Coming from a Cruise Ship? Here’s How to Make the Most of Your Stop in the Westman Islands

Throughout the summer, cruise ships make a stop in the Westman Islands, some for as much as eleven hours. As any regular guest will no doubt be aware, the ship won’t wait, so of course the most important thing is that you remain aware of the time while you enjoy what the Westman Islands has to offer. 

However you’ll be surprised at just how much you can fit in to those hours. Heimaey’s compact size means that getting around is easy. We’d suggest you organise a couple of tours and perhaps a walking itinerary too. Such short stop activities in between your time onboard the cruise ship really open up the potential of the Westman Islands as a destination.

Practical tips for cruise ship passengers docking at Heimaey

As soon as you have chosen your cruise and know your itinerary, we’d recommend locking in your ATV tours, boat trips and other activities. Try to do this as early as possible. That’s because cruise ship season coincides with peak summer season and at this time of year demand is high for tourist activities.

Online booking makes life simple, whether you wish to remain on Heimaey or even catch the ferry to the mainland. Depending on the arrival and departure time of your cruise ship, you may be able to slot in a Herjólfur ferry departure – it is only a short hop across to the Icelandic mainland after all. 

However you don’t need to leave the Westman islands to enjoy a range of striking landscapes and captivating wildlife all within a small area. By booking a Heimaey cruise tour, there’s no need to stress about missing the ferry back to port as your fellow cruise ship passengers continuing without you.

How to spend your shore time on Heimaey  

One of the things that makes a stay in Iceland so much fun is the variety of activities that you can arrange. Reserve a place on one of our ATV tours and you’ll be able to cover much more of the island in a relatively short space of time. Such tours offer an insight into the islands’ history and heritage. In between thrilling off road stretches, you’ll learn about pirate incursions and past traditions as we pause to share some of the archipelago’s most captivating stories.

We don’t lose sight, either, of our incredible landscapes. The island is known for dramatically stark scenery where lava fields and volcanic cones add a raw beauty to the scene. On windy cliff tops, watch the comic antics of the cute puffins that come here each summer to raise their chicks. These are the kind of memories you’ll make if you sign up for our ATV tours, which can easily be booked online.

Come by cruise ship to the Westman Islands and you might also be tempted to hop on board a smaller boat. The archipelago makes the ideal backdrop for boat trips, enabling you to get a different perspective as you gaze at the rocky shoreline from the water. As you disembark your Heimaey cruise to take a tour, remember there will still be plenty of time to explore on foot – not least the harbour area or beyond on a short hike. 

Whatever you plan to do while your cruise ship is in dock in the Westman Islands we know that you’ll have a lot of fun on land and on the water. Why not get in touch and book your ATV excursion now?