Destination Guide
Cycling in East Fjords & North Iceland
Eastfjords: Iceland's most dramatic fjord cycling, Seyðisfjörður pass above the blue-church village, Egilsstaðir base. North Iceland: Akureyri fjord rides, Mývatn volcanic craters, Öxnadalsheiði pass.
The East Fjords — Austurland in Icelandic — represent the part of the Ring Road that most cycle tourists describe in terms that are different in register from the rest of the circuit. Fewer tourists, longer fjord penetrations, narrower roads, and a quality of solitude that the South Coast and Snæfellsnes cannot match: these are the characteristics that the Eastfjords community reports with consistent unanimity. The fjord roads thread deep into the peninsula interiors — Fáskrúðsfjörður, Reyðarfjörður, Berufjörður — on single-track roads that occasionally narrow to passing-place width at the fjord heads, carry virtually no traffic outside local farmstead access, and deliver the most intimate engagement with Icelandic fjord topography available from a road bike. The Ring Road itself follows an elevated inland route between most of the fjords, requiring detours of 10–25km to reach the fjord heads — these detours are the mandatory additions that make Eastfjords Ring Road cycling slower than the map distance implies, and more rewarding.
Last updated: 15 Mar 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Touring, Climbing, coastal
- Difficulty
- Moderate — Challenging
- Road Quality
- Good
- Cycling Culture
- Developing
- Traffic
- Very Low
Pro Cycling Connection
No professional cycling team presence. Akureyri hosts the Akureyri Cycling Festival in late July, a growing event that attracts domestic and some Scandinavian participants on the Eyjafjörður fjord cir...
Best Time to Cycle in East Fjords & North Iceland
The Eastfjords and North Iceland operate on a narrower reliable window than the south and west — the higher latitude (Akureyri is at 65.7°N, north of the Arctic Circle boundary) and the east-facing fjord exposure produce weather conditions that are b...
Temperature: -22°C (winter) to 15°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in East Fjords & North Iceland
Fljótsdalsheiði Plateau
14km · 420m · 3% · CAT3
The Fljótsdalsheiði Plateau road is the main paved link between Egilsstaðir and Reyðarfjörður in the Eastfjords — Route 92's highland crossing — a 14km Category 3 ascent at 3.0% average that rises from the Lagarfljót lakeshore at 35m to the broad plateau summit at 455m before descending into the Reyðarfjörður fjord valley. For cyclists completing the Ring Road's eastern section, this is the primary inland route alternative to the coastal road.is fjord track: it is fully paved, carries moderate traffic (relatively speaking by Icelandic standards), and delivers a sustained Highland plateau experience on a road surface maintained to a high standard given its role in the Eastfjords logistics network connecting the Alcoa aluminium smelter at Reyðarfjörður with Egilsstaðir. The climb begins at the Lagarfljót bridge on the eastern shore at 35m, the road heading south-southeast through birch scrub farmland before the gradient increases progressively from 2% on the valley approach to the sustained 3.5–5% of the main plateau ascent between km 4 and km 11. The landscape transition on the Fljótsdalsheiði is less dramatic than the Seyðisfjörður pass 20km to the north but more representative of the Eastfjords Highland character: open moorland plateau at 400–455m with the Fljótsdalsheiði lava field visible to the south, the plateau carrying no vegetation above low heath and moss on the exposed upper sections. The 7% maximum gradient appears in two sections on the middle plateau approach between km 6 and km 9 — brief steeper pitches on the road's crossing of the plateau rim before the surface levels for the final 3km to the summit area. The summit zone at 455m is the highest point on Route 92 and delivers views east across the broad highland plateau toward the Eastfjords mountain massif and west back to the Lagarfljót lake stretching 30km south toward Hallormstaður forest. The descent on the Reyðarfjörður side is 9km at 4.5% average — steeper than the climb, with views opening over Reyðarfjörður fjord as the road descends the northern slope. The fjord was the site of the largest construction project in Icelandic history (the Alcoa smelter and Kárahnjúkar hydroelectric scheme, 2002–2008) and the scale of the industrial infrastructure visible from the road descent is a striking contrast with the wilderness plateau above.
Öxi Pass
10km · 530m · 5.3% · CAT2
Öxi Pass — Route 939, the shortcut across the Eastfjords mountain spine between Breiðdalsvík and Berufjörður — is the most dramatic and demanding paved climb in eastern Iceland: a 10km Category 2 ascent at 5.3% average that rises from the Breiðdalsvík fjord shore at 210m to the Öxipass summit at 740m, crosses a narrow plateau of volcanic tundra, and descends into the Berufjörður valley in a sequence of tight switchbacks that represents some of the most technically demanding descent terrain on any paved road in Iceland. The route is formally a shortcut — it saves approximately 50km compared to the Ring Road fjord-by-fjord coastal routing around the same mountain massif — but for cyclists it functions as an end in itself: a dedicated mountain pass with genuine Alpine character compressed into a sub-1,000m summit elevation. The Breiðdalsvík side of the climb begins at the fjord head at 210m, the road heading northeast on a gradient that is immediately serious — 5–6% from the first junction, the road climbing through the Breiðdalur valley on tarmac that narrows progressively as elevation increases. Between km 3 and km 7, the road enters the open fell zone at 400–600m: no vegetation beyond low heath, the valley walls on both sides closing to create a narrowing gorge, and the road surface narrowing to a single-lane paved track with passing places marked by reflector poles. The 10% maximum gradient appears in two sections between km 5 and km 8 — extended ramps of 600–800m that require sustained effort and a climbing gear of 34×28 minimum on a loaded touring bike or 34×32 for a gravel bike with full luggage. The summit plateau at 740m is genuinely exposed: a flat moorland at the watershed between the Breiðdalur and Berufjörður catchments, the wind accelerating through the pass gap in a Venturi effect that can deliver gusts well above the ambient plateau speed. The summit has a pull-off area with a small stone waymarker — the only infrastructure at the pass — and delivers a panorama of the Eastfjords mountain interior unobstructed to the south, with the distant profile of the Vatnajökull ice cap visible on clear days 80km south. The Berufjörður descent is steeper and more technical than the Breiðdalsvík ascent: 7km of 6.5% average with a series of eight switchbacks cut into the north-facing fjord wall at 600–400m elevation. The tarmac on the descent switchbacks carries surface aggregate erosion from frost-heave cycles that creates a corrugated texture at the apex of each corner — road bike riders should approach the descent switchbacks with controlled speed and avoid the outer road edge where the aggregate concentration is highest. The fjord below opens progressively through the descent to deliver the full Berufjörður panorama — the fjord running dead straight for 20km to the open sea horizon, the farm at Skriðudalur on the opposite shore, and the clear delineation of the fjord walls in the evening light that makes this descent one of the finest visual payoffs in Icelandic cycling.
