Iceland (Akureyri)

Trip Summary

After spending the night in Egilsstadir, we set off toward the capital of the north–Akureyri! Granted, there were a whole lot of sights to see before we got there, so prepare yourself for a hugely long blog post–but I promise, everything we saw and did was magnificent!

The first place on our agenda was Stuðlagil Canyon. It was one of the most common pictures we saw when we looked into traveling to Iceland–its grey and copper colored volcanic columns, the teal blue water, and the grandeur of it all absolutely captivating. It was also one of the places my husband was looking forward to seeing the most, and it did not disappoint!

The road getting there is not paved, so it is a slower drive to get there and depending on which parking lot you can get in (the second/closer one is more difficult to get to in a 2-wheel drive car and is blocked off completely in the winter months), your hiking distance can vary quite widely. Nevertheless, my husband and I were prepared to hike as long as necessary to see it, and it was worth every step!

The canyon has several paths, and you can wander at the tops of the columns or go down to the base by the water and go up and down the river there. If you follow the water a bit, you can even see the waterfall that feeds the river, and this is beautiful as well. The basalt columns and the blue water are what really make this place, though, and we had such an amazing time just gazing at the surroundings and seeing this beauty from every possible vantage point. The beauty just extended forever, and when you stood at the base of that canyon, it truly did feel like you were on another planet. It was so beautiful.

The rocks can get slippery, but there are chains that you can hold onto when climbing up/down the canyon. Our time in the canyon was mostly just admiring it–we liked it so much that it was sad to leave! But we had so much more to see, and limited time, so after taking our pictures, we sadly hiked back out. But make sure that this place is on your itinerary if you are driving the Ring Road! It’s an absolute must-see!

Stuðlagil Canyon: A+

After we finished up at the canyon, we headed off to our next destination, Dettifoss! This waterfall is the second most powerful in all of Europe, so you know had to be quite the sight! We knew we wanted the best vantage point to see it (and see the waterfall next to it–Selfoss). The best way to see both is to see them from the east side–though, I am going to warn you that the unpaved road getting there is an absolute nightmare. While you don’t need a four wheel drive to get there, the ride is a very slow and bumpy trip. Potholes are everywhere and the road is so uneven that you have to pay very close attention to avoid getting a flat tire. I remember my husband kept looking over and commenting that this road was so awful, and that the waterfall had better be worth it! And it was….it really was.

Dettifoss is the first waterfall you see, and it is every bit as powerful and enormous as you would expect! The hike to it is short, and you can see it in its full splendor from the east side. The waterfall is also quite high, so it makes for some very cool videos as you just watch the water fly over the cliffs and fall, fall, fall below. So amazing. Definitely one of my top favorites in Iceland!

Dettifoss: A+

While Dettifoss can get a little crowded, almost no one goes to the waterfall past it–Selfoss–but this waterfall is just as impressive! While Selfoss isn’t nearly as big or powerful, it is very spread out and almost seems like a dozen waterfalls that keep going and going. It is actually very cool, and my husband said this was one of his favorites as well! The trail getting there is very rocky and requires a lot of rock navigation, but it is totally worth the trip. I don’t know if many people just weren’t aware of this second waterfall or they didn’t want to do the hike or what, but the place was nearly empty when we went, and it just leant to the magic of the place! All those waterfalls just for you!

So definitely make a visit to Selfoss while you are seeing Dettifoss–just make sure that you see it from the east side as you cannot see Selfoss very well if you see it from the west. This is a key piece of information! It means taking the awful road, but it is very much worth it!

Selfoss: A+

With all the driving and hiking, we had to go back to our priority list, so we ended up cutting Grjótagjá Cave from our itinerary. This is a cave where Game of Thrones filmed, and the pictures look beautiful as there is a hot spring inside, but we had a lot of ground still to cover, so we decided to skip it and head straight to Lake Mývatn where we would camp for the night. But the time for altering our travel plans had come…and come with a menace it did!

I had read that Lake Mývatn could be troublesome with the midges that hung out there, and honestly, I was expecting it to be like mosquitos–if you used repellant and took precautions, it wouldn’t be so bad. But holyyyyyyy hell–as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, the swarm of midges was absolutely insane. They were all over everything, and were not fazed by anything as we saw people walking by with bug hats on and even then, the midges were still getting inside. At this point, we were afraid to even open our car door, let alone set up a tent and sleep outside with this plague of insects swarming, so when I looked to my husband, he just shook his head and said, nope! All the nopes!

So needless to say, we did not stay there and see Lake Mývatn, but this meant finding a new campsite. So we kept driving toward Akureyri, but with each campsite we passed, we saw with dismay that every one was full! They operate on a first-come first-serve basis, but the day was getting later and later, and at this point, we were starting to worry. One of the campsites we had looked up didn’t even exist anymore (and here is where we saw some other tourists looking for the same place as we were all getting desperate for a place to sleep now)!

