Things to do & places to visit in Northwest Region, Iceland

Northwest Region #8 destination in Iceland 2023. The average rating score is 4.46 based on 2.744 traveler reviews, of 67 attractions. Timezone: Atlantic/Reykjavik, current date and time: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 5:14.

Top things to do (34)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Bakkaflot (243 reviews)
- Amazing adventure and definitely not the last time!
River Rafting & Tubing

The weather in Iceland is unstable and surprising, but only for us it was sunny that day. Of course, the water from the glaciers into the river cannot be considered warm, but the adrenaline during the raft ride gave an inflow of warmth and energy The organization, equipment and assistance will satisfy even the most demanding customers. The guides are super prepared and at the same time with their sense of humor, understanding and kindness make the trip enjoyable and unforgettable. The very experience of the expedition is emazing! I recommend it to anyone who likes such adventures It was my second time there and it will definitely not be the last! Thank you very much and see you next time See more..
5.0 Hestasport - Riding Tours (169 reviews)
- Simply perfekt!
Sightseeing Tours

We spend 9 wonderful riding days at Hestasport. We were a group of 10 friends and Gracina and Katja organised a private riding trip only for us. It was amazing, specially the mountains-trip and of course, the Highlight, riding the flying pace! I was several times in Iceland for riding trips, but this was definitly the best! For sure I will come again! Thank you Gracina, Katja, Magnus and of course Hjalti, our icelandic Guide, for this great holidays See more..
5.0 Langhús Farm (95 reviews)
- Easy and rewarding outdoor experience
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 2-3 hours Farms • Horseback Riding Tours

Horse tours in Northern Iceland. We offer guided horse tours with one of us, the local farmers at Langhus farm, or our assistant guides. We have well trained horses, steady and obedient, they are our family and work horses, and we have horses for both beginners and experienced riders. Get to know the nature, the horses and the culture. We love horse tours. It's been our passion, all our life. To go out in the nature, be a team with our horse, and cross beautiful places, and sometimes tough landscape, that molded our beloved Icelandic horse. We take the time to match you with the right horse for you, and to give good instructions about riding so you can enjoy the tour better. We emphasize on a personal experience and small groups. The small group size allows good levels of dialogue along the way. Just feel free to contact us and we make something wonderful together, and more important, have fun. Our niche is creating unique, intimate, authentic experiences, off the beaten path. See more..
5.0 Galsi Horse Rental (71 reviews)
- Explore Icelandic Back-Country!
Spent 1-2 hours Horseback Riding Tours

Galsi Horse Rental has its resident just outside Blonduos, in North West side of Iceland. We offer horse back riding tours in the sorroundings of Blonduos. The trips are for all ages, for advanced riders and beginners. See more..
5.0 Iceland Horse Tours (65 reviews)
- 3 hour tour amd stay in the guesthouse
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Tours

I booked by tour well in advance, so I could plan my trip ahead. I had good email contact with Luka, who gave me advice about my trip and kept me posted on weather changes constantly. As the ride date grew closer, the weather forecast changed to less than ideal and the plan was changed. With nice flexibility, I was able to both ride one day earlier and stay in the guest house on another night. The ride itself was very nice. The area is amazing and three girls that work there were riding with me, all the same age, so we had fun. It was too cold (-12°C) for the horses to go all out, but we managed a few tölts and a little gallop on the black sand beach. All in all, nice experience and definitely worth the detour from the ring road! See more..
5.0 Lýtingsstadir Riding Tours (37 reviews)
- Best part of Iceland!
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Farms • History Museums • Horseback Riding Tours

