What a Studlagil Canyon tour costs
Before you choose a side of the canyon, choose a budget. The five shared tours from the cruise port cost ~$212–407 per person, and the private car costs ~$1,176 for the whole party. Most of that gap buys time at the canyon and a smaller group, not a longer drive. Below, all ten tours on this site sit in one table, followed by what the listings leave out.
Ten Studlagil tours in one table
Stuðlagil, which you will also see spelled Studlagil, is sold by six main tours from the cruise port in Seyðisfjörður. Of the four extras, one pairs the canyon with Vök Baths and one is a bare baths ticket; the other two swap the canyon for puffins. Prices are the regular "from" figure per adult on the cheaper of the two sites, except Marina Travel's, which covers the whole car.
| Tour | From | Whole day | At the canyon | Group | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BusTravel Iceland (our pick) | ~$224 | 5 h | About 1 h, side not named | Up to 59 | Guide on a Wi-Fi coach from the terminal |
| Tanni Travel hike and Vök Baths | ~$407 | 7 h | East-side walk to the river | Up to 15 | Guide, Vök Baths entry |
| Tanni Travel small-group hike | ~$328 | 7 h | East bank, down to the water | Up to 15 | Guide, minibus pickup |
| Saga Travel | ~$231 | 5–6 h | West-side platforms | Up to 50 | Guide and coach; Viator adds bottled water |
| Magic Iceland Travel | ~$212 | 6 h | About 1 h, side not named | Up to 57 | Guide, reindeer park entry |
| Marina Travel private car | ~$1,176 per group | About 5 h | About 2 h, side not named | Your party only | Driver-guide in an air-conditioned vehicle |
| Tanni Travel Express and Vök Baths | ~$324 | 6 h | West-side platforms, no walk down | Not listed | Guide, a stop at Vök Baths |
| Vök Baths ticket | ~$62 | About 1.5 h in the pools | No canyon | Your own visit | Entry only, no transport |
| BusTravel puffins and Gufufoss | ~$224 | 5 h | No canyon | Up to 59 | Guided coach from the port |
| Magic puffin and reindeer day | ~$247 | 6 h | No canyon | Up to 57 | Guided coach from the port |
What the six main tours charge for
The cheapest seat is Magic Iceland Travel's canyon and reindeer tour, from ~$212. Its 6 hours hold about an hour at the canyon and roughly 40 minutes at a reindeer park, admission included, plus short stops at Rjúkandi and Gufufoss. The catch is a coach of up to 57 and a canyon stop no longer than the big bus below.
Our pick, BusTravel Iceland's shore excursion, from ~$224, costs a little more for the same hour at Stuðlagil, in a 5-hour day with Gufufoss on the way back. You pay for an operator with the cruise routine down, which shows in hundreds of reviews. The catch is that hour, half gone by the time one Italian reviewer had walked down, on a coach of up to 59. A few German reviewers called it overpriced.
Saga Travel, from ~$231, is the coach that tells you which bank you get, the west-side viewing platforms, in a 5–6-hour day from about 9 am. Its catch is a lot of bus time and, by one reviewer's account, no planned lunch break.
Tanni Travel charges more for what the coaches leave out, the east-bank walk to the water, in groups of 15 at most. The small-group hike, from ~$328, takes 7 hours; its catch is a high price for a day without baths, and few reviews so far. The hike with Vök Baths, from ~$407, is the priciest seat on this site and adds pool admission after the walk. It makes a long day, and you bring your own swimsuit and towel.
The outlier is Marina Travel's private car, from ~$1,176 for the whole party, on Viator only. It runs about 5 hours from about 8:30 am with roughly 2 hours at the canyon. The catch is the bill for a couple, and a short track record of six reviews.
Value per hour at the canyon
Divide each price by your time at Stuðlagil and the order shifts. BusTravel and Magic both give about an hour, so Magic sells the cheaper canyon hour, and BusTravel's extra pays for its port routine rather than minutes. The private car doubles that to about 2 hours, and its cost per head falls as your group grows. Tanni's hikes sit on another scale, since a round-trip walk of about 3 miles (5 km) takes longer than any coach stop and ends at water level. If the river is the point, that is what the higher price buys. East side or west side describes both banks.
The classic coach day from the ship
BusTravel Iceland meets you at the terminal with signs and times its 5-hour day to your ship, with about an hour at the canyon and Gufufoss on the return, from ~$224. Both sites refund in full up to 24 hours ahead.
The same tour, two prices
Five of the six main tours sit on both booking sites, and when we compared them, none cost the same on both. Some gaps are a couple of dollars, others much wider.
- BusTravel Iceland. ~$224 on GetYourGuide against about $231 on Viator;
- Tanni Travel hike and Vök Baths. ~$407 on GetYourGuide against about $409 on Viator, almost level;
- Tanni Travel small-group hike. ~$328 on GetYourGuide against about $349 on Viator;
- Saga Travel. ~$231 on Viator against about $247 on GetYourGuide;
- Magic Iceland Travel. ~$212 on Viator against about $247 on GetYourGuide, the widest gap of the five.
Prices move with dates and offers, so open both listings for your day before you pay. Marina Travel's private car is on Viator alone, so it has nothing to compare against.
What you pay on top
- Food. No tour on this site includes lunch. A Saga reviewer found no planned lunch break at all, so pack snacks and water whichever tour you book;
- Swimsuit and towel. Tanni's hike and baths tour covers Vök Baths admission but not the kit. Bring your own, or ask the baths whether towels can be rented;
- Toilets. Some stops charge a small fee to use them. Magic warns about this on its puffin listing, so carry a card;
- Parking, if you drive. Neither bank's car park is free; landowners set the fee, so check it on arrival. Driving to Studlagil on your own covers the road in.
Two extras change the sums. Tanni Travel's Express and Vök Baths tour, from ~$324, undercuts the full hike and baths day and lasts 6 hours. Its catch is the canyon part, which keeps you on the west-side viewing platforms with no walk down to the river, and it has few reviews. If the pools are all you want, a Vök Baths entry ticket, from ~$62, covers about 1.5 hours in the water and nothing more, so you need your own way out to the lake near Egilsstaðir. Studlagil and the Vök Baths in one day weighs the two.
A family of four or six
Four seats on Magic's coach cost four times ~$212; look up child rates on each site for your date. Split four ways, the private car's ~$1,176 comes to somewhat more per head than a Saga or BusTravel seat and less than the small-group hike. Split six ways, it drops below the cheapest coach seat. Viator says the price varies with group size, so enter your real party before you compare.
Cancelling and paying later
All six main tours refund in full up to 24 hours before the start, and both sites let you reserve now and pay later. Viator says the private car is booked about 44 days ahead on average, so do not leave that one late. Studlagil from the Seyðisfjörður cruise port explains how each tour fits the ship's clock, and when the river runs turquoise covers the months. Before the day, what to wear and bring for the canyon helps you pack.