East Iceland at a slower pace

Why an inland and a coastal stay

Egilsstaðir offers a practical arrival area and access to the Lagarfljót surroundings. Start with supplies, a modest local outing and a settled night rather than immediately crossing another pass.

A fjord base changes the experience: evening streets, water views and time after day visitors leave. It changes logistics too; one coastal town is not automatically convenient for all the others.

Give a walk a realistic day

Choose a walk from current local information, matching gradient, surface and exposure to the group. Include its approach, lunch and recovery time.

For a canyon or waterfall outing, use the designated access and local warnings. A social-media location is not a trail guide. This itinerary supplies a rhythm and bases, not a certification of trails for your dates.

Choose a coastal direction

Southern fjords work better as their own day or a further overnight stay than a series of rushed stops before travelling north. Moving between regions still needs room for winding roads and ordinary town pauses.

A northern coastal extension is another choice, not a mandatory finish. Five days can be well spent without reaching every settlement or the most remote road.

Plan entry and departure

A domestic flight can serve a standalone east-coast holiday. An international ferry approach has its own sailing, check-in, vehicle and onward-road requirements. Neither connection is assumed here.

Keep the final day adaptable. Avoid tying a weather-sensitive pass journey to a tight onward connection. In winter, an inland base and fewer coastal transfers may work better; shorten the route when conditions require rather than compensating with hurried driving.

Give the town an evening

Staying after the daytime drive changes how a fjord town feels. Leave an evening free for a waterfront stroll and a meal rather than arranging another excursion. Check local dining and grocery availability for the date, especially outside the busiest season; a scenic accommodation address does not guarantee convenient nearby services.

Your route, stage by stage

1. 1 · Arrive inland

   Arrival → grocery stop → a short local town walk. Long road or ferry approaches need time outside these regional days.

   Allow for the day

   2–4 hr from local airport exit; flight/baggage and any long road or ferry approach excluded.

   Time at the stops

   Groceries/check-in 1–1½ hr; optional local stroll 30–60 min.

   Between stops	Travel time
   Egilsstaðir airport → Egilsstaðir accommodation	allow 10–20 min for a local transfer; the town tourism office places the airport about 1 km from town

   Base: Egilsstaðir

   Adapt it: Rest before starting the hiking days.

2. 2 · Hengifoss as the main walk

   Use the signed Hengifoss service-centre parking approach. Litlanesfoss is on the way; the regional destination page describes around 40–60 minutes uphill to Hengifoss. Allow descent and a meal separately, then return rather than adding a second long hike.

   Allow for the day

   5–7 hr including road pauses. Use the signed service-centre approach; the waterfall’s map pin is not a vehicle destination.

   Time at the stops

   Hengifoss/Litlanesfoss out-and-back 2–3 hr including descent and pauses; food 45–60 min.

   On foot

   Regional guidance describes about 40–60 min uphill; the allowance here covers descent and unhurried stops too.

   Between stops	Travel time	Distance
   Egilsstaðir → Hengifoss trail approach	about 35 min–45 min driving	about 35 km
   Hengifoss trail approach → Egilsstaðir	about 35 min–45 min driving	about 35 km

   Base: Same Egilsstaðir base

   Adapt it: Use the shorter approach only if safe; do not enter the gorge in icy conditions.

   Hengifoss

3. 3 · Hallormsstaður forest

   Drive the Lagarfljót-side route to Hallormsstaður. Choose the arboretum and a signed forest segment towards the Atlavík lakeshore; pick up the official trail map for your actual start. Picnic and return without a mileage target.

   Allow for the day

   4–6 hr including the drive and pauses; choose the actual trail on the official forest map.

   Time at the stops

   Arboretum and a signed forest/lakeshore segment 1½–2½ hr; picnic 45–60 min.

   Between stops	Travel time	Distance
   Egilsstaðir → Hallormsstaður	about 25 min–35 min driving	about 25 km
   Hallormsstaður → Egilsstaðir	about 25 min–35 min driving	about 25 km

   Base: Same Egilsstaðir base

   Adapt it: Keep a shorter forest visit or an available indoor stop near Egilsstaðir.

