Photo: Berserkur, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Six loose days in the north of Iceland with a car and a map: a day in Akureyri on foot, then Godafoss, Lake Myvatn, Dettifoss and the Asbyrgi canyon, whale watching from Husavik, and a slow last day on the coast.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
The largest town in the north is small enough to cover on foot. A garden, a church on a hill, the harbor and a swim. No car today, and no hurry.
A northern garden in the middle of town, with Icelandic plants and many from other cold parts of the world. A calm start, and a surprise for how much grows this far north. Check ahead for the season.
Go when Morning, before the town wakes up.
Local tip Wander the paths without a plan and read the signs on the plants from far-off cold places. It is a good place to see how much grows this far north.
A tall church on a hill, reached by a wide flight of steps. Climb them and turn round at the top for the view down over the town and the fjord.
Go when Midday, then lunch in the town below.
Local tip Climb the stairs and turn round at the top, because the view over the fjord is the reason to come. Step inside if it is open.
Icelanders eat ice cream in any weather, and the north is proud of its dairy. Walk down the hill from the church and join the line.
Local tip Order a cone with a dip in chocolate, the local way.
The waterfront at the head of a long fjord, with fishing boats, a walking path and mountains across the water. A good place to wander at no pace at all.
Go when Afternoon, with an ice cream in hand.
Local tip Walk the waterfront path and look across the fjord at the mountains, which keep a little snow late into summer.
The cold waters off the north give cod, haddock and arctic char. A simple plate of pan-fried fish with potatoes and butter says a lot about the country.
Local tip Ask what came in that day, and choose the plainest preparation.
The town pool, where locals swim and sit in hot tubs after work. A warm end to the day and a very Icelandic one. Follow the rules at the shower before you get in.
Go when Evening, when the locals go.
Local tip Shower without your swimsuit before you get in, as is the custom in every Icelandic pool. Then try the different hot tubs, from warm to hot.
Out of town and east to a famous waterfall, then on toward Lake Myvatn. Pick one more stop and keep the rest loose. Watch the weather and the road each morning.
The Waterfall of the Gods, a wide, curved fall with a short walk along either bank. The story goes that an old lawspeaker threw his carved gods into it when the country took up a new faith.
Go when Morning, before the tour buses arrive.
Local tip Walk to the near bank first, then cross the bridge for a second view. The two sides look quite different, and the spray carries, so keep your camera dry.
Kjotsupa is a thick, warming soup of lamb, root vegetables and herbs, served by roadside cafes across the country. The lamb grazes on mountain grass all summer.
Local tip Many cafes will refill the bowl, so ask.
A waterfall where a dark river drops over a wall of basalt columns. The road in is gravel and can be rough, so check the conditions ahead and skip it if it looks poor.
Go when Midday, if the road looks fine.
Local tip The road in is gravel and can be rough. If it looks poor, or the car is a small one, skip it and keep the afternoon free.
Grass-covered pseudocraters on the south shore of Lake Myvatn, where steam once burst through wet ground. A short path loops past them with the lake beside you.
Go when Afternoon, with the lake beside you.
Local tip Walk the loop path and stay on it, since the ground here is soft. In summer the midges can be thick, so bring a head net.
Icelandic lamb is tender and mild, and a slow-cooked or grilled dinner suits a day of driving. Look for the lamb of the day on a short menu.
Local tip A short menu usually means the kitchen cooks what is freshest.
A day of strange ground around a volcanic lake: lava towers, steaming vents and a cave. Keep to the paths all day, since the ground can be hot and thin. Finish with a soak.
A field of dark lava towers and caves, with marked paths of different lengths through it. Pick one and stay on it.
Go when Morning, when the paths are quiet.
Local tip Choose a marked circuit, from short to long, and keep to it. The lava is sharp and uneven, so wear shoes with grip.
A small lava cave with a pool of warm water inside, once a favorite place to bathe. Bathing is not allowed now, and access has been limited at times, so check ahead before you go.
Go when Midday, between the lava and the steam.
Local tip Bathing is not allowed and the water can be dangerously hot, so look, do not touch. Check ahead whether the cave is open to visitors.
A rust-colored field of steaming vents and bubbling mud pots under a mountain. The sulfur smell is strong, and the ground is scalding and thin, so stay on the paths.
Go when Afternoon, when the steam stands out in the light.
Local tip Stay on the paths. The ground is scalding and thin, and the sulfur smell is strong, so breathe lightly if you are sensitive to it.
Dense, sweet rye bread baked slowly in warm ground near the hot springs, then sliced and served with butter and smoked fish. A taste of the Myvatn area.
Local tip Ask for it with butter, and try smoked fish on top.
The village on the lake shore, with a view across the water and a geothermal bath nearby of the kind many travelers end a Myvatn day in. Book ahead if you want a soak, and check the season.
Go when Evening, after a day of walking.
Local tip A geothermal soak by the lake is a fine end to the day. Book ahead in high season, and check ahead for the hours.
