L3 · EASTFJORDS TRAIL DECISION
Half a day in Seyðisfjörður:
Fossastígur or Vestdalur?
Both routes sit near the same fjord town, but they are not simply a short and a long version of the same outing: one follows the river from the town centre towards waterfalls and an old power station, while the other takes you into a nature reserve, past a lake and along an old mountain route. The real choice is how much time you have today, and whether you need to cross Fjarðarheiði tomorrow morning.
ICENAVI · TOWN WALK OR MOUNTAIN HISTORY
If the ferry has already taken half your day, this page is not asking you to add another attraction. It deals with one practical afternoon: would you rather finish a waterfall walk in town, or give Vestdalur your walking time, weather margin and return flexibility?
First decide whether you want a town finish or a mountain story
| What you want to achieve today | More suitable route | What you need to allow for |
|---|---|---|
| Still want a walk after disembarking or checking in | Fossastígur | The listed 2.5 hours covers the route, not eating, finding the start or getting back to your room |
| Want waterfalls, vegetation and town history | Fossastígur, with an extension only if your energy allows | Arrange access to Fjarðarsel Power Station in advance; it is not a drop-in visit |
| Want to follow an old communications route to the lake | Vestdalur / Fjallkonustígur | About 3.5 hours / 6 km, June to September; valley ground and weather do not become easier because the town is pretty |
| Need to leave the Eastfjords or reach a fixed activity tomorrow | The shorter Fossastígur option, or leave the walk for another day | Do not treat Vestdalur's return margin as spare time before dinner |
They look close on the map, but lead to different kinds of day
The published starting coordinate for Fossastígur is in the river valley south of town, and the route follows Fjarðará towards Fjarðarsel; Vestdalur lies higher on the north side of the fjord. The map below puts four real locations back onto an OpenStreetMap base: the town centre, the Fossastígur direction, Fjarðarsel and Vestdalur. It does not draw the trails as straight lines or tell you whether a particular road can be driven on a particular day. Its one job is to show that staying in Seyðisfjörður does not mean both walks begin at the same door.
Fossastígur: keep the afternoon close to town
The advantage of this route is not simply that it is shorter. It starts near the town centre and follows Fjarðará past woodland, grassland and waterfalls towards Fjarðarsel; the route information records 25 waterfalls along the river, some of which can be seen from the walk. Fjarðarsel Power Station was built in 1913. If you want to go inside, contact the information centre in advance to arrange access. This makes the walk a good way to let Seyðisfjörður itself be the day's focus, rather than driving on to another distant attraction.
Only consider continuing from Fjarðarsel up the south bank towards Neðri Stafur if your energy and daylight are both good; the fuller version takes about 4 hours and gains about 300 metres. That extension is easy to leave out of a photograph, but it directly changes the time available for dinner, a shower and tomorrow's departure. If you mainly want a town stroll, coffee and a few waterfalls, turn around when it feels right. Completing the whole route is not a qualification you need to earn.
Vestdalur: a historic route, not a longer Fossastígur
Fjallkonustígur enters the nature reserve from the Vestdalseyri / Vestdalur area. The route information gives about 3.5 hours and 6 km, with a walking season from June to September. Along the way are stone walls, track foundations and cairns left by the old postal and trading route; after crossing several waterfalls, the trail reaches Vestdalsvatn. Nearby is a cave known as the “Mountain Maid” because of an archaeological discovery in 2004. Those details give the route its story, but they do not reduce the physical cost of mud, wind, slippery rock or the return.
