Birding Northeast Iceland Tour

If you are interested in Birding Northeast Iceland Tour, come and join us at Kaiyote Tours!

The Northeast, Húsavík, Þórshöfn and Lake Mývatn

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 exploring and looking for birds. This trip mostly focuses on birding.  

We start out this 11-day trip in Reykjavik, which is a great city for birds and culture. The next six days we will be visiting the best birding and nature sites in the Northeast part of Iceland, which is one of the most remote areas in Iceland and gets very few tourists. This area has a stunning ocean shoreline, beautiful lakes and mountains, great walking trails and a lot of birds to see. We will spend our last 2-days on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

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

• Travel Dates: 
• May 18 - 28, 2025, spots left = 6
• May 21 - 31, 2026, spots left = 6
• Additional Dates:  
• Tours by Request, May through September is a good time to visit.
• Group Size:  6 Travelers plus guides
• Trip Length: 11 days
• Rates: Rate per person = $5,650 (based on double occupancy)
• Rates include: Domestic transfers, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, scheduled group tours, park entrance fees and basic travel insurance.
• Not included: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, trip cancellation insurance.
• Adventure level:  Easy, please check "Welcome" page for definition  

Special offer:  Included with your trip (one per room) is a copy of the “Icelandic Bird Guide: Appearance, Way of Life, Habitat” by Johann Oli Hilmarsson.  You will receive this when you reserve your trip so you will have time to study and know the beautiful birds of Iceland.

Map of the travel route here:  Northeast Iceland (opens new page)

Basic Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrive in Reykjavik
Flights are usually overnight with early morning at the Keflavik International Airport (KEF).  It is a 45-minute shuttle ride to Reykjavik from the airport, we will spend 2-nights in the city.  First stop after leaving the airport is for a traditional Icelandic breakfast offering of fish, cheese, vegetables, meats, breads, cereals, etc. Activities for the day depend on your arrival time. We will spend the morning birding in the Keflavik area. Birds:  Redwing, European Blackbird, Common Raven, Black-headed Gull, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Arctic Tern, and Common Snipe.

Day 2:  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 we easily see:  Common Redshank, Northern Fulmar, Tufted Duck, Common Snipe, Common Eider, Long Tailed Duck, and Brent Goose.  And in the evening, a stand-up comic show at the beautiful Harpa Performing Arts Center:  "How to become Icelandic is 60 minutes". 

Day 3:  Húsavík 
On this day we will be traveling to a small village on the northern coast called Húsavík, which is a 5-hour drive from Reykjavik to view the landscape and birds along the way.  From 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. 

Day 4:  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.  

Day 5:  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. 

Day 6:  Þórshöfn 
The second largest breeding colony of Northern Gannets in Iceland is close to Ytra Lón farm and there are plenty of puffins to see as well.  The farm and the family that runs the farm are wonderfully sweet and we will enjoy a second day of walking and birding in the area. 

Day 7:  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.

Day 8:  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.

Day 9:  Reykjanes Peninsula
It is a 1-hour drive back to Akureyri and we will be taking an afternoon, 45-minute flight from Akureyri back to the domestic airport in Reykjavik. From there we will drive out to the Reykjanes Peninsula for our last 2-nights.  This area is great for birds and geological sites. On the Reykjanes Peninsula we will be staying at an area that is close to the coast and ponds for excellent birding.  Here we will easily find Rock Ptarmigans. 

Day 10:  Reykjanes Peninsula 
In the morning we will be visiting the wonderful and amazing thermal pool called the Blue Lagoon for a swim and a soak. We will be staying at the edge of the Reykjanes Peninsula which is an excellent birding location with numerous geological sites. Reykjanesfólkvangur is a large nature preserve to protect flora, fauna, and geological areas.

Day 11:  Fly Home 
Flights usually leave in the late afternoon, so we will have time in the morning for birding and hiking.  Our place of lodging is about 15 minutes from the airport.  There will be time in the morning for birding.