Viking Iconic Iceland Cruise - Akureyri and the waterfalls

In this extended review of the Viking Iconic Iceland, Greenland and Canada cruise that we took in May 2025, we have reached the Capital of the North, Akureyri after an overnight sail from Isafjordur. Just 62 miles from the Arctic Circle, we actually saw the sun!

The swimming pool on the stern of the Viking Neptune as we sailed towards Akureyri in Iceland

Not that it was warm enough to swim, but it was nice to see some blue sky. It wasn’t to continue though!

Low islands along our cruise with mountains in the distance as we approached Akureyri in Iceland

The clouds over the mainland of Iceland gave us a little warning of what was to come, but for now, the sail into the city was pleasant and smooth. We were not the first though – the Norwegian Star and MS Amadea were already docked in the harbor.

The Norwegian Star and MS Amadea already docked in Akureyri as we arrived

Akureyri is an ice-free port and agricultural center with a famous hilltop church, the Akureyrarkirkja with a stained-glass window from Coventry Cathedral in England.

The Akureyrarkirkja or church on the hilltop above the harbor

We had chosen the Northern Iceland’s Natural Treasures excursion which was planned to last 7 hours and we were the first to depart from the harbor at 9:15am to drive to the famous Godafoss, or Waterfall of the Gods on the Skjalfandafljot river inland from Akureyri. As you can see, the weather is cloudy but dry and to some extent, cloudy conditions are often preferred when photographing waterfalls as that makes it much easier to get the long exposure which makes the water smoother and often more attractive.

Godafoss, or Waterfall of the Gods on the river Skjalfandafljot in a 0.5 second exposure. Prints in my online store

I decided to try some close-ups as well:

Close up of one of the falls at Godafoss, or Waterfall of the Gods on the river Skjalfandafljot in a 2 second exposure. Prints in my online store

We had around 45 minutes or so at this waterfall before we gathered at the coach again for our next stop, Hverir and the geothermal pools and hot spots. This out of this world location is like a large sand flats, but with bubbling mud ponds, mounds with hot gases erupting from the earth and a general feeling that things are going on below your feet!

Geothermal activity creates a surreal landscape at Hverir in Namafjall, Iceland with winding roads through mud pots and steam vents

There are quite a few tourists there, but they are largely lost in the mists erupting from the ground!

Tourists lost in the mists at Hverir with the gases erupting from the ground with Hydrogen Sulphide adding to the smells of the area

As we were driving away with the rain just starting to come down, a ray of sunshine just hit the buildings of a small geothermal power plant that is used to supply the electricity to this small community.

Steam rises from geothermal power stations in a dramatic landscape dominated by volcanic mountains in Iceland's northern environment — Steam rises from geothermal power stations in a dramatic landscape dominated by volcanic mountains in Iceland’s northern environment

And we were off again, this time for a lovely lunch laid on in a restaurant with large picture windows overlooking lava fields around Lake Myvatn. Then, back on the coach for a short ride to Dimmuborgir. This magical place was created when hot air was trapped under the lava erupting from a nearby volcano and the air rising up inside the lava to give these strange shapes jutting out of the ground. There are plenty of hikes around the site, but, as you can see, the rain was really coming down now and the Viking Umbrellas were being put to the test.

Unique volcanic rock formations and hollow pillars at Dimmuborgir near Lake Myvatn, as tourists view the park in a downpour

Lake Myvatn is a famous bird watching lake, and many birds congregate there because there are millions of black flies flying everywhere, into your face, landing on your clothing, and hanging about on windows trying to get outside.

Hordes of black flies or midges trying to escape from a window

They weren’t too bad in the rain, but our next stop was at the pseudo craters around Lake Myvatn. The rain had stopped for this excursion – we had 30 minutes to explore a round trip trail around some of the craters, but the flies were there in abundance. One good thing (at least on our visit) they didn’t seem to have any interest in landing on your face or biting, but they were a constant cloud around your head.

The pseudo-craters formed during a volcanic eruption by Lake Myvatn

There were some cute sheep and young lambs there as well, that seemed happy to pose as models.

Iceland sheep and lamb resting on the slopes of the crater around Lake Myvatn in Iceland

On the way down towards the harbor, we had a stop at an overlook to see the city spread out behind the visiting cruise ships, with the Viking Neptune on the right. As you can see, pretty cloudy still and although that impressive church was not too far away, it was a bit too far to walk after this long day exploring the inland areas of Iceland and so we got changed, relaxed and planned our dinner.