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The Highland Circle Activities

There’s more to the Highland Circle than the road itself.

Along the Highland Circle, every stop offers a new way to experience the wild and varied landscapes of Austurland. Hike to spectacular waterfalls and through dramatic canyons, explore forests and remote highland valleys, discover local history and culture, unwind in geothermal waters, or simply take your time and enjoy the vast landscapes along the way.

Whether you’re looking for hiking and outdoor adventures, peaceful moments in nature, cultural experiences, wildlife, or a relaxing soak after a day of exploring, the Highland Circle offers plenty of reasons to stop, explore and stay a little longer.

Explore activities along the Highland Circle and start building your own journey through the wild heart of Austurland.

Local Adventures

East Highlanders
East Highlanders is a family business and run by a team of experienced drivers and guides who will help you create new memories in East Iceland. We at East Highlanders call ourselves memory creators; …
Stóra-Sandfell Horse Rental
The horse rental/The travel service at Stóra-Sandfell is located 17 km. south of Egilsstaðir, by highway 95. When driving over the road called Öxi (which is the shortest route) or Breiðdalsheiði, the …
Finnsstaðir
Finnsstaðir is a family-run business located just five minutes from the town of Egilsstaðir. Finnsstaðir offers a range of services, including riding tours, accommodation and a camp ground. Horseback…
Reindeer Park
The Reindeer Park in Egilsstaðir is truly unique in Iceland – the only place where you can get up close and personal with reindeer.  The park began in 2021, when two reindeer calves were found without…
Hús Handanna Icelandic Craft & Design Shop
The Hús Handanna Shop is to find at the most trafficked crossroads in Eastern Iceland and in the heart of Egilsstadir town.The shop was established in 2010 and from the first day the main focus has be…
Tjarnargarðurinn Park
Tjarnargarðurinn is a lush park in the heart of Egilsstaðir, with beautiful woodland. Its name is derived from the pond that it surrounds. It is a nice place to relax, enjoy the weather, play, or have…
Húsey
Húsey farm is renowned for its picturesque nature, abundant wildlife and hiking opportunities. A marked hiking route will take you towards river Jökulsá where seals and seal pups hang out in the river…
Disc golf in Hallormsstaður
A 9 course track in Guttormslundur, close to the camping site in Atlavík. There are two tees at each basket which gives players at every experience level a run for their money. Here you can find a ma…
Stekkjarvík
Stekkjarvík is an outdoor area for the family about 4 km away from the urban area of ​​Hallormsstaður, close to Hafursá. There are playground equipment made from local wood, charcoal grills and tables…
Kárahnjúkar
The Power Plant at Kárahnjúkar is the largest construction project in Icelandic history and the most significant electricity production in the country. The Kárahnjúkar Power Plant was built to produce…
Fellabær Golf Course
You can happily play golf on the course in Fljótsdalshérað. There is a cozy 9-hole course run by Fljótsdalshérað golf club. The course is called Ekkjufellsvöllur and is par 70 in addition to boasting …
Go East
Go East is a family-run tour operator based in Egilsstaðir, offering private guided day tours throughout East Iceland. Our local guides know the roads, landscapes and stories of the region, creating …
Tanni Travel
Tanni Travel is a fully licensed travel agency and tour operator in East Iceland, focusing on offering authentic experiences in our beautiful region, Austurland. With over 17 buses and vehicles of var…
Travel East Iceland
Since 2011, at Travel East Iceland, we have developed an expertise in off-the-beaten-path discovery and a passion for sharing our discoveries with like-minded travellers.   The Travel East Iceland tea…
Eastfjords Adventures
Eastfjords Adventures is an Adventure company based in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland. We believe that adventure is not just about adrenaline and heart-pounding excitement; it's about discovering the tru…
Tinna Adventure
We at Tinna Adventure are Icelandic nature and travel enthusiasts. Whether by car, on a bike or on foot, we want to share Iceland’s unique nature and tranquility with you. We have extensive experience…

Wellness & Bathing

Vök Baths
Vök Baths is a geothermal destination on the beautiful Lake Urriðavatn in East Iceland. Located in only a 5-minute drive from Egilsstaðir, the largest settlement in the East, Vök Baths is an essential…
Egilsstaðir sports center
The Egilsstaðir Sports Center features an outdoor swimming pool with two hot tubs, a children's pool, a cold tub, a wading e. pool, a steam bath, and a waterslid  On the upper floor of the building is…
The Wilderness Center
The Wilderness Center is a peaceful and authentic hideaway on the edge of Northern Europe’s largest wilderness. It offers a unique insight into Iceland’s rural heritage, where history, nature and hosp…
Laugarfell
Laugarfell is located in the eastern part of the Icelandic Highlands, a bit north from Mount Snæfell. There are only two km from the road that leads to Kárahnjúkar to the hostel and it is the only par…

