From Akureyri: Myvatn Lake, Craters, & Waterfall Tour

North Iceland packs a lot of drama into one day: a broad waterfall, crater-shaped hills, black lava formations, and sulfurous mud pools. This six-hour trip from Akureyri gives you a useful first look at the Mývatn region without renting a car or sorting out Iceland’s roads yourself.

I especially like the variety of sights and the strong guiding. Guides such as Nico, Richie, Kjartan, Alan, and Matthias have been praised for lively explanations, local stories, and good humor. I also like the cruise-port pickup, which makes this a practical shore excursion. The trade-off is time: four major stops and long bus rides mean you see a lot, but you will not linger everywhere.

Key points to know before booking

• Goðafoss opens the day with a wide, powerful waterfall dropping in a curved 30-meter span over dark volcanic rock.
• Skútustaðagígar’s pseudo-craters are not true volcanoes, but steam explosions caused when hot lava met wet ground.
• Dimmuborgir feels like a natural sculpture garden, with twisted lava shapes that Icelandic children often interpret as trolls.
• Námaskarð is the most otherworldly stop, with boiling mud pools, steaming ground, and a strong sulfur smell.
• Guides are a major strength, with several named guides praised for history, humor, and steady commentary between stops.
• The $187 price can be good value for cruise passengers, especially compared with ship excursions, though a private tour gives you more time at each site.

Why this Akureyri to Mývatn trip works

The Mývatn region is one of the best places in Iceland to see how volcanic activity has shaped everyday scenery. Instead of one single attraction, you get several different expressions of the same force: water crashing through basalt, lava frozen into strange forms, steam bursting through old wetlands, and geothermal heat still active beneath the ground.

That variety is the main reason to choose this tour. You are not spending six hours looking at similar waterfalls or taking short photo stops along a single road. The day moves from a famous waterfall to gentle green crater mounds, then into dark lava country and finally to a steaming geothermal field.

The tour begins at Gránufélagsgata 50, near Akureyri’s port area. If your ship docks at Tangarbryggja Pier, the guide meets you in the large parking lot. If you arrive at Oddeyrarbryggja Pier, you meet at the cruise-port Visitor Center before going to the buses. Look for an orange jacket or vest with the BusTravel Iceland logo.

That meeting-point detail matters. A few people have had trouble with directions, including one case where the wrong link was sent. I would check your exact pier and meeting instructions before leaving the ship, then allow enough time to reach the marked meeting place.

Goðafoss, the waterfall of the gods

After roughly 40 minutes by bus, you reach Goðafoss for about 45 minutes. The waterfall spreads across a broad, semicircular opening, with water pouring over dark rock in several strong channels. At around 30 meters wide, it feels more open and expansive than a tall, narrow cascade.

The contrast is the visual hook. White water churns against black volcanic stone, and the river has a forceful, restless character even when the weather is calm. You will have time to walk around, take photographs, and view the falls from more than one angle.

Goðafoss also carries an important Icelandic story. Its name means Waterfall of the Gods and is linked with Iceland’s shift from pagan worship to Christianity. Your guide may explain how the waterfall became connected with that change, giving the stop more meaning than a quick photo opportunity.

This is one of the better-paced parts of the day. Forty-five minutes is enough to see the falls without turning the stop into a long wait. Bring a waterproof outer layer, since spray and wind can make the viewing area feel colder than the bus ride.

Skútustaðagígar and Mývatn’s false craters

The next bus ride takes about 40 minutes, followed by a 20-minute visit to Skútustaðagígar. These grassy mounds sit along Lake Mývatn and look like small volcanic cones at first glance. They are actually pseudo-craters.

The explanation is worth hearing. Lava flowed into wet ground near the lake, and the heat created steam explosions. Those bursts shaped the earth into crater-like forms, but no lava erupted from the mounds themselves. It is a fine example of how Iceland can look familiar at first and then turn out to be something else entirely.

Twenty minutes is enough for a close look and photographs, but not for a long walk around the area. You will mainly be taking in the cluster of rounded forms and learning how they formed. If you want a slow exploration of Lake Mývatn’s shoreline, this tour will feel brisk.