Lýtingsstadir offers short and long riding tours, lasting from one hour up to day tours and week long tours. The short tours suit beginners and experiences riders. Week long tours only for experienced riders. Long riding tours depart only during the summer month, short tours all year around. Riding holidays are provided on the farm all year round. Guests can rent one of the cottages for self catering and take part on riding tours. This option suits well for families and couples. The newest attraction is The Old Stable, made from turf. It displays how horses were kept in the old days. Guided tours along with the popular Horses&Heritage presentation can be booked. Lýtingsstadir is authorized by the Icelandic Tourist Board since the year 2000. Lýtingsstadir is one of three farms participating in the concept "The Icelandic Farm Animals". See more..
5.0 Puffin and Friends (35 reviews)
- Great Place
Spent < 1 hour Art Galleries • Speciality Museums

This place is a tribute to Puffins and other Icelandic wildlife. You walk through several rooms, guided by the owner or a family member. He is a professional photographer and the historical and natural history pix are beautiful and interesting. Cap it all off with a virtual reality headset dive into the life of the Puffin. Great! See more..
5.0 Sydra Skordugil (18 reviews)
- Best of the best!
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Horseback Riding Tours

At Syðra-Skorðugil we offer both short and long riding tours. Wide range of horses both for beginners and advanced riders. They will take you for a ride you will never forget. See more..
5.0 Kalfshamarsvik (17 reviews)
- Amazing Basalt Columns
Geologic Formations

Kalfshamarsvik is a small cove in the northern part of Skagi, with unusual, beautifully formed sea cliffs of columnar rock, created about 2 million years ago. At the beginning of the 20th century, fishing boats plied the waters and there was a small community of about 100 inhabitants at Kalfshamarsvik. However, by around 1940 the village had become deserted. See more..
5.0 The Museum of Prophecies in Skagaströnd (13 reviews)
- Amazing time
Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks

Cheap ticket & tons of fun!!!! A one on one personal tour, detailed mythical stories, cool deco & gadgets! Super affordable ticket plus reading!!! I had an amazing time here. The reader was incredible!!! See more..
5.0 Samgöngusafnið í Stóragerði (11 reviews)
- What a surprise!
Temporarily closed - Closed until Jun 1, 2023 Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • Coffeehouses

Auto Museum Stóragerði is the biggest privately owned auto Museum in Iceland. It has a good collection of Old and Youngtimers among other transportation items. We offer coffee/TE, beer and other light beverages like our famous "Tractor" waffles See more..
5.0 Reykjafoss (8 reviews)
- waterfall and natural hot tub
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Bodies of Water • Geologic Formations • Waterfalls

Beautiful waterfall, a short, easy walk from the parking lot. Bring a bathing suit, as there is a natural hot tub on the other side of the waterfall. It is free. Even in bad weather, it was very good because the water was hot. We were so lucky that we were the only ones there, it was an unforgettable experience. See more..
5.0 Hitt og Þetta Handverk (5 reviews)
- another wonderful addition to Blonduos
Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops • Farmers Markets

Today I visited this gift shop in Blonduos. It's a charming place. My friend and I purchased horse hair yarn,which I'll use in an art piece. I also got some soap. A lot of the crafts are made by locals including hand-knitted items by the proprietor's mother. This store is run the same people who operate the angling service. Indeed, you can also buy stuff for fly fishing. It's in the Old Town section of Blonduos and just steps from The Blanda, a river that pours into the sea. Beautiful. See more..
5.0 Fosslaug (5 reviews)
- Spectacular
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Hot Springs & Geysers

Beautiful hot spring, comfortable for 4-7 people (perfect for a family or group of friends). You can reach it following a gravel road until a fence and then continuing by foot, then crossing a small bridge. Really close to a beautiful waterfall, and next to a river. From the hot spring you can see the river running by and the green scenery. Usually without people, very reserved. Bring towels and a bathing suit! Definitely worth the detour, one of the highlights. See more..
5.0 Hvammstangi Sundlaug (2 reviews)
Spent 1-2 hours Sports Camps & Clinics • Spas
See more..
5.0 Verzlunin Aegissida (2 reviews)
- Different stuff at a place tucked around the corner from the seal Museum
Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

