In a nutshell
- Seyðisfjörður is a small East Iceland town where the Norrona ferry docks, and the shore excursions here leave from the port and head out along the fjord or inland.[1]
- The Puffin & Gufufoss Waterfall Tour runs 5 hours with a live tour guide in English and stops at Hafnarholmi, Lindarbakki and Gufu Waterfall, from US$229.[2]
- Canyon excursions from the port include a 5 hour shore excursion from US$229 and a 7 hour hike that adds Vök Baths, from US$407.[3][4]
- Vök Baths entry starts from US$61 and lasts 1.5 hours, and a 6 hour Stuðlagil and reindeer tour starts from US$228.[5][6]
- These listings offer reserve now and pay later plus free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2]
- Top choice Puffin & Gufufoss Tour from US$229 Duration5 hours[2]GuideLive tour guide: English[2]Rating4.63 from 270 reviews[2]Free cancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[2]Reserve now and pay laterReserve now and pay later[2] Check availability
- Stuðlagil Canyon Excursion from US$229 Duration5 hours[3]GuideLive tour guide: English[3]Rating4.46 from 336 reviews[3]Free cancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[3]Reserve now and pay laterReserve now and pay later[3] See this tour
- Stuðlagil & Reindeer Tour from US$228 Duration6 hours[6]GuideLive tour guide: German, English[6]Rating4.86 from 7 reviews[6]Free cancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[6]Reserve now and pay laterReserve now and pay later[6] See this tour
Hafnarhólmi is easily the most accessible Atlantic Puffin colony in Iceland where they nest every year from middle of April to beginning of August.
Is a Seyðisfjörður shore excursion worth it?
Worth knowing first
A Cruise Port at the Head of a Fjord
Few cruise calls feel as quiet as Seyðisfjörður. The ship comes in along a narrow fjord, past waterfalls that drop straight off the mountainside, and the town itself is small enough to walk end to end in a few minutes. The Norrona ferry, run by Smyril Line, docks in the small town of Seydisfjordur.[1] Colourful wooden houses and steep green slopes behind them make the first half hour ashore feel like a step into a different scale of country.
Before or after your tour, walk the Rainbow Street. It is a popular spot for selfies, lined with old historic houses, and it ends at the town's picturesque church, usually called Bláa kirkjan, the Blue Church.[8] Guests come here year round, so even a short stop between tours is worth the few minutes it takes.[8]
Behind the town, the road climbs into the mountains. A mountain pass road leads up and over towards Egilsstaðir and the wider East Iceland interior. Tours that head inland for the canyon country, the puffin cliffs or the geothermal baths begin by climbing away from the fjord, and a port day here can cover a surprising amount of ground.
Puffins, Gufufoss and the North Coast Loop
The tour booked from this site is the Puffin & Gufufoss Waterfall Tour from Seydisfjordur Port. It runs 5 hours with a live tour guide in English, and the route is a bus loop that stops in the Northeastern Region, at Hafnarholmi, at Lindarbakki and at Gufu Waterfall.[2] It is rated 4.63 from 270 reviews, starts from US$229, and can be reserved now with payment later and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2]
Hafnarhólmi is the wildlife stop. Puffins nest there every year from the middle of April to the beginning of August.[9] Outside those months the cliffs and the small harbour below are still worth the walk, and the viewpoints look out over open sea.
Gufufoss itself stands approximately 88 feet (27 meters) tall.[10] It is an easy one to reach: the walk from the car park to the waterfall is no more than 150 meters long, completely flat, and takes a minute or two.[11] That makes it a good stop for photographs without any real hike, and spray from the fall drifts over the path on a windy day.
Gufufoss drops beside the road in a narrow ribbon, a short flat walk from the car park.
Stuðlagil Canyon Excursions from the Port
Stuðlagil Canyon is a basalt rock formation located in Jokuldalur Valley in East Iceland,[12] and it is the headline stop on several shore excursions from Seyðisfjörður. From Seydisfjordur: Studlagil Canyon Shore Excursion runs 5 hours, uses a live tour guide in English, and stops at the canyon and at Gufu Waterfall, from US$229.[3]
If your ship is alongside for longer, the options widen. Seyðisfjörður Port: Stuðlagil Canyon and Waterfalls Tour runs 6 hours from US$236 and adds Rjukandi Waterfall and a hidden gem stop.[13] A 7 hour trip combines the canyon hike with Vök Baths from US$407,[4] another 7 hour trip pairs the canyon with a reindeer park from US$369,[14] and a 6 hour option links the canyon express route with the baths from US$325.[15] There is also a 6 hour tour led in German and English from US$228.[6]
The columns stand in tall, close-packed pillars above a river that shifts between grey and a cold blue-green with the light. The classic views look down into the gorge from above, so keep a little distance from the edge, especially when the ground is wet.
