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. It is also the stretch that decides whether the full loop is worth committing to.
Overview
The eastern fjords are where many Ring Road drivers feel they have Iceland to themselves. From Höfn (famous for langoustine — the Humarhátíð lobster festival runs each June) the road winds through a succession of narrow, steep-walled fjords, each sheltering a small harbour village with a church, a fuel pump, and maybe a guesthouse. The driving is slow and winding but spectacularly scenic, with waterfalls dropping from the plateau above and the ocean appearing and disappearing around each headland. Seyðisfjörður, reached by a mountain pass from Egilsstaðir, sits at the head of its fjord surrounded by waterfalls and rows of colourful wooden houses — the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark (via the Faroe Islands) docks here once a week in summer, and the rainbow-painted road leading to the blue church has become an Instagram fixture. Egilsstaðir itself is a service town rather than a destination, but it has the region's only airport (domestic flights to Reykjavik). The region is the only part of Iceland with a wild reindeer population — around 7,000 animals descended from Norwegian imports in the 18th century, visible on the highland margins in autumn and winter. Hiking in the Víknaslóðir trail network around Borgarfjörður eystri (not to be confused with Borgarfjörður in the west) offers multi-day coastal treks past deserted bays, nesting puffins, and some of Iceland's most remote scenery. Hallormsstaður is Iceland's largest forest — a birch woodland covering a mere 740 hectares, which counts as impressive in a country where the original forests were cleared by the Vikings.
Ways to Experience This Destination
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.
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.
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.
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.
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.