A remote coastline of narrow fjords, small fishing villages, and some of Iceland's most dramatic geology — including a basalt canyon that was hidden underwater until 2009 and one of the country's tallest waterfalls, striped with ancient red clay.
What Is East Iceland
East Iceland — known as the Eastfjords or Austurland — covers the eastern coastline from Berufjörður in the south to Borgarfjörður Eystri in the north, a stretch of roughly 120 kilometres of deeply indented coastline. The region covers 22,721 square kilometres but has a population of only around 13,000.
The fjords were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age and are among the oldest landscapes in Iceland. Steep mountains rise directly from the water's edge on both sides, leaving narrow strips of flat land where settlements developed. Most towns sit at the innermost point of their fjord, sheltered from the open sea.
East Iceland has sunnier and calmer weather than the south and west — it regularly records the highest temperatures in Iceland on summer days, sometimes reaching 20°C when Reykjavík is cold and wet. The region is also the only part of Iceland where wild reindeer live. Around 3,000 reindeer roam the highlands, descending toward the coast in autumn and winter.
The region is served by the Ring Road (Route 1), which passes through or close to most of the main fjords. Many visitors pass through
on a full Ring Road circuit, but the Eastfjords reward those who slow down, turn off the main road, and spend a few days exploring the smaller fjords and villages.
Egilsstaðir — Gateway to the East
Egilsstaðir is the largest town in East Iceland and the main hub for the entire region. It sits on the eastern bank of the Lagarfljót river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier through the broad Fljótsdalur valley. The town has a regional airport, the main supermarkets, car rental offices, hotels, and the East Iceland Heritage Museum.
Egilsstaðir is a practical base rather than a destination in itself — it gives easy access to most attractions in the Eastfjords. Seyðisfjörður is 27 kilometres east. Hengifoss waterfall is 35 kilometres south. Stuðlagil Canyon is about 70 kilometres west. The main Eastfjords fjords are reachable within 30 to 90 minutes by car.
Lagarfljót Lake and the Worm Legend
Lagarfljót (also called Lögurinn) is a long, narrow lake south of Egilsstaðir, about 53 kilometres long. The lake is famous for the legend of the Lagarfljótsormur — a serpent-like creature said to live in its depths, first recorded in writing in 1345. It predates stories of the Loch Ness Monster by centuries.
The lake is murky and glacially fed, which gives it a grey-green colour and makes it easy to imagine something lurking beneath the surface. The eastern shore road (Route 931) runs alongside the lake and offers views over the water and toward the mountains across the valley.
Hallormsstaðaskógur — Iceland's Largest Forest
Hallormsstaðaskógur is Iceland's largest forest, located on the eastern shore of Lagarfljót, about 40 kilometres south of Egilsstaðir. Iceland was largely deforested by early settlers and has very few trees outside of sheltered planting areas. Hallormsstaðaskógur covers roughly 740 hectares and contains around 80 species of trees, including birch, larch, pine, and spruce.
The forest has marked walking trails, a campsite, a hotel, and a small arboretum. It is one of the few places in Iceland where you can walk through genuine woodland. The canopy provides shelter from the wind, which makes it noticeably warmer and quieter than the open landscape outside.
Hengifoss Waterfall
Hengifoss is Iceland's third-tallest waterfall at 128 metres, dropping in a single cascade into a narrow canyon above the eastern shore of Lagarfljót.
The cliff face behind the waterfall is striped with vivid red horizontal bands — layers of clay deposited between lava flows during different volcanic eruptions. These clay layers are estimated to be 5 to 6 million years old, making them among the oldest exposed rock formations in Iceland.
The waterfall is visible from Route 931 on a clear day, about 30 kilometres from the trailhead. On the hike up, you pass a second waterfall — Litlanesfoss (also called Stuðlabergsfoss) — which drops nearly 30 metres and is surrounded by symmetrical basalt columns that frame the falls like organ pipes. Most visitors find Litlanesfoss just as striking as the main fall.
The Hike to Hengifoss
The trail starts from a car park on Route 931, about 35 kilometres south of Egilsstaðir. The one-way distance to Hengifoss is 2.5 kilometres, with an elevation gain of around 400 metres. The walk up takes about 40 to 60 minutes. The path is well marked but can be steep and muddy in wet conditions.
Litlanesfoss is reached after about 1.2 kilometres — roughly 30 minutes from the car park. Hengifoss itself is another 45 minutes of steeper walking above that. The full return trip takes around 1.5 to 2 hours. Sturdy footwear is needed. Entry is free. The car park has toilets.
Stuðlagil Canyon
Stuðlagil Canyon is the most talked-about geological site in East Iceland and one of the most visually striking in the country. The canyon is lined with the largest and most extensive collection of hexagonal basalt columns in Iceland, rising up to 25 to 30 metres from the canyon floor. A glacial river runs through the bottom, turning a vivid turquoise colour when water levels are low.