Mývatn is also known for small flies, or midges, during parts of the warmer season. They have been a real nuisance for some people, especially around the lake and nearby stops. A head net is a sensible addition to your day bag if you are visiting in summer. It may look excessive until the insects arrive.

Dimmuborgir’s black towers and troll shapes

A short 10-minute ride brings you to Dimmuborgir, where you get about 55 minutes for sightseeing and walking. This is often the most memorable stop for people who enjoy unusual rock formations.

Dimmuborgir means Dark Cities or Dark Castles, a fitting name for a field of rough lava pillars, arches, walls, and hollows. The formations were created as lava cooled and collapsed, leaving shapes that can feel almost built rather than natural. Icelandic folklore adds to the mood, since children commonly see troll-like figures in the rocks.

The walk gives you a better sense of the place than a roadside viewpoint would. You can move among the formations, look through openings, and see how the black rock changes shape from one path to the next. The setting is atmospheric without needing much decoration from a guide.

Wear sturdy shoes with a reasonable grip. The supplied information confirms a walk, but it does not specify a single route or detailed trail difficulty. You should expect uneven ground and outdoor conditions rather than a paved attraction.

Dimmuborgir is also where the time limit becomes noticeable. Fifty-five minutes is useful, but you will need to watch the clock. Several people have found the overall day a little rushed, especially when buses leave late or passengers are slow to return. The guide may keep the group moving so the final stop does not get shortened.

Námaskarð and the smell of the earth

After another 15-minute ride, you arrive at Námaskarð for about 40 minutes. This is the day’s strangest stop, and perhaps its least polished. The ground is barren, stained, steaming, and punctuated by bubbling mud pools.

The sulfur smell arrives before the full impression does. It is sharp and unmistakable, like rotten eggs, and it can linger on your clothes for a while. That smell is part of the point. Námaskarð lets you experience geothermal activity with your nose as well as your eyes.

The mud pools bubble and heave without the bright colors or tidy paths you might expect from a formal attraction. The area looks raw and unsettled. Steam rises from the ground, and mineral deposits mark the earth in pale and rusty tones.

Stay on the marked paths. This is not a place for wandering off to find a better photograph. The boiling water and hot ground are genuine hazards, and the paths exist for good reason.

Forty minutes gives you time to walk between the main viewing areas and take photos without feeling trapped in the sulfur cloud. Some people wish this stop were longer because it is so unusual. If the group loses time earlier in the day, however, the final visit can be shortened.

Six hours on the road from Akureyri

The schedule includes about 80 minutes on the return drive, so the total day is built around a substantial amount of bus time. That is unavoidable if you want to connect Akureyri with Goðafoss and the Mývatn sights in one outing.

The bus gives you a chance to rest between stops. Guides often fill the drives with commentary on Icelandic culture, customs, horses, sheep, history, and the places outside the window. Alan was especially praised for keeping up a steady, entertaining flow of information, while Richie used a WhatsApp group and shared links and map pins during one tour.

That level of commentary can make the driving time useful, but it also depends on your guide. A small number of people found repeated information about sheep and horses a bit much. If you prefer quiet road time, you may find the narration heavy. If this is your first visit to Iceland, the extra context will probably help you understand what you are seeing.

The return is scheduled for Gránufélagsgata 50. Most of the appeal for cruise passengers is that the tour is designed around the port and brings you back to the same general starting area. Still, I would leave a buffer before your ship’s departure. One July group returned about 45 minutes late, and an early delay can squeeze the final stop or make the ride home feel tense.

Guides, drivers, and the feel of the day

The strongest praise goes to the guides. Names that appear repeatedly across different departures include Nico, Richie, Kjartan, Alan, Matthias, Ritchie Rich, and others. The specific guide changes, so you cannot book a particular personality, but the pattern is clear: the company places real weight on spoken commentary and group engagement.

You may hear local history, folklore, practical facts, and stories about Icelandic life rather than a string of dry geological labels. One guide even sang for the group, while another used a WhatsApp group to share extra information and photographs. Those touches can make a bus tour feel more personal.

Drivers also receive credit for safe handling and calm work on narrow or tight roads. That matters when the day includes several stops and a full vehicle. One guide and driver team was praised for helping a passenger who used a wheelchair with access questions and transport logistics. The tour is not presented as a fully accessible specialist trip, so you should ask ahead about your own mobility needs, but practical help has been provided.

