Iceland Trip

Diamond Circle Itineraries

The Diamond Circle is the north’s answer to the Golden Circle: a 250 km loop from Lake Mývatn to Húsavík for the whales, up the Tjörnes coast to the horseshoe canyon of Ásbyrgi, down the east bank of the Jökulsá to Dettifoss, and back past Goðafoss. It is paved all the way since 2021 and takes a full day with the whale boat, or two with the walks at Ásbyrgi and Hljóðaklettar.

Every plan here spends at least one night at Mývatn, Húsavík or Akureyri and drives some or all of the loop. Our editors picked them from real trips for putting the whale boat in the morning, for visiting Dettifoss from the paved east side, and for leaving time at Ásbyrgi. Duplicate one and make it yours.

Picked and reviewed by · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated

Map of Iceland showing where the 66 Diamond Circle itineraries on this page stay overnight
Where these plans sleep: larger dots are the bases most of them share. Schematic, not for navigation.

7 days

8–10 days

11–14 days

15+ days

Built by Iceland trip experts

46 plans drawn up by Iceland trip experts for real clients, and checked for driving times, roads and season. Each lists its stops, photos and where to stay; duplicate one and make it yours.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Diamond Circle in Iceland?

A signed 250 km driving loop in North Iceland linking Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi canyon and Húsavík, paved throughout since 2021. It is the northern counterpart to the Golden Circle and takes a long day from Mývatn or Akureyri, or two days with the walks and a whale-watching trip.

How many days do you need for the Diamond Circle?

One long day covers the drive with short stops at each sight; two days lets you add the Húsavík whale boat (three hours), the Ásbyrgi canyon walks and Hljóðaklettar in Vesturdalur. Most Ring Road plans with ten days or more give it a day and a half from a Mývatn base.

Which side of Dettifoss should I visit?

The east side (Route 864, gravel) has the classic close view and the walk to Selfoss; the west side (Route 862, paved) has the easier access, the viewing platform and is open in winter. The Diamond Circle uses the paved west side; with a 4x4 in summer, do both.

Deeper reading on iceland-trip.com

Our sister site covers every place in depth: access, parking, seasons, what to expect. Written by the same team.

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