The lake gives trout and char, often smoked and served with rye bread. A quiet northern dinner after a day of lava.
Local tip Pair it with a bowl of soup if the evening is cold.
A day for raw power and a hidden canyon. Roads here can be gravel and slow, and some close outside summer. Check them in the morning, and carry food and water.
A volcanic area with a bright blue crater lake and steaming ground, on the way east. Stay on the marked paths and heed any warning signs, since the area is still active.
Go when Morning, before the long drive east.
Local tip Stay on the marked paths and heed warning signs, since the area is volcanically active. Bring a windproof layer, because the crater rim catches the wind.
Services are thin on this stretch, so buy bread, cheese, skyr, fruit and a flask of coffee before you go. Skyr is the thick, tangy Icelandic dairy food that travels well.
Local tip Buy it at the last supermarket you pass, and keep water in the car.
One of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, a thick grey-brown river thundering into a canyon. You feel it in the ground. Keep behind the barriers, because the rock is wet and the edges are unstable.
Go when Midday, when the sun is behind you.
Local tip Roads to the falls may be gravel, and one side can be in much better shape than the other. Check ahead, and stay well behind the barriers.
A horseshoe-shaped canyon with sheer cliffs and a forest on its floor, with a still pond at the end. Walk in under the cliffs. Folk tales say it is the print of a god's horse.
Go when Afternoon, with a slow walk under the cliffs.
Local tip Walk in along the forest path to the pond at the back. The cliffs hold the warmth of the afternoon, and the quiet is part of the place.
A small harbor town on a wide bay, known for its whale watching. The boat is the plan; the rest of the day is loose. If the sea is rough, the trip may be moved, so keep the day open.
The old wooden harbor, where whale watching boats leave in season. Sightings vary from trip to trip and are never certain. Check ahead, book a trip if you want one and bring plenty of layers.
Go when Morning, for a boat trip, with the afternoon free.
Local tip Wear more than you think you need, even in summer. Sightings vary and are never promised, so go for the bay as much as the whales.
A wooden church from the early twentieth century above the harbor, with a bright blue roof. A short walk from the water.
Go when Midday, on the walk up from the harbor.
Local tip Go up the short hill and look back at the bay and the town. If the doors are open, step in.
A warm fish soup, filled with whatever came off the boats, with bread and butter on the side. A good lunch after a morning on the water.
Local tip Go slowly, and ask for more bread.
A museum by the harbor on the whales of the bay and how they live. A good indoor hour when the weather turns, or when you want to understand what you saw. Check ahead for the season.
Go when Afternoon, when the weather turns or the boat is done.
Local tip Start with the skeletons and the story of the whales of this bay, and leave the rest if you are tired.
A light end to the day: thick skyr with berries and a drizzle of cream. Every supermarket sells it, and a small cafe may serve it with cake.
Local tip Buy a few small tubs for the car, with a spoon.
A slow last day on the north coast, with small harbor towns and a fjord on one side and mountains on the other. Go as far as Siglufjordur if you like, or turn around sooner. Tunnels and weather can change the day.
A fishing town on the coast, and the place to catch the boat to the island of Hrisey and to the Arctic Circle island of Grimsey. A harbor walk and a coffee is enough.
Go when Morning, with a coffee by the harbor.
Local tip This is where the boat to Hrisey and the Grimsey ferry or flight are arranged from. If you want either, check the schedule ahead.
A small town on a quiet fjord between steep mountains, reached through a tunnel. A pleasant place to stretch your legs by the water.
Go when Midday, for a short walk by the water.
Local tip Reach it through the mountain tunnel and walk along the fjord for a few minutes. Fuel and food are limited, so top up in Dalvik or Akureyri first.
A fishing village at the end of a fjord, once the center of the herring boom. Colored houses, a calm harbor and mountains right behind the street.
Go when Afternoon, for a slow walk and a late lunch.
Local tip Walk the harbor front and look up at the mountains standing right behind the street. The road is open to weather, so check conditions before you set off.
Fresh fish from the harbor, a bowl of soup or a plate of the day, eaten with a view of the boats. A fitting end to a trip made of small ports.
Local tip Ask what came in that morning, and choose the simplest dish.
A museum on the harbor in old herring buildings, telling the story of the years when the village was one of the busiest in the land. Check ahead for the season.
Go when Afternoon, after the walk through the village.
Local tip Look at the old buildings first, then go in for the story of the boom years. A good rainy hour, with the harbor outside.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, July to August are the most comfortable months for walking around Akureyri. This plan is built for early August, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 6 days in Akureyri, planned for early August. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 0.3 to 45.4 kilometers between its stops, and 144.1 kilometers in all across 6 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
10 days on the Iceland ring roadAbout 180 km awayAn easy add-on
8 days on Snaefellsnes and in the WestfjordsAbout 260 km away
3 days on the Reykjanes PeninsulaAbout 320 km awayAnother guide with a page about Akureyri. It opens in a new tab.
Photo: Hedwig Storch, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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