functional cycling base in Iceland by a substantial margin. The city of 130,000 operates an urban cycling network of approximately 320km of designated cycle paths, has a growing café culture centred on the Grandi harbour district and Laugavegur shopping street that provides the café infrastructure cyclists require, and hosts the two best-equipped bike shops in the country — Örninn Hjólabúð and WOW Cycling — within 3km of the city centre. More importantly for visiting cyclists, Reykjavík is the logical staging point for the three primary cycling objectives in western Iceland: the Snæfellsnes Peninsula circuit, the Golden Circle route through Þingvellir and Gullfoss, and the highland approach roads of the Borgarfjörður valley.
Last updated: 15 Mar 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Touring, Climbing, coastal
- Difficulty
- Moderate — Challenging
- Road Quality
- Good
- Cycling Culture
- Developing
- Traffic
- Low
Pro Cycling Connection
No professional cycling presence. The Reykjavík Gran Fondo (July) is the area's main cycling event, attracting 500–800 participants on a circuit through the Þingvellir lava field and Hvalfjörður fjord...
Best Time to Cycle in Reykjavík & Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The Reykjavík and Snæfellsnes area benefits from the mildest climate in Iceland, courtesy of the Gulf Stream influence on the southwest coast. June temperatures average 10–14°C during the day, with the midnight sun at its maximum providing continuous...
Temperature: -12°C (winter) to 16°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in Reykjavík & Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Eiríksjökull Approach Road
12.7km · 680m · 5.4% · CAT2
The Eiríksjökull approach road is Iceland's most demanding gravel climb accessible from the Snæfellsnes and Borgarfjörður area — a 12.7km Category 2 ascent at 5.4% average on a gravel surface that rises from the Norðurá river valley floor at sea level to the Eiríksjökull glacier approach at 680m, the highest point reachable by vehicle (or cycling) on the Langjökull table mountain system northwest of Húsafell. Eiríksjökull itself is a 1,675m ice-capped table mountain — the western outlier of the Langjökull glacier system — and the approach road serves the Highland fringe farms before transitioning to a gravel track that continues toward the glacier edge for vehicles with highland clearance. The lower section from the Norðurá valley to the 300m mark is on rough but manageable gravel maintained for the Húsafell resort complex access; above 300m the road transitions to looser volcanic gravel with significant loose aggregate sections between km 6 and km 10. The 14% maximum gradient sections are on the steepest approaches to the upper Highland plateau rim — four brief ramps that require standing power and careful tyre placement on the gravel surface. The summit area at 680m delivers an unobstructed view north across the Norðurá watershed to the Snæfellsnes mountains and south toward the Langjökull ice cap — a panorama that justifies the demanding approach. This is a serious gravel climb that requires a purpose-equipped gravel or adventure bike: road bikes are not appropriate, and even on a gravel bike the loose upper sections require confidence in the tyres and the rider's ability to manage rear wheel slip on steep gravel.
Hellisheiði Pass
12km · 380m · 3.2% · CAT3
Hellisheiði Pass is the main arterial road from Reykjavík to the south coast — Route 1 (the Ring Road) and Route 39 carrying the full volume of tourist and commercial traffic from the capital to Selfoss, Vík, and the Glacier Lagoon — and for cyclists departing Reykjavík southbound it is the unavoidable and defining first climb of any south coast journey. The 12km ascent at 3.2% average begins at the Reykjavík suburb of Hafnarfjörður (40m elevation) and rises to the Hellisheiði plateau at 420m, crossing a lava plateau of the Hengill volcanic system that contains the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Station — one of the largest geothermal plants in the world, its steam columns visible from the road throughout the ascent as a constant reminder of the active volcanic substrate directly below the tarmac surface. The climb begins on a wide dual-carriageway as the road leaves Hafnarfjörður, the gradient gentle for the first 3km through the suburban fringe and lava field margins. At approximately km 3 the road transitions to single-carriageway and the gradient builds to the sustained 3.5–5% of the middle plateau approach — the lava field on both sides shifting from the moss-covered Reykjanes lava (1,000–2,000 years old, heavily vegetated) to the younger, rawer Hengill system lava (500–800 years, sparse vegetation) as elevation increases. The geothermal plant's infrastructure appears at km 7 — the steam risers, pipeline corridors, and industrial buildings of the Hellisheiði installation generating a sulphurous hydrogen-sulphide smell that is the most consistently reported sensory memory of this climb by cyclists. The 7% maximum gradient appears in two brief ramps on the upper plateau approach between km 9 and km 11. The plateau summit at 420m is exposed moorland — the Hengill massif visible to the northeast (1,065m, the source of the geothermal energy), the plains of Ölfus stretching south toward Selfoss visible in the descent direction. The descent on the south side is 14km at approximately 2.5% average — a long, gradual run-out to Selfoss that provides easy speed recovery after the plateau crossing. For Ring Road cyclists, Hellisheiði is typically the first morning's climbing from a Reykjavík start: 12km and 380m, well within the warm-up climb category, but notable for its traffic volume, industrial atmosphere, and geothermal character.
