Situated on the northern coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is Kirkjufell, a mountain that even many people who have never come to Iceland are familiar with. To these people, it is known as Arrow Mountain.

Kirkjufell is a nearly perfectly triangular (from certain angles, or cylindrical from others) mountain that is its own peninsula off of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This shape is the reason that it was used in Game of Thrones – and its location was perfect for the snowy, ice-y lands located past the Wall on Westeros’ northern border.

Kirkjufell mountain can be seen best from three viewpoints. The first is the paid car park at the base of the mountain. From here you can hike a short distance to a nearby waterfall to capture the famous view that was also used in the show.

The second option is from a pull-off in the town of Grundarfjörður just to the east of the mountain.

The third option is a bit farther away to the east of the mountain and town at this location (Google Maps). This is an unmarked pull-off but offers some great views of Kirkjufell and the town.

I have to admit that someone who has not really seen much of Game of Thrones, I still found Kirkjufell extremely interesting due to its unique shape. From some angles it looks lik ea step pyramid, from others it looks like the typical children’s drawing of pyramid, and in all views it looks very majestic. It is easy to see how this mountain was picked as a filming location for the show and why it featured prominently when and where it did. I would definitely recommend going to see it whether you are a fan of the shows or not.

Unfortunately for hikers you are unable to hike the mountain as parts of it are used by farmers for their livestock (primarily sheep) and other aprts are private property. However there is a small hike to Kirkjufellsfoss availabe where you can take the famous shot of the waterfall with the mountain in the background.

As Kirkjufell sits on the northern coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, it is very easy to reach. From Reykjavik, take the ring road (Route 1) north until you get to Borgarnes. From here continue on Route 54, which goes around most of the peninsula. You can continue on this road along the southern coast, crossing the mountain pass that has the Snæfellsnes View Point and then continuing back east along the north coast. Alternatively you can turn from Route 54 to Route 55, drive to the end, and then get back on Route 54 and head west along the northern coast. This route is slightly shorter but only by a couple of minutes.

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