North: Akureyri - Mývatn - Húsavík - Dettifoss / 4 days
by Daytrips / TA Sport Travel · Whale watching · Multi-day packages · North Iceland
- Luxury
- Couples
Five or more stops a day. It covers a lot of Iceland and it is not a rest.
22 stops across 4 days in the operator's own itinerary — 5.5 a day.
from €3,780.49 per vehicle
No published departures in the coming months — ask us
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Duration
4 days
Difficulty
Very easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
09:00
Cancellation
Free until departure
About this experience
4-Day Guided Tour of Northern Iceland
Day 1: Reykjavík to Akureyri
- Departure: Pick-up at 8:30 AM from your hotel in Reykjavík or up to 30 km from the capital.
Highlights:
- Hvalfjörður Tunnel: Travel west through the scenic tunnel.
- Borgarfjörður and Borgarnes: Brief stop to explore these charming locations.
- Grábrók Crater: Possible to take a short and relatively easy hike up to the volcanic crater where you have a view over the 2-3 thousand year old lava.
- Glanni Waterfall: Take a short visit to this picturesque waterfall.
- Kolugljúfur Canyon: Explore this beautiful canyon and waterfall.
- Blönduós: Discover this quaint village as you travel east.
- Varmahlíð: Brief stop before heading to Akureyri.
Optional Activities: End the day at Forest lagoon with a warm bath surrounded by birch and pine trees and beautiful view over Eyjafjörður.
- Accommodation: Check-in at your hotel in Akureyri around 6:00-7:00 PM. Enjoy dinner and relax for the evening.
Day 2: Exploring the Diamond Circle
- Departure: 9:00 AM from your hotel.
Highlights:
- Diamond circle
- Godafoss Waterfall: Visit this stunning waterfall.
- Lake Mývatn: Explore this remarkable area and visit the Dimmuborgir lava fields.
- Námafjall: Discover the geothermal area and the Leirhnjúkur and Viti craters.
- Dettifoss Waterfall: Witness one of Europe’s most powerful waterfalls.
- Ásbyrgi Canyon: Visit this impressive natural formation.
Optional Activities: Enjoy a optional geothermal bath at Jarðböðin in Mývatn.
- Accommodation: Check-in at Hotel Skúlagarður around 6:00-7:00 PM. Relax and enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Day 3: Ásbyrgi to Akureyri
- Departure: 9:00 AM from your hotel.
Highlights:
- Ásbyrgi Canyon: Explore the area and learn about the volcanic eruption and earthquakes that shaped Skjálftavatn Lake.
- Húsavík: Visit this picturesque town known for its Viking-style whale watching harbor. Whale watching tours are available (additional booking required).
- Accommodation: Return to Akureyri around 6:00-7:00 PM. Enjoy dinner and relax at your hotel.
Day 4: Akureyri to Reykjavík
- Departure: 9:00 AM from your hotel.
Highlights:
- Akureyri: Explore the northern capital before departing.
- Borgarfjörður: Stop at Barnafoss and Hraunfossar waterfalls.
- Deildartunguhver: Visit Europe’s largest hot spring.
Optional Activities: Start the day with whale watching, jump aboard a ship and spot these amazing creatures.
- Accommodation: Return to Reykjavík around 6:00-7:00 PM. Conclude the tour at your hotel or another desired location.
Tour Details:
- Duration: 9 hours per day, covering 300-400 km daily.
- Lunch: There will be a stop around noon where you can purchase lunch.
Additional Activities
Enhance your experience by choosing one of the following activities per day for an additional fee.
Description from the operator, Daytrips / TA Sport Travel. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Borgarfjörður
- Glanni
- Grábrók
- Staðarskáli
- Kolugljúfur
- Hvítserkur
- Akureyri
- Day 2: Goðafoss
- Day 2: Dimmuborgir
- Day 2: Leirböðin
- Day 2: Námafjall
- Day 2: Leirhnjúkur
- Day 2: Dettifoss
- Day 2: Asbyrgi
- Day 3: Skjálftavatn
- Day 3: Húsavík
- Day 3: Whale watching
- Day 3: Akureyri
- Day 4: Deildartunguhver
- Day 4: Hraunfossar
- Day 4: Barnafossar
- Day 4: Reykjavík
Included
- Carefully selected accommodation with private bathroom and breakfast included.
- Local and English speaking guide.
- Flexible itinerary adjustments upon request.
- Northern light hunting in the winter
Not included
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Extra activity
Good to know
- Backpack
- Warm Clothes
- Rain Gear
- Hiking Shoes
Cancellation for this tour
Free cancellation until departure. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
If the weather cancels this tour
Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is sea state — the skipper decides an hour or two before departure; in winter this happens often. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.
- 1Daytrips / TA Sport Travel decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
- 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
- 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, to the card you paid with, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.
What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 0 hours before departure, the operator's policy after that.
Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Who this is not for
- Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.
Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.
Why we list it
Daytrips / TA Sport Travel is one of 208 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →
Read before you book
- Hvítserkur from Reykjavík: day tour or drive?Hvítserkur is a 12-hour round trip from Reykjavík. Book the Wild North day tour from €266, or drive it yourself and make it a night in the north.
- Húsavík or Eyjafjörður for whale watching?Whale watching from Húsavík's Skjálfandi Bay versus boats leaving Akureyri or Dalvík on Eyjafjörður — which bay to book from and why.
Reviews from our travellers
Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.
Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.
Whale watching — questions people ask
When is the best time for whale watching in Iceland?
April to October, with June to August the most reliable. Humpbacks and minke whales feed in Faxaflói off Reykjavík and in the northern fjords all summer, and white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises turn up on most trips. Winter boats still sail from Reykjavík, but sightings drop and the sea is rougher. If whales are the point of your trip, come in summer and book an early departure; seas are usually calmer in the morning.
Can you see whales from Reykjavík in December?
Sometimes. Boats run from the Old Harbour all year, and winter trips do find whales, mostly humpbacks and the occasional orca. But December means short daylight, cold wind and a higher chance the operator cancels for weather. Sightings are noticeably less frequent than in summer. If you are here in winter, go anyway, but treat it as a sea trip with a chance of whales rather than a whale trip. Most operators offer a free second trip if nothing shows.
Is Húsavík or Reykjavík better for whale watching?
Húsavík, if you can get there. Skjálfandi Bay in the north sees humpbacks close to shore from May to September, and the small family-run boats like Friends of Moby Dick (/experience/752602/) keep group sizes down. Reykjavík is more convenient: boats leave the Old Harbour five minutes from most hotels and run all year. Akureyri and Dalvík in Eyjafjörður are also strong. If you are only in Reykjavík, go from Reykjavík and do not feel short-changed.
Will I get seasick on a whale watching tour?
You might. Faxaflói is open sea and the boats roll, especially in wind. Take a tablet an hour before departure, stay on deck in fresh air and watch the horizon rather than your phone. Morning trips tend to be calmer than afternoon ones. If you know you suffer badly, a two-hour RIB trip (/experience/155331/) is faster and bumpier but shorter, or pick a northern fjord like Eyjafjörður, which is more sheltered than the bay off Reykjavík.
One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
207 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
Pairs well with
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