Verzlunin Aegissida is a clothing and souvenir shop that sells locally made products combined with products made by Icewear. Along with the clothes and souvenirs you can also find sheep head skulls from Natural Bones Design for sale. See more..
4.5 Glaumbaer Museum (314 reviews)
- Must See Attraction - Old Turf Farmhouses - Museum - Old Icelandic Farm
Speciality Museums

A must-see stop along the ring road. This museum features old turf farmhouses. Well staffed and organized, you will feel like you've traveled back in time as you visit the houses and surrounding area. Driftwood and and turf are the main items used to construct these buildings. Next to the buildings is a beautiful church and an active farm with farm animals. The first room in the exhibit features pictures of leading citizens of the Skagafjordur area from the 19th and 20th centuries. All of the rooms are setup to show what it was like to live on a farm in the early 1900's. Very nice exhibits that are well-maintained to this day. Great Icelandic history of life in Iceland many years ago. In addition to all of this, many of your best photos from Iceland will come from this sight. Great scenic views all around and the buildings are exactly what you are looking for as a memory of your trip. See more..
4.5 Thermal bath Hofsos, Iceland (160 reviews)
- Wow
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spas

We got this recommendation from a local en route. And oh my, what a place. It was really well priced (900kr). The changing rooms were so clean. And then the pools. There were a grand total of 0 other people in the pool when we arrived. 6 kids from the local school came for a half hour. There was 1 other couple there when we left. It was 0°c when we were there but steam rose from the pools. The main pool was warm. The hot tub was a toasty 38°c. The view from here was stunning. The pool sits atop the cliff, overlooking the ocean and the fjords. We are still thinking back to this pool and how good it was. See more..
4.5 Kolugljufur Waterfall (156 reviews)
- Simply stunning and just off the ring road.
Waterfalls

Simply stunning. Its your loss if you are in northern Iceland and don't visit this one as its less than 10 minutes off the ring road. The gorge is impressive but the waterfalls, especially the top one, are so beautiful. You can get up close to the action which makes for great photography but take care as this whole area is unfenced and if you fell its goodbye. There is a small car park before the bridge and a much bigger one over the bridge. Its great for disabled visitors as you can get good views from the road and main tracks but the track along the canyon is not disabled friendly, despite its initial appearance. Its normally fairly quiet but the odd tour bus visits here then it is mayhem. If this happens, do like me and have your lunch or brew a drink and they'll soon be gone. See more..
4.5 Grettislaug (128 reviews)
- Natural, beautiful hot spring
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM Hot Springs & Geysers

Want a nice natural hot spring without all the fancy stuff that others offer, this is your place! The water was wonderfully hot and we were the only ones there for about 45 minutes before some others showed up. The guy who runs the place is wonderfully quirky and friendly. It's a pretty special place to see. You can camp there, if we knew that ahead of time, we totally would have done that. See more..
4.5 Swimmingpool (48 reviews)
- Expérience of a lifetime
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Amusement & Theme Parks • Water Parks

Most incredible and amazing place I have ever been to. The view on the Arctic Ocean is breathtaking and unbelievable. Totally surreal. See more..
4.5 Seal Watching Boat Tours - Private Tour (39 reviews)
- An excellent wildlife watching trip
Boat Tours

We bought the ticket from the friendly and informative Seal centre. The boat is lovely old timber whaling schooner run by an ex fisherman and his son, both really friendly and share their knowledge. It was an amazing seal watching boat trip to the opposite penisular where we saw over 40 seals on the rocks and beach (and we were lucky to see whales and dolpihns too) plus we got hot chocolate and homemede cakes while heading back to the harbour! As mention below on TA you don't get too close and the binoculars supplied help but they are practicing responsible tourism and not interfering with the seal colony. It's not Sea World but wild North Iceland! See more..
4.5 Drangey Island (39 reviews)
- Awesome experience
Spent More than 3 hours Islands • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Geologic Formations

