North Iceland is where the country reveals its wildest, most varied, and most unexpected character. Europe’s most powerful waterfall. The world’s finest whale watching. A geothermal lake surrounded by lava castles and mud pools. A canyon system that looks like it belongs on another planet. And a small city that punches far above its size. This is everything you need to know.
Why North Iceland Deserves More Than a Drive-Through
Most first-time visitors to Iceland spend the majority of their time on the South Coast — and understandably so. The South is dramatic, accessible, and densely packed with famous sights. But the visitors who return to Iceland almost always head north. The North is where the country becomes genuinely wild, where the crowds thin, where the landscapes open up into something vast and unhurried, and where the quality of individual experiences often surpasses anything the South can offer.
Lake Mývatn alone — a geothermal lake surrounded by more geological variety than most countries contain in their entirety — justifies the journey north. Add the Diamond Circle, Europe’s whale watching capital, two of Iceland’s most powerful waterfalls, the most dramatic canyon system in the country, and a cosmopolitan second city surrounded by mountains and fjords, and North Iceland becomes not a detour from the main event but a destination in its own right.
At Ice Paradise Tours, the North is our home territory. We know it in every season, in every weather, and at every time of day. This guide covers everything you need to plan a trip that does it justice.
North Iceland at a Glance
Main city: Akureyri — Iceland’s second city, 380 km from Reykjavík
Key route: The Diamond Circle — 250 km loop taking in the region’s greatest highlights
Must-see natural sites: Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss, Goðafoss, Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon, Ásbyrgi
Best wildlife experience: Whale watching in Húsavík — Europe’s finest
Best time to visit: Year-round — summer for midnight sun and hiking; winter for Northern Lights and ice caves
Getting there: Fly direct to Akureyri Airport from Reykjavík (45 mins) or drive the Ring Road (4 to 5 hours)
Recommended time: Minimum 3 to 4 days; 5 to 7 days to explore properly
Akureyri — The Capital of the North
Akureyri sits at the head of Eyjafjörður — Iceland’s longest fjord — surrounded by mountains that hold snow well into summer. With a population of around 20,000, it is Iceland’s second city by a significant margin, and it functions as the cultural, commercial, and logistical hub for the entire north.
The city is more complete and more enjoyable than most visitors expect. A thriving restaurant and café scene, excellent independent shops, a botanical garden that somehow coaxes sub-tropical plants to grow at 65 degrees north, a ski area with remarkable views, and a lively music and arts scene make Akureyri a place worth spending two nights rather than one. The distinctive twin-towered Akureyrarkirkja church on the hill above the town centre is the city’s most recognisable landmark and worth climbing the 102 steps to reach.
What to Do in Akureyri
Akureyrarkirkja: The city’s iconic church, designed by the same architect as Reykjavík’s Hallgrímskirkja. The views from the church steps over the fjord and the mountains are among the finest urban views in Iceland.
Akureyri Botanical Garden: The northernmost botanical garden in the world — an astonishing collection of plants thriving at a latitude where most gardens would fail, thanks to Akureyri’s unusually mild microclimate and the long summer daylight hours.
Hof Cultural Centre: The city’s main cultural venue on the waterfront — hosts concerts, exhibitions, and theatre throughout the year and is architecturally striking from the outside.
Hlíðarfjall Ski Area: Iceland’s finest ski area, just above the city, with panoramic views of the fjord from the pistes. Open from December through April depending on snow.
Whale watching from Dalvík: A 30-minute drive north of Akureyri, the small fishing town of Dalvík offers whale watching tours into the rich waters of Eyjafjörður — humpback whales and white-beaked dolphins are reliably seen from May to October.
Forest Lagoon: A newer geothermal spa set in a birch forest above the city with outstanding views over the fjord — a quieter and more intimate alternative to the Blue Lagoon, and one of the finest bathing experiences in North Iceland.
Goðafoss — The Waterfall of the Gods
About 50 kilometres east of Akureyri, the Ring Road crosses the Skjálfandafljót river just below one of Iceland’s most historically significant waterfalls. Goðafoss — the Waterfall of the Gods — is a broad, powerful horseshoe cascade dropping 12 metres in a curved arc that spans nearly 30 metres. It is beautiful and immediate — visible from the road, accessible in minutes, and capable of stopping traffic in both directions.
