Go to content 
What to see in North Iceland | Better places
The north of Iceland is a fascinating region that you cannot miss if you visit the country enough days to do all the Ring Road. Among everything to see in the north of Iceland, for us the best are its wild fjords, waterfalls, whale watching and its volcanic landscapes that take you to the center of the earth.
North Iceland retains part of its calm and authentic charm, still far from mass tourism. It is the perfect place for those looking to escape the crowds for a bit and immerse themselves in natural beauty in its purest form.
In this article about what to see in North Iceland We tell you from popular destinations to the best kept secrets.
How many days are needed to see the north of Iceland
There are those who decide to dedicatecarI only had one day to visit the main attractions of northern Iceland in a rush, but we We recommend about two or two and a half days. Especially if watch whales It is one of the activities you would like to do in Iceland.
The hours of light also influence, which can vary greatly depending on the time of year. During the summer months, when the sun shines for 24 hours, you will have the opportunity to make the most of every day.
In contrast, in autumn and winter, daylight is limited and climate may present additional challenges, such as snow and frost that cause many businesses to close carreteras.
Best time to go to the north of Iceland?
The best time to visit North Iceland depends on what you're looking for. In summer there are many hours of daylight, mild temperatures, green landscapes, and the ideal season to watch whales or enjoy the midnight sun between June and July. Spring and autumn are more peaceful options, with snowmelt, rushing waterfalls, and intense colors in nature; it's also possible to see Aurora borealis.
El winter It is the most demanding time: there are few hours of daylight, intense cold and carThe roads are challenging, so a 4x4 is recommended. Even so, if you're prepared, you can experience a snowy Iceland, relax in hot springs, and enjoy the spectacle of the Northern Lights. You can read our travel tips for Iceland. Iceland in winter.
Towns and cities what to see in northern Iceland
In the north there are many cozy fishing villages and there is also the "big city" of Akureyri. When touring the fjords of this area of the country you will pass through many small towns with fishing traditions and a life linked to the sea.
Akureyri
Akureyri, the “capital of the north,” is a picturesque and prominent town in Iceland. The city is located in the middle of the fjord surrounded by mountains and some waterfalls, even from thermal water. The city is actually quite small and the tourist attractions can be seen in less than 1 hour. I recommend walking through the center and going up to the Akureyri church to have views of the city and the fjord.
Being a city with many services that you will almost certainly pass through es a good option to go to the supermarket and stock up or to spend the night since it has quite a few hotels and a good camping.
In short, Akureyri is a good place to walk for a while and spend the night.
Husavik
A little fishing town very cozy and famous for the sighting of Whales which we will talk about below. In recent years he has become more famous for the movie ““My Hometown” from Netflix in which the entire town appears, but especially the Icelandic-style wooden church that presides over the center of the town.
Siglufjördur, a charming town
This small fishing town seems to be stuck in the past with classic wood and sheet metal constructions. Its location in one of the northernmost points of the country meant that this place was practically isolated until the construction of tunnels in recent years. Furthermore, fishing in this area was focused on herring, a species that disappeared from its coasts in the 60s, causing an economic decline that prevented this town from modernizing.
One of the most interesting attractions of Siglufjördur is a museum that reflects the life of its inhabitants during that golden age.
Glaumbær Farm
This place is not a town as such but a group of farms around an old churchLocated a 5-minute drive from the carRetera 1, I recommend you head to this point to appreciate the old style of construction with grass on the roofs. This group of old houses serves today as a museum with a paid entrance fee. They close at 16pm but you can still see them from the outside, which I consider to be the most interesting thing about this place.
Hofsos
This is a town with one of the oldest merchant ports in the north that dates back to the 16th century. Nowadays it is known for some beautiful completely black wooden houses, for some basalt columns that are found next to the sea and for a huge warm pool with views of the ocean in which to relax on a day of bad weather.
