Akureyri & Lake Mývatn

The heart of northern Iceland: Mývatn's volcanic and geothermal area, Goðafoss and Dettifoss waterfalls, and whale watching from Húsavík, with Mývatn or Akureyri as your base.

Akureyri & Mývatn is the tourism hub of northern Iceland, on the northern stretch of the Ring Road (Route 1). Akureyri is Iceland's second-largest urban area and the "Capital of the North," at the head of the 60 km-long Eyjafjörður fjord; about 100 km to the east is the Mývatn volcanic and geothermal area, and farther northeast are Húsavík and Jökulsárgljúfur canyon (the northern section of Vatnajökull National Park). The main sights fall into four areas: first, Akureyri town (the cathedral, botanical garden, pedestrian street, the Forest Lagoon, and skiing at Hlíðarfjall in winter); second, the Mývatn loop, with the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters, the Höfði peninsula, the Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth, Hverfjall volcano, the Grjótagjá hot-spring cave, the Hverir sulfur geothermal area, the Krafla volcano and Víti crater lake, finishing with a soak in the Mývatn Nature Baths; third, whale watching in Húsavík, the Whale Museum and the GeoSea sea-water baths; fourth, Dettifoss, Selfoss, Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) and Ásbyrgi canyon on the "Diamond Circle." Goðafoss, between the two areas, is a must-stop.

Climate: in June–August daytime temperatures are 10–18°C with near-constant daylight, all roads are open, and whale watching and hiking are at their best; September–October brings autumn colors and early aurora; November–March is cold and snowy, and at Mývatn you can soak in hot springs and watch the aurora, but gravel roads 862/864, parts of the roads around Krafla and highland sections are often closed.

Getting there: fly from Reykjavík to Akureyri in about 45 minutes, or drive Route 1 for about 5 hours (390 km); a car is basically essential within the region, though in summer there are also day tours from Akureyri to Mývatn and whale watching. We suggest 1–2 nights at Mývatn (the village of Reykjahlíð) and 1 night in Akureyri, 3 days in total.

Notes: in winter, be sure to drive a 4x4 and check road.is and weather warnings daily; midges are plentiful at Mývatn in summer, so bring a head net; stick to marked trails in geothermal areas; gas stations in the north are far apart, so refuel in time.

