Egilsstaðir Gateway

East

Egilsstaðir is East Iceland's main service town — the place you stop to fuel up, buy groceries, pick up a rental car, or catch a domestic flight before heading into the fjords or the highlands. With a population of around 2,600, it's the largest settlement in the east, and while it isn't a destination in itself, its practical role is hard to overstate on a long trip around the Ring Road. The town sits on the banks of the Lagarfljót river, just upstream from where the river broadens into the long, glacially fed lake of the same name. The lake has its own resident legend — the Lagarfljótsormurinn, a serpent said to have been spotted there since at least 1345. On the lakeside, the Hallormsstaðaskógur forest stretches along the eastern shore and is Iceland's largest forest, a genuinely pleasant surprise in a country known for treelessness. From Egilsstaðir it's a short drive to Hengifoss waterfall, and Seyðisfjörður — one of the most scenic fjord towns in the country — is about 30 minutes east over the mountains. The domestic airport connects to Reykjavík in around 50 minutes and sits less than two kilometres from the town centre, making the east one of the more reachable regions for visitors short on driving time. The Vök Baths, a geothermal spa on nearby Lake Urriðavatn with floating pools, opened in 2019 and has become a good reason to linger an evening. Plan at least one overnight here to use Egilsstaðir as the base it's designed to be.

Book & Explore

The links below are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps keep this guide free. See our about page for how we keep recommendations independent.