Best waterfalls, what to see in North Iceland
Godafoss
Godafoss is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland and It's right at the foot of carretera, so It is one of the mandatory things to see in the north. It has a 12 meter drop and 30 meters wide. It can be seen from both sides by crossing a small bridge, and also go down to its feet along an enabled path. Totally recommended!
Dettifoss, the best waterfall in northern Iceland
The largest waterfall in Europe. With that I think it is clear that it is one of the things to see in the north of Iceland so write it down on your route. Being there is deafening and incredibleDettifoss is 100 meters wide and has a 45-meter drop, although the water vapor makes it impossible to see the bottom. You can visit it from the east or west side of the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. Here we tell you more about each Dettifoss shore.
Selfoss waterfall, next to Dettifoss
Less than a kilometer on foot following the course of the river from Detifoss is Selfoss, which, although not as impressive as its older sister, is well worth it.
Depending on the time of year you visit, you will see waterfalls everywhere. Besides, The canyon that you travel through to get there is full of basalt columns and the soil is a mixture of basalt and black sand that creates very curious shapes.
As with Dettifoss you can visit it from both shores, we both visited them in the west.
Waterfall to the sea in Öxarfjörður
This waterfall we discovered it by chance doing the carOn the coastal road towards Húsavik, we stopped at some cliffs that we thought were beautiful where there were other cars and walking along a path to the right of the parking lot we saw a waterfall falling into the sea.
Unfortunately The waterfall cannot be seen so well with the naked eye, but if you take a drone you're going to hallucinate.
Kolugljúfur Canyon
Another stop to see in the north of Iceland with an unpronounceable name. For To observe this beautiful canyon you will not need to walk much since the parking lot is located right next to the most famous area where the waterfalls are. The detour of the carRoute 1 to get here isn't very long, so if it's a nice day and you have a little time, it's worth doing.carse.
Waterfall and small pool next to it
This waterfall is known because next to it there is a small pool thermal water 10 minutes walk away where you can take a soak completely free of charge. The waterfall itself is very powerful and not bad at all, but let's not fool ourselves, if you visit this place you will do it for the thermal water. A bath with the noise of a waterfall in the background? The weather didn't smile on us that day and since there was nothing to leave things, we couldn't take a bath, so if you're going to do it, it's to our health.
More things What to see and do in North Iceland
The rhinoceros
This curious basaltic formation has been sculpted over centuries until it reaches its current whimsical shape that gives play to the imagination. Some Icelanders say it's a petrified troll, tourists say it's a dragon or a rhinoceros. What everyone agrees on is that It is a very curious formation to see and very photogenic.
Lgetting to this place is quite simple as the parking lot is very close to the rock. A few meters from the parking lot there is a viewpoint from where you can see Hvitserkur perfectly. From the viewpoint there are several paths that lead down to the beach., they are steep and can be somewhat muddy but going down carefully we did not find it to be particularly difficult.
Another interesting thing about this place is that there is the possibility of seeing seals swimming around the rock and even sleeping on the beach at low tide.
Asbyrgi Canyon
this is one of these Little-known sites in Iceland but they are totally worth it, in the north of Iceland you will find this horseshoe-shaped cannon with more than 1km wide and almost 4km long.
It is very popular among Icelanders because there are many routes inside the forest (something unusual in Iceland). But The best views are obtained from its viewpoint at the top, from where there is a complete panoramic view of the entire canyon. To get there, you have to walk about 3.5 km (one way) from the parking lot. From several vegetation-free points, the views are also beautiful without having to walk the entire route; we walked about two.
Other shorter paths allow you to reach the interior of the canyon and its Botnsjörn lake.
Lake Myvant and surroundings
Mývatn is one of the areas with the most geothermal activity in the country, which means endless lava fields, craters, steaming soils and hot springs. For this reason the surroundings of the lake Mývatn have a lot to do with it. To avoid making this article too long and to be able to explaincar For a detailed look at each of Mývatn's attractions, we have another, much more detailed article with all the information you might need to visit this place.
