From whale watching, spas with incredible views, to one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe, North Iceland has a lot to discover!
Luxury Holidays in North Iceland
@ Saga Travel
@ Saga Travel
A word from our travel specialist
A visit to North Iceland is packed with incredible natural sights.
The Diamond Circle is often called the North’s answer to the Golden Circle, and it’s easy to see why. This beautiful route takes you to some of the most impressive spots around, from the roaring Dettifoss waterfall, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, to volcanic landscapes, bubbling geothermal areas, and peaceful lakes. Plus, you can take a well-earned break at the Mývatn Baths, a lovely geothermal spa set in stunning surroundings.
The North has its own unique highlights that are just as amazing as the South’s, giving you a chance to experience Iceland’s, rugged beauty.
My top spot in the North is Dimmuborgir (or the Dark Forts), an area full of dramatic lava formations where trolls and dark entities roam, supposedly.
Helga
Nordic Experience Specialist
Inspiration for Holidays in North Iceland
Iceland and Scandinavia Grand Discovery: Volcanoes, Fjords and Nordic Capitals
Discover Iceland and Scandinavia on a luxury journey featuring volcano tours, glacier hiking, Nordic cities, fjords and the Lofoten Islands.
Iceland Self Drive Adventure with Glaciers, Fjords and Geothermal Experiences
Explore Iceland on an epic self drive with glaciers, waterfalls, wildlife encounters and luxury geothermal spa experiences
South Iceland Super Jeeps and Snorkelling Adventure
A thrilling journey through South Iceland featuring the Golden Circle, ice caves, snorkelling, super jeep adventure, and unforgettable Northern Lights...
Summer in Iceland: Lava, Lagoons & Glaciers
Luxury Iceland escape: lagoons, glaciers, whale watching and black sand beaches on a 9 day adventure of fire and ice.
Icelandic Summer Family Adventure
Explore Iceland’s wild beauty with this ultimate summer family adventure, glaciers, geysers, whales, puffins and luxury await!
Waterfalls, Glaciers and Spa Stay at Borgarfjörður in Iceland
A short break offering a captivating blend of natural wonders and sustainable exploration.
© Icelandic Explorer
North Iceland, Designed Around You
Akureyri is known as the capital of the North of Iceland it is the perfect location to get out and explore this part of Iceland whether that is getting in a car and driving the Arctic Coastway, heading to Myvatn to witness the most powerful waterfall in Europe (Dettifoss), whale watching from Husavik, or heading to beautiful Siglufjörður!
Where to Stay: Handpicked for You
Our curated accommodation in North Iceland places you at the heart of the region’s natural drama—expect welcoming stays, geothermal spas, and cosy mountain lodges.
Eldar Lodge
A haven of comfort, luxury and tranquility, with stunning views of nature
Deplar Farm
With two helipads, arrive in style at this super-luxury accommodation
Panorama Glass Lodge
Amazing sunsets and sunrises, watching the northern lights from your bed
Hotel Kea
Overlooking a stunning fjord, classic charm, in an unbeatable locationThe Guidebook
Explore North Iceland
North Iceland is one incredible place to discover a whole host of activities and natural wonders. For a start you can head out whale watching from Húsavík, Iceland’s whale watching capital, and allow yourself the chance to spot mink, humpback, and (if you are really lucky) blue whale.
In one direction you can discover Myvatn and marvel at the bubbling mud pools, Europe’s most powerful waterfall Dettifoss, and soak in their nature baths. You might want to head in the other direction and discover Siglufjörður – Nordic Noir fans might recognise this location from the famous Iceland TV Series Trapped but you will also discover Iceland’s largest maritime museum from the herring ere.
Then there is Akureyri which is Iceland’s second city! A perfect hub to explore what the North can offer!
Getting There
With Akureyri being based up in the North you have a couple of options to consider to get up there. One is to get the internal flight that operations from Reykjavik City Airport – the alternative is that you drive up there and that way you can take in all the other scenery Iceland has to offer in its other regions. Just to be sure to prepare for a couple of night’s stopovers if you wanted to opt for that.
Climate
Despite its name, Iceland is not necessarily that cold. Winter temperatures are an average of 3.6°C, and summer temperatures average around 15°C. In the summertime, you can enjoy long, extended hours of sunshine and in the wintertime, the nights can get dark enough for you to see the Northern Lights as long as you are away from light pollution!
