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Stuðlagil Canyon, Kárahnjúkar Dam and Laugavallalaug Hot Spring

Name: Stuðlagil Canyon, Kárahnjúkar Dam and Laugavallalaug Hot Spring
Brand: Iceland Travel Guide
SKU: 106365
Price: 50710 ISK
Availability: PreOrder
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

About 8 hoursGroup: Small groupModerate4x4 bus from Seyðisfjörður port or EgilsstaðirAge 5+Summer (May–September)

5.0(1 review)

This Stuðlagil Canyon day tour takes you into the East Iceland highlands to see the canyon's blue-green river between basalt columns, the vast Kárahnjúkar hydro dam and reservoir, and a natural hot spring where you can swim before heading back.

Rjúkandi waterfallStuðlagil CanyonHafrahvammagljúfur canyonKárahnjúkar dam and Hálslón reservoirLaugavallalaug hot spring

Stuðlagil Canyon, with its blue-green river and basalt columns
Hafrahvammagljúfur, Iceland's deepest gorge
The Kárahnjúkar hydro power plant and the Hálslón highland reservoir
A swim in the natural Laugavallalaug hot spring
Travel by 4x4 bus into the East Iceland highlands

Your day, stop by stop

Click a stop for photos and practical tips.

1Pick-up in Seyðisfjörður or EgilsstaðirPick-up at Seyðisfjörður cruise port, or at Hús handanna in Egilsstaðir 30 minutes later.

Rjúkandi waterfallA roadside waterfall on the way into the highlands.

Rjúkandi drops in two stages, about 60 and 33 metres, down a steep hillside beside the Ring Road in the Jökuldalur valley. The name means roughly 'the smoking one', after the spray that rises off the falls, especially in a strong wind. It is a roadside stop that needs no detour, with a small free car park by the bridge.

Walking · short, easy

Read our Rjúkandi guide →

Stuðlagil CanyonBasalt columns lining a blue-green glacial river.

Stuðlagil is a canyon of tightly packed hexagonal basalt columns on the Jökla river, in the upper Jökuldalur valley in East Iceland. Most of the columns used to be hidden under grey glacial floodwater. After the Kárahnjúkar hydropower project diverted much of the river, the water level dropped and the columns came into view, with a blue-green river running between them. The shortest way to see it is from the viewing platforms on the west side, about 250 metres from the car park.

Walking · a guided walk to the viewpoint

Read our Stuðlagil Canyon guide →

Hafrahvammagljúfur canyonIceland's deepest gorge, cut by the same glacial river.

Hafrahvammagljúfur, also called Dimmugljúfur, 'the dark canyon', is a gorge about 200 metres deep and 8 kilometres long, cut by the glacial river Jökla near the Kárahnjúkar dam. It is a dramatic, steep-sided canyon, worth the stop for the scale of it alone.

Bather under the warm waterfall at Laugavallalaug

Laugavallalaug hot springA natural hot spring in a remote highland valley.

Thermometer in front of the warm waterfall at Laugavallalaug

Laugavallalaug lies in Laugavalladalur, a green valley in the middle of the bare East Iceland highlands, north of Vatnajökull and the Kárahnjúkar dam. A geothermal stream runs over a small waterfall into a pond that has been dammed below the fall, which makes the pond a bathing pool and the waterfall a natural hot shower. There are no facilities. The last 7 kilometres are rough gravel and need a 4x4, in summer only. A warm spring pool in a quiet valley, a good place to relax before the drive back.

Bring · swimsuit and towelFacilities · no changing rooms, just a sheltering wall

Read our Laugavallalaug guide →

The Kárahnjúkar dam and its spillway from the air

Kárahnjúkar dam and Hálslón reservoirA large hydro power station and its highland reservoir.

Kárahnjúkar is one of Iceland's biggest hydro power projects, built to supply an aluminium smelter, and the dam holds back the Hálslón reservoir high in the interior. The project is also why the Jökla river dropped and revealed the basalt columns of Stuðlagil.

7Return to Seyðisfjörður or EgilsstaðirDrive back down from the highlands.

About the Stuðlagil Canyon day tour

Stuðlagil Canyon became one of Iceland's best known natural sights after the Hálslón reservoir lowered the river level and revealed rows of basalt columns lining the water. This tour reaches it from the highland side, driving a 4x4 route into the interior rather than the easier valley path most visitors use, so you also see the surrounding highlands most day trips miss.

Along the way you stop at Rjúkandi waterfall and Hafrahvammagljúfur, a deep canyon carved by the same glacial river, before the highlight at Stuðlagil itself. From there the road continues to the Kárahnjúkar dam, a large hydro power project, and the Hálslón reservoir it created. The day ends with a soak in Laugavallalaug, a natural hot spring in a quiet valley, weather and road conditions allowing.

This is a highland route on a 4x4 bus, so it only runs in summer when the mountain roads are open, and conditions can still change the plan on short notice. Bring a swimsuit and towel for the hot spring, and be ready for some walking on uneven ground at the viewpoints.

Included

Experienced local guide
4x4 bus transport
Guided walks at the viewpoints
Visit to the hot spring

Not included

Food and drinks

What to bring

Packed lunch and a water bottle
Swimsuit and towel
Warm, waterproof jacket
Sturdy walking shoes
Layers for changeable highland weather

Good to know

Usually around 8 hours
Only runs in summer, when highland roads are open, roughly May to September
Some walking on uneven ground at the canyon viewpoints
The route can change with weather or road conditions
Minimum age 5
The paths to the Stuðlagil viewpoints are moderately steep; use the stairs going down and the gravel path back up
No changing rooms at the natural hot spring, only a sheltering wall
No meal options on the way, so bring a packed lunch and water

Questions people ask

When does this tour run?

Only in summer, when the highland roads are open, generally from May to September.

Do I need to bring a swimsuit?

Yes, bring a swimsuit and towel for the hot spring stop.

How much walking is involved?

There is some walking on uneven ground at the canyon viewpoints, so wear sturdy shoes.

Where does the tour start?

Pick-up is at the cruise ship port in Seyðisfjörður at the start time, or at Hús handanna craft and design shop in Egilsstaðir 30 minutes later.

Is there a minimum age?

Children from age 5 can join (child price 5-15).

Reviews

Reviews from travellers who took this tour. A local reads every review before it is shown.

5.0Based on 1 review

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1 star0

Stunning

This tour was simply stunning! We had the perfect weather on our cruise stop in July and I am so happy that we did this tour. Everything on this day exceeded our expectations - every second was simply wonderful. To sit in the hot spring shower in the middle of nowhere, we saw no other people around - it was a memory I will cherish forever!

Mary L. · January 2026

From50,710 ISKPer person