   Hallormsstaður

4. 4 · Move over the pass to Seyðisfjörður

   Check the Fjarðarheiði pass, then move to the fjord. Rainbow Street → Blue Church exterior → harbour walk after check-in. The regional tourism office describes about 30 minutes from Egilsstaðir in ordinary conditions; our editorial allowance is 45–60 minutes for the transfer before longer stops, with more time or cancellation when conditions require.

   Allow for the day

   3–5 hr for this deliberately short moving day; pass disruption can require another Egilsstaðir night.

   Time at the stops

   Rainbow Street/Blue Church exterior 30–45 min; harbour 30–60 min; food/check-in 1–1½ hr.

   Between stops	Travel time
   Egilsstaðir → Seyðisfjörður via Road 93	about 30 min in ordinary conditions according to Visit Austurland; plan 45–60 min before sightseeing stops

   Base: Seyðisfjörður

   Adapt it: Stay another inland night if the pass is unsuitable.

   Seyðisfjörður

5. 5 · Art and fjord time

   Skaftfell’s current exhibition when open → lunch → a permitted local Fjarðará or fjord-side walk. A longer hillside trail needs its own weather and route choice.

   Allow for the day

   4–6 hr; choose town time if the exposed walk is unsuitable.

   Time at the stops

   Skaftfell exhibition 45–60 min when open; local permitted walk 1–2 hr; lunch 45–60 min.

   Between stops	Travel time
   Seyðisfjörður accommodation → Rainbow Street / Skaftfell / harbour	allow 10–20 min on foot between central stops; the actual room address adds time

   Base: Same Seyðisfjörður base

   Adapt it: Keep the day in town and omit exposed hillside walking.

   Seyðisfjörður

6. 6 · Reserve in the fjord or inland

   Use the day for a moved town/forest visit. Stay local in Seyðisfjörður, or return to Egilsstaðir over the checked Road 93 pass before an airport connection.

   Allow for the day

   3–5 hr for the local/repositioning version; repeat the hiking day’s 5–7-hr budget if that is the moved visit.

   Time at the stops

   One moved town/forest visit 1–2 hr; meal and packing 1–1½ hr.

   Between stops	Travel time
   Seyðisfjörður → Egilsstaðir, only if repositioning	plan 45–60 min via the checked Road 93 pass

   Base: Base suited to next connection

   Adapt it: Prioritise the base required for departure rather than a new fjord transfer.

7. 7 · Airport exit or deliberate southern continuation

   For the regional airport exit, return from Seyðisfjörður the preceding day where flight timing requires. A southern continuation is a separate option via Reyðarfjörður and Breiðdalsvík to Djúpivogur; choose an extra southern overnight.

   Allow for the day

   1½–3 hr to local terminal arrival, plus the carrier’s airport margin and flight wait. For the Djúpivogur continuation allow 5–7 hr including harbour, lunch and check-in.

   Time at the stops

   Packing/rental handover 1–1½ hr; no assigned sightseeing before a flight.

   Between stops	Travel time
   Egilsstaðir accommodation → Egilsstaðir airport	allow 10–20 min for a local transfer; verify the actual room/rental-return address
   Egilsstaðir → Djúpivogur — continuation only	via Reyðarfjörður about 35 min–45 min, Breiðdalsvík about 1 hr–1 hr 15 min, then Djúpivogur about 55 min–1 hr 10 min; reverse coastal legs, no Road 939 shortcut

   Base: Egilsstaðir airport, or extra Djúpivogur night

   Adapt it: Keep the airport exit and omit the southern extension.

   Djúpivogur

Keep in mind

Use the days as an outline

This is our independent itinerary. An operator itinerary can use different bases, stop lengths and inclusions; compare the actual programme.

Build the next stage

The named bases are towns/areas, not booked rooms. Put the actual lodging or campsite address and flight/departure time into your planner, then include meals, supplies and walking time.

Road time

The listed road legs are rounded planning ranges derived from road-model estimates for named approaches and reference towns, assuming open roads and ordinary conditions. They exclude sightseeing and are not live traffic, winter or camper-speed predictions. Add the visit and whole-day budgets, then check the actual base address and permitted roads.