Itinerary for North Iceland Tour

Day 1: Hvitserkur, Glaumbær, Reykjafoss

We continue north and take a little detour to Hvítserkur, otherwise known as the Troll of Northwest Iceland, is a 15 m (49 ft) tall basalt rock stack protruding from Húnaflói Bay. The rock is a nesting ground for seagulls, shag and fulmar, making it appear constantly in motion, further enforcing the idea that Hvítserkur is, in some way, very much alive. Hvítserkur is best viewed along the eastern shore of Vatnsnes Peninsula and takes its name from the bird life that nests on top of it. In Icelandic, the name translates to “white shirt”, a nod to the colour of the bird droppings that cover the rock. Photographers tend to be drawn to Hvítserkur as a subject due to the way the sun, moon, and aurora borealis reflect off of the flat water around its distinctive form.
A bit further we go to Skagafjörður where we can for example see a nice waterfall and a heritage museeum.
Glaumbaer a farmhouse is said to have stood on the hill at Glaumbær since the Age of the Settlements (900 AD). The present buildings vary in age; the most recent addition having been built in 1876-79, while the oldest – the kitchen, “long pantry,” and middle baðstofa – are believed to have been preserved much as they were in the mid-18th century. The passages connecting the individual units have also remained unchanged for many centuries.
Reykjafoss is a nice waterfall in the north of Iceland, not far from road 1. The river Huseyjarkvisl cascades down over two steps and ends 20 meters lower in the river before it continues its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
From Skagafjörður there is an hour’s drive to Akureyri and then another hour to our hotel by Lake Myvatn.
Accommodation: Hotel by Myvatn

Day 2: Lake Myvatn and Lofthellir Cave
Lake Myvatn is located in the heart of north-east Iceland about 105 kilometres (65 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, Lake Mývatn with its unique nature and rich birdlife is one of Europe´s greatest natural treasures. Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. The lake and its surrounding wetlands have an exceptionally rich fauna of water birds, especially ducks. The lake was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms, including lava pillars and rootless vents (pseudo craters). The effluent river Laxá is known for its rich fishing for brown trout and Atlantic salmon. Lofthellir, a 3500 year old lava cave, is a world of ice and darkness, located in the northeastern part of Iceland near Lake Myvatn. there is ice and water on the floor of the cave and the temperature inside the cave is around 0°C Warm and waterproof clothing, gloves, good walking shoes, water bottle.The Lofthellir lava cave is renowned for having some of the largest, most varied and most beautiful ice sculptures of any lava cave in Iceland and spectacular lava formations as well.
Note: The entrance to the cave is quite narrow and needs a bit of crawling into.
Another great activity in the north is whale watching and Husavik is by far the best place in Iceland to see whales.
Activity optional: Lofthellir Cave or Whale Watching from Husavik
Accommodation: Hotel by Myvatn

Day 3: Dettifoss Waterfall, Dimmuborgir & Nature Baths.

Just over half an hour’s drive from Myvatn is the famous Dettifoss waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park. It is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Dettifoss is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from Europe’s largest ice cap, Vatnajökull. The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 44 metres (144 ft) down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Iceland in terms of volume discharge and has been used in a few famous movies.
We head back to Myvatn to explore some unique lava formations;

Dimmuborgir. They consist of a massive, collapsed lava tube formed by a lava lake flowing in from a large eruption in the Þrengslaborgir and Lúdentsborgir crater row to the East. Dimmuborgir where formed when the lava pooled over a small lake. As the lava flowed across the wet sod, the water of the marsh started to boil, the vapor rising through the lava forming lava pillars from drainpipe size up to several meters in diameter.

A perfect end to the day is a relaxing soak in the Nature Baths.

Geothermal water has many dissolved minerals which have a positive effect on asthma and other respiratory diseases, and many of the trace elements in the water are considered to have a good effect on the development of skin problems.
Activity included: Nature Baths
Accommodation: Hotel by Myvatn

Day 4: Godafoss Waterfall & Akureyri

On the way back to Akureyri we stop at Goðafoss waterfall which is one of the most photogenic waterfalls in Iceland.
If we schedule the flight in the afternoon, you will also have time to  enjoy the town of Akureyri which is the largest town in north Iceland. Akureyri also has pretty good whale watching tours.
Activity included: Flight to Reykjavik
Accommodation: Hotel in Reykjavík

Tour Highlights

3 Waterfalls:
– Reykjafoss in Skagafjordur
– Godafoss (‘Waterfall of the Gods’)
– Dettifoss

Lake Myvatn
– Dimmuborgir lava formations
– Hverfell crater
– Namaskard geothermal area
– Nature Baths

Hvitserkur rock

Glaumbær Heritage Museum s

See the Northern Lights (only in winter and if we are lucky)

What to bring and other helpful details

Wind & wet proof clothes – always a good idea in Iceland, all year.
Good walking shoes for uneven ground
Sunglasses
Indoor shoes for the mt. hut
Bathing suit
Camera