Things to do
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Hengifoss
Allow about two hours for the round trip to the base of the falls, and wear boots, because the path turns muddy in rain.
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Stuðlagil Canyon
Go for the basalt columns on both walls above the turquoise river, and check the road conditions before you set off.
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Hafnarhólmi Puffin Colony
A small islet in the harbour at Borgarfjörður eystri, about 75 km from Egilsstaðir by road, holds a large puffin colony. From mid-April to mid-August a viewing platform lets visitors approach the birds closely without disturbing them, so the long drive out belongs in those months.
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Möðrudalur Church
Break the long highland crossing toward Mývatn here, at the farm with the turf-roofed chapel on the Ring Road.
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Seyðisfjörður Blue Church
The rainbow-painted street in the middle of Seyðisfjörður leads to the Blue Church, in the harbour town over the Fjarðarheiði pass from Egilsstaðir. The church, the painted paving and the harbour where the ferry from Denmark docks all sit close together, so a day in the town can be spent on foot.
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Vök Baths
Two geothermal pools float on the surface of Lake Urriðavatn, a short drive from the town centre, so the hot water sits level with the cold lake around it. A sauna and a cold-water spray tunnel stand on the shore, and the lockers open with a wristband handed out at the door. No bus runs there, so the way in is by car or taxi, and two hours is a usual stay.
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Skriðuklaustur
Stop here on the drive up the Fljótsdalur valley, and check it is open outside high summer.
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Museum
East Iceland Heritage Museum
Make it your first stop in town: a compact museum by the park in the centre.
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Fardagafoss
About five kilometres out of town on the road to Seyðisfjörður, below the Fjarðarheiði heath, a walk of half an hour leads to this waterfall in a gorge. The last part is a rocky descent into the gorge itself, so boots with a good grip help. A cave opens behind the falling water, and the local story hides a giantess's gold inside it.
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Hallormsstaðaskógur National Forest
Iceland's largest national forest runs along the shore of Lagarfljót about twenty-five kilometres south of town, with forty kilometres of marked trails through the trees. The easiest walk is the wide boardwalk through the arboretum, the most extensive collection of trees in the country, and there are camping areas in the woods. The drive from Egilsstaðir takes twenty to thirty minutes.
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Lagarfljót
This long glacial lake begins at the edge of town, and its shores grow more wooded as they run south toward the forest at Hallormsstaður. Road 931 leaves the Ring Road at the bridge by Fellabær and follows the western shore to Hengifoss, and easy walks along the water start from town. Local legend gives the lake a serpent of its own.
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Skaftfell Center for Visual Art
Add it to your day in Seyðisfjörður, along with the Blue Church and the harbour.
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The Wilderness Center
Drive on to the end of the valley road if you have the afternoon free after Hengifoss.
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Hotel
Lake Hotel
The Lake Hotel stands on the bank of Lagarfljót at the edge of Egilsstaðir, a short drive from the guesthouses and services that cluster around Miðvangur in the centre. Staying here puts the lake shore at the door, and Road 931 to Hengifoss leaves the Ring Road at the bridge by Fellabær.