Grímsey Island, the northernmost point
This small island where only about 70 people live is the northernmost place in Iceland and the only place above the arctic circle. To get here you have to take the ferry that leaves from the town of Dalvik and the journey takes about 3 hours.
On the cliffs of a small island lives a large colony of puffins and of course many other arctic birds. Many of the few tourists who come to the island do so to photograph birds or to disconnect from the world in a natural and wild environment.
See whales in North Iceland
Whale watching in Húsavik
One of the first things I think of if you ask me what to see in the north of Iceland is definitely whales. If you have already read about the sightings of these gigantic animals in Iceland, the name Húsavik is probably familiar to you.
It has a well-earned reputation for being one of the best spots in Europe to see these gigantic animals; that's why many tourists who visit this small town in northern Iceland do so to...carsand with one of the many companies that go out daily in search of whales.
Whale watching in Hauganes
Although much less known than Húsavik, Hauganes is an ideal spot for a whale watching tour in the Eyjajördur Fjord. Es our favorite place to watch whales because it is a small family business and due to its location, the navigation time to the area where there are usually whales is less than other places, which means more time watching them.
Oh ok! and they give you a homemade cinnamon duce and warm chocolate, which tastes heavenly.
Whale watching in Akureyri
The northern capital is located right at the end of the country's largest fjord and is another of the most famous places for whale watching. But we don't quite like it, we highly recommend the experience of doing it in Húsavik or Hauganes.
The tours leave from this city which is at the bottom of the fjord so the navigation time necessary to find the whales (and then return to Akureyri) It is usually much larger, when we did it we only spent 30 minutes looking for whales and the rest was sailing, Also many more people than in other places.
We believe that here it would be worth doing it by speedboat rather than a traditional boat.
Better hot springs in the north
You already know that a swimsuit is a must-have in your Icelandic luggage, so here we go with a good list of hot springs in the north of the country, both paid and free.
Forest Lagoon
The thermal baths of Forest Lagoon They opened in June 2022, so the facilities are new, elegant, and everything is thought out down to the last detail. We spent a super relaxing couple of hours here on a rainy afternoon, and I can't think of a better way to unwind. We like it so much that we've come back two or three more times.
Geosea
Located in Húsavík GeoSea is a thermal bath that has a spectacular view of the entire fjord and the mountains that make it up. From his two infinity pools You even get to see the whale watching boats.
For our taste the pools are small and it is a shame that their steam room is not a sauna overlooking the fjord, but the views from the pools are simply incredible especially in winter and early summer when there is still snow on the mountains that form the fjord Its facilities are very well maintained, very similar to Vök Baths and Forest Lagoon although the pools are smaller.
The ticket price at the box office is €44 but if you book online you will save a few euros.
Mývatn Nature Baths
Enjoy a few hours in the Mývatn baths It is one of the most popular relaxation activities in the north. However, in our personal experience, we were not completely satisfied with them.
We believe that there are much better thermal bath options in the country that offer superior value for money. We found the facilities unimpressive and the water, despite its initial and striking turquoise blue color, it gave off an unpleasant smell after a while, leaving a strange feeling on the skin and hair.
If you decide to visit them, we recommend that you remove your jewelry, put your hair up, and use conditioner. Also, don't forget that it is mandatory to shower without wearing a swimsuit before entering, following the regulations of all bathrooms in Iceland.
Free hot springs in North Iceland
Around the country there are many free hot springs That is why we have created this article where we show you hot springs throughout the country and their locations.
In northern Iceland, some of our favorites are the Akureyri thermal waterfall and the one next to the waterfall, in the article you have more information.
I hope this complete guide to what to see in northern Iceland has given you ideas and helped you organize your trip to Iceland. To read more about Iceland here you can access all articles, or see our featured stories from instagram.