For most of its existence, the canyon was completely submerged. The Jökla river — one of Iceland's largest glacial rivers — buried the basalt columns under several metres of fast, sediment-heavy water. When the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant was constructed between 2003 and 2009, it diverted part of the river's flow to power an aluminium smelter. Water levels in the canyon dropped by 7 to 8 metres, revealing the columns for the first time.
The canyon remained largely unknown even after its physical exposure. Local shepherds found it around 2016. Icelandic photographer Einar Páll Svavarsson then visited, named it "Stuðlagil" (meaning "basalt column gorge"), and published the first photographs and article about it. His role in documenting and publicising the site was formally recognised by Iceland's Minister of Tourism in 2018.
How to Visit Stuðlagil
The canyon sits in the Jökuldalur valley, about 70 kilometres west of Egilsstaðir. From the Ring Road, take Route 923 south into the valley. There are two access points — east and west bank — and choosing the right one matters.
The east bank is the recommended route. Park at the Klaustursel farm trailhead, cross the white bridge over the Jökla river, and follow the path for about 2 kilometres along the river to the canyon. The walk takes around 30 to 50 minutes each way on a flat, well-worn track. This route brings you to the canyon floor, where you stand directly beside the columns and the river.
The west bank has a viewing platform reached by climbing around 240 steps. It gives an elevated view looking down into the canyon but you cannot get close to the columns or the water. Most visitors who want a memorable experience use the east bank route.
On the drive into the valley, you pass Stuðlafoss — a smaller waterfall flowing over basalt columns — which is worth a brief stop. The canyon is accessible from June to October. The best water colour is typically from July to early September, when glacial sediment loads are lower and the turquoise is most intense. Free parking. No entry fee.
Seyðisfjörður
Seyðisfjörður is the most distinctive town in East Iceland. It sits at the innermost point of a narrow fjord of the same name, 27 kilometres east of Egilsstaðir via a mountain pass at 600 metres elevation — a winding, dramatic road that descends sharply toward the water.
The town has a population of around 670 people and is surrounded on all sides by mountains, with Mt. Bjólfur (1,085m) rising to the west and Strandartindur (1,010m) to the east.
The town is built almost entirely of colourful Norwegian timber houses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, brought to Iceland ready-made from Norway. Many are still painted in their original bright colours — blue, yellow, red, and green — giving the town an appearance unlike anywhere else in Iceland.
The Rainbow Street and Blue Church
The most photographed spot in Seyðisfjörður is the Rainbow Street — a short stretch of road painted in rainbow colours leading to the Blue Church (Seyðisfjarðarkirkja), a blue-painted timber church at the head of the street.
The rainbow was originally painted to celebrate a Gay Pride parade. It became so popular that it is now one of the most shared images of East Iceland.
The Smyril Line Ferry
Seyðisfjörður is the only port in Iceland served by an international car ferry. The MS Norröna, operated by Smyril Line, sails weekly between Hirtshals in Denmark and Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands, arriving in Seyðisfjörður at the end of the route. The crossing from Hirtshals to the Faroe Islands takes around 30 to 38 hours. The onwards leg to Seyðisfjörður takes another 15 hours.
The ferry operates mid-March to mid-November. In summer it departs Hirtshals twice per week. Passengers can bring cars, campervans, and motorcycles.
This makes Seyðisfjörður the entry point for many travellers arriving from mainland Europe who want to drive around Iceland with their own vehicle.
LungA Art Festival
Seyðisfjörður has a strong artistic identity. The LungA Art Festival takes place every July and draws musicians, visual artists, and performers from across Iceland and beyond.
The town also has the Skaftfell Centre for Visual Art, a gallery and café in a restored historic building, which operates year-round. The first telegraph cable connecting Iceland to Europe made landfall in Seyðisfjörður in 1906, making it a historic communications hub.
WWII Wreck — SS El Grillo
During World War II, Seyðisfjörður was used as a British and American military base. An oil tanker called SS El Grillo was bombed and sunk in the fjord in 1944 and remains at the bottom today — a well-known dive site. The town brews a local lager named after the ship. Locals fire a cannon recovered from the wreck each year as a tradition.
The Tvísöngur Sound Sculpture
Tvísöngur is a concrete sound sculpture set into the hillside above Seyðisfjörður. It consists of five interconnected domed chambers, each tuned to a different note of the Icelandic tradition of tvísöngur — a form of two-part harmony. The chambers amplify and sustain sound in an unusual way. It was created by German artist Lukas Kühne and installed in 2012. The walk up from town takes about 20 minutes.
