Stuðlagil Canyon Hike and Vök Baths - Shore Excursion
Description
Travel through the remote countryside of East Iceland along the beautiful Jökuldalur valley, stopping at the picturesque Rjúkandi Waterfall before continuing to Stuðlagil Canyon — one of Iceland’s most impressive basalt formations. On this tour, we explore the east side of the canyon and hike approximately 2.5 km each way (5 km total) along a mostly flat gravel path. There are two gradual inclines/declines along the route which may feel slightly challenging for some participants, but they are generally easy and manageable for anyone in normal walking condition. Reaching the canyon floor allows you to experience the dramatic basalt columns and glacial river up close — a truly unforgettable highlight for nature lovers and photographers. After the hike, we unwind in the soothing geothermal waters of Vök Baths.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will start the tour by driving to Rjúkandi Waterfall in Jökuldalur Valley, where we'll make a short stop and take an easy and accessible walk up to the waterfall. From there we will make our way to Stuðlagil Canyon.
Nestled deep within the remote Icelandic countryside, Stuðlagil Canyon is truly a remarkable destination. On the east side of Jökulsá River we go on an easy/moderate half an hour walk to the gorge of the canyon. Total time at Stuðlagil Canyon is about 2-3 hours which gives us plenty of time to explore and enjoy the scenery. Most of the summer the water in the river is clear with turquoise colour but in the beginning of August the river changes to grey-ish glacial water.
After enjoying everything Stuðlagil Canyon has to offer we head to the geothermal oasis of Vök Baths. Vök offers Iceland's first floating pools in Urriðavatn Lake, a large pool with it's own bar, steam bath, cold mist tunnel, quality guest facilities, and restaurant Vök Bistro with a view of the lake and the pools with a menu based on sustainability and local ingredients.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Tanni Travel - Seyðisfjörður Cruise Ship Pickup: Pick-up starts 15 minutes prior departure Hús Handanna Egilsstaðir: Pick-up 30 mins after tour start time Vök Baths: Pick-up 40 min after tour start time
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(24)
Fantastic trip, the bus ride was approximately an hour and a half each way. The volk baths were wonderful and there were no crowds at all. The canyon hike is very doable for somebody with reasonable walking fitness. The beginning is a 35 or so minute walk into the canyon which is beautiful, if you wanna really get down into the canyon, it is a little treacherous and you need to be a little bit more fit for that portion. Overall amazing !
The guide was excellent. She was friendly, informative and looked after us very well. She took very photos for us too
Doing a small group tour allows for the small bus to get to the east side of the canyon. This is a better view. About a 30 minute walk, on gravel path. Finished the day at Vok Bath, including a dip into the lake. Tour Guide was lovely and spoke about her experiences growing up in the area.
This was a very enjoyable and fun trip. Our guide, Tinna, was really nice and accommodating. She shared interesting stories with us and was a fun travel companion. The canyon is beautiful and the baths were a really great and relaxing way to end the day. I definitely recommend this excursion!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are so happy to hear that you had an enjoyable and fun experience with us. It is great to hear that Tinna helped make the day extra special with her stories, flexibility and positive energy throughout the tour. We will be sure to pass along your kind words to her. Stuðlagil Canyon and Vök Baths truly make for a fantastic combination of adventure and relaxation, and we are delighted that you enjoyed both experiences. Thank you for the recommendation — we hope to welcome you back to East Iceland again someday! 🙂
Excellent tour. This tour allows you access into the canyon with superior views. Vok baths are very relaxing and feel more natural and less touristy than Blue Lagoon. Our driver and guide Tina was informative, professional, funny and made our tour exceptional.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed both the Stuðlagil Canyon hike and the relaxing experience at Vök Baths. We agree — the views inside the canyon are truly something special. We are especially happy to hear that Tinna made such a great impression with her professionalism, knowledge and humor. We will make sure to pass along your compliments to her. Thank you for choosing to explore East Iceland with us — we hope to welcome you back again in the future! 🙂
What an amazing excursion. The van was clean and comfortable. The guide was amazing. Son of the owners and so very knowledgable. It is a small group so we were able to have great conversations and learn so much. He went with us on the hike down to the canyon. Took us to the best spots for photographs and assisted those who wanted to go all the way to the bottom. Vok baths were great. Some of us even jumped into the lake.
Dear Sharon, Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour, the comfortable ride, and the company of our knowledgeable guide. It’s always a joy to explore the canyon with a small group and share those special photo spots. And hats off to those who jumped into the lake at Vök Baths—brave and bold! We hope to see you again soon. Warm regards, The Tanni Travel Team
This tour into Studlagil Canyon was great and magical. Our guide Tinna from Tanni Travel has incredible knowledge, is an exciting conversation partner and an excellent driver on the bumpy gravel roads in the area. On the way there was a stop at the Rjukanda Waterfall and on the way back there was a visit to the Vök Spa with different warm pools located directly on a picturesque lake near Egilstadir. This was very relaxing, although the facility was at times well filled by very many cruise tourists.
Lieber Matthias, Vielen Dank für Ihr wunderbares Feedback! Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Ihnen die Tour in den Studlagil Canyon so gut gefallen hat und dass Tinna mit ihrem Wissen und ihrer herzlichen Art überzeugen konnte. Auch die Stopps am Rjúkanda-Wasserfall und im Vök Spa sind Highlights, die wir besonders gerne mit unseren Gästen teilen. Wir hoffen, Sie bald wieder bei einer unserer Touren begrüßen zu dürfen! Warm regards, The Tanni Travel Team
A wonderful day exploring the magnificent Studlagil Canyon and relaxing in the Vok Baths afterwards. Our guide Sich was incredible and made the experience that much more fun. The canyon itself was incredible and the views didn’t disappoint. The baths were the perfect way to wrap up the day. Our favorite guided tour in Iceland to date.
Dear Kris, Thank you for this amazing feedback! We're so happy to hear that Studlagil Canyon and Vök Baths made for such a memorable day—and that Sich helped make the experience even more special. He’ll be thrilled to hear your kind words! It means a lot to us that this was your favorite guided tour in Iceland. We hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future! Warm regards, The Tanni Travel Team
A perfect day out and our guide was top notch. We loved both experiences and the opportunity to see the town from the high viewing point before heading back to our ship. The Vok baths were a tremendous experience and we did the jump into the very cold lake after the hottest pool. Getting back into the hot pool after that was the most wonderful tingling feeling.
Hi Julie, Thank you so much for your lovely review! We're so happy to hear you had a perfect day and that your guide made the experience even better. Kudos for braving the cold plunge! That warm, tingling feeling afterward really is something special. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to see you again in Iceland someday! Best regards, The Tanni Travel Team
Beautiful canyon and nice clean busses. But the Vok bath was the best part. Take the cold plunge too in the lake. Perfect end to a great tour.
Hi Jeffrey, Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed the canyon and had a comfortable ride on our coach. And yes, the Vök Baths really are something special! We're happy to hear you took the cold plunge too, such a refreshing way to wrap up the day. Thanks for traveling with us, and we’d love to welcome you back for another adventure in East Iceland! Best regards, The Tanni Travel Team
