North Iceland Holidays
North Iceland
Holidays
Iceland's wild and unhurried north — the whale watching capital of Europe, Europe's most powerful waterfall, a vast lake of volcanic craters, geothermal forests, the midnight sun at its most extreme and the Northern Lights without the southern crowds
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Flight Time
2h 45min to Reykjavík (KEF), then 5h by road or 45min by domestic flight to Akureyri
Best Time
June to August (midnight sun, whale watching peak, all roads open, warmest weather); January to March (best Northern Lights, winter activities, far fewer tourists)
Country
Iceland
Suppliers
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North Iceland Holiday Guide
North Iceland rewards travellers who are willing to make the journey — the 5-hour drive from Reykjavík (or the 45-minute domestic flight to Akureyri) puts off many visitors, which means the region's extraordinary landscapes are far less crowded than the Golden Circle and South Coast. A dedicated North Iceland itinerary of 3-4 days gives time to do the region justice.
Recommended base: Akureyri is the most practical base — good accommodation at all price points, excellent restaurants, a domestic airport and central position for day trips to Húsavík (1 hour), Mývatn (1 hour), Goðafoss (45 minutes) and Dettifoss (2.5 hours). Húsavík is a good alternative base for whale watching focused trips.
Recommended itinerary (4 days from Reykjavík): Day 1 — Drive Reykjavík to Akureyri via the Ring Road (or fly — 45 minutes, Air Iceland Connect). Explore Akureyri. Day 2 — Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn (Dimmuborgir, pseudocraters, Mývatn Nature Baths), Hverir geothermal area. Day 3 — Húsavík whale watching, Ásbyrgi canyon, Dettifoss. Day 4 — Return to Reykjavík via the Ring Road (different route — complete the ring via the East Fjords) or fly back from Akureyri.
Getting around: A rental car is essential for exploring North Iceland beyond Akureyri. The Ring Road (Route 1) is well-maintained year-round; the roads to Dettifoss and Ásbyrgi are paved on the east bank. A 4WD is recommended for the west bank Dettifoss road and for any F-roads (Highland roads, summer only).
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Popular Areas in North Iceland
Average Temperatures
Jan
-2°C
Feb
-1°C
Mar
1°C
Apr
4°C
May
8°C
Jun
12°C
Jul
13°C
Aug
13°C
Sep
9°C
Oct
4°C
Nov
0°C
Dec
-2°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in North Iceland
The whale watching, volcanic lake district, thundering waterfalls, geothermal landscapes and midnight sun experiences that make North Iceland the most rewarding region beyond the tourist trail.
Húsavík — Whale Watching Capital of Europe
Húsavík is the whale watching capital of Europe — a small, picturesque fishing town on Skjálfandi Bay where the cold, nutrient-rich waters attract an extraordinary concentration of whales from April to October. Humpback whales are the star attraction — breaching, tail-slapping and feeding in the bay with a frequency and closeness that is unmatched anywhere else in Iceland. Minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are present throughout the season; blue whales (the largest animals on Earth) are seen on approximately 10-15% of tours from June to August. Whale watching tours (2-3 hours, from approximately £70pp, departing multiple times daily) are operated by North Sailing and Gentle Giants — both use traditional oak sailing schooners as well as motorised vessels. The GeoSea geothermal sea baths (infinity pools overlooking the bay, heated by geothermal water) are the perfect way to end a whale watching day.
Lake Mývatn — A Volcanic Landscape Unlike Any Other
Lake Mývatn ('Midge Lake') is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Iceland — a shallow lake surrounded by an almost surreal concentration of volcanic features: pseudocraters (explosion craters formed when lava flowed over wet ground), lava pillars rising from the lake, lava caves, geothermal hot springs and the extraordinary Dimmuborgir lava field (a labyrinth of twisted lava formations said in Icelandic folklore to be the home of the Yule Lads). The lake itself is one of the most important bird habitats in Europe — 15 species of duck breed here, including the Barrow's goldeneye (found almost nowhere else in Europe). The Mývatn Nature Baths (a geothermal lagoon similar to the Blue Lagoon but far less crowded and less expensive, approximately £30pp) are on the lake shore. The Hverir geothermal area (boiling mud pools and sulphur vents) is 5 minutes from the lake. Mývatn is 1 hour from Akureyri and 45 minutes from Húsavík.
