Everyone does the Golden Circle. Far fewer make it to its northern counterpart, the Diamond Circle — and that's exactly why it's worth the drive. Based out of Akureyri or Húsavík, it strings together five of North Iceland's best sights on a loop of roughly 250 km: Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss, the Ásbyrgi canyon, and the whale-watching town of Húsavík. You get waterfalls, geothermal weirdness, a horseshoe canyon and Europe's most powerful waterfall — with a fraction of the crowds you'll meet down south.
The route
Most people run it from Akureyri, which sits about 390 km north of Reykjavík. From there it's 50 km east on Route 1 to Goðafoss, another 50 km to Mývatn, then north on Route 85 toward Húsavík and Ásbyrgi, with a detour inland to Dettifoss. The full loop back to Akureyri is comfortably a long day; if you're based in Húsavík you can trim the driving considerably.
The five stops
- Goðafoss — the "waterfall of the gods", a 12 m horseshoe drop right beside Route 1. Five-minute walk from the car park; viewpoints on both banks.
- Lake Mývatn — a shallow, bird-rich lake ringed by pseudocraters, lava pillars (Dimmuborgir) and the Hverir mud pools. Budget 2–3 hours. The Mývatn Nature Baths are the north's quieter answer to the Blue Lagoon.
- Dettifoss — Europe's most powerful waterfall by volume. The paved Route 862 on the west bank is the easy approach; the east bank (Route 864) is gravel and rougher.
- Ásbyrgi — a vast horseshoe-shaped canyon, said in folklore to be a hoofprint of Óðinn's horse. Flat, easy walking trails and sheer 100 m walls.
- Húsavík — Iceland's whale-watching capital. Tours run April–October; humpbacks are near-guaranteed in summer.
How long do you need?
You can drive the loop in a single long day from Akureyri, but you'll be rushing Mývatn and skipping the whale tour. The honest answer: one day if you only want the headline stops, two if you want to actually slow down — an overnight in Húsavík or at Mývatn turns it from a march into a trip.
Charging and fuel
This is where North Iceland needs a little planning. Akureyri is the charging hub: there's a Tesla Supercharger plus ON Power fast chargers, so start the loop full. After that, coverage thins out — the Húsavík–Ásbyrgi–Dettifoss triangle is the stretch where EVs most often get caught short. Top up in Húsavík and at Mývatn rather than assuming you'll find something past Ásbyrgi. Check the North region charging map before you set off and keep a 30% buffer for the gravel detour to Dettifoss. For petrol and diesel, you'll find N1 and Orkan stations in Akureyri, Mývatn (Reykjahlíð) and Húsavík.
New to charging in Iceland? The EV charging guide covers the networks, apps and cards you'll want, and the full station directory lists everything currently public.
When to go
June to August is the sweet spot: all roads open, whale tours running, and near-endless daylight. May and September are quieter and cheaper but some side roads (and the east-bank Dettifoss route) may still be closed. In winter the loop is for confident drivers only — Route 85 and the Dettifoss approaches close regularly, so treat road.is as gospel and have a plan B.
If you're already planning the Ring Road, the Diamond Circle slots neatly into the northern leg — it's the reason to give Akureyri two nights instead of one.