Geothermal Baths and Fjord Cruises
Vök Baths: East Iceland Geothermal Baths Entry starts from US$61 and lasts 1.5 hours, with a host or greeter in English and Icelandic.[5] It is rated 4.69 from 386 reviews, with Guide 4.8 and Value for money 4.5, and the listing is wheelchair accessible.[5] Check availability to view the start time, and note that this is one of the shortest options from the port.[5]
The fjord itself is best enjoyed from the town, because no boat trip is bookable through this site. It is sheltered, and the cliffs rise straight from the water on both sides, so even a short walk along the shore gives you the shape of the place.
Other options round out the day. A private Gufufoss and Vök Baths tour starts from US$2168 for a 4 hour private group trip,[16] and the Stuðlagil Canyon Express and Vök Baths tour starts from US$325 over 6 hours.[15]
from US$229
The Puffin & Gufufoss Waterfall Tour runs 5 hours with a live tour guide in English.[2]
Matching a Tour to Your Time Ashore
Port calls vary. Work backwards from your all aboard time rather than from a tour description. The shortest listings are the baths entry at 1.5 hours, the private Gufufoss and Vök Baths tour at 4 hours and the puffin and Gufufoss tour at 5 hours.[2][5][16] These fit comfortably around a normal call and still leave time in town.
The 5 hour tours take most of a port day. That group includes the puffin and Gufufoss loop and the Stuðlagil Canyon shore excursion, both from US$229.[2][3] Anything six or seven hours needs a long call: the 6 hour canyon and waterfalls tour, the 6 hour canyon express with baths, and the 6 hour hidden canyon and reindeer route all fall into that bracket.[6][13][15]
All of these listings use reserve now and pay later and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2] That makes it easy to hold a place on a canyon tour and drop it if the ship's schedule changes. Start times are not fixed in the listings, so check availability for the times that suit your sailing.[2]
Weather, Clothes and a Realistic Plan
Summer in Seyðisfjörður is mild and changeable. In July, a summer month here, the average daily temperature ranges from a high of 51°F (11°C) to a low of 43°F (6°C).[7] That is walking weather rather than beach weather, and wind off the fjord can make a viewpoint feel cooler than the number suggests.
Pack a waterproof outer layer, a warm mid layer, and shoes with grip. Waterfalls throw spray, canyon paths can be wet and a puffin cliff walk is usually on grass and gravel. A dry bag or a simple sleeve for your phone is worth the space in a day pack.
Plan around one big outing rather than two. Travel inland takes real time, and a canyon or puffin loop fills the hours you have. If your ship is in for a short call, stay close to the fjord. Leave a little slack at the end for the walk back and a last look at the water.
Booking Your Seydisfjordur Cruise Port Tours
All of these excursions can be booked online, and prices are shown as from prices in US dollars. The puffin and waterfall loop works well if you want wildlife, a turf house and a waterfall in a single outing, and the canyon tours suit anyone drawn to basalt cliffs and big views.
Two of the stops on that loop are worth a look in advance. Lindarbakki is a colorful turf house in the village of Bakkagerði,[17] and Hafnarhólmi is the puffin colony, with birds nesting from the middle of April to the beginning of August.[9] Together they cover wildlife and an old turf building in the same half day.
Book ahead for summer calls and read the start time confirmation carefully once it arrives. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance gives you room to change plans if the weather turns or the ship shifts its schedule.[2] Then all you need on the day is a warm layer, a camera and a few minutes for the Rainbow Street.[8]
From prices for Seyðisfjörður shore excursions
From prices in US dollars for shore excursions from Seyðisfjörður.[2][3][5][6]
What a port day costs per person
From prices per listing in US dollars.[2][3][4][5][6]
When to book your excursion
Plan your port day
Check ship timings
Find your arrival, all aboard and departure times first. Then compare them with the duration of any tour you are considering.
Choose one outing
Canyon, puffins, baths or fjord cruise. Travel inland takes real time. One main outing per call works better than two.
Book it flexible
Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2]
Dress for wet
Bring a waterproof shell, a warm layer and shoes with grip. Spray, drizzle and wind are all normal on this coast.
Save time for town
Walk the Rainbow Street to the Blue Church before you head back to the ship.[8]
Book the Puffin & Gufufoss Waterfall Tour from Seydisfjordur Port
from US$230Reserve now & pay later
