Studlagil Canyon and Hidden Gems: A Complete Guide to Eastern Iceland

Studlagil Canyon, in Eastern Iceland, is a top destination on the island that is well worth the drive. But, if you’re going to make the trek out to the canyon, we recommend making a full day of it. If you’re up for a road trip, check out our Ultimate Iceland Itinerary: 9 Day Road Trip. We recommend making this Day 5 of your road trip around the island, or making a day of it. Read on for our travel tips for the best views of the canyon and top destinations nearby!

Planning Your Trip to Studlagil Canyon

Studlagil Canyon is not a short trek from the main town of Reykjavik. In fact, it’s over a 7 hour drive from the capitol. So, we definitely recommend visiting the canyon as part of a road trip or multi-day trip through Eastern Iceland. To help you plan your trip, we’ve put together a list of destinations nearby. Or, make it easier and follow our 9 day road trip. All of our recommended Iceland stops are tagged on our map below. For a list of all of our travel maps, check out our Travel Maps page.

Top Destinations Near Studlagil Canyon

Studlafoss Waterfall

Studlafoss waterfall is a no-brainer when visiting Studlagil Canyon. Because, it’s on the way. If you follow our guide, you’ll end up on the eastern side of the canyon and will hike past this waterfall on the way (its a short walk from the parking lot).

Rjukandi Waterfall

Rjukukandi Waterfall is only 30 minutes from Studlagil Canyon, so it’s a perfect add-on to any trip. Especially if you’re following the ring road, the waterfall is on your way into Studlagil Canyon if going counter-clockwise. The waterfall is a short walk up from the parking lot.

Dettifoss Waterfall

Though Dettifoss Waterfall is a little over 1.5 hours from Studlagil Canyon, the reason we so highly recommend visiting it is because it’s a lesser-known waterfall in Iceland. Less people visit Dettifoss than they do the famous Godafoss and Gulfoss. Which is surprising because, did you know Dettifoss is reported to be the second most powerful waterfall in Europe? If you rest your hand on a stone or ground by the waterfall, you can feel the ground shaking from the waterfall.

Protip: we recommend seeing Dettifoss from the west side. The road is paved (east side is gravel and not recommended with 2WD). The west side gives you a head-on view to the waterfall. However, some photographers prefer the east side for the photo angle (wider angle/view).

If you’re on a road trip around the Ring Road, Dettifoss is only a 40 min detour (20 minutes each way). And, it’s very close to the Myvatn area, which you should definitely stop by for a day or so!

Seydisfjordur

The little coastal town of Seydisfjordur is 1.5 hours from Studlagil Canyon, and, definitely worth a stop. We actually recommend staying the night in this town before heading to the canyon (check out our road trip itinerary). The Rainbow Walk pictured above is a more private, smaller version of Rainbow Road in Reykjavik. For food, grab a coffee and pastry or meal at Nordic Restaurant. PS, all these destinations are tagged on our Travel Map above!

Gufu Waterfall

On the way down to Seydisjordur, you’ll drive by Gufu waterfall. You can easily pull off to the side of the road and grab a picture. Or, you can also walk a bit closer to the waterfall.

How to Get to Studlagil Canyon – MUST READ

Driving to Parkplatz Klaustrusel

For the best experience, we recommend driving to Stulagil Canyon. Check out our post, Renting a Car in Iceland for Road Trip of a Lifetime! for more tips on renting a car. From Reykjavik, it’s over 7 hours driving, so we recommend making a day trip of it.

Protip: you want to go to the EAST side of the canyon for the best experience.

Google maps is sometimes misleading, because the default Studlagil Canyon on google is tagged on the west side of the river. The west side doesn’t offer as good of views, and you can’t climb into the canyon. This is the parking lot you want to route to (also tagged on our Travel Map above):

Note: there are THREE parking lots for Studlagil Canyon. West, East, and Parkplatz Klaustrusel. Parkplatz is closest, East is a good alternative if Parkplatz is full or iced over.

If you end up in a parking lot without crossing or seeing a bridge, you’ve gone to the wrong parking lot. Head back east until you can turn right onto Studlagil Canyon Road. Then, cross the bridge, and drive down this very rocky and narrow road to the parking lot. If that lot is full, you can park in the East parking lot, right before the bridge. We visited the canyon at 4pm in peak season of July, and there were plenty of spots. We have heard that the parking lot fills around 12pm in peak summer months.

The drive to the east side parking lot is rocky and narrow. It’s more easily done with a 4WD, though we saw a lot of 2WD in the summer.

Hiking Into the Canyon

Once you’ve parked your car in one of the two eastern parking lots, you can being your hike to the canyon (and then in!). Here’s the hike info:

• Distance: 3.5 miles (from Parkplatz) or 6 miles (from East parking) round trip
• Difficulty: Easy (it’s mostly flat)
• Time: 1 hour to 2.5 hours (depending on which parking lot you start from)
• Trail details

This hike is easy enough that you won’t need hiking poles. However, if you plan on climbing down into the canyon, we recommend sturdy hiking shoes/boots. Bring a swimsuit if its warm enough to jump into the water!

How Much Time to Spend at the Canyon and Eastern Iceland

If you’re fairly confident you’re visiting the canyon when the Parkplatz lot will have open spots (summer time, not around noon), you should spend 1.5-2 hours at the canyon. If you’re unsure of whether the closer parking lot will be open (it ices over in the fall), budget 3-4 hours.

We recommend spending a full day in Eastern Iceland, including Stulagil Canyon. Check out our recommended stops along the ring road above!

Best Time to Visit Studlagil Canyon

The best time to visit Studlagil Canyon is during the summer months (June – August). The weather is warmer, which increases your likelihood of being able to jump into the water! By October, the roads ice over and the hike can be dangerous.

Full Itinerary for Studlagil Canyon and Eastern Iceland

From experience, this is how we would explore Eastern Iceland, with drive times and how long to spend at each stop. Check out our map below!

Early Morning: Seydisfjordur and Waterfalls

Start your day in the small town of Seydisfjordur. We recommend spending the night there the day before as Studlagil Canyon is quite far from Reykjavik. For food, grab a coffee and pastry or meal at Nordic Restaurant. Spend 1-2 hours in Seudisfjordur.

After, hit the road towards Studlagil Canyon, stopping by Gufu and Fardagafoss waterfall (within a 15 minute drive. These should only take 30 minutes or so.

Mid-Moorning: Rjukandi Waterfall

Drive from Fardagafoss to Rjukandi, which should take about 40 minutes. You can hike around the waterfall, picnic, or just drop in quickly for a picture. Spend 15 minutes – 1 hour at the waterfall.

Afternoon: Studlagil Canyon

Drive from Rjukandi Waterfall to the Parkplatz parking lot, which should take only 30 minutes, but budget 45 minutes in case you miss the turn like us! Spend a solid 2-3 hours at the canyon, it’s the main destination!

Late Afternoon: Dettifoss

The drive from Studlagil Canyon to Dettifoss is almost 2 hours, if you include stopping for gas at some point. Once you get to Dettifoss, the hikes are pretty flat and easy. Budget about 1-2 hours at the falls.

Evening: Myvatn

After Dettifoss, you’ll be less than an hour from the Myvatn area. We recommend spending the night here and spending your next day exploring the area (Day 6 of our full road trip).

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