North Iceland Tour: Folktales, History, and Scenery

Explore Goðafoss, Laufas, and The Christmas House on a guided half-day tour. Discover history, folktales, and stunning landscapes in North Iceland.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Akureyri Botanical Garden - We drive past the Botanical garden and passengers can be droped off here at the end of the tour.
  • Godafoss - Godafoss waterfall is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland with easy access from both sides of the river. It is surrounded by stunning basalt columns.
  • The Old Farmhouse Laufas - The…
What's Included
  • On-board WiFi
  • Entrance to the museum
  • Other
Additional Information

Our guides are fully qualified and have extensive knowledge of the area. Not only will you learn about the history, landscape and present day life on this tour you will also hear Icelandic folktales. This is a round trip through some of the most picturesque landscape in North Iceland. The total tour length is 4 hours. All travel time is included in that…

Location
Akureyri Cruise Terminal
Laufásgata
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(137 Ratings)
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Denise_y
Aug 17, 2025
Fun Day in Akureyri ! - We had a lovely day. All three stops were very interesting and we learned a lot about the area and Iceland. Our tour guide Jin was funny and informative. I would recommend this tour hoghly
Review provided by Viator
Eleanor_s
Aug 16, 2025
Good trip - Really good driver who was also the guide. Good sense of humour and was really nice. Great experience.
Review provided by Viator
Fjromano63
Aug 16, 2025
Jon - an amazing and informative guide - Jon was an amazing and informative tour guide - loved his knowledge and stories. Overall fun trip, wished we had a bit more time at the Christmas House but Jon gave the allotted time given folks who returned late to the bus at the previous stop. My recommendation is that if someone is late, especially more than 10 minutes, leave them as to not impact the others on the trip!
Review provided by Viator
Christina_b
Aug 6, 2025
Highly recommended - Was really a great tour, no other one told and explained us so much. The driver was super nice and took himself for all time ☺️
Review provided by Viator
Brandi_g
Aug 5, 2025
The waterfall,... - The waterfall, Laufáskirkja, and Christmas house were all wonderful to visit. I wish we would have had a few more minutes to visit the waterfall. The guide was friendly and informative. We appreciated him taking us to the refuge in the tunnel. The guide at Laufas was wonderful and sweet.
Review provided by Viator
Rhonda_n
Aug 4, 2025
Great 1/2 day exploring Akureyri - - Our driver & tour guide, Jon, was amazing! Saw the beautiful falls, the Laura’s Thur Houses and Xmas Shop! There was an excellent description of the whole tour on a laminated paper in your bus seat - wish you could see it when you were thinking about booking it. - Definitely worth your time & money!!
Review provided by Viator
David_d
Aug 3, 2025
Highly Recommended - This excursion was excellent. The falls were beautiful and we had great weather for this tour. The tour guide was very good. We highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Shannon_c
Aug 3, 2025
Excellent trip with Scenery that is Stunning - The scenery on the drive was beautiful. That is worth the price alone. Great historical information from our guide. The falls were beautiful but maybe a little more time could be spared to hike the other side of the falls and to get back in time to use the WC and browse the gift shop before you leave. Laufás was very interesting and the Christmas Shop very cute.
Review provided by Viator
Dorothyk918
Jul 30, 2025
Beautiful waterfall - Good tour. A representative of The Traveling Viking was waiting right as we got off the cruise ship. Our driver/guide Jon was very nice. Told a few stories along the way and had us giggling. Drove for about a half hour, part of which was through a very long tunnel to get to Godafoss falls which were beautiful. Had enough time there. Then on to Laufas turf houses where a girl gave us some history and we wandered through the houses and church. Fun walking basically inside a hill from house to house. Another half hour to the Christmas house which is basically a tourist thing but still had fun taking advantage of all the fun photo ops. Then back to Akureyri. We took advantage of being dropped off at the Botanical gardens instead of taking the bus back to the port. We enjoyed wandering through the gardens. From there we walked down to the church and then through the center of town to the port. If you walk from the botanical gardens to the port without stopping it's only 20 minutes downhill. Tip 1: If you need to use the restroom it will cost $2.50-$3.00 US if you go at the falls. Free to go at Laufas if you can hold it. Tip 2: This tour cost us $122.00 a person. Some friends of ours booked a similar tour from the cruise line at $279 a person. It went to the falls, Luafas and the botanical garden. There isn't a lot to see in Akureyri but this tour got us out into the country some to really see how beautiful Iceland is. Would recommend doing it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Raymond_b
Aug 10, 2025
Scenic and Charming Half-Day Tour! - We really enjoyed this half-day combo tour, which offered a great mix of nature, culture, and a bit of holiday fun. Goðafoss Waterfall was absolutely stunning, and Laufás was a fascinating stop—the traditional turf houses and museum gave a real insight into Icelandic history and rural life. The Christmas House was a whimsical and colorful experience, filled with unique decorations and a festive atmosphere, though a bit on the touristy side. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and kept the tour running smoothly. Overall, a wonderful way to explore some of Iceland’s highlights in just a few hours.
Review provided by Viator
From $122
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).