75 Best Sights in North Iceland, Iceland

The trail to this remarkable row of red scoria craters starts from the parking lot just past the Vesturdalur campsite—don't be confused by the popular site in Heiðmörk near Reykjavík with the same name. The footing can be tricky in places, but otherwise it's not too challenging. The rocky path winds enchantingly through remarkable basalt structures with unusual natural patterns.

A short trail off Route 752 leads to this enchanting little waterfall, one of the lesser-photographed spots in Iceland. It is not only lovely to look at, but it also provides a relaxing natural soundtrack to those taking a dip in the nearby Fosslaug natural pool.

On the way to Langanes, around 7 km (4.3 miles) north of Þórhöfn, make a quick stop at this charming little restored stone vicarage from 1879, which houses a folk museum and café.

A family runs this craft beer brewery whose name is a compound of their favorite number and the word for “magnet” in Icelandic. The building was formerly a fish factory and the largest workplace in town. They offer tours of the brewery, where you can sample brews and see how they're made.

Plenty of people stop to see the famed Dettifoss waterfall, but most sleep on its sister, Selfoss, which is located just slightly upstream and a short hike away from the Dettifoss parking area. A panoramic spot filled with small tumbling cascades of glacial water, it's surrounded by some spectacular basalt cliffs to awaken your inner geologist. 

This leafy, scenic town park is complete with a babbling brook, duck pond, and some exotic tree species such as the Manchurian cherry. It's perfect for an afternoon stroll in any weather but is particularly charming in the summer, which comes with the soundtrack of quacking ducks.

On the south side of Lake Mývatn (easily accessible on foot), there is a cluster of beautifully formed pseudocraters situated close to Skútustaðir. Not real volcanic craters, they are the result of violent steam explosions created when hot lava flows into a body of water, a rare phenomenon outside of Iceland.

To mark the location where the Arctic Circle transects the island, the Orbis et Globus (Circle and Sphere) was commissioned and installed in 2017. The artwork, which is a 3-meter concrete sphere, was designed by Kristinn E. Hrafnsson in collaboration with Studio Grandi. The orb is moved once a year to reflect the changing position of the Arctic circle. The 3.7-km walk from the harbor to the Arctic Circle is a three-hour round trip.

Inspired by Stonehenge in England, the Arctic Henge is an impressive work of art, albeit incomplete, located atop a desolate hill in Raufarhöfn. Featuring a 10-meter-tall stone archway at the center and surrounded by four smaller arches, the attraction is designed to behave like a sundial, but one that also frames the sun and other celestial sources of light such as the auroras. The unfinished Arctic Henge is rooted in Icelandic mythology sourced from the ancient Eddic poem, Völuspá (the prophecy of the seeress), and once complete, it will feature a giant sunlight-scattering crystal and a circular perimeter of stone pillars, each symbolic of one of the 72 dwarfs of Völuspa. The stones are easy to spot once you get to the town of Raufarhöfn.

Inside the island’s oldest house, historically renovated to match its original style, is a surprisingly interesting exhibition on the history of shark fishing in Iceland. The Hrísey Tourist Information Center is also here.

This unusual turf-house stable is the only one of its kind known to exist in Iceland. It’s just one of the attractions at Lýtingsstaðir, which also offers horseback riding and self-catering accommodation in cottages located just below the Old Stable.

An old abandoned herring factory has found new life as a contemporary art center, showcasing several eclectic exhibitions each year. The collective behind the gallery has a fantastic eye for up-and-coming talent and exhibitions that spark conversation. It's located in the tiny village of Hjalteyri, about 20 minutes south of Dalvik. 

The marked trail to the cairn-topped summit of Mount Windbag—an appropriately named 529 meter (1,735 feet) peak—takes around 30 minutes to hike and zigzags through thickets of heather and up steep scree slopes. The wind warning is in the title, so dress appropriately and wear decent walking boots, as the scree slopes are slippery. For the sweeping views of the lake and craters from the top, it’s well worth the time and effort. Access is via a gravel parking lot off Route 1.

Its name means “hell” in Icelandic, but this crater lake with its brilliant turquoise pool looks more like heaven. The ancient belief that volcanoes were the gateways to the netherworld of eternal damnation inspired the name of this beauty and, confusingly, another crater lake of the same name in Askja. A path from the car park leads around the rim.

Set in a peaceful meadow with pastures for grazing horses, Víðimýri Church (off Route 1) is one of only six preserved turf churches in Iceland. The beautiful building constructed of thick sod and driftwood is still used as a parish church, but also opens its doors to visitors daily (between 9 am and 6 pm) during the summer.