Museums & Historical Places

Sláturhúsið
Sláturhúsið, The Center for Art and Culture, is located in, Egilsstadir. As a Center for Performing Arts we are inspired every day to create, share, teach, excite and perform for our community. Altho…
East Iceland Heritage Museum
 East Iceland Heritage Museum (Minjasafn Austurlands)  The East Iceland Heritage Museum preserves and presents the cultural history, traditions, and community life of the region. The museum features t…
Geirsstaðakirkja
The pretty little turf church Geirsstaðakirkja is a reconstruction of a church from the Age of Vikings. An excavation at the estate of Litli-Bakki back in 1997 revealed ancient ruins of the small turf…
Kjarvalshvammur
A peaceful little haven, located at road 94 beside the Selfljót river south of Ketilsstaðir farm on the way out Héraðsflói. Here still stands a small cabin and a boathouse both of which belonged to Ic…
Sænautasel highland farm
Sænautasel on Jökuldalsheiði is a unique location by the tranquil mountain lake, Sænautavatn. Sænautasel is an old highland farmstead that was rebuilt in 1992 and has been welcoming visitors during th…
The Wilderness Center
The Wilderness Center is a peaceful and authentic hideaway on the edge of Northern Europe’s largest wilderness. It offers a unique insight into Iceland’s rural heritage, where history, nature and hosp…
Stapavík by Héraðsflói
Stapavík is an inlet that lies in a magnificent setting of steep cliffs and the open sea. From 1930-1945 Stapavík was a used as an unloading port for ships and is closely related to the commercial his…
Lagarfljót Wyrm monster
The Lagarfljót is one of Iceland´s deepest lakes and lies in a narrow trough carved by glaciers. It reaches a depth of 112 m, 90 m below sea level and shows no obvious flow. Its deep mysterious glacia…
Gálgaás
Gálgaás is an old execution place in Egilsstaðir. The cliff Gálgaás, just east of Egilsstaðir Church, may seem unimposing, yet it has been the location of many a lugubrious destiny in centuries past. …
Kirkjubær
Kirkjubær in Hróarstunga was a presbitery until 1956, a site of distinction and local intellectuals. The church dates from 1851 and is well preserved. It has a pulprit dating from the 16. th. century …
Midhús
Miðhús was among the first guesthouses in the Hérað region. Travelers passed Miðhús on their way to Seyðisfjörður and Eskifjörður. Today Miðhús houses an art gallery and a workshop (operative since 19…
Möðrudalskirkja
In Möðrudalur there is a small and beautiful church that was built in 1949. Farmer Jón A. Stefánsson (1880-1971) created the church in memory of his wife, Þórunn Vilhjálmsdóttir, who died in 1944. The…
Skessugarður
Skessugarður - the Rampart of the Giantess is a natural phenomenon in East Iceland, which has been called one of the most amazing natural formations in the country. It was formed by an ice-age glacier…
Turf Houses by Hjarðarhagi
The old sheep houses by Hjarðarhagi are the remains of a six-house cluster, but the other houses were removed around 1970 due to proximity to the ring road. Today, these remaining houses have been ren…
Galtastaðir Fram Turf house
The old farm of Galtastaðir Fram is a well-preserved turf house from the 19th century. Inhabited until 1967 the building exemplifies the sort of housing common in Iceland in previous centuries, heated…
Unaós
Unaós ("The Estuary of Uni" is a beautiful inlet on the east coast of Héraðflói bay. It is named after the settler Uni Garðarsson but according to the Book of Settlements (12th.century), he docked in …
Vallanes
Vallanes is a farm and a vicarage, known for the habitation of many leading scholars and literates of centuries past. Today the farmers of Vallanes are renowned for organic farming and pioneer product…
Runa Park
Runa Park is a unique and captivating place at Hjarðarhagi in East Iceland, surrounded by the beauty of the Icelandic landscape. The park invites visitors to slow down, explore the area, and enjoy the…
Skriðuklaustur, Centre of culture & history
Skriðuklaustur is the former home of the famous author Gunnar Gunnarsson (1889-1975). Since 2000 it has been open as a centre of culture & history with various activities and exhibitions. It houses a …
Snæfellsstofa Visitor Centre, Skriðuklaustur
Snæfellsstofa is the information center for the eastern territory of Vatnajökull National Park. It is situated at Skriðuklaustur in an environmentally friendly building. The house itself is the first …
Hrafnkels saga trail
Hrafnkell's Saga Freysgoði is set in East Iceland and tells the story of conflicts between chieftains in the 10th century. Hrafnkell’s farm in Fljótsdalur is named after Hrafnkell, who lived there for…

