North Iceland Guide

North Iceland is where the country reveals a different character entirely. While the south coast draws the lion's share of visitors, the north remains comparatively uncrowded, offering the same calibre of natural wonders without the tour bus queues. The volcanic landscapes around Lake Myvatn are among the most otherworldly on Earth — steaming fumaroles, twisted lava formations, and crater-dotted terrain that served as training ground for Apollo astronauts.

Husavik, a small fishing town on Skjalfandi Bay, has earned its reputation as the whale watching capital of Iceland. Humpback whales feed in the nutrient-rich waters here throughout summer, and blue whale sightings are not uncommon. The town's authentic harbour charm and world-class whale museum make it a destination in its own right, not just a boat trip departure point.

Two of Iceland's most spectacular waterfalls anchor the region. Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, is a wide horseshoe cascade steeped in saga-age history. Dettifoss, further east, is the most powerful waterfall in Europe — a thundering wall of glacial water that shakes the ground beneath your feet.

Akureyri, Iceland's second city, serves as the perfect base for all of this. With a surprisingly cosmopolitan downtown, excellent restaurants, a botanical garden that defies its Arctic latitude, and a domestic airport with frequent flights from Reykjavik, it is the gateway to everything the north has to offer.

The fastest way to reach North Iceland is to fly. Domestic flights from Reykjavik's downtown airport to Akureyri take just 45 minutes and run multiple times daily year-round. The Akureyri airport sits just minutes from the town centre, making the transfer seamless.

Driving from Reykjavik to Akureyri via Route 1 takes approximately five to six hours without stops. The road heads north through the Hvalfjordur tunnel, past the historic town of Blonduos, and over several mountain passes before descending into the Eyjafjordur valley where Akureyri sits. In winter, these mountain passes can be challenging — check road.is before departing.

If you are driving the Ring Road, North Iceland connects naturally from the east via Egilsstadir and the dramatic mountain pass at Oxnadalur, or from the west via the Westfjords junction at Blonduos. Many Ring Road travellers spend two to three nights in the north.

For those arriving from East Iceland, the drive from Egilsstadir to Akureyri along Route 1 is roughly three hours. Fill your fuel tank before setting out.

Akureyri is Iceland's second-largest urban area, home to around 19,000 people, and it feels like a genuine town rather than a tourist staging post. Situated at the head of Eyjafjordur, Iceland's longest fjord, it enjoys a surprisingly mild microclimate that allows the Lystigardur Botanical Garden to cultivate plants that have no business growing this close to the Arctic Circle. The garden is free to visit and a genuine delight in summer.

Downtown Akureyri clusters along a handful of streets lined with independent shops, bookstores, cafes, and restaurants. The Akureyri Church, designed by the same architect behind Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik, dominates the hillside above town. The local food scene punches well above its weight.

In winter, Akureyri transforms into a ski destination. The Hlidarfjall ski resort sits just fifteen minutes from town and offers surprisingly good skiing from November to May.

Most importantly, Akureyri is the gateway to the Diamond Circle. Lake Myvatn is an hour east, Godafoss is 30 minutes along Route 1, and Husavik is an easy hour north.

Lake Myvatn is a shallow, nutrient-rich lake set in a volcanic landscape that feels like another planet. The name translates to 'Midge Lake' — a fair warning about the clouds of non-biting midges that swarm in summer. These tiny insects are the foundation of an ecosystem that supports one of the most diverse bird populations in Iceland, including the harlequin duck and Barrow's goldeneye.

The lake's shores are dotted with pseudocraters — rootless cones formed when lava flowed over wetland. The Skutustadir pseudocraters on the south shore are the most accessible and photogenic. Nearby, Dimmuborgir is a labyrinth of lava pillars, arches, and caves formed by a collapsed lava lake.

East of the lake, the Hverir geothermal area is a stark, sulphur-crusted landscape of boiling mud pots and hissing steam vents. Grjotagja, a small lava cave with a geothermal hot spring inside, gained fame through a certain television series.

For those who want to soak, the Myvatn Nature Baths offer a far less crowded alternative to the Blue Lagoon. In summer, a head net (available at local shops for about 1,000 ISK) makes a significant difference when exploring the lakeside trails.

Husavik is a town of about 2,300 people on the shores of Skjalfandi Bay, and it has earned the title of whale watching capital of Iceland through decades of consistent sightings. The bay's nutrient-rich waters attract humpback whales in large numbers from April through October, with sighting success rates above 95 percent in peak summer. Blue whales, minke whales, and white-beaked dolphins are also regularly spotted.

The Husavik Whale Museum, housed in a former slaughterhouse on the harbour, is one of the best small museums in Iceland. Its collection of whale skeletons — including a full blue whale skeleton — and educational exhibits are thoughtfully curated.

GeoSea, the geothermal sea baths perched on the cliff edge north of the harbour, offers infinity pools filled with naturally heated seawater. The views across Skjalfandi Bay to the snow-capped mountains of the Flateyjarskagi peninsula are extraordinary.

Beyond whales and baths, Husavik itself is a charming harbour town worth exploring on foot. The wooden church, painted sunny yellow, dates to 1907 and is one of the most photographed buildings in North Iceland.

Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, discharging an average of 193 cubic metres of glacial water per second over a 44-metre drop. The sheer volume of water creates a permanent mist cloud visible from kilometres away, and standing at the rim, the ground vibrates beneath your feet.

Dettifoss can be approached from either bank. The west bank (Route 862, now paved) offers the closer and more dramatic viewpoint. The east bank (Route 864, gravel) provides a wider panoramic view and tends to be less crowded.

Upstream from Dettifoss, the smaller but elegant Selfoss waterfall is a 15-minute walk along the canyon rim. Downstream, the 27-metre Hafragilsfoss is another impressive cascade.

At the northern end of the Jokulsargljufur canyon lies Asbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon sheltered by cliffs up to 100 metres high. According to Norse mythology, the canyon was formed by the hoofprint of Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. Today, Asbyrgi is a lush oasis of birch and willow woodland.

The Diamond Circle is a 260-kilometre driving route that connects the major attractions of North Iceland into a single loop. Starting and ending in either Husavik or Akureyri, the route passes through Husavik, Asbyrgi, Dettifoss, and Lake Myvatn.

The route is often described as the northern equivalent of the famous Golden Circle near Reykjavik, but with a critical difference: it receives a fraction of the visitors. You can stand at Dettifoss with a handful of other visitors rather than a crowd of hundreds.

Most travellers complete the Diamond Circle in a single long day, but splitting it over two days allows for a more relaxed pace. A practical itinerary starting from Akureyri might head north to Husavik for morning whale watching, continue east to Asbyrgi for an afternoon walk, then south to Dettifoss before looping back to Myvatn for the evening.

Road conditions on the Diamond Circle vary by section. Route 862 to Dettifoss from the west was paved in recent years. The section between Dettifoss and Myvatn passes through highland terrain — fill your tank before leaving Husavik or Akureyri. Mobile phone coverage is patchy along the eastern stretches.