Diamond Circle & Forest Lagoon Shore Excursion from Akureyri

This Diamond Circle tour from Akureyri harbour is a full day covering North Iceland's biggest sights: Goðafoss waterfall, the fishing town of Húsavík, Ásbyrgi canyon, the huge Dettifoss waterfall and Lake Mývatn, with the option to add Forest Lagoon.

• The full Diamond Circle route in one day: Goðafoss, Ásbyrgi, Dettifoss and Mývatn
• Dettifoss, one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe
• A stop in the fishing town of Húsavík with views over Skjálfandi bay
• Ásbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon in the Vatnajökull National Park
• Lunch pack included
• Optional add-on at Forest Lagoon for a soak after the sightseeing

Your day, stop by stop

2Goðafoss waterfallA wide waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river, known as the Waterfall of the Gods.

Goðafoss, the 'waterfall of the gods', is a horseshoe-shaped fall on the Skjálfandafljót river, about 12 metres high and 30 metres wide, right beside the Ring Road. The name is tied to a well-known story about Iceland's conversion to Christianity around the year 1000. Paths on both banks give different views of the curve.

Walking · short, easy paths on both sides of the river

Read our Goðafoss guide →

3HúsavíkA fishing town on Skjálfandi bay, known as Iceland's whale watching capital.

Húsavík is a fishing town of around 2,400 people on Skjálfandi Bay in North Iceland, best known as Iceland's whale watching capital. It is still a working harbour, with colourful houses on the hillside and a timber church from 1907 looking out over the water. Commercial whale watching started here in 1995, and the sheltered, food-rich waters of the bay have made it one of the most reliable places in the country to see whales.

Time here · brief stopFacilities · cafés and shops in the town

Read our Húsavík guide →

4Tjörnes & Ásbyrgi canyonCoastal cliffs, then a horseshoe-shaped canyon in Vatnajökull National Park.

After the coastal cliffs on Tjörnes, you reach Ásbyrgi, a large, forested canyon in Vatnajökull National Park with sheer rock walls on three sides. In folklore it is a hoofprint left by Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. The paths within the canyon are easy.

Walking · easy paths within the canyon

Read our Ásbyrgi guide →

5Dettifoss waterfallOne of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe.

Dettifoss is often described as the most powerful waterfall in Europe, with an average flow of around 193 cubic metres per second. The Jökulsá á Fjöllum, a glacial river fed by Vatnajökull, drops 44 metres over a ledge about 100 metres wide into the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, throwing up spray that you can see and hear before you reach the viewpoint. It is part of Vatnajökull National Park and a highlight of the Diamond Circle.

Walking · uneven path, sturdy shoes recommendedTip · you may get sprayed near the viewpoint

Read our Dettifoss guide →

6Námaskarð & Lake MývatnA steaming geothermal area of mud pots and sulphur, above Lake Mývatn.

A bare, orange-red slope with bubbling mud and hissing steam vents, with views down over Lake Mývatn's volcanic landscape. The paths are flat gravel, so stay on the marked route.

Walking · flat gravel paths, stay on the marked route

Read our Mývatn guide →

About the Diamond Circle tour from Akureyri

The Diamond Circle is North Iceland's answer to the Golden Circle, and this excursion covers most of it in one long day from the ship. From Akureyri the coach heads to Goðafoss first, a broad, crescent-shaped waterfall known as the Waterfall of the Gods, then on to Húsavík, a working fishing town on Skjálfandi bay.

From Húsavík the route continues to Tjörnes, a coastal cliff area, and Ásbyrgi, a horseshoe-shaped canyon inside Vatnajökull National Park, said in folklore to be a hoofprint left by Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. The highlight of the day is Dettifoss, a huge waterfall on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river that carries enormous volumes of glacial meltwater and throws up spray you can feel from the viewing platform.

On the way back the coach stops at Námaskarð, a steaming geothermal area of mud pots and sulphur-stained ground, with views over Lake Mývatn. Because this is a long day covering a lot of ground, expect a fair amount of time on the coach between stops, with enough time at each one for photos and a short walk.

Forest Lagoon is offered as an optional add-on with its own admission and a separate transfer back to Akureyri, so plan your timing if you want to include it, since it is not built into the main route or price.

• Forest Lagoon admission and return transfer (booked separately)

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