Akureyri, called the capital of the north in Iceland, is a city on the Eyjafjörður fjord located in the northern part of Iceland. It lies just 100 kilometers from the Arctic Circle and is the second largest urban area in Iceland, with a population of about 18,000.
Akureyri – a city of culture and sports
Due to its proximity to the popular Lake Mývatn, the incredible beauty of the surrounding countryside, intense geothermal activity and abundance of local birds, it is one of the most popular destinations on the island. Surrounded by mountains, the town is an important fishing center and port. However, tourism, industry, higher education and services have become far more important to the economy in recent years.
Akureyri is within walking distance of many of Iceland’s most important natural, cultural and historical attractions. In addition, it is one of the island’s best… ski areas and is the site of the annual Ak Extreme ski and snowboard festival. Several major music festivals, such as the Vaka Folk festival, are held in and around Akureyri during the summer. The city is also home to Iceland’s largest brewery, which produces the famous Kaldi beer.
In response to the rapid growth of tourism, Akureyri provides visitors with a wide range of accommodations, restaurants, thermal pools and a number of cultural attractions.
Tourist attractions around Akureyri
Akureyri is a very nice and cozy town. It also allows you to ‘take a break’ on your way around Iceland. However, in practice, it’s usually just a stop for an overnight stay and possibly more shopping, while exploring the island
The biggest attractions of the area are to the west of the city. These are the Waterfall of the Gods: Godafoss (35 km) and the area around Lake Myvatn (70 km) with a huge wealth of geological curiosities.
To the northeast of Akureyri lies the ‘Capital of Whales’. – Husavik (75 km), and just a little farther away the mighty waterfall Dettifoss (135 km) and Asbyrgi – picturesque horseshoe-shaped canyon (also approx. 135 km if you go via Husavik; by road via Myvatn and Dettifoss it’s more like 160 km).
The Akureyri – Godafoss – Myvatn – Dettifoss – Asbyrgi – Husavik – Akureyri loop is about 300 km, but there are simply too many attractions on this route to go around in one day. On the other hand, seeing Godafoss, going on a whale watching cruise from Husavik, followed by a short visit to Asbyrgi and seeing Dettifoss is a reasonable plan for one day. You would need to spend the night in the Myvatn area and see the attractions around the lake the next day.
Alternatively, you can drive the loop counterclockwise (also skipping the Myvatn area tour) and plan to spend the night at, for example, a hostel near Husavik. Here, too, I would leave the tour of the Myvatn area for a separate day.
On the other hand, driving east from Akureyri, basically the first really important “tourist stop” is the church in Vidimyri (96 km).
A gem on the map of Akureyri itself is the botanical garden (Lystigarður Akureyrar) established in 1912. You can find there not only species of flora typical of Iceland, but also plants from New Zealand, Spain or Tanzania.
Most interesting tours from Akureyri
Humbacks in Eyjafjordur
- Classic Whale Watching , a cutter tour, 3h, $95 pp;
- Express Whales & Eyjafjord, a RIB (zodiac) tour, 2h, $145 pp (the tour is shorter, but the boat is much faster, so you’re much more likely to spend time with the whales);
We write more about the advantages and disadvantages of a boat tour vs a RIB tour, and on many other things to keep in mind when going on such a trip in this article: Whale watching cruises in Iceland – A complete guide.
River rafting around Akureyri
The world’s most famous rafting destinations are the American Colorado River and the Zambezi River in Africa, but on a micro-scale the rivers around Akureyri are also very interesting.
River rafting offers from Akureyri (2023):
- extreme rafting, 5h, $195 pp;
- family rafting, 3h, $130 pp;
- Kayak Trip, 1.5h, $80 pp – if you’re not much into adrenaline and rapids, this kayak trip down the calm, beautiful Svartá river is certainly for you;
The names of the rafting trips speak for themselves, and I think it’s clear who should choose which one 🙂
Akureyri – tips and practical information
- There is an airport at the southern end of Akureyri. The flight to Reykjavik (directly to the downtown airport – not to international Keflavik) takes about 45′ and costs less than €100 (in advance, naturally). Shipment between cities is also possible.
- There are also free buses running in Akureyri.
- One of the two main hospitals in Iceland also operates here.
- The Krambudin store at Borgarbraut 1, is perhaps the largest 24-hour store in the city (and surrounding area).
- When leaving the city to the west (or coming from the west), you can take the straight road through the Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel, or probably better: bypass it. See the article Is it worth driving through the Vadlaheidi tunnel.
- From Akureyri you can take a whale watching cruise. Nearby Husavik (80 km) is better suited for this, as it is closer to the open ocean, but there are also such cruises departing from Akureyri.
How to get to Akureyri
Akureyri is a large – for Iceland – city lying directly on Road 1. It is impossible to miss it 😉 Driving straight from Reykjavik, it’s about 390 km / 240 miles and a 5-hour drive (clockwise).