Hiking

Þerribjörg
Drive the main road up Hellisheiði mountain and when you’ve reached where you are about the highest part, take an off-road trail to the right from there until you’ve reached Kattárdalsdrög. The trail …
Landsendi
Walk from the sign by the road no 917 towards Ker (before crossing the mountain road Hellisheiði) (N65°42.52- W14°24.41), and from there to Landsendahorn cliff. There one can enjoy a magnificent view …
Hallormsstaður hiking circle
A fun trail for the whole family. The route is unmarked but leads to three marked hiking trails. We walk from Hallormsstaðskóli (Húsó), down to Kliftjörn, from there through Höfðavík campsite and then…
Hallormsstaður National Forest
The birchwood remnants at Hallormsstaður farm were protected in 1905, making it Iceland’s first national forest. Today, birch forest and woodland cover about 350 hectares within the original fenced ar…
Hafrahvammagljufur
Hafrahvammagljúfur in Austurland is one of the largest and most magnificent gorges in Iceland. The gorge is about 200 meters from the bottom to the edge (where it is highest), and the canyon is about …
Remba - Hiking trail
The way up Remba is a very pleasant trail. On it you can see Lambafoss, 21 m high, and the gorge which Staðará flows through. If you walk all the way up, you come to an old dam for a 27 kW power plant…
Arboretum in Hallormsstaðar Forest
The Hallormsstaður Arboretum is unique in Iceland, comprising a collection of around 80 tree species originating from various parts of the world. In addition to trees, there are also various species o…
Bjargselsbotnar
Hiking trail starts by a sign near Hallormsstaðarskóli schoolhouse in Hallormsstaður woodland following a light green marked trail that passes through an area where half the mountain slid forward some…
Strútsfoss
Start at the sign near Sturluflöt, the innermost farm in Suðurdalur, located east of the Kelduá. From there, walk along the banks of the Fellsá on the eastern side of Villingadalur. The waterfall cann…
Hengifoss Waterfall
Hengifoss Waterfall is one of the most popular destinations in East Iceland, known for being one of the tallest waterfalls in Iceland at 128 meters high. It is particularly picturesque. A good hiking …
The waterfall trail
The glacial river of the Fljótsdalur valley has many waterfalls of different sizes and shapes, stretching from farms by the edge of the highlands up to the Ramsar protected wetlands of Eyjabakkar. It …
Snæfell
Mt Snæfell towering to 1,833 m, is the highest mountain in Iceland, outside the glacier regions. Even so, and despite the omnipresent snow, (Snæfell = "The Snow Mountain), it is fairly accessible from…
The Worm in Vallanes
An adventurous trail that meanders like the Lagarfljót worm through the oldest forest in Vallanes from 1989. There are many short and exciting side paths (escape routes) on the trail. In the middle of…
Gjárhjalli
The trail to Gjárhjalli runs from Glúmsstaðasel in Norðurdalur, Fljótsdalur and up the western slope of Múlan. Gjárhjallin is a special natural phenomenon with cracks and chasms, up to 20 m deep. The …
Fardagafoss Hiking Trail
Fardagafoss waterfall is located near Egilsstaðir, at the base of Fjarðarheiði. It is one of three waterfalls on the Miðhúsaá; the others are called Gufufoss and Folaldafoss. A marked hiking trail lea…
Eiríksstaðahneflar - hike
Hike starts by að sign on the bank of river Þverá south of Eiríksstaðir farm and continues on to Fremri Hnefill – mountain top (947 m). From there one can cross over to the top of Ytri Hnefill (922m) …
Grjotgardur við Hjardarhaga
A walk of about two and a half hours, fairly short but quite steep. Park your cars at the crossroads to Hnefilsdalur. Walk from the sign, located by the main road (no 1), a marked path up along the ri…
Magnahellir
Drive north of Kárahnjúkastífla reservoir along a road (fit for SUV) on Lambafell to crossroads by Laugavellir. Drive down to a parking area by Dimmugljúfur canyons. There you will find a sign contain…
Húsey
Húsey farm is renowned for its picturesque nature, abundant wildlife and hiking opportunities. A marked hiking route will take you towards river Jökulsá where seals and seal pups hang out in the river…
Hnjúksvatn
Hnjúksvatn is a lake on the heath across from Merki farm. Walk from the sign by road no. 923 along Hnjúksá river to Binnubúð hut by Hnjúksvatn. By the hut, you will find the cylinder with the visitors…
Selskógur
Selskógur is a popular outdoor recreation area located east of Egilsstaðir, across the Eyvindará. A network of trails winds through the forest, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the beautiful natura…
Valtyshellir
Walk from the sign by road no 1 road east of Gilsá river (N65°08,172-W14°31.133), pass the ruins of Hátún which used to be a large farm in the early ages. It is said to have had 18 doors on iron hinge…
Ferðafélag Fljótsdalshéraðs - Hiking Club
The Touring Club of Fljótsdalshérað (FFF) is a member of  The Icelandic Touring Association. Every year FFF organizes and offers a variety of tours and trips. Scheduled information on the touring prog…