Diamond Circle Tour from Akureyri

This tour starts from the Cruise Ship Terminal in Akureyri. 

Join this and visit the absolute highlights of North Iceland. Akureyri, Iceland’s northern capital, is the perfect starting point for this sightseeing loop consisting of raging waterfalls, charming fishing villages, strange geological features, cliffs, and geothermal hot springs. Your expert local guide will enlighten you on local folklore, geology, and more. This is the best sightseeing tour north Iceland has to offer.

Góðafoss Waterfall

Our first stop is at Góðafoss waterfall, with several viewing points along the walking trails. Góðafoss means ‘Waterfall of the Gods’in Icelandic and has great symbolic value in Icelandic culture and history. The story goes that over 1000 years ago, an influential chieftain, upon deciding that his people should forfeit the old gods and adopt Christianity instead, cast his pagan idols into the water here. Góðafoss thereby represents the Christianisation of the country.

Ásbyrgi Canyon

Ásbyrgi Canyon is a stunning horse-shoe-shaped valley; the depression here is 1km in width and 4km in length and is surrounded by sheer vertical cliffs which envelop a small forest and idyllic pond. It is hard to overstate the scale here and how imposing these cliffs are, standing as they do at 100 meters high. Many bird species nest in the nooks and crannies of these rocky cliffs.

Dettifoss Waterfall

It’s the second largest waterfall in Iceland in terms of volume, with an average of 193 cubic meters of water per second crashing down a 44-meter drop into a vast canyon in a cacophony of force. The volume of water combined with this sheer drop has led to the belief that Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Dettifoss is part of the Jökulsá á fjöllum River, which is fed by multiple rivers in north Iceland as well as meltwater from the Vatnajökull glacier. 

Húsavík

Húsavík is a charming village in North Iceland where life and business revolve around the harbor. It’s known for the Whale Watching tours. The church in Húsavík stands in the center of the town and is generally agreed to be one of the most beautiful in Iceland. Húsavík has attracted lots of attention in recent years through the Netflix movie “Eurovision Song Contest”. 

Tjörnes 

Hringsbjarg is a 60m tall cliff on the Tjörnes peninsula, just north of Húsavík. The Tjörnes viewing platform sits atop this cliff and offers fantastic panoramic views of the sea and Öxarfjörður fjörd. If you are lucky, you might spot nesting pairs of puffins, the annual summer visitors to our shores. 

Hverir (Námaskarð)

If it wasn’t obvious enough by this point, the captivating landscapes around Mývatn could largely be credited to ancient volcanic eruptions. But at Namaskard, also known as Hverir, one can see the impact and effects of ongoing geothermal activity.

It’s renowned for the eye-catching color of the rocks and ground, caused by the rich minerals emanating from the area’s underground seismic activity. Enjoy the smells and sights of the area, with boiling mud pots, hot springs, and the odor of the sulphuric steam lingering in the air.

Lake Mývatn

We drive past the iconic Lake Mývatn, famed for its beauty and strange surrounding landscape. We stop at a great viewpoint high above the lake and take in the splendor of the view. We see the Skútusstaðir craters in the distance, sitting by the lake shore and on a small island in the lake itself.

Optional drop-off at Forest Lagoon

Forest Lagoon is the newest addition to Iceland’s burgeoning luxury thermal spa scene. Set amidst the trees in one of the few forests in North Iceland, this idyllic retreat and its healing geothermal waters leave you feeling revitalized and rejuvenated. With spectacular views of the fjord and the town of Akureyri, this is the perfect place to end your day’s journey through North Iceland.

If you wish to add to go to the lagoon, you should book your entrance ticket for 8 hours after the tour start time. You can book your entrance tickets HERE. You can rent towels and swimsuits at the location. 

If you add this stop to your day, drop-off will be at the Forest Lagoon. Akureyri and the cruise terminal is a short taxi ride, which the staff at the lagoon will be happy to book for you.

Please wear warm clothes, waterproof layers, and hiking shoes.