The history is what makes it extraordinary. In the year 1000 AD, Iceland’s lawspeaker Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði was given the task of deciding whether Iceland should adopt Christianity or remain pagan. He deliberated for a night and a day under a fur blanket — and emerged to declare that Iceland would become Christian. Then he walked to this waterfall and threw his carved Norse idols into it. The name — Waterfall of the Gods — records that moment. Standing at the rim of the cascade, you are standing where Iceland made a decision that shaped the next thousand years of its history.
Lake Mývatn — The Geological Wonder of North Iceland
Lake Mývatn is the centrepiece of North Iceland and one of the most geologically diverse landscapes in the world. The shallow lake and its surrounding terrain sit directly above one of Iceland’s most active volcanic zones, and the evidence is everywhere — in the boiling mud pools, the lava castles, the explosion craters, the steaming vents, and the extraordinary variety of birdlife that the nutrient-rich water supports.
Allow a full day here at minimum. Serious geological enthusiasts and birdwatchers often stay two or three days and still feel they have not exhausted it. The area’s small community of around 500 residents lives in an environment that most of the world’s population will never experience — on the edge of a volcanic system that is active, visible, and present in daily life in a way that is genuinely hard to comprehend from elsewhere.
The Essential Mývatn Stops
Hverir (Námafjall): The most visually dramatic geothermal area in Iceland — a hillside of boiling mud pools, sulphurous fumaroles, and steaming vents in an almost lurid landscape of orange, yellow, and grey. The smell of sulphur is powerful. The visual impact is extraordinary. This is Iceland’s geology made vivid and impossible to ignore.
Dimmuborgir: A vast lava field of extraordinary formation — pillars, arches, caves, and tunnels formed when the surface of a lava flow solidified over pockets of steam and gas. The resulting landscape of dark, twisted rock columns looks exactly like a fortress of some ancient civilisation. Walking trails of varying length thread through the formations. According to Icelandic folklore, this is where the Yule Lads live.
Skútustaðagígar: A series of pseudocraters on the southern shore of the lake — formed not by volcanic eruption but by steam explosions when lava flowed over the wet lakebed. The craters are perfectly bowl-shaped and sit in a row along the lake edge, with a walking trail looping between them. The view back across the lake from the top of the largest crater is one of the finest in the area.
Grjótagjá Cave: A small lava cave on the north side of the lake with a crystal-clear geothermal pool inside — too hot to bathe in since a volcanic eruption in the 1970s raised the water temperature, but beautiful to visit. The cave was used as a filming location in Game of Thrones and has become one of the most visited sites near Mývatn as a result.
Mývatn Nature Baths: The North Iceland equivalent of the Blue Lagoon — a geothermal lagoon fed by the same volcanic system, with milky blue water and outstanding views over the lava landscape. Significantly less crowded than the Blue Lagoon, considerably cheaper, and arguably more dramatically situated.
Birdwatching on the lake: Lake Mývatn supports more duck species than almost any other single lake on earth — 16 species breed here, including the barrow’s goldeneye found nowhere else in Europe. Bring binoculars and allow time to walk the lake shore at a slow, observant pace.
Húsavík — Europe’s Whale Watching Capital
Húsavík is the town that built its entire identity around whale watching — and it is completely justified in doing so. The bay of Skjálfandi, on whose shores the town sits, is one of the most consistently productive whale feeding grounds in the North Atlantic. From May through October, humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbour porpoises feed in the bay with a reliability that gives Húsavík the highest sighting rates of any whale watching destination in Europe.
The town is charming in its own right — a colourful harbour, a magnificent 1907 timber church, excellent fish restaurants, and the Húsavík Whale Museum, one of the finest cetacean museums in the world. The Exploration Museum, dedicated to the Apollo astronauts who trained in Iceland’s volcanic highlands to prepare for the moon landings, is an unexpectedly fascinating addition to a town that already has more to offer than most visitors expect.
Blue whale sightings occur from Húsavík in summer — the town has one operator who specialises specifically in blue whale tours and achieves remarkable sighting rates in June and July. For the full whale watching story, see our dedicated whale watching guide.
The Diamond Circle — North Iceland’s Greatest Route
The Diamond Circle is a 250-kilometre loop connecting North Iceland’s greatest highlights — Goðafoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn, Húsavík, the Tjörnes Peninsula, and the canyon system of Jökulsárgljúfur — in a single route that can be driven in one long day but deserves two. It is the northern equivalent of the Golden Circle in terms of density of extraordinary sights, and it is considerably less crowded.
