Egilsstaðir

Egilsstaðir is the unofficial capital of East Iceland. Its population is 2332. It lies on the banks of the Lagarfljót river.

Understand

Climate

Egilsstaðir
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       76     1 −6       54     1 −5       61     3 −4       41     5 −2       31     9 2       28     13 5       38     15 7       42     14 6       63     11 4       78     6 1       62     3 −3       70     1 −5 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Averages 1955-1997, data from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Up to date weather information from the Icelandic Meteorological Office .
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       3     34 22       2.1     35 23       2.4     37 25       1.6     41 29       1.2     48 35       1.1     55 41       1.5     59 44       1.6     57 43       2.5     51 39       3.1     43 33       2.4     37 26       2.8     34 23 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

The weather in Egilsstaðir is unpredictable. Temperatures are moderate: they don't go very high in the summer, nor do they go much below zero during winter. January is the coldest month.

Get in

By plane

One airport serves the Egilstaðir area and most of East Iceland.

1 Egilsstaðir Airport (Icelandic: Egilsstaðaflugvöllur, EGS  ^IATA). Located between Egilsstaðir and a neighboring town named Fellabær. One airline has scheduled flights to and from Egilsstaðir airport:  

• Icelandair - operates domestic flights to Reykjavík

By car

Two main roads serve as entry points into Egilsstaðir

• The ring road (Road 1) enters the town from north and south.
• Seyðisfjarðarvegur (Road 93) enters the town from the east, linking it to Seyðisfjörður and the Smyril line ferry.

By bus

The local bus from Seyðisfjörður stops downtown and at the airport. Seyðisfjörður in turn is served by the weekly ferry from Hirtshals (Denmark) via the Faroes.

Renting a car

Car rental services can be found at Egilsstaðir airport. If you intend only to go between the towns of East-Iceland, renting a car is not necessary as the area does have a bus system.

Get around

On foot

Walking in Egilsstaðir is recommended as the town is small. The longest walking path in the town is 3.2 kilometers long.

By bus

Most of East Iceland has a joint public bus system. Single rides within the town cost 350 kr and 10 tickets can be bought for 3150 kr. Children below the age of 16 are charged 175 kr for a single ride trip within the town. The bus system is divided into 23 areas where one single ride fare or one ticket is charged for each area. The longest trip is between Borgarfjörður, north of Egilsstaðir, and Höfn.

By car

As a tourist you should be able to manage without a car if you are only staying in the city. Driving is recommended though for travel outside of the town.

By bicycle

It is easy to bike in Egilsstaðir if you can handle a few hills and strong headwinds. You could even go over the Lagarfljót bridge and visit the neighboring town Fellabær as these towns are situated quite close to each other.

• Skógar rent a bike, Dynskógar 4, ☏ +354 4711230. 

See

• 1 East Iceland Heritage Museum, Laufskógur 1, ☏ +354 4711412, minjasafn@minjasafn.is. Sep-May: Tu-F 11:00-16:00; Jun-Aug 10:00-18:00 daily. Archive of films and documents relevant to the history of East-Iceland. Adults kr 1500; free entry for children. 
• 2 Hengifoss (Directions: turn into Route 1 over the Lagarfljót bridge. Once you have crossed the bridge turn left into Route 931. Park the car at the end of the lagoon and walk up the mountain towards the waterfall). The second highest waterfall in Iceland. It is 128 meters high.  
• 3 Stuðlagil canyon (Upper Jökuldalur). The not too frequented canyon surrounded by basalt columns, created by the river Jökulsá á Brú. Nearby, there are also Stuðlafoss Basalt Column Waterfall and Basalt Column Canyon. (updated Nov 2019)
• 4 The most deserted vending machine (On route 94 north towards Bakkagerði). A rest stop with picnic table and arguably the most deserted vending machine in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. (updated Mar 2022)

Do

• 1 Egilsstaðir swimming pool, ☏ +354 470077. Summer: Mondays to Tuesdays from 6:30 to 20:30, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 17. Winter: Mondays to Fridays 6:30 to 20:30, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 17. 25-meter long swimming pool, two hot tubs and a water slide. kr 600 for adults, kr 250 for children. 

Eat

• Bónus, Miðvangur 13. Low-cost supermarket chain. 
• Nettó, Kaupvangur 6. Low-cost supermarket chain 
• 1 Café Nielsen, Tjarnarbraut 1, ☏ +354 4712626. Mondays to Fridays from 11:30 to 13:30 only during the summer.. Up to kr 2500 for a main course. 

Sleep

• Guesthouse 707, Hamragerði 3, ☏ +354 8471733. 
• Lyngás guesthouse, ☏ +354 4711310. 
• 1 Egilsstaðir campsite, Kaupvangur 17, ☏ +354 4700750. Kr 1200 per adult. 
• 2 Icelandair Hotel Hérað, Miðvangur 1-7, ☏ +35 4444000. 

Go next

• Hallormsstaðaskógur is one of the largest forests in Iceland. It covers an 730 hectare area. Directions: turn into Route 1 towards Höfn. Turn right into Route 931. The forest will appear along the road to your right.
• Stórurð is a natural phenomenon with rocks and lakes. Travelers should only go to Stórurð during the summer. Directions: Turn into Route 94 towards Bakkagerði. Park the car near Geldingarfjall mountain. From there is a 7.1-kilometer long marked path towards Stórurð.

Routes through Egilsstaðir

Akureyri ← Reykjahlíð ←

N  S

→ Höfn → Reykjavik