How to Visit Akureyri: Getting There, Where Days Start and What to Book (2026)

The town at a glance

Keep these to hand. Door prices in town are in Icelandic krónur (ISK); the tour fares below are in US dollars.

By air: a short flight from Reykjavík

Icelandair flies between Reykjavík and Akureyri several times a day. It is a short domestic hop, and it saves you a full day on the road each way. The airport sits about 3 km from the centre, so you can walk in along the fjord in about half an hour, or be in town in five minutes by car.

The terminal is open from 07:00 to 23:00. If you land late, book your first night close to the centre. Our guide to where to stay sorts the areas by which meeting points you can walk to.

By road: Route 1 and the tunnel

From Reykjavík it is a full day’s drive on Route 1, the ring road. Heading east out of town, the road goes through the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel under the mountain. It is tolled per trip. You pay online at veggjald.is against your licence plate, and the site gives the current price.

In winter the roads beyond town change the plan. Road 862 to the big waterfall is not in winter service from January until the beginning of April. If you are not used to snow and ice, a day tour with pickup is the safer way to reach the lake. The weather month by month shows what each season brings.

By ship: the two cruise piers

The port takes up to 200 cruise calls a year. Large ships tie up at Oddeyrarbryggja or Tangabryggja. Most dock very close to the centre, or about ten minutes’ walk away, so on a port day you can reach the harbour on foot.

You have two good choices ashore. You can walk to the classic whale ship from the town pier ($105), or be collected on your own pier by the lake and waterfall day from $197. What you should not do is book a boat an hour away without transport. Akureyri shore excursions are all compared on one page.

Where each day begins

This is the part most visitors get wrong. A day here does not always start in town, and the fare rarely gets you to the start. Here is where each kind of day begins.

Two of those rows need a car. The fishing village of Hauganes is 25 minutes north, and Húsavík is about an hour’s drive east. No whale fare includes getting there. Everything else starts somewhere you can walk to, from a ship or from the centre. The whale boats and the food walks gather beside Hof Cultural Centre, the round building on the water. Our map marks every one.

Getting around once you are here

You will not need a car in town. The centre is compact: the harbour, the pedestrian street, the church and the botanic garden are all a short walk apart. For anything further, the town buses are free, and you simply get on. They loop out from the stop in the centre, so you can reach the pool or an outer hotel without paying a fare.

You need a car, or a tour, for everything outside town. The lake, the waterfalls and the bay are not on any town bus. That is the real reason most visitors book a day tour here: not for a guide, but for the seat. If you do hire a car, keep the tunnel toll in mind and check the road conditions before a winter drive.

Money: what you pay in dollars and what you pay in krónur

Tour fares are shown in US dollars, and you pay them when you book. What you pay on the day is in Icelandic krónur. At the lagoon across the fjord, plain entry at the door is 7,490 ISK. At the baths by the lake, entry starts from 7,900 ISK, and no lake day includes it. The town pool is 1,400 ISK, and the art museum is 2,400 ISK.

Food is almost never in a fare. Whale boats sell snacks and hot drinks on board, and the lake days stop where you can buy lunch. Budget for it before you go.

What to book before you arrive

In summer and on cruise days, book ahead. The small boats fill first:

• The RIBs seat 12. The fast whale boats from the town pier and the bay are small by design, so they sell out before the big ships do.
• The eight-seat lake day needs two. The small-group day to the lake runs with a minimum of two, at $215 each.
• The food walk is seasonal. The Akureyri Food Walk runs from mid-May to September only.
• The lagoon is a ticket, not a slot. Entry with towel and drink is valid all day, from $80.

What you can do without booking anything

Plenty. Akureyrarkirkja, the church above the centre, was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson and consecrated in 1940. The botanic garden is open all year and free. The harbour, the pedestrian street and the red hearts in the traffic lights cost nothing. The town pool is 1,400 ISK for an adult. Our things-to-do page covers the free list and the paid doors.

When to come, and how long to stay

Pick the season by what you want to see. The northern lights show from September through April on clear nights. Puffins are on the bay from about 15 April to 15 August. Whale boats sail on the fjord all year. When to visit puts it all on one calendar.

One day covers a whale sailing and an evening soak. Two days add the lake. Three let you drive to the bay for puffins, or reach the big waterfall. The lake day, stop by stop shows how much you see in a single day out.

Day plans that start in town

Whale Watching from Downtown Akureyri

Three hours on a large boat from the pier in the town centre, with warm overalls, a guide and indoor viewing when the deck is cold.

From $104 per person

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Lake Myvatn and Godafoss Waterfall Day Tour from Akureyri

Eight hours with pickup at 09:00 from three points in town, including the lake area and an hour at the baths, with the entry extra.

From $197 per person

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Akureyri Food Walk With 4-5 Tastings and a Local Guide

Lunch or dinner served as tastings at local places, with a local guide, starting beside the harbour. It runs from mid-May to September.

From $140 per person

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