At a glance
| Recommended days | 5 - 10 days |
|---|---|
| Budget level | $$$ |
| Daily cost | €150-260 |
| Best season | Jun-Aug · Feb |
| Region | North Atlantic |
Day-by-day plan
This route comes from our full Iceland North Circle guide - each day below links to the deeper detail there.
- Reykjavik → Akureyri via a route confirmed open; allow most of the day
- Akureyri: fjord town, whale museum
- Akureyri → Godafoss → Myvatn
- Myvatn: Hverir, Dimmuborgir, Nature Baths
- Myvatn → Husavik: whale watching
- Husavik → Dettifoss: most powerful falls
Pacing this route
The north rewards fewer, longer stops: Akureyri as a base (3 nights), Myvatn (2–3), Husavik or Trollaskagi (2). Some transfers take much longer than two hours, especially the Reykjavik–Akureyri leg and every evening still lands somewhere with a hot soak or a harbour.
Weather is the real schedule: build one flex day into any 7-day plan, check road.is each morning, and treat a closed pass as a reroute, not a crisis.
Fewer or more days
- Fewer days: Akureyri + Myvatn in 4 days covers the geothermal core — add Husavik only if whales outrank hot springs.
- More days: extend around Trollaskagi peninsula or push to the Eastfjords; both add coastline with minimal extra traffic.
Practical tips for this route
- Book the Husavik whale boats for morning slots — the bay is calmest before the afternoon wind, and humpbacks surface more reliably in flat water.
- Fuel is pricier and scarcer around Trollaskagi; fill at Akureyri before the peninsula loop.
- The midnight sun wrecks sleep in June: pack an eye mask, and book rooms with blackout shutters where you can.
Pair the route with the daily budget breakdown and the best-time-to-visit calendar to lock your dates, or hand the stops to our interactive trip planner.
Related guides
Best time to visit North Iceland · North Iceland travel budget · Full North Iceland guide · Interactive trip planner
FAQ
How many days for North Iceland?
Five is the itinerary's core (Akureyri, Myvatn, Husavik); seven to ten adds Trollaskagi and the Eastfjords. The north rewards slow loops over long drives.
Is Myvatn worth two nights?
Yes — the pseudo-craters, lava fields, baths and bird cliffs fill two easy days, and it is the best aurora base in the north when the season allows.
When can I see whales and aurora together?
Late August and September: whale boats still run, the nights are dark again, and the crowds are gone. It is the north's best-value month by a wide margin.
Is 5 days enough for northern Iceland?
Yes — the plan above is built for the recommended 5-10 days. At 5 days, use the cuts noted under 'Fewer or more days'; at 10, the pacing stays relaxed without adding new regions.