Studlagil Canyon and Waterfall Tour from Seydisfjordur
Description
Discover the iconic Stuðlagil canyon on a 5-hour shore excursion from Seyðisfjörður. Travel through idyllic countryside to reach this natural wonder, renowned for its sheer basalt columns standing up to 30m (98ft) high and the stunning turquoise waters of the Jökulsá river. After marveling at Stuðlagil, we make a stop at the hidden gem that is Gufufoss waterfall. This at 27m (88ft) is located in a secluded valley, offering a serene experience for visitors. Your adventure begins and ends in the charming port town of Seyðisfjörður, an increasingly popular stop for cruise ships. A friendly local guide will greet you upon arrival, ensuring the tour fits perfectly with your cruise schedule. For vistiors, this really is the best shore excursion tour from Seydisfjordur.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The full extent of the beauty of Stuðlagil Canyon was hidden to the world until about 15 years ago. With the contruction of a dam nearby, the water level of the glacial rive here dropped by about 10m. We can now see the full beauty of the spectacular patterns formed here by basalt rock columns. Stuðlagil has emerged as something of an instragram favourite in recent years, with the turquoise waters of the river contrasting pleasingly with the austure grey beauty of the sheer basalt columns. It takes 60 minutes to reach Stuðlagill, and we enjoy about 60 minutes on location.
Gufufoss waterfall is something of a hidden gem. Situated on the outskirts of Seydisfjordur, Gufufoss stands 88ft tall. It gets its name from the Icelandic "gufu", meaning steam, referring the the water spray caused by the plunging falls. It will take us around 75 minutes to from Stuðlagil to Gufufoss.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Total tour time of 5 hours includes approx. 3 hours driving time.
Reviews(165)
Saga, our tour guide was clear and insightful about the various stops on this tour and Icelandic life in general. He waterfalls and Studlagil Canyon were spectacular! Perhaps more time at some of the stops would have made it feel less rushed at times (hence the 4 rather than 5 stars). Bus was well driven and clean. Great tour, thank you!
It was a great tour. Eva was a fantastic guide. She gave us tons of information and was so fun and creative. A fabulous tour.
This is a detailed review of the tour called Studlagil Canyon and Waterfall Tour from Seydisfjordur provided by SAGA that I booked via Viator. For starters, the pictures on the Viator listing DO NOT MATCH the actual tour. You will not see what is pictured. Either our bus driver was lazy and did not take us close to the canyon, or the listing is deliberately misleading. The Canyon being close enough to touch the walls, as the pictures look, would require a 3.5 mile walk (for which time was not provided) from our bus stop point. This is like showing you pictures from inside the grand canyon and from the grand overlook, yet only taking you to where you can barely see the rim! Waterfall was tiny and unimpressive, but there were miles of beautiful countryside and wildflowers. You have been warned. The pics on the ad are of a DIFFERENT ICELANDIC WATERFALL than the one we were taken to. I have spent the last two days going on better and less expensive waterfall excursions to gorgeous waterfalls that are ten or twenty times bigger, prettier, stronger and more dynamic than the one we saw on 8/17/26 on the tour. The descriptions are also misleading, so a theme has developed here. You have heard me right. Visibility was very poor at both sites of this "sightseeing" tour! The bus was packed in like sardines to maximize profit, with not one empty seat in the 57-passenger bus. It was hot, and no AC was used, despite requests. Yes, Iceland can be hot in August. This tour was three plus hours of the very worst in bus riding. I should thank them, if it weren't WAY over-priced to begin with, because they actually made me miss the Covid era's social distancing! FACTS: Price high, bus rides long, one site poor, one site far from canyon edge, very far from canyon center, and the short stops do not make up for time, energy and money spent. Upsides? The guide was passable, but had a heavy Scandinavian accent. Bugs were not bad (because waterfall was so small). Learned not to trust pics or descriptions or positive reviews (many do not match the tour at all) describing a "niagara type waterfall", so it is good to laugh. I noticed that some reviews named Godafoss and described it perfectly, but PROBLEM, this tour goes to Gufufoss, which is VERY different. Made me miss Covid. Excellent reminder to look for words like 'Small Group' and 'Semi-private' in tour listings from now on. No other upside (and I have taken 72 hours to calm myself and try to think of any). Take a different tour when in SEYDISFJORDUR, ICELAND! The best waterfall tours I have been on, over these last two days were: Goðafoss Waterfall from Akureyri and Dynjandi Fjallfoss Waterfall from Isafjordur I am sure there are good tours from Reykjavik as well. I hope the tour provider will read this, correct their promotional information, adjust their pricing, provide a ten empty seat minimum policy for their buses, fix or use their AC, and choose improved stop location experiences, especially at the canyon (such as offering more exploration time and/or better canyon access guidance, such as a walking paddle-carrying guide into the canyon as a tour group). This is an honest and accurate review from the week after the eclipse here in 2026 from a real traveler who has been on 45 cruises and hundreds of excursions and tours. I am not a crank and I hope I have given you more usable information than the typical 1 -star reviews of "THE WORST" or from the "NEVER AGAIN!" people. Take care of each other and happy travels.
Beautiful scenery and stops, but a significant time was spent on the bus driving to the sites. Advice: bring snacks, use the restrooms before you see the canyon (or go on the tour). Our bus restroom was unavailable for the tour, just a FYI. Our guide, Lili, and driver were great!
You are on a bus most of the time. Limited to 20 minutes at the waterfalls so by the time you climb up you need to turn around and head back to the bus. They did give us more time at the gorge but it’s over 240 steps down and up so you need the extra time to enjoy each level and platform.
Thank you for your feedback. We are glad you had enough time to explore the different levels and viewing platforms at Stuðlagil. This excursion covers a large distance from Seyðisfjörður, so a significant part of the day is necessarily spent travelling between the port and the main attractions. The waterfall stops are shorter, while more time is allocated to Stuðlagil because it is the main destination and requires more walking to explore properly. The stairs and terrain at Stuðlagil also require some physical effort, so we always recommend that guests consider their mobility when booking this excursion.
Very good trip. Thank you to our Super guide Saga
Saga was a fantastic guide! nice canyon visit! seen better cascades.
Great weather and scenery. Saga was a great guide super friendly. Great time. Easy to find bus. Got plenty of information on Iceland and the language. Got to see and feel her personal woll sweater.
Saga was an excellent tour guide. She was pleasant, knowledgeable, and very organized.
Saga was wonderful! Very informative, funny, and gave great insight to the Icelandic culture. Would highly recommend her!
