The 9 Best Shore Excursions in North Iceland

1.Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $205Our pick

From Akureyri’s cruise pier, you’ll travel with a guide such as Oli, Jon, Graham, or Johannes to Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn. Expect steaming fumaroles, Dimmuborgir lava, Grjótagjá Cave, and an optional visit to Mývatn Nature Baths. The tour lasts about 5 to 6 hours and returns to the ship.

“Beautiful trip to see an amazing waterfall and areas where lava continues to heat the surface with the funk of sulfur”

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2.Lake Mývatn and Godafoss Cruise Ship Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 121 reviews · from $176

This five-hour small-group trip takes you from Akureyri port along Eyjafjörður to Goðafoss, Dimmuborgir, Námaskarð, and Lake Mývatn. You can bathe at Mývatn Nature Baths or visit Grjótagjá instead. Local guides such as Biggi, Armann, Bikir, and Oli lead the tour in English, with ship timing and port pickup carefully coordinated.

“We had a wonderful trip with Armann, the owner of Imagine Iceland. He was so knowledgeable about geology, history and folklore. He was able to keep a diverse group of child, grandchildren and old people entertained and educated. We were comfortable in his well maintained van. There were lots of flies at some of the sites, but he was thoughtful and would only stop to talk in places where the wind was blowing to keep the flies away. This was one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland. I would vigorously recommend Imagine Iceland for a great insight into this island country.Read more”

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3.Myvatn Nature Baths & Goðafoss Waterfall Akureyri Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $248

From Akureyri, visit historic Goðafoss, photograph Lake Mývatn’s volcanic scenery, and relax at Mývatn Nature Baths. The six-hour trip includes port pickup, admission, and a guide such as Niko, Petra, or Victoria. Bring a swimsuit and towel, and confirm the exact pickup point carefully.

“Bring a towel Meet at the bus not by the huts It was a great excursion. Saw the waterfall, Lake Mvatan and went to the baths! 2 hours was the perfect amount of time for the baths. We did not get lunch but we didn’t mind, we have been sating too much on the ship”

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4.From Akureyri Port: Godafoss Waterfall Tour for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $102Best value

Ride from Akureyri to Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, with an English-speaking guide. You’ll pass Eyjafjordur Bay, Fnjoskadalur Valley, and the old mountain road, then stop for waterfall views and a 10-minute lookout over town. Expect a 2.5-hour trip, basic bus transport, and no lunch.

“Expensive guide did not give any background on puffins habitat etc pointed to a he steps and that was it”

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5.Mývatn Lake & Goðafoss CruiseShip tour +Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 15 reviews · from $135

From Akureyri harbor, an English-speaking guide takes you by bus to Lake Mývatn’s pseudo-craters, Dimmuborgir lava fields, Hverir’s steaming mudpits, and Goðafoss. The $135 price includes transport, guidance, and a packed chicken lunch. Expect about six hours on the road, with short walks and 45 minutes at the waterfall.

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6.Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $169

From Akureyri’s port, travel through North Iceland to Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn’s pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá Cave, and Námaskarð. Expect 5 to 7 hours, a small vehicle, free time at each stop, WiFi onboard, and lunch available along the route. Pickup and drop-off are included.

“Crazy amount of people in every place we went! Tour guide added 2hrs on our tour. We had to wait for two people that went to the Geo baths as they were put on tour bus by mistake.”

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7.Lake Myvatn Private Day Tour Mývatn, Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) Top rated

From Akureyri Port, your private guide drives you to Godafoss and Lake Myvatn for bubbling mud pools, steam vents, lava formations, Grjotagja Cave, and optional time at Myvatn Nature Baths. The 5 to 6-hour trip is offered in English, with guides such as Daniel and Laurent praised for lively history and folklore.

“Iceland is very beautiful! Unfortunately, there was little time to drive and see :( Because he arrived on the ship Celebrity Apex. But next time we hope to see more!! :))”

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8.Lake Myvatn and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Husavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $306

Travel from Húsavík to Godafoss and Lake Myvatn with an English-speaking guide such as Norbert. Visit steaming Námaskarð, Dimmuborgir lava formations, Grjotagja Cave, and the Myvatn Nature Baths. The small-group van tour lasts about five to six hours, with baths entry booked separately.

“Norbert was very informative and a great guide. The day was miserable with rain and high wind so time at each sight was limited by that. The driving time between sights was sometimes 45-60 minutes and that would have been helpful to know before booking. Most importantly, the original excursion was booked to be from Húsavík but the cruise ship was not able to dock there due to high wind and seas so we diverted over to Akureyri and Imagine Travel switched everything over to the new port seamlessly. That was a big thing for us and we were very grateful that they made it so easy for us.”

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9.German-speaking shore excursion Góðafoss & Mývatn from Akureyri in a small group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $180

Join a German-speaking local guide for an 8-hour small-group drive from Akureyri’s cruise port to Goðafoss and Mývatn. You’ll see pseudocraters, lava formations, geothermal fields, Grjótagjá Cave, Krafla, and more. The minibus holds no more than 19 people, with departure and return set around your ship’s berth.

“Sehr schöner Kleinbus mit einem sehr gut deutsch sprechendem Guide. Es war an jedem Stopp ausreichend Zeit und es wurde versucht, den großen Reisebussen aus dem Weg zu gehen. Absolute Empfehlung.”

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