Dettifoss — Europe’s Most Powerful Waterfall
Dettifoss is Iceland’s most viscerally overwhelming natural sight. Dropping 44 metres and carrying 193 cubic metres of glacial meltwater over the edge every second, it is the most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume — a number that becomes meaningless until you stand at the edge and feel the ground trembling beneath your feet and the spray soaking you from 50 metres away. The roar is audible from the car park. Nothing prepares you for the scale.
Ásbyrgi Canyon — Where Legends Rest
Thirty-three kilometres north of Dettifoss, at the end of the canyon trail, Ásbyrgi is a horseshoe-shaped canyon 3.5 kilometres long, draped in birch and willow woodland so green and sheltered it feels like a different country from the volcanic plains surrounding it. Norse legend says it was formed by the hoofprint of Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Geology says it was carved by a catastrophic glacial flood. A viewpoint at the canyon’s northern end looks out over the entire horseshoe — one of the most dramatic viewpoints in Iceland.
Tjörnes Peninsula — Fossils, Birds, and Solitude
The Tjörnes Peninsula is the Diamond Circle stop most visitors rush past and most who linger remember longest. The layered cliffs hold marine fossil records millions of years old, exposed in open air at the meeting point of two tectonic plates. The coastal waters are rich in seabirds and sea ducks. The views across the bay toward the mountains are sweeping and uninterrupted. And the complete absence of crowds gives Tjörnes a quality of solitude that the more famous stops cannot offer.
Beyond the Diamond Circle — More to Explore
Tröllaskagi Peninsula: The mountainous peninsula between Akureyri and the north coast offers some of the finest hiking in Iceland — dramatic ridgelines, deep valleys, and remote fishing villages accessible by winding coastal roads. Heli-skiing tours operate here in winter on terrain that rivals anything in Scandinavia.
Siglufjörður: A spectacularly situated small town at the end of a tunnel through the mountains — once the herring fishing capital of Iceland, now a beautifully preserved fishing village with an award-winning Herring Era Museum and a growing reputation for quality local food.
Grímsey Island: Iceland’s only territory inside the Arctic Circle, 40 kilometres offshore from Akureyri. At the summer solstice, the sun does not set here at all. Accessible by ferry or short flight. A genuine Arctic experience in a setting that few visitors reach.
Goðafoss from both sides: Most visitors see Goðafoss from the east bank. The west bank viewpoint — a short drive across the bridge — gives a completely different perspective on the horseshoe shape and is usually quieter.
Vatnsnes Peninsula: Iceland’s premier harbour seal watching destination — a quiet loop road around a peninsula on the west side of the Húnafjörður bay, home to the Illugastaðir seal colony and the dramatic Hvítserkur basalt sea stack.
When to Visit North Iceland
Summer (June to August): The most popular season and the most versatile. All roads are open, hiking trails are accessible, whale watching is at its peak, and the midnight sun gives you near-unlimited daylight. Lake Mývatn’s birdlife is at its best. The Diamond Circle is fully accessible. Accommodation books up quickly — plan well in advance.
Autumn (September to October): Our favourite season for North Iceland. The birch forests around Ásbyrgi and in the valleys of the Tröllaskagi Peninsula turn gold and amber. Crowds drop dramatically. Northern Lights begin appearing. Prices fall. The September sheep roundups bring a cultural dimension to the journey. The quality of the experience per visitor is at its highest.
Winter (November to March): The North in winter is dramatic and demanding in equal measure. Northern Lights viewing is at its best — the long nights and clear skies produce the most active aurora displays. Ice caves in the Mývatn area become accessible. Hlíðarfjall ski area opens. Shorter daylight hours require planning but the winter landscapes — Dettifoss under frost, Mývatn frozen and steaming — are extraordinary.
Spring (April to May): The quietest and most overlooked season. Snow is still on the mountain peaks, rivers run full with meltwater, and the first migratory birds are arriving. Prices are at their lowest and the region feels genuinely uncrowded. Some highland roads remain closed until June but the Ring Road and the Diamond Circle are accessible.