I would treat Vestdalur as the choice for a day when you are happy to let an old route set the pace, rather than an attraction to fit into a spare slot. If you have only just driven over from Egilsstaðir in the morning, or need to pack for a mountain crossing that evening, Fossastígur's easy turn-back is usually the more honest option. If you have kept two nights for Seyðisfjörður and have allowed for hiking shoes, a weather window and a generous return margin, Vestdalur can become a complete half-day theme.
| Time budget | Fossastígur | Vestdalur / Fjallkonustígur |
|---|---|---|
| Route scale | About 2–4 km; versions of about 2.5 or 4 hours | About 6 km; about 3.5 hours |
| Where it starts | Around Seyðisfjörður town centre, along Fjarðará | Towards Vestdalseyri / the Vestdalur valley |
| What you can actually see | Waterfalls, vegetation, river valley, the 1913 Fjarðarsel Power Station | Waterfalls, Vestdalsvatn, the old postal route, an archaeological cave |
| Seasonal window | June to September | June to September |
| What ICENAVI would allow extra time for | Finding the start, getting back to your room, deciding whether to continue to Neðri Stafur | The trailhead, valley weather, footwear, the return and tomorrow's mountain pass |
Put your companions into the decision, not at the bottom of the itinerary
If someone travelling with you only wants photographs in town, that does not make them lazy; they may be thinking about the evening ferry, luggage or a long drive the next day. With children, older travellers or anyone who has just stepped off the ferry, I would use the opening section of Fossastígur to test the surface and everyone's energy. If someone starts calculating how long the return will take, do not push on simply to complete a named route. Vestdalur suits a group that agrees on three to four hours outdoors and accepts that seeing the lake does not mean you are immediately back at the car.
ICENAVI · EASTFJORDS TRAIL FIT
Short-stop efficiency 9/10; historic valley 9/10; last-minute addition 4/10.
Fossastígur is not the lesser choice: it keeps Seyðisfjörður's river, waterfalls and power history within a town day. Vestdalur is not automatically the better one: it asks you to give a complete afternoon to the valley. The longer route becomes the better answer only when your time, footwear, season and tomorrow morning's exit all line up.
The next decision is not “which other trail?”
If you have decided to use Seyðisfjörður as a base for at least one night, start with the Seyðisfjörður destination guide, then compare Seyðisfjörður or Egilsstaðir according to the next day's direction; where you stay, when you check out and whether you need to cross the pass will change what either walk gives you. If you want to swap a free trail for a view from the sea, return to the Skálanes trail and RIB boat comparison—having time does not mean you should do everything on the same day.
Related reading
Set your Eastfjords base first
Seyðisfjörður: town, pool and fjord base
Seyðisfjörður or Egilsstaðir?
Skálanes trail or RIB boat?
More reading
Put activities back into the route
Is a two-hour RIB boat trip in Seyðisfjörður worthwhile?
How to read Iceland's road conditions website
Vök Baths or Forest Lagoon?
Q&A | Questions to settle before setting out
Which route should we choose if we only have two or three hours?
Choose Fossastígur; it starts in the town centre and takes about 2.5 hours / 2–4 km, making it easier to fit around accommodation and dinner. Allow about 3.5–4 hours and more energy for Vestdalur / Fjallkonustígur.
Does the summer season mean the trail will definitely be easy?
No. June to September is simply the more suitable seasonal window; check slippery ground, wind and trail conditions on the day you set out.
Can both shorter walks be done on the same day?
Only consider it if you have kept time, energy and weather margin. If you only want to see one waterfall area, do not force the second trail into the day for the sake of it.
References
Trails, seasons, roads, rivers, access arrangements and weather can change. The following information was compiled in September 2026; before setting out, check the current official pages, road information, on-site notices and the condition of your group again.
- Visit Austurland | Fossastígur Hiking Trail (town start, Fjarðarsel, 25 waterfalls, 2–4 km / 2.5–4 hours, June to September and official coordinates).
- Visit Austurland | Fjallkonustígur hiking trail (Vestdalur, Vestdalsvatn, the Mountain Maid cave, about 6 km / 3.5 hours, June to September and official coordinates).
- Visit Austurland | Vestdalur (nature reserve, old postal / trading route and archaeological background).
- Visit Austurland | Seyðisfjörður (town, fjord, trails and activity background).
- Umferðin and SafeTravel Iceland (check roads, weather and safety before setting out).
- OpenStreetMap contributors (base map and published geographical data for the four locations shown here; not for navigation).
- CeliaJBergoffen / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 photograph of Seyðisfjörður Rainbow Street; shows the town setting only, not either trail or conditions on the day of departure).