Öxnadalsheiði Pass
11.2km · 520m · 4.6% · CAT3
Öxnadalsheiði is the principal Ring Road mountain pass between Reykjavík and Akureyri — an 11.2km Category 3 ascent at 4.6% average that carries Route 1 from the Öxnadalur valley floor at 20m to the Öxnadalsheiði plateau at 540m before descending to the Hörgárdalur valley and the approach to Akureyri. For Ring Road cyclists, this is one of the unavoidable climbs of the northern circuit: there is no road around Öxnadalsheiði, and its 520m of gain sits prominently in the cumulative elevation tally for the 380km route segment from Reykjavík to Akureyri. The climb begins at a bridge over the Öxná river at 20m, the road heading north through the Öxnadalur valley on a gradient that is gentle for the first 3km — 2–3%, wide valley, the river running alongside — before the valley narrows and the road steepens to the sustained 5–7% of the middle section. Between km 4 and km 8, the road climbs in open fell terrain with no shelter from the prevailing north and northwest winds that funnel down from the Akureyri fjord: a northerly headwind on the Öxnadalsheiði approach is the standard condition for northbound Ring Road riders and represents one of the climb's defining challenges. The 9% maximum gradient appears in two sections between km 6 and km 9, where the road crosses the transition from valley slope to open plateau. The plateau summit at 540m is genuinely exposed — a flat, moorland plateau where the wind can reach 30 m/s in storm conditions and where the road carries snow from October to May. The descent on the northern side to Hörgárdalur is longer than the ascent, dropping 500m over 15km on a consistent 3–4% gradient that delivers Akureyri in the distance below and Eyjafjörður fjord opening to the north.
Seyðisfjörður Pass from Egilsstaðir
9.3km · 630m · 6.8% · CAT2
The Seyðisfjörður Pass — Route 93 from Egilsstaðir over Fjarðarheiði to the head of Seyðisfjörður fjord — is the defining climb of the Eastfjords and one of the most scenically rewarding ascents in Iceland. From the junction with Route 1 at Egilsstaðir (essentially sea level at 2m elevation), the road heads east into the Fjarðardalur valley before beginning a sustained climb that averages 6.8% over 9.3km to the Fjarðarheiði summit at 630m. The climb begins gently through the birch-scrub lower valley, the gradient building progressively from 3–4% in the opening 2km to the sustained 7–9% of the middle section. Between km 3 and km 7, the road climbs in long, sweeping curves through open fell terrain that offers progressively expanding views west across the Lagarfljót lake and the lowlands toward the Vatnajökull glacier cap on the southern horizon. The 11% maximum gradient sections appear on two tight curves in the upper middle section — sustained ramps of 300–400m requiring a genuine climbing gear on a loaded touring bike. The Fjarðarheiði summit at 630m is the threshold between two completely different landscapes: the lowland lake-and-forest terrain of Egilsstaðir behind, and the sudden first view down into Seyðisfjörður fjord ahead — a 600m drop to the fjord head over 7km of descent, the coloured village at the water's edge, and the open fjord mouth to the east. The descent on the Seyðisfjörður side is steeper than the ascent on the Egilsstaðir side: tighter hairpins, a road surface that carries volcanic aggregate in the outer curve gutters, and a gradient that approaches 14% on the sharpest upper switchbacks. The village of Seyðisfjörður at the fjord head — its blue corrugated-iron church on the main street, the Norwegian timber houses, the Smyril Line ferry terminal at the pier — is the reward for the 9.3km investment, and is worth spending at least an hour exploring before the return ascent.
Insider Tips
The Seyðisfjörður pass road — the 9.3km Route 93 between Egilsstaðir and Seyðisfjörður — is almost always ridden downhill by tourists arriving on the Smyril Line ferry. Ride it uph...
Egilsstaðir's Hjólaverkstæðið Austurland bike workshop (on Kaupvangur street, open Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00) is the only dedicated bike repair facility in the Eastfjords. For Ring Road...
The Mývatn midges are not a cycling hazard in the conventional sense but deserve a practical note: the lake district supports one of Europe's largest populations of chironomid midg...
How to Get to East Fjords & North Iceland for Cycling
Getting around: Car Recommended
The distances between Eastfjords cycling objectives and the relative infrequency of bus connections make a hire car the practical choice for visitors not completing the full Ring Road. Egilsstaðir as...