★★★★☆
“Nine hours and not a drop of water or a snack provided, so bring both. The guide was good and the nature baths were the highlight. Take flip-flops and a bag for a wet swimsuit.”
David, United States · couple · August 2026
Dettifoss, Selfoss and the Mývatn Nature Baths
From $345 per person
Listed asAkureyri North Iceland Waterfalls and Nature Baths Small Group Tour
Duration9 to 10 hours
Departs fromAkureyri
Group sizeMaximum 16
LunchNot included
LanguagesEnglish
CancellationFree up to 24 hours before
OperatorStar Travel Iceland
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Three waterfalls and a hot lagoon, in nine to ten hours
Selfoss, named on the itinerary
The only departure here that lists the ten-metre horseshoe upstream, which most Dettifoss visitors never see.
Dettifoss and Goðafoss too
All three waterfalls on one day, which is what stretches this to nine or ten hours.
Mývatn Nature Baths
An optional soak to finish, with entry paid on the day rather than in the fare.
Pickup from three kinds of place
Your hotel, the town centre or the airport, from eight listed points.
Dimmuborgir and the hot springs
The lava fields and the geothermal ground on the Mývatn side.
All taxes and fees in the fare
Taxes, fees and handling charges are covered by what you pay, which is unusual here.
Two things make this day different from the others. It names Selfoss on the itinerary, and it ends in hot water.
Selfoss is a kilometre upstream of Dettifoss and 0.6 kilometres from the west-side signpost, and it is the stop almost every day tour skips. It is not a smaller Dettifoss. It is a wide horseshoe of separate strands pouring off stepped basalt on both banks, ten metres rather than forty-four, and it photographs completely differently. If you have seen a picture captioned Dettifoss that shows many small falls rather than one curtain, you have seen Selfoss.
The nature baths at the end are optional and the entry fee is not in the fare. One traveller's verdict was that they are expensive and rushed at the end of a long day; another called them the highlight. Both are fair, and which one you agree with probably depends on whether you brought a towel. The operator asks you to bring swimsuits and towels, warm clothes and hiking shoes, and does not provide food or drink across nine to ten hours.
Hour by hour
- Pickup in Akureyri From your hotel, a central point or the airport, from eight listed pickup points.
- Goðafoss The waterfall of the gods, first on the way east out of town.
- Dettifoss and Selfoss The two falls on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, on the west-side path.
- Lake Mývatn and the hot springs The lake district, its geothermal ground and the Dimmuborgir lava fields.
- Mývatn Nature Baths — optional A soak in the geothermal lagoon, with entry paid separately on the day.
- Back to Akureyri Returning to your hotel, the centre or the airport.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book this one if
- You want Selfoss as well as Dettifoss, and you are not driving yourself.
- A hot lagoon at the end of a long cold day sounds like the right ending.
- You are flying out and want collecting from, or dropping at, the airport.
- You are happy with a group of up to sixteen rather than a coach.
Book something else if
If a nine-to-ten hour day with no food provided sounds like too much, take a shorter one. The Diamond Circle day trip with lunch runs eight hours, includes a sandwich and water, and costs a good deal less — though it drops Selfoss and the baths.
What’s included
Included
- ✓ Hotel, central or airport pickup and drop-off in Akureyri
- ✓ Local driver-guide
- ✓ Professional guide
- ✓ All taxes, fees and handling charges
Not included
- ✗ Entry to Myvatn Nature Baths
- ✗ Food and drinks
Where you meet
Pickup from your hotel, a central point or Akureyri airport, from eight listed points. Cruise passengers should give the operator the ship's name when booking, because Akureyri has more than one berth. At Tangabryggja the operator is at house number three among the small wooden buildings just outside the cruise area; at Oddeyrarbryggja, look for the agent area next to the Icewear shop.
Know before you go
- Bring a swimsuit and a towel. The nature baths are the last stop and neither is provided.
- Bring food and water. Nine to ten hours with nothing included. One traveller's whole complaint was exactly this.
- Flip-flops help at the baths. The walk between the changing rooms and the water is not carpeted.
- Warm clothes and hiking shoes. The operator asks for both by name, and the path at Dettifoss is why.
- Baths entry is paid on the day. It is excluded from the fare, so budget for it or skip the soak and wait in the café.
- Not for serious heart conditions. Stated outright on the booking page, and fair enough with a hike and a hot lagoon in one day.
Photographs from the falls
What travellers said about this day
★★★★★
“Högni added a couple of extra stops for the three of us who were not swimming, and the vehicle was comfortable all day. We saw every major site in the area, Dettifoss included.”
Cindy, United States · group · August 2025
★★★★★
“We went in January and Dettifoss was a completely different place from the summer version. Our guide filled the long drive with local customs and legends.”
David, United Kingdom · couple · January 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does this tour really go to Selfoss?
The operator's own overview names Goðafoss, Dettifoss and Selfoss, which no other departure listed does. Selfoss is signposted at 0.6 kilometres from the west-side junction and the national park rates the circuit easy, so it is a realistic addition rather than a marketing line.
How much are the nature baths?
Entry is not included in the fare and is paid on the day at the lagoon's own price. Treat it as an extra when you compare this against the shorter days.
Is the soak compulsory?
No, it is optional. Travellers who skip it have described guides using the time to add extra stops for the non-swimmers, which is worth asking about at the start of the day rather than the end.
How big is the group?
Sixteen at most. The highlights line on the same booking page says fourteen and the widget allows fourteen, so treat sixteen as the ceiling and expect fewer. We print the higher figure and flag the disagreement rather than picking the friendlier number.
Is there anything shorter?
Yes. The Lake Mývatn and Dettifoss day tour runs eight to nine hours in a group of twelve and gives the falls the same ninety-minute treatment, without the baths or Selfoss.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
No, and it says so plainly, though infant seats are available. The Fox Adventure departure from the cruise terminal is the one with wheelchair access, alongside a recommendation to take a private vehicle for comfort.
Other ways to reach the falls
Both of the other featured departures run some version of the Diamond Circle, North Iceland's designated 250-kilometre route, and each gives the waterfall a different number of minutes.
- From Akureyri Port: Diamond Circle Guided Day Trip w/ Lunch — From $209 per person, 80 minutes at Dettifoss
- Lake Mývatn and Powerful Dettifoss Day Tour from Akureyri — From $401 per person, 1.5 hours at Dettifoss
All Dettifoss Tours compares every guided departure by the minutes it gives you at the rim, and roads and access covers the rim itself.