We visited Drangey Island with Drangey Tours on a wet day, but that mattered little as we immersed ourselves in nature and spectacular scenery while exploring the island. We were incredibly lucky to find ourselves having essentially a private tour after all the other passengers decided to stay put at the top of the climb to take photos. We were escorted around the island, being told folk stories and facts about puffins. We stopped to lie on the edge of the cliffs to observe hundreds of puffins fly by (apparently the cool wet weather meant it was ideal conditions for viewing these cute birds),. We were so close we could hear their wings beat. Aside from puffins we saw other birds including razor bills, guillemots, snow bunting, a Gyr falcon and of course loads of gulls. The island itself has some lovely spots and cliffs to appreciate. Highly recommended in puffin season and while it is quite expensive, is totally worth it. See more..
4.5 Textile Museum (35 reviews)
- Small beautiful museum with textiles and costumes
Speciality Museums

The Textile Museum in Blonduos exhibits a unique collection of homemade wool and textile items. It also exhibits beautiful Icelandic national constumes and artistic embroideries along with many of the tools and equipments used to produce them. It is the only one of its kind in Iceland and was founded by the Women's Union in East Hunavatnssysla. The museum was officially opened at the centennial of Blonduos in 1976 . The museum has been a private foundation since 1993. Today, it is situated in a beautiful new building and the exhibitions are easily accessible for visitors. See more..
4.5 1238 The Battle of Iceland (33 reviews)
- Worth the drive, unique, contemporary museum
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • History Museums

1238:The Battle of Iceland is an immersive exhibition that offers people of all ages to experience part of Icelandic medieval history in a very modern and artful interactive installations and to take part in dramatic events through VR. See more..
4.5 Stora - Asgeirsa (28 reviews)
- A must for riding Icelandic horses!
Spent 1-2 hours Farms

At Stora-Asgeirsa you can visit the animals, pet them and you can go horseback riding. Stora-Asgeirsa also offers accommodation. The average fee for horse riding tours is 7.900 ISK but entrance to the animal farm zoo is 500-1000 ISK. See more..
4.5 Tannery Visitor Centre (26 reviews)
- fabulous
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops • Visitor Centers

A visitor center that lets you take a look in a sustainable Tannery of fishleather, see the workers at work and get to now the methods. Then there is a store with leather goods, skins and hides. See more..
4.5 Blönduós Sports Centre (25 reviews)
- Very enjoyable facilities
Spent < 1 hour Spas

This was the first pool we went to in Iceland. Unaccustomed to outdoor pools in the cold weather, we almost brought our towels outside. The clerk was nice enough to point out the wet towels would become frozen and unpleasant outdoors. They have two hot tubs, one a little hotter than the other. There's a nice warm pool for swimming and a sauna. At the one hot tub they had free coffee which was a nice bonus. The people were nice enough though we mostly kept to ourselves. See more..
4.5 The Icelandic Emigration Center (16 reviews)
- Great museum
Saturday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums • History Museums

The Icelandic Emigration Center was founded in 1996 and dedicated to commemorate Icelandic emigrants to North America and to promote connections between their descendants and the people of Iceland. The Center now offers four exhibits in three separate buildings, as well as a genealogical information service, library facilities and more. The exhibitions combine text, photographs and tableaux to illustrate the conditions in Iceland that influenced the decision to emigrate, the journey to the ‘New World’ and the new way of life they encountered. See more..
4.5 Svalbard Seal Watching Site (11 reviews)
- Seals
Spent < 1 hour Lookouts

The least exciting seals watching spot on the Vatnsnes peninsula. Coming from Hvammstangi and driving clockwise it was the first one for us and we were quite excited anyhow. The seals sunbathe on a series of flat rocks few metres away from the shore. You need a good camera with telephoto to take very good picture, but the live view is quite an experience. Better seals experience at Illugastaðir, few kilometres ahead See more..