Egilsstaðir & East Fjords

The gateway to East Iceland, with the country's largest forest on the shores of Lagarfljót; over the mountain pass lies Seyðisfjörður with its rainbow street and blue church, and the area is famous for the red-striped Hengifoss waterfall and the puffins of Borgarfjörður.

Egilsstaðir is the largest town and transport hub in East Iceland, located at the northern end of Lagarfljót. Its airport has daily flights to Reykjavík (about 1 hour), and the Ring Road (Route 1) runs right through it, about 2 hours from Mývatn and 3.5 hours from Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. The town itself is mainly supermarkets, petrol stations and accommodation, making it an ideal base for exploring the East Fjords. Heading east over the mountain pass, 30 minutes brings you to Seyðisfjörður, famous for its rainbow street and blue church. To the south along Lagarfljót are Hallormsstaðaskógur, Iceland's largest forest, the 128 m Hengifoss waterfall and Skriðuklaustur, the former home of a writer. About 1 hour west is Stuðlagil, the Instagram-famous basalt canyon, and in summer you can drive up into the Highlands to see the Kárahnjúkar Dam. About 1 hour north, Borgarfjörður eystri offers close-up puffin viewing and hikes to Stórurð, the valley of giant boulders. Heading south along the East Fjords coast, you'll find Petra's Stone Collection and the stone eggs of Djúpivogur. Back in town, you can soak in the Vök Baths on the lake. The best season is June–August; puffins are present from mid-April to early August, and Highland roads are open from about late June to September. Northern lights can be seen from September to March, but in winter the mountain passes are often closed by wind and snow, so check road conditions at road.is regularly. Plan to stay 2–3 days; a car is essential.

Top sights

• Seyðisfjörður Blue Church & Rainbow Street – A colourful wooden-house town at the end of a fjord, where the blue church at the end of Rainbow Street is the most photogenic sight in Eas…
• Hengifoss & Litlanesfoss – Iceland's third-tallest waterfall, with a drop of about 128 meters, and red clay layers between its basalt cliffs. The basalt-column waterf…
• Borgarfjörður Eystri Puffins (Hafnarhólmi) – A small island by the harbour of this remote eastern fishing village, with a wooden boardwalk right beside the puffin nests. It is one of t…
• Stuðlagil Canyon – A canyon lined with hexagonal basalt columns, through which a turquoise river flows. It has become one of Iceland's hottest attractions in…
• Tvísöngur Sound Sculpture – Five interconnected concrete domes on a hillside above Egilsstaðir, each corresponding to one note of traditional Icelandic harmony singing…
• Gufufoss – A broad waterfall beside the mountain pass road on the Egilsstaðir side, with mist rising like steam; you can reach it just steps from your…
• Lagarfljót – A long, narrow glacial lake beside Egilsstaðir, more than 30 km long, said to be home to the 'Lagarfljót Worm.'
• Hallormsstaður Forest – Iceland's largest forest, with birch and larch woods on the shore of Lagarfljót, featuring an arboretum, trails, and lakeside campsites.
• Skriðuklaustur – The former home of Icelandic writer Gunnar Gunnarsson and the ruins of a monastery, next to the Vatnajökull National Park visitor centre.
• Wilderness Center – A wilderness museum in a converted old farm at the end of Fljótsdalur valley, where you can experience early Icelandic highland life and ri…
• Stórurð – A boulder valley at the foot of Dyrfjöll mountain, where huge rocks are dotted with emerald-green pools, a classic East Iceland hike.
• Vök Baths – Hot spring pools floating on Lake Urriðavatn, where you can soak in the middle of the lake gazing at snowy mountains, and possibly see the…
• Fardagafoss – A short hike to a waterfall just outside Egilsstaðir, where you can step behind the curtain of water into a small rock cave and look out ov…
• Kárahnjúkar Dam & Hafrahvammagljúfur – The huge rockfill dam of Iceland's largest hydropower station, below which lies Hafrahvammagljúfur canyon, about 200 m deep; drive up to th…
• Laugarfell – A mountain hut and natural hot spring pools on the edge of the highlands, where you can soak while looking out over the moorland, with a lo…
• Mjóifjörður & Klifbrekkufossar – The most secluded fjord in East Iceland. A gravel mountain road descends to the tiered Klifbrekkufossar waterfalls, with a lighthouse at th…
• Petra's Stone Collection – A lifetime of minerals collected by an elderly woman in a small fjord village, filling her house and garden. It is the most popular offbeat…
• Eggs of Merry Bay, Djúpivogur – Thirty-four granite egg sculptures on the seafront of the fishing port Djúpivogur, a 'Slow City,' each representing one of the 34 bird spec…
• Helgustaðir Iceland Spar Mine – A historic mine near Eskifjörður that was once the world's most important source of optical Iceland spar, now a nature reserve.

Where to eat

• Eldhúsið Restaurant (Lake Hotel) – Restaurant in an old farm guesthouse on the banks of the Lagarfljót river, serving beef and dairy from its own farm. It…
• Askur Pizzeria and Craft Beer Bar – Wood-fired sourdough pizzeria in the same building as the Austri craft brewery. Affordable and the town's most popular…
• Glóð Restaurant (Valaskjálf Hotel) – Dinner restaurant in the Valaskjálf Hotel in the town center, serving Italian pizza and pasta alongside Icelandic lamb…
• Norð Austur Sushi Bar – Summer-only sushi restaurant in the small town of Seyðisfjörður, using the day's fjord catch. Often called the best sus…

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.