East Iceland Travel Guide: Why the East Coast Is Underrated

East Iceland is the part of the Ring Road that most visitors rush through. After the glacier lagoon at Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach, travelers often push west and north without stopping, treating the east as a corridor between the southeast coast and the north rather than a destination. That is a mistake.

The Eastfjords are genuinely spectacular. The fjords themselves are narrow, deep, and walled by mountains that drop almost directly into the water. The fishing villages are small and real, not tourism-facing. The hiking is outstanding. The crowds are almost entirely absent, even in peak July when the South Coast is at capacity.

Getting to East Iceland

Egilsstaðir is the main town in East Iceland and the practical base for exploring the region. It is 5 to 6 hours from Reykjavik by road via the Ring Road or a 50-minute domestic flight from Reykjavik Domestic Airport.

Most Ring Road travelers reach Egilsstaðir from the south after passing Jokulsarlon and Hofn, which is about 2.5 hours east of the glacier lagoon. From Akureyri in the north, the drive south takes about 3 hours. However you approach it, the east needs at least 2 to 3 days to explore properly. Driving through in a single day leaves most of the best things unseen.

Stuðlagil Canyon

Stuðlagil is one of Iceland's most extraordinary natural features and one of the most recently discovered. The canyon was largely hidden beneath the Jökla River until a hydroelectric project diverted enough water to reveal the basalt columns lining its walls. The result is a narrow river canyon with floor-to-ceiling geometric basalt formations in a vivid turquoise river, and almost no one visits it compared to the famous South Coast waterfalls.

There are two access points. The east bank approach from Klaustursel Farm is an easy 40-minute walk and gives the most dramatic canyon views. The west bank approach involves a more challenging river crossing and gives a different perspective.

Both are worth doing if conditions allow. The canyon is at its most vivid in calm, clear conditions when the basalt colors and turquoise water show at full intensity. Access is free, and the trail is well-marked from the car park.

Hengifoss Waterfall and Litlanesfoss

Hengifoss, at 128 meters, is one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls and the main hiking destination near Egilsstaðir. The cliff behind the falls shows alternating bands of black basalt and red clay deposited over thousands of years of volcanic activity. The geological striping is as visually striking as the waterfall itself.

The hike from the car park is 2.5 km one way with about 400 meters of elevation gain, taking 1.5 to 2 hours round trip at a comfortable pace. About halfway up, the trail passes Litlanesfoss, a smaller waterfall framed by near-perfect hexagonal basalt columns on both sides.

Many hikers consider Litlanesfoss more impressive than Hengifoss and it is worth spending time there even if the main falls are the destination.

Vestrahorn Mountain and Stokksnes Beach

Vestrahorn is the jagged mountain that rises almost directly from the black sand beach at Stokksnes, east of Hofn. The peak is reflected in pools on the beach in calm conditions, and the combination of the dramatic mountain profile, the black sand, and the Atlantic is one of Iceland's most photogenic locations.

Access is through the Viking Café at the road junction, which charges a small fee of around ISK 1,000 for beach access. The small Viking village on site was built as a film set and is part of the experience. The beach is about 4 km long and worth walking the full length for different angles on the mountain. Early morning and late afternoon produce the best light. This is a location where arriving in poor light and leaving for the forecast blue hour is worth the patience.

Seyðisfjörður: The Most Distinctive Town in East Iceland

Seyðisfjörður sits at the end of a 27 km fjord road off the Ring Road, east of Egilsstaðir. It is the most distinctive town in East Iceland and arguably the most architecturally interesting small town in Iceland. Norwegian-built timber houses in pastel colors line the waterfront. The technical museum is housed in a restored 19th-century building. The Skaftfell Center for Visual Art brings contemporary artists to the town year-round.

The town is also the arrival point for the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark and the Faroe Islands, which means travelers arriving by sea from Europe land here first. On Thursdays in summer when the ferry arrives, the town briefly doubles in population and then settles back to quiet the following morning.

The fjord road to Seyðisfjörður passes through the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass, which can close in winter after snowfall. In summer, the drive is one of the most scenic approaches to any Icelandic town, with waterfalls visible on the valley walls on the descent.

The Eastfjords Villages

The Eastfjords coastline stretches about 120 km and is lined with small fishing villages accessible on a winding mountain road. Neskaupstaður, Eskifjörður, and Reyðarfjörður are the largest. Each has its own character, its own small harbor, and views that change dramatically with the light.

Djúpivogur, south of the main Eastfjords area, is a fishing village and one of the Cittaslow towns, a designation for places that prioritize quality of life and local culture over development. The village has the Eggin í Gleðivík installation, a series of 34 large stone eggs representing the bird species that nest in the area, placed along the harbour walk.

The villages are not destinations in the way that major Iceland attractions are. They are places where the landscape frames a genuine working community rather than a tourist site. That quality is increasingly rare in Iceland's main circuits.

Hallormsstaður National Forest

Iceland lost most of its tree cover in the centuries following Norse settlement. Hallormsstaður, on the shores of Lagarfljót lake near Egilsstaðir, is Iceland's largest forest and one of the country's most significant reforestation projects. Walking through it feels genuinely different from the open volcanic landscapes that dominate most of Iceland.

The forest has marked walking trails ranging from short loop walks to longer hikes into the surrounding hills. Atlavík campsite within the forest is one of the most pleasant camping locations in East Iceland. The lake itself is notable in Icelandic folklore as the home of the Lagarfljóts worm, the country's equivalent of the Loch Ness monster, with sightings documented over centuries.

Reindeer in East Iceland

East Iceland is the only part of the country where reindeer live. They were introduced from Norway in the 18th century and now roam freely across the eastern highlands. In summer, they move to higher ground and are most often seen from highland roads and viewpoints. In autumn and winter, they descend toward lower areas and are frequently spotted from the Ring Road in the east.

Seeing reindeer from the road is a specific East Iceland experience with no equivalent anywhere else in the country. They are large animals and appear without warning, particularly at dawn and dusk. Reduce speed after dark in East Iceland for this reason.

Practical Information for East Iceland

Egilsstaðir is the main service hub with fuel, supermarkets, and the widest range of accommodation in the region. Outside Egilsstaðir, fuel stations are infrequent, and some sections of the Eastfjords road have gaps of 50 to 80 km between services. Fill up before driving into the fjords.

Most Eastfjords roads are paved, but the mountain passes between fjords involve narrow, winding sections where two vehicles cannot pass without one of them pulling into a passing place. Drive slowly on these roads and be prepared to reverse to the nearest passing bay if you meet oncoming traffic on a narrow section.

In winter, the Fjarðarheiði pass to Seyðisfjörður and some fjord mountain roads close after heavy snowfall. Check road.is before driving any mountain pass in winter. Egilsstaðir itself remains accessible year-round via the Ring Road.