Hvalfjörður Coastal Road
14.5km · 210m · 1.4% · CAT4
The Hvalfjörður coastal road — Route 47 around the Hvalfjörður fjord north of Reykjavík — is the mandatory cycling alternative to the Hvalfjörður road tunnel that bars cyclists from the direct Ring Road routing. What begins as a logistical workaround delivers one of the finest cycling experiences accessible from Reykjavík: a 55km low-gradient circuit around a 30km-deep fjord on a road with minimal traffic, past the site of the WWII Allied naval base, and along cliff-edge sections with direct views across the fjord to the Hafnarfjall mountain massif on the opposite shore. The road's climbing character is modest — 14.5km of the total circuit distance contributes meaningful gain, with a 1.4% average gradient that rises to a 7% maximum on the headland crossing between the inner and outer fjord sections. This maximum section appears at the Botnsheiði headland, where the road leaves the fjord shore briefly to cross a 210m ridge before descending back to sea level at the fjord head. The Glymur waterfall — Iceland's tallest waterfall at 198m — is accessible via a 30-minute hiking trail from the road at the fjord head; the trail is not cyclable but the 30-minute diversion is one of the finest in the accessible Reykjavík region. The fjord road surface varies: the outer sections on the Ring Road approach are well-maintained tarmac; the inner fjord road from Botnsheiði to the fjord head and back is rougher, with sections of patched tarmac that require attentive line choice.
Kerlingardalsvegur — Snæfellsnes Interior
8.1km · 480m · 5.9% · CAT2
The Kerlingardalsvegur is the mountain road crossing of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula interior — an 8.1km Category 2 ascent at 5.9% average on a gravel-and-tarmac surface that climbs from the southern shore road at sea level to the 380m interior plateau, delivering views toward the Snæfellsjökull glacier cap that are unavailable from the shore roads on either side of the peninsula. The road begins on the Route 54 southern shore corridor near the farm access at Hjarðarbrekkusel (essentially sea level), heading directly north-northeast into the peninsula interior on a surface that transitions from rough tarmac on the lower approach to compacted gravel on the upper plateau. The gradient builds from 4–5% in the lower section to sustained 7–10% between km 4 and km 7, with the 13% maximum appearing on two brief ramps in the upper approach where the road cuts directly up the fell slope rather than contouring around it. These maximum sections are on gravel surface and require a measured approach on road tyres — the loose aggregate on the outer road edge provides no friction for a cornering road bike. The summit area at 380m delivers a panorama of rare quality: the Snæfellsjökull ice cap filling the western horizon, the Breiðafjörður bay to the north, and on clear days the distant profiles of the West Fjords peninsula across the bay. The descent on the northern side toward the Grundarfjörður shore road is shorter and slightly steeper, connecting to the Route 54 northern shore road that passes below Kirkjufell mountain 10km to the east.
Insider Tips
The Hvalfjörður tunnel on Route 1 north of Reykjavík is not permitted for cyclists — the tunnel carries high-speed traffic in a confined environment and the ban is enforced. The al...
The Kerlingardalsvegur mountain road on Snæfellsnes crosses the peninsula interior at 380m elevation on a gravel surface that is rideable on a gravel bike but challenging on a road...
Reykjavík Bike Tours (Ægisgarður 7, Grandi harbour, open daily 09:00–18:00 in summer) rents well-maintained Trek and Specialized bikes including gravel models and provides the most...
How to Get to Reykjavík & Snæfellsnes Peninsula for Cycling
Getting around: Car Optional
The Reykjavík and Snæfellsnes area is the most car-optional cycling zone in Iceland. The Golden Circle route is a well-established self-supported cycling circuit from a Reykjavík base, with accommodat...