Finally, after three full campsites, we found one that still had openings. It was a small place (they didn’t have a website, otherwise, I would link it), but it was simple and we could finally set up our tent after a long day!

Our campsite was actually not too far from our next waterfall, Goðafoss, so early in the morning, we packed up and set out to see it before heading to Akureyri. You can actually see Goðafoss from the road, and it is impressive.

There are two vantage points–one at the top, and one at the base, and we had fun exploring both spots. The sun was staying out, and this made for nicer pictures, and it was a fun way to spend some time enjoying nature before seeing the city for a bit. Definitely see Goðafoss if you are in the north–it is an easy waterfall to see, and while it is not as big and grand as a lot of the others in Iceland, it is still beautiful.

Goðafoss: A-

Now, it was time to see the city! For two days! When planning our trip, we knew that we were going to be exhausted at this point of the trip (we were!), so we booked a hotel for those nights. This turned out to be a great idea as we were able to relax a bit and get recharged (we would then hightail it back to Reykjavík to see the active volcano before he flew back home!).

Our hotel in Akureyri, Hotel Akureyri Dynheimar, was nice and central to everything. It was actually our most expensive hotel of the whole trip, because so many places were booked up already, but I ended up using a free hotel night stay (back when Hotels.com still did this) and then just paying one night out of pocket, but there was still some sticker shock with that–so just be warned.

The hotel is also a bit strange in that the rooms are in a different building as the front desk, so that made for some confusion in finding our room. They also do not have any elevators, so you have to lug up all your suitcases up the stairs, but that aside, it was nice and clean place. The rooms are small, but the bed was comfortable, and the room was quiet (yet still hot, but the hotel at least had a fan available). The hallways are also decorated in a fun way with all sorts of movie tributes, so any time we went up and down the stairs, it felt like walking through a museum and looking at all the exhibits, ha!

So for its cleanliness, comfort, and location, it gets points, but the expense, heat, and size of the room were drawbacks. I am sure that we would have had a better time finding something if we had booked earlier, so let this be a lesson to book everything in Iceland a year early!

Hotel Akureyri Dynheimar: B

Whew, now that we were settled in the hotel, it was time to see the city! Eat some restaurant meals! Enjoy a nice shower! Not set up and pack up a tent! Relax! And what better place to relax than a lagoon? Forest Lagoon had just opened when we went, and knowing how much we enjoyed the lagoons previously, we booked it and made that our first city stop!

The lagoons are one of the best parts of Iceland, and there is no better way to relax after multiple days of driving and sightseeing, so it was just heaven to sit and enjoy the lagoon. It was set up similarly to the others in Iceland in that you got a wristband for your locker and had to shower beforehand (the showers are all open, so no modesty allowed–but honestly, no one is looking, so it’s not a big deal). A perk of this lagoon is that the water does not hurt your hair or jewelry (like the Blue Lagoon), so you could relax more without worrying about what you had to keep out of the water.

Some drawbacks, however, are that this is a very small lagoon, so it does get crowded and young kids are allowed which can hinder the relaxing vibe depending on how well-behaved they are (or not). With the lagoon being so small, it is hard to escape them if they do get unruly, but luckily, the group of wild toddlers who were there eventually left, so just be prepared if you go.

The lagoon also had a cold plunge pool and free water fountains throughout, and the lagoon overlooks the water/city, so it is a nice way to spend the afternoon and relax. I would highly recommend it if you are visiting!

So it gets major points for its relaxation and location, yet loses some for its small size and the small kid policy (Sky Lagoon in Reykjavík only allows children 12 and older to visit, and that lagoon had a far better vibe as a result).

Forest Lagoon: B+

But there’s more than just the lagoons to see! After eating groceries and camping during most of the Ring Road trip, we were eager to try some good food in some of the restaurants, so we tried some and were not disappointed! After looking up the reviews, we decided to try Bautinn in the city, and after reading the accounts of so many people loving the Crispy Chicken Madness or the “mad chicken,” we ordered that and their Nachos Fries, and both were quite delicious! Even though we split them, we couldn’t finish all of it and took the rest of the chicken back to our hotel, and it was just as good later that night!

It was probably one of the better meals we had in Iceland, so I definitely recommend stopping by! They have all sorts of entrees available as well as an assortment of appetizers and desserts. Highly recommend!

Bautinn Restaurant: A

Another place that we stopped by for a meal was Greifinn. This is a pizza place, and we had heard from the locals that we had to try the pizza staple of northern Iceland–a pizza with beef, French fries, pepper, and béarnaise sauce. So we decided to give it a try, and it was okay. A little plain, but we were happy to try something new, and all the pizzas at this place looked good.

Oh, but their cheese sticks! Oh, my God! Those were divine! I was actually looking though the pics I took when writing this blog and came across that and was like, oh, yeah, those were amazing!

So yes, get the bacon cheese sticks, and those will beat out any pizza there, hands down! Those alone bump up the rating I’m giving this place, so you know they were good!