Borgarfjörður Eystri
Borgarfjörður Eystri is the northernmost fjord in the Eastfjords, about 70 kilometres north of Egilsstaðir via a partly unpaved mountain road. The village at the head of the fjord has a population of fewer than 100 people, but it is widely considered one of the most scenically positioned settlements in Iceland.
In Icelandic folklore, Borgarfjörður Eystri is considered one of the most significant gathering places for huldufólk (hidden people or elves). A prominent rock called Álfaborg — "Elf Rock" — sits at the edge of the village and is said to be the home of the elf queen.
The village was also the birthplace of Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland's most celebrated painters. A small museum in the village is dedicated to his work.
Puffins at Hafnarholmi
The harbour area of Borgarfjörður Eystri, called Hafnarholmi, is one of the best places in Iceland to see Atlantic puffins at close range. Up to 10,000 puffins nest in the cliffs here every summer.
Wooden viewing platforms allow visitors to watch from within a few metres of the birds without disturbing them. Puffins are present from mid-May to mid-August.
The Bræðslan music festival takes place in Borgarfjörður Eystri every year on the last weekend of July. Past performers include Emiliana Torrini, Of Monsters and Men, and Damien Rice. It is one of the most remote music festivals in Europe, held in a converted fish factory.
Hiking in Dyrfjöll
The Dyrfjöll mountains above Borgarfjörður Eystri offer some of the most dramatic hiking in East Iceland. The highest peak reaches 1,136 metres.
The name means "Door Mountains" in Icelandic, referring to a distinctive gap visible in the ridge. Several marked trails lead into the range from the village, ranging from day hikes to multi-day routes connecting to the wider Eastfjords trail network.
The Eastfjords Villages
Djúpivogur
Djúpivogur is a small town of around 400 people at the southern edge of the Eastfjords, on a peninsula between two fjords. It has been a trading centre since the 16th century and is the oldest continuously operating trading post in Iceland. The town is part of the Cittaslow network — an international movement of towns committed to a slower pace of life, good food, and local culture.
Its most visited attraction is Eggin í Gleðivík (The Eggs of Merry Bay) — an outdoor sculpture by artist Sigurður Guðmundsson consisting of 34 oversized granite eggs, each representing one of the bird species that nest in the area. They are arranged along the harbour edge and range in size from small to nearly a metre tall.
Djúpivogur is also notable for one of its historical residents — Hans Jonatan (1784–1827), the first person of African descent to settle in Iceland. He escaped slavery in Copenhagen and made his way to Djúpivogur, where he lived out his life. His story was documented and his genome was partially reconstructed from his Icelandic descendants in a 2018 genetic study.
Stöðvarfjörður and Petra's Stone Collection
Stöðvarfjörður is the only Eastfjords town the Ring Road passes directly through. Its most visited site is Steinasafn Petru — Petra's Stone Collection — a museum housed in the private home and garden of Ljósbjörg Petra María Sveinsdóttir, who spent her entire life collecting rocks, minerals, and crystals from the mountains around the fjord.
She began collecting as a child and continued until her death in 2012. The collection now fills multiple rooms and a large outdoor garden and is considered one of the most remarkable private mineral collections in Europe. Entry costs around 1,200 ISK (approximately €8).
Fáskrúðsfjörður — The French Connection
Fáskrúðsfjörður has a unique history among Eastfjords villages. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, French fishing fleets worked the waters off East Iceland and used this fjord as their main base. At its peak, hundreds of French sailors wintered here each year. The French built a hospital, a chapel, and a cemetery in the village, and many locals developed ties to France.
Today the French connection is visible in bilingual Icelandic–French street signs throughout the village. The old French hospital building has been converted into a hotel, and a small museum documents the history of the French fishing expeditions. Road signs throughout the village are written in both languages — the only bilingual village in Iceland.
Vök Baths
Vök Baths is a geothermal spa on the shore of Urriðavatn lake, about 6 kilometres north of Egilsstaðir. It opened in 2019 and is built around a geothermal spring that rises directly from the lakebed. The two outdoor pools sit partially over the lake, with the water heated to around 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. A floating pool extends directly into the lake itself. Entry costs around 5,490 ISK (approximately €37).
Best Time to Visit East Iceland
Summer — June to August
The best season for access to all attractions. Stuðlagil Canyon is at its most vivid from July onward. Puffins are present at Borgarfjörður Eystri from mid-May to mid-August. The Bræðslan and LungA festivals both take place in July. Temperatures regularly reach 15 to 20°C, often warmer than the rest of Iceland. Daylight is near-continuous through June and July. Roads to Borgarfjörður Eystri and some secondary routes are best in dry summer conditions.
Autumn — September to October
Crowds drop sharply after late August. The colours of the rhyolite mountains around Borgarfjörður Eystri are particularly vivid in clear autumn light.
