Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Talk to a local
Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Egilsstaðir is the largest town in East Iceland, on the eastern bank of the lake-like river Lagarfljót. It is about 650 km (roughly 7–8 hours' drive) from Reykjavík via the Ring Road, though most visitors reach it as part of a wider Ring Road trip rather than in one go. It has fuel, shops, a hospital and a small domestic airport, and works well as a base for a night or two while exploring East Iceland.
Egilsstaðir is young by Icelandic standards. It grew up around a farm at a crossing point where roads from the Eastfjords, the north and the Ring Road meet, and it was formally established as a town in 1947, which makes it one of the youngest towns in the country. It became the region's main service centre rather than a historic settlement. It is the largest town in East Iceland, though that still means only about 2,600 people. That makes it more of a practical stop than a sight in itself: a place to fill up, restock, sleep and use as a base.
The town sits on Lagarfljót, a long, glacier-fed river that looks and behaves like a lake for much of its length. Local legend holds that a serpent-like creature, Lagarfljótsormur, lives in its depths, a East Iceland answer to Loch Ness. From Egilsstaðir it is a short drive to some of the region's best-known stops: the Eastfjords village of Seyðisfjörður over the mountain, the forest at Hallormsstaður, and canyons and waterfalls further up the valley.
What the town does have is a setting. The wide Lagarfljót lies below it, mountains that hold snow well into summer stand behind it, and waterfalls, a forest, a geothermal bath and a canyon are all within a short drive. You can explore on your own by car, which gives you the most time at each place, or join a guided tour. Most multi-day bus tours around Iceland stop here.
Lagarfljótsormur, the Lagarfljót worm, is one of Iceland's oldest monster stories, with reports going back centuries of a huge creature moving under the water or lying in coils along the shore. It is East Iceland's version of a lake monster legend, and it still comes up in local conversation, half joke and half genuine wonder, especially when the light on the water plays tricks.
Most of what people come to the Egilsstaðir area for lies a few kilometres to half an hour outside the town.
Supermarkets, fuel stations, restaurants, hotels, a campsite, a hospital and a domestic airport. It is the best-equipped town for a wide radius in East Iceland.
Egilsstaðir has the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses in East Iceland, which is why most travellers base themselves here for a night or two before moving on to the Eastfjords or north towards Mývatn.
It is more useful as a base than a sight in itself: fuel, food, a bed for the night and a crossroads for exploring East Iceland.
About 650 km by road, which is why many travellers fly instead or visit it as part of a multi-day Ring Road trip.
Seyðisfjörður, Hallormsstaðaskógur forest, and waterfalls such as Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss are all within a short drive.
Drive the Ring Road via Borgarnes, Akureyri and Mývatn, about 650 km and 7–8 hours of driving, best split over two days. Or take a domestic flight to Egilsstaðir Airport, just north of the town.
Yes. It has about 2,600 residents and is the main service town for the region. It is also one of Iceland's youngest towns, established in 1947.
Tours and trips that include Egilsstaðir, booked directly with a local travel agency in Iceland.
