Borgarfjörður Eystri and Puffins, Private Shore Excursion from Seyðisfjörður

This private shore excursion from Seyðisfjörður takes you over a mountain pass to Borgarfjörður Eystri, one of the easiest places in Iceland to get close to puffins, plus the Álfaborg elf rock and East Iceland's dramatic fjord scenery.

• Your own private guide and vehicle from the cruise port
• Close-up puffin viewing at the Hafnarhólmi platform
• Álfaborg, an elf rock with its own local folklore
• A scenic mountain pass drive through the East Iceland fjords
• Easy pace with no strenuous hiking

Your day, stop by stop

2Mountain pass to Borgarfjörður EystriA scenic drive over the pass with wide fjord views.

The road climbs over a mountain pass between Seyðisfjörður and Borgarfjörður eystri, with wide views over the East Fjords along the way. It is a mountain road, which is part of why this corner of Iceland feels so remote.

Read our Borgarfjörður eystri guide →

3Hafnarhólmi puffin colonyA viewing platform right beside nesting puffins.

Hafnarhólmi is a small boat harbour with a short, flat boardwalk and a viewing platform that puts you within a few metres of nesting puffins and other seabirds. Puffins are present roughly from May to August, and no climbing or scrambling is needed.

Season · puffins present roughly May to AugustWalking · flat boardwalk, no climbing

4Álfaborg elf rockA small rock outcrop tied to local elf folklore.

A short stop at Álfaborg, a small rock outcrop said locally to be home to Iceland's hidden people, with views over the village of Bakkagerði.

5Bakkagerði villageA stop in the village, with its turf-roofed church.

Borgarfjörður eystri, also called Bakkagerði after its village of about 100 people, is one of the quieter corners of East Iceland, reached by a mountain road from Egilsstaðir. Colourful rhyolite peaks rise on one side and the Dyrfjöll mountains on the other. People come for the puffin colony at Hafnarhólmi by the harbour, from mid-April to mid-August and best in June and July, and for the hiking around Dyrfjöll, much of which is summer only. Time to look around the small village, including an optional café stop for coffee and pastries.

Read our Borgarfjörður eystri guide →

About the Borgarfjörður Eystri puffin shore excursion

Borgarfjörður Eystri is a small fishing village on Iceland's remote east coast, and Hafnarhólmi, its little boat harbour, is one of the easiest places in the country to see puffins up close. A short boardwalk and viewing platform put you within a few metres of nesting birds during the summer season, without any climbing or scrambling needed.

Getting there from the cruise port at Seyðisfjörður means a drive over a mountain pass with wide views over the fjords, a route that is part of the experience in its own right. In the village you can also stop at Álfaborg, a small rock outcrop said in local folklore to be home to elves, and see the turf-roofed church and surrounding mountains.

Because this is a private tour, your guide can adjust the pace and time at each stop to suit your group, and it is easy on walking, so it suits most ages and fitness levels. It only runs in the puffin season, roughly May to August, and like anywhere on the coast the weather can change quickly, so bring a warm layer even in summer.

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