Eastern Region, Iceland

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

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Introduction
The Eastern Region (Austurland) is Iceland's quietest and least-visited quarter — a landscape of deep fjords, small fishing and farming villages, wild reindeer herds, and the eastern edge of Vatnajökull glacier. Egilsstaðir is the regional hub with an airport, and Seyðisfjörður (the ferry port to the Faroe Islands and Denmark, with its rainbow-painted road and waterfall-flanked fjord) is the most photogenic town. This is the part of Iceland where the Ring Road feels most like a journey rather than a sightseeing route — the pace slows, the tourists thin out, and the landscapes become deeply personal.

Travel Types

Eastern fjords scenic drive

The stretch of Ring Road between Höfn and Egilsstaðir threads through a dozen narrow fjords, each with a tiny fishing village. Djúpivogur (pyramid mountain Búlandstindur), Fáskrúðsfjörður (French connection — a hospital built for French fishermen), Reyðarfjörður (longest fjord in the east), and Stöðvarfjörður (Petra's Stone Collection — a private mineral hoard in a family garden) are highlights.

Seyðisfjörður

The most beautiful town in east Iceland: colourful wooden houses, waterfalls cascading down both sides of the fjord, the blue church, the rainbow road, a growing art scene, and the Smyril Line ferry connection to the Faroe Islands and Denmark. Worth at least a half-day, ideally an overnight.

Remote hiking: Víknaslóðir trails

Multi-day coastal hiking around Borgarfjörður eystri — deserted bays, sea stacks, nesting puffins (one of Iceland's best puffin colonies at Hafnarhólmi), and solitude. The trails are marked but remote, with mountain huts spaced a day's walk apart. Mid-June to August is the season.

Wild reindeer and highland margins

Iceland's only wild reindeer population (around 7,000 animals) roams the highlands east of Vatnajökull. Sightings are most likely in autumn and winter when the herds descend to lower ground. Driving Route 1 between Egilsstaðir and Höfn in late September often yields roadside encounters.

Eastern Region Travel Notes
  • •The eastern fjords stretch of the Ring Road is winding and slow — budget more time than the map suggests. The 260 km from Höfn to Egilsstaðir takes 4-5 hours with stops.
  • •Egilsstaðir has a domestic airport with flights to Reykjavik (1 hour) — useful for skipping the long Ring Road return drive.
  • •The Smyril Line ferry (Seyðisfjörður to Hirtshals, Denmark, via Tórshavn, Faroe Islands) runs once weekly in summer. It is the only way to bring a car to/from Iceland by sea. Book months ahead.
  • •Fuel up in Höfn, Egilsstaðir, or the larger fjord villages. Between them, fuel stops are sparse and some close early.
  • •Reindeer on the road: drive carefully between Egilsstaðir and Höfn, especially in autumn when herds cross to lower ground. They are unpredictable and can appear suddenly.
  • •Weather in the eastern fjords can differ significantly from the south coast or Reykjavik. Fog is common in summer; snow can close the mountain pass to Seyðisfjörður outside summer.