Seyðisfjörður Blue Church & Rainbow Street
Nordic timber church & painted street
A picturesque pastel-blue wooden church approached via a brightly painted rainbow pathway between heritage merchant houses.
SeyðisfjörðurArchitectureArt
Eastfjords & Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
Ideal: 2–3 daysBest: Jun–Aug for puffin colonies at Borgarfjörður Eystri, art festivals and snow-free mountain passesPrice: Expensive
In 60 seconds
Eastfjords & Seyðisfjörður in 60 seconds
Sculpted by dramatic fjord walls and ancient volcanic basalt layers, the Eastfjords represent one of Iceland's most tranquil landscapes. The creative village of Seyðisfjörður sits nestled beneath mountain waterfalls, famous for its rainbow-painted stone street leading to a baby-blue timber church, while the inland services town of Egilsstaðir sits beside Lake Lagarfljót and the floating pools of Vök Baths.
FjordsCultureNatureArt
Best for
- Hiking
Known for
- Seyðisfjörður rainbow street
- Vök geothermal baths
- Hengifoss waterfall
Skip if
You are speeding through the Ring Road on a rushed timetable that bypasses the winding coastal fjords.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Eastfjords & Seyðisfjörður fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Hengifoss Waterfall
Red clay-striped basalt gorge waterfall
At 128 metres, one of Iceland's tallest cascades, plunging down a sheer cliff striped with distinct horizontal red clay strata.
FljótsdalurFreeHiking
Borgarfjörður Eystri Puffin Marina
Hafnarhólmi puffin observation harbour
A sheltered fishing marina featuring purpose-built wooden boardwalks allowing close observation of thousands of nesting puffins.
Borgarfjörður EystriFreePuffins
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
Casual
No booking, no ceremony, reliably good.
Skaftfell Bistro
ModerateVisual art centre bistro & sourdough pizza
Housed on the ground floor of the Skaftfell Visual Art Centre, turning out crisp sourdough pizzas and regional beers.
SeyðisfjörðurArt centreCasual
Kaffi Lára El Grillo Bar
ModerateRustic pub, grilled steaks & house brew
An offbeat timber pub lined with memorabilia, serving grilled local meats and its own El Grillo draft beer.
SeyðisfjörðurAtmosphericGrill
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Nordic Restaurant at Hotel Aldan
ExpensiveHarbour dining in a nineteenth-century bank building
Seasonal Eastfjords seafood, pan-roasted cod and regional lamb served in an elegantly preserved 1898 timber townhouse.
SeyðisfjörðurHistoricLocal produce
Nielsen Restaurant
ExpensiveCreative gastronomy in Egilsstaðir's oldest house
Chef-driven seasonal cuisine highlighting reindeer, forest mushrooms and fresh fjord fish inside an 1944 wooden home.
EgilsstaðirFine diningHistoric
Bókakaffi Hlöðum
InexpensiveBookshop café on Lake Lagarfljót
A peaceful combination of second-hand bookstore and café serving brewed coffee, rye toast and homemade pastries.
EgilsstaðirBooksCakes
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Vök Baths
ExpensiveGeothermal pools floating in Lake Urriðavatn
Modern geothermal pools built directly into the lake waters, fed by certified drinkable natural hot springs.
EgilsstaðirGeothermalLake view
Stuðlagil Canyon
Turquoise river and giant basalt columns
A deep river canyon revealed when a hydroelectric dam lowered water levels, showcasing massive vertical basalt columns.
JökuldalurFreeGeology
The Wilderness Centre (Óbyggðasetrið)
ModerateHighland fringe living heritage museum
An evocative restored highland farmhouse at the edge of Vatnajökull National Park offering horseback riding, exhibits and smokehouse food.
FljótsdalurHeritageHighlands
After dark
Bars & nightlife
Askur Pizzeria & Brewery
ModerateLocal microbrewery & wood-fired pizza
A modern taproom in Egilsstaðir offering locally crafted East Iceland beers and freshly baked sourdough pizza.
EgilsstaðirBreweryModern
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Seyðisfjörður
Artistic fjord settlement
Colourful timber architecture, artisan studios and weekly passenger ferry arrivals from Denmark.
Egilsstaðir
Regional transport & services town
The crossroad hub on the banks of Lagarfljót with regional airport, thermal spas and supermarkets.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Seyðisfjörður Village
ExpensiveAtmospheric fjord stay
Best for slow evenings, heritage hotel rooms and peaceful walks beside the waterfall-fed lagoon.
Art & diningFjord
Egilsstaðir Hub
ModerateCentral transport base
Practical for exploring Stuðlagil, Hengifoss and the Eastfjords without driving mountain passes in poor weather.
HubServices
Practical
Know before you go
- Fjarðarheiði pass
- Road 93 across Fjarðarheiði mountain connects Egilsstaðir to Seyðisfjörður; fog and winter snow can require caution.
- Smyril Line ferry
- The MS Norröna ferry operates weekly car and passenger connections to Denmark and the Faroe Islands.
- Lake monster lore
- Local legend claims the serpent Lagarfljótsormurinn has inhabited the cold depths of Lake Lagarfljót since 1345.
- Internal flights
- Domestic flights operate multiple times daily between Reykjavík Domestic Airport and Egilsstaðir (EGS).
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 1848
Norwegian fishermen establish herring stations in Seyðisfjörður, building the distinctive wooden architectural quarter.
- 1906
The first submarine telegraph cable lands at Seyðisfjörður, connecting Iceland to Europe for the first time.
- 1998
The Skaftfell Centre for Visual Art opens, cementing the village's status as an international artists' colony.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Lake Lagarfljót & Hallormsstaðaskógur
Iceland's largest national forest
A rare expanse of protected birch and larch woodlands extending along the shores of the glacial lake.
20 min from EgilsstaðirForestHiking
Djúpivogur Village
Slow-travel fishing village & Eggin í Gleðivík
A quiet Cittaslow-accredited harbour village known for Langabúð timber heritage house and the stone egg sculptures.
1.5 hours south along Route 1ArtCoastal