Geography
Iceland is world-famous for its geology and geography. With huge mountain ranges and an active geothermal country with many geysers, hot springs and volcanic formations to be found – it is a breath-taking landscape for those after an adventure.
Iceland offers some of the best waterfalls in Europe, such as the Dettifoss regarded as the most powerful waterfall in the whole of Europe.
With a latitude of 64° north, Reykjavik offers a perfect base from which to embark on a Northern Lights adventure.
Off the Map Travel was great! Alex helped us plan the most amazing 10 day honeymoon to Iceland. He gave us great recommendations and was so patient with us during the planning process!
Tori
I used OTMT to organise a holiday to see the Northern Lights for my partner’s 50th birthday. They took the time to understand my priorities, the kinds of places we like to stay and the things we like to do. They recommended a fabulous itinerary in Norway centred around the Lyngen Experience Lodge. The holiday itself lived up to expectations and I have no hesitation in recommending OTMT. They listened carefully during the planning and delivered the perfect present for my partner.
Alex
We – the whole family – loved the whole journey!!
The accommodations, the activities and especially the great people – thank you very much for this fantastic organisation !!!
Barbara
I would thoroughly recommend this company. Their planning and advice was spot on. Alex responded to my calls and emails very promptly. I will definitely use them again for future trips.
Rosie
We really enjoyed our Norwegian adventure despite the -22 days! Unfortunately no real experience of viewing the Lights but we did capture a couple of images on our last night – too much cloud otherwise so lots of snow. We really enjoyed the husky lodge – not at all what we had tentatively imagined. Thanks for your assistance, maybe next time we will see the Lights in all their glory.
Andrew
Fantastic trip to Svalbard which delivered the true Arctic experience we were hoping for. The hotels were excellent and the activities – dog sledding and snowmobile expedition were lead by first class guides.
Top tip! The champagne tasting in the world’s most northerly wine cellar in the exceptional Funken Lodge is not to be missed!
Faith
The best travel experience ever on every level you can think of during a Lapland expedition (food, activities, timings, accommodation, transport, service, equipment…). I highly recommend Off The Map Travel for their outstanding level of professionalism and detail oriented mindset!
Sophie & Guy
We have loved it so much here that we have extended our stay and will come back to Bjornfjell and stay in one of their cabins until Jan 3 then we are staying in the igloo hotel the night of the 3rd. 😊We added a few excursions this week – we did the whale trip on the RIB boat (wow!), toured the igloo hotel (which is why we decided to book the last night!) and did the reindeer sleigh at Sorrisniva. You were so right, the bonfire excursion was incredible!!It has been an absolutely amazing trip!
Kristen
We did! Everything was truly wonderful! I think the Holman Husky Lodge was our favourite place. Beautiful accommodations, but best of all, wonderful people! Everyone was so friendly and accommodating, excellent food, we really enjoyed our time there. We also greatly enjoyed Bergen! Opus XVI was beautiful and we loved being able to walk to restaurants and bars and take in the sights. All of our drivers were punctual and friendly. The itinerary was full but not overfull.
Thank you so much! It was an epic trip, we are taking home wonderful memories!
Shelly
We originally hired Off the Map Travel in 2020 to set up a trip to see the Northern Lights. That didn’t happen, thanks to COVID. But, we persisted and in March of 2023, we took a 16-day trip that included both Iceland and Norway. IT WAS MAGICAL! Off the Map took care of everything! We were pampered at every stage of our trip. The people they hired and the activities they planned added up to a trip that will set the standard for any we’ll ever take in the future. Alex and his team were fabulous! We recommend them without restraint!
Jim & Kris
Well-organized trip to Norway and Svalbard with great accommodations and activities. Gwen was communicative and responsive to requests. Highly recommend!
Russell Snook
Arctic Retreat was simply magical. Graham and his team were superb. Their entire focus was on ensuring we had an outstanding experience. The accommodation, setting and food were all excellent. The team, experienced professionals, each brought their own personal touch and local nuance. It was faultless. The dog sledging trip directly from Arctic Retreat was also superb. We would return to Arctic Retreat in a heartbeat.
George