Summer highlights of East Iceland

You’ve probably heard that Icelandic summers are relatively cool, and you may have experienced that kind of weather in Reykjavík. For a taste of T-shirt temps, you might like to head east – and be prepared to meet the rest of Iceland there! 

East and North Iceland often get the warmest summer sunshine, with temperatures reaching 20°C (68°F) or more. That’s hot for Iceland! Remember, too, that there’s an abundance of daylight to enjoy in the summer.

To investigate the very best of East Iceland, local photographer Ása Steinars documented a few sunny days exploring the sights.

Want to put yourself in the picture? Icelandair flies daily from Reykjavík domestic airport to Egilsstaðir, the heart of East Iceland. Flight time is only 60 minutes.

From Egilsstaðir, there’s an amazing array of natural wonders to explore, including fjords, hiking trails, puffin colonies, waterfalls, and more.

Check out some of our photogenic favorites, from Seyðisfjörður, one of Iceland’s prettiest small towns, to geothermal pools atop a lake and a remarkable canyon lined with basalt columns.

Vök Baths, only a few kilometers outside Egilsstaðir, is a designer bathing complex that’s as relaxing as it is photogenic. The natural hot springs that are bubbling away deep under the lake Urriðavatn fill two floating pools set in the lake waters, reached by a short walkway from the main complex.

Want to get really off the beaten track? Laugavallalaug is a hidden hot spring in the eastern highland area that’s become known for its warm waterfall that cascades into a rocky pool. Note that the access road is only open in summer, and requires a 4x4 to reach.

Beautiful Borgarfjörður Eystri has a couple of claims to fame, including stellar hiking and a great summer festival, Bræðslan. From April to August, it’s also home to one of the most accessible puffin colonies in Iceland.

Thousands of puffins nest on a small islet known as Hafnarhólmi, by Borgarfjarðarhöfn (the local marina), and wooden stairs and platforms make it easy to observe and photograph these colorful birds.

There are plenty of places to chase waterfalls in the East. In the remote fjord Mjóifjörður (population: 14), a beautiful cascade known as Klifbrekkufossar flows down a mountainside in seven tiers.

Near the southern end of the lake Lagarfljót, a hiking trail leads to the magnificent Hengifoss, one of Iceland’s highest falls. Its waters plummet into a canyon marked by red clay stripes amid the black basalt. On the trail to the viewpoint of Hengifoss, you’ll pass another photogenic cascade named Litlanesfoss.

Beginning at remote, view-enhanced Laugarfell in the eastern highlands, the Waterfall Circle is an 8km (5-mile) loop that takes you past five glorious waterfalls and along the edge of a canyon. This beautiful hike is finding newfound populatory among hikers keen to get off the beaten track on some of Iceland’s incredible but lesser-known trails.

One of East Iceland’s favorite wonders is Stuðlagil canyon, an incredible sight of natural beauty. Remarkable basalt columns frame a river that changes color – at its most photogenic, in summer and winter, the water is a blue-green hue.

This article first appeared in summer 2023 and was updated in April 2026.