The main organizational weakness is keeping everyone together. At times, guides have spent minutes locating people who boarded the wrong bus or wandered away. That may sound minor, but on a six-hour trip, repeated delays come directly out of your time at the sights. Keep your guide’s instructions in mind and return to the bus promptly.

What lunch is really like

The included lunch is simple: a chicken or vegan sandwich, a chocolate bar, and juice. Some descriptions also refer to a bottle of water, while the inclusions list bottled water separately, so I would not rely on the tour for all your drinking water. Bring your own refillable bottle if possible.

The sandwich is convenient rather than memorable. Several people found it perfectly adequate, and others wanted less mayonnaise, more chicken, or a better meal. One group chose to buy food at a visitor center instead, which used up valuable stop time.

You may eat on the go or at a place where the group is permitted to stop. Do not assume every picnic table is available for tour lunches. One group was told not to eat at the tables by the lava formations. If you need a larger meal, snacks, or dietary certainty beyond the stated chicken and vegan choices, carry extra food.

WiFi is provided on board. A USB charger is not, according to one detailed account, so charge your phone before departure. You will want battery power for photos, maps, and the meeting-point messages.

Is $187 a fair price?

At $187 per person, this is not a cheap bus ride. It includes port pickup and drop-off, a six-hour outing, a guide, WiFi, and a basic packed lunch. You are also paying to reach a part of North Iceland that would be awkward to visit from Akureyri without your own vehicle.

The value looks better for cruise passengers. Several people compared this trip favorably with cruise-line excursions, sometimes describing it as about half the price for a similar route. The independent tour format may also give you a more lively guide and a smaller-feeling experience, though the actual vehicle size and group size can vary.

A private tour would be better if you want a slow walk, long photo stops, or control over lunch. This group tour is better if you want the main sights in one day at a lower cost and are willing to follow a firm schedule.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve-now, pay-later booking add useful flexibility. Those terms are especially helpful when your Iceland plans depend on changing weather or a cruise schedule, but you still need to make sure the departure fits your time in port.

Who should book this Mývatn tour?

I would choose this trip if you have one day in Akureyri and want to see more than the town itself. It suits first-time visitors, cruise passengers, families, and anyone who wants a guide to explain the geology and culture along the way.

It is also a good match for photographers who prefer variety over long, careful compositions. You will get waterfall views, crater mounds, black lava, geothermal mud, and plenty of changing scenery from the bus.

I would hesitate if you dislike fixed schedules, long rides, sulfur smells, insects, or short walking stops. You should also think twice if your main goal is a peaceful, unhurried visit to Lake Mývatn. For that, stay in the region longer or arrange a private outing.

FAQ

How long does the tour from Akureyri last?

The tour lasts about six hours, including the bus rides and visits to Goðafoss, Skútustaðagígar, Dimmuborgir, and Námaskarð.

Where does the tour meet in Akureyri?

For ships docking at Tangarbryggja Pier, the guide meets you in the large parking lot at Gránufélagsgata 50. For Oddeyrarbryggja Pier, the meeting point is the Visitor Center by the cruise port.

What is included in the tour price?

Port pickup and drop-off, WiFi on board, a guide, and a packed lunch are included. The lunch contains a chicken or vegan sandwich, a chocolate bar, and juice. The information also refers to a water bottle, but bottled water is listed separately, so bring your own water.

Which languages are available?

Live guiding is available in English and German.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Reserve-now, pay-later booking is also available.

Is there walking on the tour?

Yes. You walk at Dimmuborgir and visit outdoor areas at Goðafoss, Skútustaðagígar, and Námaskarð. The geothermal area requires you to stay on marked paths.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the best range of North Iceland sights in one day from Akureyri. Goðafoss, Dimmuborgir, and Námaskarð each feel different, and the guides often add far more than basic directions.

Go in with sensible expectations. The lunch is modest, the schedule can feel tight, midges may appear around Mývatn, and a late start can cut into the final stop. Bring water, warm waterproof layers, sturdy shoes, a charged phone, and perhaps a head net. With that preparation, $187 buys a practical and memorable day in one of Iceland’s most unusual regions.