Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods
A wide semicircle of falls right beside the road — far quieter than the south-coast icons, and magical at dawn.
Akureyri & the North
A gentle northern capital by the fjord
Best time
June – September
Gentle pace
3–4 slow days
Ideal for
Nature lovers · Families · Whale watchers
Akureyri is Iceland’s second city, though “town” fits better — a cluster of colourful houses beside a long fjord, backed by snow-flecked mountains and warmed by the Gulf Stream. The north is quieter, greener and gentler than the tourist-thick south, with whale-watching, waterfalls and the odd turf-roofed church around every corner.
With children, swim in the geothermal town pool, take a whale-watching boat from the harbour, and drive the Diamond Circle to the mighty Dettifoss and the bubbling mud at Hverir. Long summer evenings make for unhurried days.
Worth lingering over
Whale-watching from Akureyri
Humpbacks feed in the fjord all summer; two-hour boats run daily and children rarely fail to spot one.
The Diamond Circle
A day loop taking in Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi canyon and the steaming fields of Hverir — the north’s greatest hits.
Hidden gem
Goðafoss at dawn
The south-coast waterfalls draw the crowds, but Goðafoss — the “Waterfall of the Gods” — sits beside the Ring Road in the north, a sweeping crescent of blue-white water that you can often have entirely to yourself at first light. Arrive before 7am in summer, walk down to the rim, and listen to the roar with no one else around.