Greifinn Restaurant: A-

But you know northern Iceland isn’t known for their food…but rather, it is known for whale-watching, especially in the northern city of Húsavík, so you know we had to go and check it out! We had booked the Big Whale and Puffins Safari Tour beforehand with Gentle Giants, and although Húsavík is an hour’s drive away, it was easy enough to find. They were also well-organized and had wind suits ready for you to change into before you got onto the boat.

The boat has several rows of seats, and the whales can be hard to see, so if you book a tour, be sure that you sit either in the front or on the sides of the boat (do not get stuck in the middle, because you will not see anything). A bunch of young kids had cut the line and pushed their way to the front, so we couldn’t sit there (I know how this blog is starting to sound, haha–I really don’t mind kids, but the ones we encountered this trip were just really misbehaved, and the parents never seemed to care). My husband and I ended up splitting up so that we could each sit on the side toward the back, and this way, we could still get a view (though, we still missed so much–the front is where you want to be!).

We saw the puffins first as we stopped at Puffin Island on our way out of the fjords (you can see puffins in the summer, and in August, we were late in the season, but still saw some!). They are cute little birds, and the guide gave us all sorts of cool facts as he explained the life cycle of the puffins, their mating habits, and when you could spot them.

Then, it was time to look for the whales! Like many whale-watching tours, the captain was on the radio with the other boats in the area and they were all searching for them. We actually searched for quite a while before we spotted our first one…but no sooner had it breathed in the distance, and we saw a tiny tail that the guide said it was time to head back! It was so sad! We had finally found them, and here we had to leave, so I might recommend booking one of the later tours of the day, because then the boats will have already found the whales and know where to look (afternoon tours always run the risk of being canceled due to wind, but morning tours spend time looking for the whales because they haven’t been spotted yet, so you have pros and cons to both).

However, one of the funniest things about the tour–something my husband pointed out to me–was that one of our tour members wasn’t interested in the puffins or the whales at all…but rather, our tour guide as she kept taking picture after picture of him. Granted, he wasn’t terribly hard on the eyes, but when my husband pointed it out to me, I thought it was hilarious! So even if you don’t see the whales up close, you’ll get a nice-looking tour guide, ha!

So the tour gets points for its organization and the tour, but it was a little disappointing that we couldn’t see the whales very much. Granted, that is all part of booking a nature tour, so just know that. Highly recommend the company, though–they were great.

Gentle Giant Big Whale and Puffins Safari Tour: A-

And there you have it! Two (well, one and a half) days in Akureyri, and we tried to see all we could! If you have more time and energy than we did, there is more to see. For example, you can see the GeoSea Baths which is also a lagoon-type area where you can relax or if you travel farther north, you can visit the Arctic Henge which looks really cool in pictures (especially if you see it in the winter when the Northern Lights are showing). Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see either, but if we are ever back in the area, those will be things we’d see!

There is also the main location of the Einstök Brewery in Akureyri which we did visit one evening. My husband likes their beers, so we had to make a visit, and it’s a nice, small brewery with a lot of drink options. The beers are very expensive in Iceland (as is all alcohol), so brace yourself, but it is a fun spot to hang out if you want.

Soon enough, it was time to leave and finish up our Ring Road trip as we headed back to Reykjavík to see the erupting volcano, but we enjoyed our time in the north!

Favorite Experiences

Phew, granted, we saw some amazing things, but I think Stuðlagil Canyon/Dettifoss/Selfoss were probably our favorites. We saw those things early on in the day when we had the most energy, but they were also some of the most impressive things on our itinerary, too! So if you are doing the Ring Road, make those your must-see stops!

What I Wish I Knew

Lord, given the fact that we had absolutely no trouble finding camping spots on the southern/eastern part of the Ring Road, I didn’t think we would have trouble on the northern part, but oh, my goodness! Every site was completely full which left us completely unprepared as we went to site after site with no luck at all. We were about ready to just sleep in our car when we finally found a spot with openings (and that spot wasn’t even on the map–we just saw it on the side of the road), and thank goodness we found it. It ended up being one of the better campsites since it was so small as there were not as many people there. It was also a very simple site with no showers or facilities or anything, but we were so desperate for just a place to set up camp and sleep that it was a godsend. So prepare for the unexpected! It made the day so much longer than we planned, so plan on finding a campsite earlier rather than later, because if you wait, there is no room left!

Also, I wish I knew to book an afternoon (or even a later morning) tour of the whale watching expedition. It would have been fun to see more whales or even see them up close, so that was a bit of a bummer, but lesson learned!

Yet, all in all, it was still a wonderful trip, and we enjoyed our time in the north. Akureyri was our last big stop before we finished out the Ring Road (we had planned on seeing the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, but when we saw that the volcano was erupting, that took priority, and we booked it back down to the capital to see that instead). Iceland will forever stay in our memories as one of the most amazing places we have visited–and we will definitely be back! It’s a rare country that warrants a return trip (or two)!

I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:

TikTok: @touristyteacher

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Happy travels!