Reindeer begin descending from the highlands toward the fjords and are more visible from roads in September and October. Stuðlagil's water colour remains good through September. The Northern Lights start appearing on clear nights from late August. Temperatures average 4 to 9°C.
Winter — November to March
Some secondary roads in the Eastfjords close in winter, including the road to Borgarfjörður Eystri. The mountain pass over Fjarðarheiðargöng to Seyðisfjörður can also close temporarily in severe weather — a tunnel now provides an alternative route for most conditions.
The Ring Road through the fjords stays open year-round. Stuðlagil Canyon can be visited in winter but water levels are higher, partly obscuring the columns. The Northern Lights are frequently visible. Average temperatures sit around -2 to 2°C.
The Smyril Line ferry does not operate to Seyðisfjörður between mid-November and mid-March.
Spring — April to May
Roads begin reopening from late April. Waterfalls run at their most powerful from snowmelt. Puffins return to Borgarfjörður Eystri from mid-May.
The Stuðlagil Canyon east bank trail typically reopens in June. Spring is a quiet period with low visitor numbers, good light, and improving conditions. Temperatures average 0 to 7°C.
How to Get to East Iceland
By Car from Reykjavík
Driving from Reykjavík to Egilsstaðir takes around 5.5 to 6.5 hours — approximately 700 kilometres via the Ring Road clockwise through the south coast, or about 560 kilometres via the north through Akureyri.
The southern route passes the South Coast, Jökulsárlón, and Höfn before reaching the Eastfjords. The northern route passes Mývatn and the northeast before descending into the eastern fjords.
Most visitors to East Iceland encounter it as part of a full Ring Road circuit. It is also possible to fly to Egilsstaðir and rent a car there.
By Plane
Domestic flights from Reykjavík Domestic Airport to Egilsstaðir Airport take about 1 hour. Icelandair / Air Iceland Connect operates the route with several flights daily. Flying in and renting a car at the airport is the fastest option for those who want to focus specifically on East Iceland.
By Ferry from Europe
The MS Norröna (Smyril Line) sails weekly from Hirtshals, Denmark via the Faroe Islands to Seyðisfjörður from mid-March to mid-November. It is the only international car ferry connecting Iceland to mainland Europe.
The full crossing from Hirtshals to Seyðisfjörður takes around 45 to 53 hours. Passengers can bring cars, campervans, and motorcycles on board. From Seyðisfjörður, Egilsstaðir is a 30-minute drive over the mountain pass.
Where to Stay
Egilsstaðir is the most practical base, with hotels, guesthouses, and easy access to all main sites. Seyðisfjörður has guesthouses and a hostel in the old hospital building — staying there puts you in a more atmospheric setting.
Borgarfjörður Eystri has a small guesthouse and a campsite — useful for early puffin access before day-trippers arrive. Smaller villages like Djúpivogur, Stöðvarfjörður, and Fáskrúðsfjörður each have at least one guesthouse option. Book ahead in July and August as capacity is limited throughout the region.
Practical Travel Information
How Long to Spend
Three days covers the main sites at a comfortable pace: one day for Stuðlagil Canyon and the Jökuldalur valley, one day for Hengifoss, Lagarfljót, and the forest, and one day in Seyðisfjörður.
Four to five days allows time for Borgarfjörður Eystri, the Eastfjords villages, and a soak at Vök Baths. A week gives you enough time to explore the full coastline from Djúpivogur in the south to Borgarfjörður Eystri in the north at a genuinely relaxed pace.
Currency and Costs
Iceland uses the Icelandic Króna (ISK). Card payment is accepted everywhere. Most natural sites — Hengifoss, Stuðlagil, Álfaborg rock, the Eastfjords viewpoints — are free to visit. Paid attractions include Petra's Stone Collection (1,200 ISK), Vök Baths (5,490 ISK), and the Fáskrúðsfjörður French hospital museum (around 1,500 ISK).
Roads and Driving
The Ring Road through the Eastfjords is paved but winds tightly through the fjords with steep drops on one side and cliff walls on the other. Take it slowly, especially in wet or icy conditions. The road to Borgarfjörður Eystri includes an unpaved section and a mountain pass — a standard car handles it in summer, but it can be impassable in winter. Check road.is before driving any secondary or highland roads. Fuel stations are sparse in the fjords — fill up in Egilsstaðir before heading into the smaller villages.
Wildlife and Reindeer
Wild reindeer are most visible from roads in autumn (September to November) when they descend from the highlands. They are protected and should not be approached or fed. Puffins at Borgarfjörður Eystri are present from mid-May to mid-August. Seals can sometimes be spotted resting on rocks near river mouths along the fjords. Arctic foxes occasionally appear on highland roads and near Stuðlagil in the Jökuldalur valley.