Ásbyrgi Canyon Hike: An Epic Adventure That Everyone Should Experience.

57 Shares

Ásbyrgi Canyon is one of the best attractions on the Diamond Circle route in North Iceland. Hope you find this post inspirational and useful to plan your trip to Ásbyrgi canyon, whether just for a visit, or to camp on the canyon grounds, and to hike it.

Ásbyrgi Canyon is very accessible from both Akureyri, the biggest town in North Iceland and Husavik. We drove to it from Myvatn after a short detour to Dettifoss, Europe’s largest waterfall in the area. When we visited it in summer time, it felt untouched by tourists. It is best to have a rented car or campervan to come here, though many tours from Akureyri would cover Ásbyrgi Canyon. We had rented a car for our epic 12 days Iceland ring road itinerary and found it easy to drive down to Ásbyrgi from Myvatn.

Page Contents

Information and Folklore about Ásbyrgi Canyon in North Iceland

Ásbyrgi Canyon in North Iceland is part of Vatnajokull national park, the largest national park in Iceland. It is a part of Jokulsarlon national park, which itself has been swallowed by the ever-growiig Vatnajokull natioinal park.

Ásbyrgi is a 3,5 km long horseshoe-shaped glacial canyon. It is surrounded by extremely high cliffs reaching up to 90 meters. When you hike the rim, the canyon feels vast. And the cliffs that are 90-100 metres high provide a stunning panoramic view of the canyon floor filled with trees and vegetation, and the surrounding areas.

asbyrgi canyon north iceland, asbyrgi canyon, asbyrgi canyon hike — You can go near the cliff edge for more views of the canyon floor.

The visitor centre at Ásbyrgi has an excellent information area, and I urge you to spend 20-30 minutes there. The canyon formation was a result of the eruption of one of the Vatnajokull volcanoes. How the canyon got shaped by geological forces is explained a bit in the information centre.

The legend of mythological god Odin, as part of Icelandic folklore, is also quite interesting.

As per the myth, Sleipnir, Odin’s 8-legged horse, accidentally touched the ground and created Ásbyrgi Canyon. Hence, the memorable horse-shoe shape!

The canyon has a large camping ground that is completely free of charge. We saw a few camper vans parked there.

Hiking options at Ásbyrgi Canyon in North Iceland

The well-informed staff at visitor centre gave us all possible options for hiking trails at the canyon. If you are not interested in hiking, you can drive on the road that gets into the canyon floor. There is a car park ahead, and after a short stroll, you would come upon a small lake (Botnstjörn) at the very end of the canyon.

You cannot miss a massive rocky monolith structure in the middle of the canyon, it is named Eyjan or ‘The Island’. The staff informed us that this is a very easy hiking option. It would take just an hour and the views are great despite the ease of the trail. If you are short on time or fitness, this would be a great option.

We visited on a bright sunny day, perfect for hiking. So we took the advice to do the Ásbyrgi Trail to hike the rim of the eastern side of the canyon. This is a little over 8-km loop to go furthest on the rim and come back the same way. We did this trail in about 3.5 hours at a moderate pace and stops to relax and take photos. Very different experience from our Glymur waterfall experience as part of our West Iceland itinerary.

The staff informed us that we could always extend the hike, by following the Ásbyrgi / Klappir trail initially and then heading towards Jokulson river so as to not take the same route back. This would be a 12 km trail.

Start of the Ásbyrgi Canyon hike

The staff at visitor centre pointed the direction of the trailhead, close to the centre. There is a car park right opposite the visitor centre. We took our rain jackets and water bottles and off we went. Even for summer hikes in Iceland, you need to figure what to pack and what to wear.

Canyon floor is covered with vegetation.

The trail is marked and well maintained.

And then the path on the canyon floor was going into thicker vegetation. We saw a choice to use ropes and ladder to climb a section on our left.

The cliffs of the canyon are 100 metres high and the views are just stunning.

Why Ásbyrgi trail is a great hiking option?

The Ásbyrgi Canyon trail gives you panoramic views, makes you appreciate how massive and dramatic this canyon in North Iceland is.

And the area is beautiful all around. On one side is rocky ground and the other side, drop to the canyon floor. We visited Iceland in June and saw pretty wild flowers at many places around the walking path.

Summer is the best time to explore Asbyrgi Canyon.

We set off at a moderate pace. The trail is well-maintained, mostly flat and easy to hike. Much easier than the cliff-hugging climb we did on the hike to Glymur waterfall in Snaefellsnes Peninsula. We saw a clearing for campsite on the canyon floor below and the road winding to it.

Soon, we could see the Botnstjörn lake at the far end of the canyon floor.

Be very careful at the cliff edges here. It can get very windy and not advisable to go to the very edge.

Hike back the same way

This route retraces the steps back. As I mentioned earlier, there are longer routes that you can take to come back and decide even after reaching here.

There was a path to a small pond that we crossed on our way to this viewpoint. We decided to explore it on our way back.

My daughter attempted to climb to that little cave.

Our walk back was much quicker with less stops for photos. And soon, we came upon the point to climb down. My husband decided to walk ahead, there is a longer winding path that takes you down without this need for ladders and ropes.

Have I convinced you to put Ásbyrgi Canyon on your Diamond Circle North Iceland itinerary? And hike the rim for lovely landscapes. Perfect for a bright sunny day.

FAQs on Ásbyrgi Canyon Iceland

Is Ásbyrgi Canyon worth it?

Ásbyrgi Canyon is a highlight of North Iceland. The scenic horse-shoe shaped canyon is worth the trip. Travelers who love the outdoors will find lots of things to do, from hiking to photography to bird watching.

Can you hike at the Ásbyrgi Canyon?

Yes, there are several hiking trails available at the Ásbyrgi Canyon. Some easy hiking trails like the one to Eyjan, or the Botnstjörn Trail, that takes you around the picturesque Botnstjörn Lake. The Stórurð Trail is a 8 km moderate hiking trail that takes you through Ásbyrgi’s most unique geological formations. Jökulsárgljúfur Trail is another 8-km moderate hiking trail that takes you through the stunning Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon.

Where is Ásbyrgi Canyon located?

It’s located about 39 miles (60 km) from Husavik. This canyon is located in the Jökulsárgljúfur within the Vatnajökull National Park, not too far from Dettifoss.

How high are the sides of Ásbyrgi Canyon?

The canyon’s steep sides are formed by cliffs up to 90-100 meters in height. You can clim the canyon sides and from there, take in the stunning views.

Can you camp inside Ásbyrgi Canyon?

Yes, there is a nice camping site in Ásbyrgi and a minimal camping fee. This large campsite can accommodates tents and camper vans.

What are the things to do at Ásbyrgi Canyon?

You can tour the Ásbyrgi Visitor Centre, which houses an excellent educational exhibition about the national park. Several hiking trails of varying difficulty provide an exhilarating trek and a bird’s-eye view of Ásbyrgi. The canyon is a haven for bird watchers looking to glimpse a variety of species.

When is the best time to visit Ásbyrgi Canyon?

The canyon’s beauty can be enjoyed year-round. However, the best time to visit Ásbyrgi Canyon is during the summer months (June to September) when the weather is milder, the hiking trails are accessible, and the flora is at its most vibrant.