Dettifoss — Europe's Most Powerful Waterfall
Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe — the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, carrying glacial meltwater from the Vatnajökull ice cap, plunges 44m into the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon with a flow rate of up to 1,500 cubic metres per second, generating a roar audible from kilometres away and a permanent cloud of spray that soaks visitors on the viewing platforms. The sheer scale and raw power of Dettifoss is overwhelming — it was used as the opening scene of Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' (2012) to represent the dawn of life on Earth. The east bank (accessible on a paved road) gives the most dramatic frontal view; the west bank (accessible on a rougher road, 4WD recommended) gives a different perspective and access to the smaller but beautiful Selfoss waterfall 1km upstream. Hafragilsfoss (2km downstream) is also impressive. Dettifoss is 1.5 hours from Mývatn.
Goðafoss — The Waterfall of the Gods
Goðafoss ('Waterfall of the Gods') is one of Iceland's most historically significant and visually beautiful waterfalls — a 30m wide, 12m high horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river, where the water curves in a perfect arc before plunging into the canyon below. The name derives from a pivotal moment in Icelandic history: in the year 1000 AD, the chieftain Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, having decided that Iceland should adopt Christianity as its official religion, threw his statues of the Norse gods into the falls — hence 'Waterfall of the Gods'. The falls are easily accessible from the Ring Road (a 10-minute walk from the car park) and can be viewed from both banks. Goðafoss is 45 minutes east of Akureyri and is the natural first stop on the drive towards Mývatn and Húsavík.
Akureyri — The Capital of the North
Akureyri is Iceland's second city and the undisputed capital of the north — a surprisingly vibrant town of 20,000 people at the head of the Eyjafjörður fjord, with a thriving restaurant scene, excellent museums, a botanical garden (the northernmost in the world, growing over 7,000 plant species at 65°N latitude) and a warmth and friendliness that feels quite different from Reykjavík. The Akureyrarkirkja church (designed by the same architect as Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík) dominates the town from its hilltop position. The pedestrianised Hafnarstræti is the main shopping and café street. The Akureyri Art Museum, the Motorcycle Museum of Iceland and the Nonni House (childhood home of the beloved Icelandic children's author Jón Sveinsson) are all worth visiting. Akureyri is served by daily domestic flights from Reykjavík (45 minutes, Air Iceland Connect) — a far more comfortable option than the 5-hour drive.
Ásbyrgi Canyon — The Horseshoe Gorge
Ásbyrgi is one of the most dramatic and mysterious landscapes in North Iceland — a vast horseshoe-shaped canyon, 3.5km long and up to 1km wide, with sheer 100m basalt walls and a flat, birch-forested floor bisected by a central rocky island (Eyjan). The canyon was formed by a catastrophic glacial flood from the Vatnajökull ice cap thousands of years ago — the scale of the flood required to carve this landscape is almost incomprehensible. Norse mythology has a different explanation: Ásbyrgi was formed by the hoof-print of Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. The canyon is part of the Vatnajökull National Park and has excellent walking trails through the birch forest, a small lake (Botnstjörn) at the head of the canyon and extraordinary views from the canyon rim. Ásbyrgi is 1 hour north of Dettifoss and 1.5 hours from Húsavík.
Hverir & Krafla — Geothermal Fire and Brimstone
Hverir (also called Námaskarð) is one of the most otherworldly landscapes in Iceland — a high-temperature geothermal area on the eastern shore of Lake Mývatn where boiling mud pools bubble and hiss, sulphur vents emit clouds of steam and the ground is stained vivid shades of orange, yellow and red by mineral deposits. The smell of sulphur is intense; the colours are extraordinary; and the sense of standing on a genuinely active volcanic landscape is visceral. The nearby Krafla volcanic system (5km north of Hverir) last erupted in the 1980s — the Viti explosion crater (a 320m wide crater lake of vivid turquoise water) and the Leirhnjúkur lava field (still warm underfoot in places, with steaming vents in the black lava) are among the most dramatic volcanic landscapes in Iceland. The Krafla geothermal power station (visible from the road) generates electricity for the entire north of Iceland.
Midnight Sun & Northern Lights in the North
North Iceland sits at 65-66°N latitude — just touching the Arctic Circle — which gives it the most extreme light conditions in the country. In June and July, the sun does not set at all above the Arctic Circle (the town of Grímsey island, 40km off the north coast, straddles the Arctic Circle exactly) and barely dips below the horizon at Akureyri and Húsavík — the midnight sun bathes the landscape in warm golden light at 1am, 2am, 3am. This is extraordinary for photography and for the surreal experience of hiking or whale watching in full daylight at midnight. In winter (October to March), the long dark nights and the position well north of Reykjavík give some of the best Northern Lights viewing in Iceland — the aurora is visible on clear nights from the town centres, and the dark skies around Mývatn and Ásbyrgi are among the finest in the country.
Explore North Iceland on the Map
Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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