Where to Stay
North Iceland has excellent accommodation options across every price point — from well-equipped campsites and guesthouses to comfortable hotels in Akureyri. Here is how we think about basing yourself in the region:
Akureyri: The best all-round base for North Iceland — excellent range of hotels, restaurants, and facilities, with easy access to Goðafoss, the Tröllaskagi Peninsula, and Dalvík whale watching. Use it as a hub for two or three days of day trips.
Lake Mývatn: Staying on the lake puts you in the heart of the Diamond Circle and allows early morning access to Hverir and the birdlife before the day visitors arrive. A small range of guesthouses and one hotel operate year-round. Book early in summer.
Húsavík: An excellent overnight base for whale watching — staying in town means you can take an early morning tour when the bay is quietest and the light is finest. Good guesthouses and a handful of hotels.
Farmhouse guesthouses: Scattered throughout North Iceland, farm guesthouses offer the most authentic experience of the region and often the warmest hospitality. Many include home-cooked dinner on request — always accept the offer.
A 5-Day North Iceland Itinerary
This itinerary covers the essential North Iceland experience at a comfortable pace.
Day 1: Arrive Akureyri by flight or Ring Road. Explore the city — Akureyrarkirkja, the botanical garden, the harbour waterfront. Dinner at one of the harbour restaurants.
Day 2: Drive to Goðafoss (45 minutes) for early morning light on the waterfall. Continue to Lake Mývatn for a full day: Hverir mud pools, Dimmuborgir lava formations, Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters, Grjótagjá cave. Evening at the Mývatn Nature Baths. Overnight at Mývatn.
Day 3: Morning birdwatching on the lake. Drive north to Húsavík for an afternoon whale watching tour. Visit the Whale Museum and the Exploration Museum. Overnight in Húsavík.
Day 4: Full Diamond Circle day: Tjörnes Peninsula in the morning, then south into Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. Dettifoss for the power and scale. Drive north through Vesturdalur (Hljóðaklettar basalt formations) to Ásbyrgi canyon for the late afternoon light. Overnight near Ásbyrgi or back in Húsavík.
Day 5: Return toward Akureyri along the Ring Road with a stop at the Vatnsnes Peninsula for seal watching at Illugastaðir and the Hvítserkur sea stack. Depart from Akureyri or continue on the Ring Road.
Practical Tips for North Iceland
Fly to Akureyri: The domestic flight from Reykjavík to Akureyri takes 45 minutes and costs a fraction of a full Ring Road drive. If time is limited, flying north and renting a car in Akureyri gives you the maximum time in the region.
Check road conditions: Road.is gives live conditions on all Icelandic roads. In winter and early spring, some secondary roads around Mývatn and in the highlands require a 4WD. The Ring Road itself is kept clear year-round but can be icy.
Midges at Mývatn: The lake’s name means Midge Lake. In still, warm summer conditions — particularly in June and July — midges appear in impressive numbers around the lake shore. They do not bite with the ferocity of mosquitoes but are present in large swarms. A head net (purchasable in Reykjavík or Akureyri) makes a significant difference.
Book whale watching in advance: Húsavík’s whale watching tours fill up in peak season. Book before you arrive, particularly for blue whale specific tours which run with smaller groups and sell out fastest.
Dettifoss access roads: Dettifoss can be reached from the west (Route 862 — paved) or the east (Route 864 — gravel, requires a robust 2WD or 4WD). The west bank gives the most dramatic viewpoint. Both sides are worth visiting if time allows.
Fuel up whenever you can: Petrol stations between Mývatn and Egilsstaðir to the east are limited. Fill your tank in Mývatn or Húsavík before heading further east.
The North Is Where Iceland Gets Serious
Visitors who only see the South Coast see a magnificent version of Iceland. Visitors who make it north see a complete one. The North is where the geological extremes intensify — where the ground trembles at Dettifoss, where the earth boils at Hverir, where the canyon drops away into something that looks sculpted rather than natural. It is where the wildlife reaches its finest expression — the whale watching, the birdlife, the seal colonies on the peninsula coast.
And it is where Iceland feels most like itself — most distant from the rest of the world, most shaped by its own particular forces, most worthy of the attention it demands.
At Iceland Paradise Tours, the North is what we know best and love most. We can help you plan every day of it — from the first morning in Akureyri to the last light on Ásbyrgi.
Come north. Iceland is waiting to show you its best.