Top sights

• Lake Mývatn – The core lake of Iceland's northern volcanic and geothermal region, with pseudo-craters, lava mazes, volcanic craters and natural hot sprin…
• Goðafoss – A wide horseshoe-shaped waterfall. Legend says that when Iceland converted to Christianity around AD 1000, its pagan idols were thrown into…
• Mývatn Nature Baths – The northern version of the Blue Lagoon, with milky-blue geothermal water overlooking volcanic scenery. It is friendlier on price and crowd…
• Húsavík Whale Watching – 'Europe's whale-watching capital'. Sail from the old harbour of Húsavík on a wooden sailing boat or speedboat, with a high chance of spotti…
• Hverir (Námaskarð) – A sulphur geothermal field that looks like the surface of Mars, with bubbling mud pools, roaring steam vents and orange-yellow ground steam…
• Dettifoss – Europe's most voluminous waterfall, about 100 m wide and 44 m high. Glacial grey water thunders into the canyon with astonishing force.
• Húsavík Whale Museum – A whale-themed museum by the harbor, featuring more than ten real whale skeletons, including a blue whale.
• Húsavík Church – A cross-shaped wooden church completed in 1907, with white walls, a red roof, and green trim. Together with the harbor, it is the postcard…
• GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths – A geothermal seawater spa built on a cliff at Húsavík's headland, with an infinity pool facing the bay and snowy mountains.
• Ásbyrgi – A horseshoe-shaped canyon with cliffs nearly 100 m high. According to legend, it was formed by the hoofprints of Sleipnir, Odin's eight-leg…
• Hljóðaklettar – A group of unusual columnar basalt formations in Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, where hexagonal columns form rose-like and honeycomb-like shapes.
• Selfoss – A wide, stepped waterfall about 1 km upstream of Dettifoss, with layered curtains of water spread across a rift.
• Krafla & Víti Crater – An explosion crater lake in the Krafla volcanic area, about 300 m across, with milky turquoise water. A trail circles the crater rim.
• Leirhnjúkur – A black, recent lava field left by the Krafla Fires of 1975 to 1984, where steam still rises from the ground and the colors are vivid.
• Hverfjall – A giant tuff cone about 1 km across. Walking around the crater rim from the top gives views over all of Lake Mývatn.
• Dimmuborgir – A maze of lava pillars known as the 'Dark Castles,' with strangely shaped lava towers and arches. Parts of Game of Thrones were filmed here.
• Skútustaðagígar Pseudocraters – A group of round, grass-covered pseudocraters on the south shore of Lake Mývatn, formed when lava flowed over wetlands and steam explosions…
• Grjótagjá – An underground lava cave on a rift, with clear blue thermal water visible in the light. It is the filming location of Jon Snow's scenes in…
• Höfði – A small wooded peninsula on the east shore of Lake Mývatn. Trails wind through birch forest, and lava pillars and pseudocrater islands in t…
• Vogafjós Farm Resort – A dairy farm restaurant on the shore of Lake Mývatn, where you can watch milking through glass while eating homemade cheese, geothermally b…
• Akureyrarkirkja – A twin-towered Lutheran church on a hilltop in central Akureyri, designed by the architect of Reykjavík's Hallgrímskirkja. Climb 112 steps…
• Akureyri Botanical Garden – One of the northernmost botanical gardens near the Arctic Circle, with about 7,000 plant species. Summer brings a riot of flowers, and the…
• Hafnarstræti (Akureyri) – Akureyri's main street, lined with bookshops, design boutiques, and cafés, and famous for its heart-shaped traffic lights. It captures the…
• Forest Lagoon – A new geothermal spa that opened in 2022, nestled in a pine forest on the east shore of Eyjafjörður, with two infinity pools facing Akureyr…
• Christmas Garden (Jólagarðurinn) – A year-round Christmas house 10 km south of Akureyri, a red gingerbread-style cabin selling handmade decorations and Icelandic Yule Lads me…
• Laufás Turf Farm – A well-preserved 19th-century turf-house parsonage on the east shore of Eyjafjörður, with green-roofed wooden gables lined up in a row.
• Hrísey – The “Pearl Island” of Eyjafjörður, reachable by a 15-minute ferry. This car-free island is home to many birds, including ptarmigan and Arct…
• Hlíðarfjall Ski Area – Iceland's best ski area, only 7 km from Akureyri, with slopes overlooking the fjord and town. Spring night skiing is a highlight.
• Aldeyjarfoss – A waterfall on the upper Skjálfandafljót, framed by black columnar basalt. The stark black-and-white contrast makes it a secret spot for ph…
• Siglufjörður – One of Iceland's northernmost fjord towns, once a major herring-fishing hub. The Herring Era Museum is Iceland's largest maritime museum.

Where to eat

• Rub23 Restaurant – One of Akureyri's most acclaimed seafood restaurants, serving herb-rubbed grilled fish and sushi that blend Icelandic i…
• Strikið Restaurant – A long-established restaurant on the fifth floor of a downtown building, overlooking Eyjafjörður and serving lamb, fish…
• Vogafjós Cowshed Restaurant – A farm restaurant by Lake Mývatn, joined to a cowshed, where you can watch the cows through glass while eating homemade…
• Greifinn Family Restaurant – A local favorite family restaurant in Akureyri, open since the 1990s, known for generous pizzas, burgers and steaks.
• Bautinn Restaurant – A budget-friendly old-school restaurant opened in 1971 in a historic red building from 1902, known for fish soup and fi…
• Kaffi Ilmur – A cozy café in a century-old wooden house in Akureyri, known for brunch, soups and cakes.
• Kaffi Borgir – A family café at the entrance to the Dimmuborgir lava field, with an all-you-can-eat soup buffet and geyser bread, over…

Itineraries

• Classic Iceland Ring Road – Drive counter-clockwise around the Ring Road, connecting the Golden Circle, South Coast glaciers, East Fjords, Lake Mýv…
• Grand Iceland Ring Road & Westfjords Self-Drive – Add the Westfjords to the classic Ring Road, using the Baldur ferry to connect back to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
• North Iceland Diamond Circle Loop – Fly to Akureyri and loop through Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss, and whale watching in Húsavík.