Northeast Iceland Birding Tour

Iceland really is a magical and mystical place. The natural geological wonders, landscapes, birds and ocean life are unforgettable!

On this trip we will spend most of our time along the northeastern coastline walking and looking for birds. This trips mostly focuses on birding.  

We start out this 10-day trip in Reykjavik. Reykjavik is a great city for art and culture. We will fly from Reykjavik to Akureyri. The next five days we will be visiting the best birding and nature sites in the Northeast part of Iceland. This area has a stunning ocean shore line, beautiful lakes and mountains, great walking trails and a lot of birds to see. We will spend our last night back in Reykjavik.

Printable Bird List
(This is a checklist of birds that we have seen in the month of May)

• Travel Dates: May 22 - 31, every year, dates don't change
• Group Size:  6 Travelers plus guides
• Trip Length: 10 days
• Rates: Rate per person = $3,750 (based on double occupancy)
• Rates include: Domestic transfers, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, scheduled group tours, entrance fees & Allianz travel medical insurance.
• Not included:  International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, trip cancellation insurance. 

Tap here to see a map of the Travel Route (opens in new tab)

Basic Itinerary

May 22nd: Fly to Iceland
Flights are usually overnight with arrival on day two. Lately there have been an increase of flights that will leave the States in the morning and arrive very late at night. 

May 23rd: Arrive in Reykjavik
Flights usually arrive in the early morning at the Keflavik International Airport.  It is a 45-minute shuttle ride to Reykjavik from the airport. There are many great and interesting lodging places in downtown Reykjavik... we have many favorites. Breakfast is a traditional Icelandic offering of fish, cheese, meats, breads, cereals, etc. In Iceland the hot water is all from the thermal heat coming from the ground, so there is always plenty of hot, hot water and sometime it smells a little like sulfur. Common birds to be seen:  Eurasian Blackbirds, Redwings, Ravens and Common Redpolls. 

May 24th:  Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and is rich in maritime history and close to numerous geological wonders. Options for today are hiking along the peninsula, birding and checking out the shops and museums of Reykjavik. In the harbor and along the peninsula birds like Northern Fulmars, Gannets, Shags, Common Eiders and Long Tailed Ducks are a few of the species we will see. 

May 25th: Húsavík 
In the morning, we will be taking a 45-minute flight from the domestic airport in Reykjavik to the city of Akureyri. It is about a 1-hour drive to a small fishing village called Húsavík. Along the way we will visit the Goðafoss waterfall and a few birding spots.  We will be staying in a rural area, just outside of town, in small cabins. This area is great birding, hiking and fishing. 

May 26th:  Húsavík
Húsavík is a great town for whale watching, birding, hiking and museums, so there will be lots of choices for activities here.  If you like birds and boats, we will be taking 2-boat tour to a puffin breeding colony.  

May 27th: Þórshöfn 
From Húsavík we will be driving along the northeast coast for walking, viewing birds and experiencing the amazing coast that is only 25 miles from the Arctic Circle. We will be staying near a town called Þórshöfn at the Ytra Lón Farm.  The second largest breeding colony of Northern Gannets in Iceland is close to this farm. 

May 28th:  Mývatn, Skútustaðir
It is a 3-hour drive to Lake Mývatn.  There will be birds, waterfalls and geological sites to see along the way.  We will visit one of Europe’s most powerful waterfall called Dettifoss and the Námafjall geothermal area to view steam vents and boiling mud pools. We will arrive at Lake Mývatn and stay for 2-nights.

May 29th: Mývatn, Skútustaðir
We will have all day to explore Lake Mývatn. It is a 60-mile loop around the lake and plenty of birds to see and wonderful short hikes. There will be time to visit the Mývatn Nature Baths.

May 30th: Reykjavik
It is a 70-mile drive back to Akureyri and we will be taking a mid-morning, 45-minute flight from Akureyri back to Reykjavik. From there we will drive out to the Reykjanes Peninsula for our last night.  This area is great for birds and geological sites.  

May 31st: Fly Home
Flights back to the States usually leave in the late afternoon. On our way to the airport, we will stop and visit the wonderful and amazing thermal pool called the Blue Lagoon for a swim and a soak.

Please note: The lodging described in this itinerary is always our first choice based on availability. If we must book with our second choice, the lodging type and style is comparable.