Vadlaheidi Tunnel – Safe Driving in Difficult Weather

Vadlaheidi (Vaðlaheiðargöng) is a 7.5 km long tunnel on Iceland’s ring road, near the city of Akureyri in northern Iceland. The tunnel shortens the ring road by 16 km, or about a six-minute drive. The main purpose behind its construction was to allow drivers to drive safely during harsh winters, when the road through Víkurskarð Heath was often closed.

If you’re not in too much of a hurry and the old road is accessible (i.e., you’re not driving in the winter), it’s worth bypassing the tunnel. By driving around you won’t lose much time, and you’ll see some views. Well, and you will miss any complications with paying the toll.

How to bypass the Vadlaheidi tunnel

Vadlaheidi speeds up the drive to/from Akureyri by 6-10 minutes, but takes away some of the beautiful views of Eyjafjörður Bay. So if you’re not in a hurry, then you DON’T really want to go through the tunnel – it’s best to use the detour by roads 83 and 84.

Coming from the east, turn about 2 km before the entrance to the tunnel to the north, to road 84 (be careful – do not turn into the slightly earlier road 835). The road will take you north, and then in a gentle curve turn south and into road 83, which along the shore of Eyjafjordur will lead to a junction with road 1, on the other side of the tunnel. This detour is about 15 km and 10 minutes more than the road through the tunnel, but the road is comfortable and the views of the fjord are really spectacular.

Driving from the west, from the direction of Akureyri, simply turn left at the last roundabout before entering the tunnel, onto road 83. However, remember to turn right at the fork onto road 84 after about 13 km / 8 miles (10 minutes).

You can also take road 832, if you feel adventurous, but it takes a lot longer to drive, as it climbs up a very steep serpentine slope above the tunnel. This road adds at least 30 minutes to the drive, so we strongly recommend taking a detour via roads 83 and 84 instead of this “winding road straight ahead.”

How to drive through the Vadlaheidi tunnel

Passing through the tunnel is very easy – just do nothing and stick to road #1. However, remember to pay the toll.

Interestingly, the toll can be paid in advance (enter your license plate number as the ID of the vehicle), but also after you have already driven through the tunnel. So you don’t have to worry if you’ve lost the internet coverage – you can pay this a bit later. If you pay up to 24 hours before or no later than 24 hours after passing through the tunnel, the price for a passenger car is 1650 ISK, so about $12.

If you forget to pay, the price goes up by 1000 ISK (that’s about $20 in total), and the bill will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle (such as the car rental company). Remember that rental companies usually treat this as a fine and reserve the right to add a ‘handling’ or ‘service’ fee, so the bill can even double. It’s certainly not worth wasting that money.

Remember that this is the price for a single trip. If you go through the tunnel more than once, you have to pay separately for each crossing.

The prices for trucks are slightly higher, and special rules apply for cars with non-Icelandic registration. You can also buy a pass for 10, 40 or 100 rides, but a tourist is unlikely to need it for anything. Motorcycles ride for free, and bicycles are not allowed to enter the tunnel.
For more detailed information, visit the tunnel’s official website (in English): https://www.veggjald.is/en/pricing