★★★★☆
The lake and waterfall day from the Akureyri port
A quick overview of a lot of places. Exactly right if you are off the ship with one day in town.
Sean D. · September 2026
Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss Shore Excursion from the Akureyri Cruise Pier
Collected on your ship’s pierBaths optional, entry extraMax 19 guestsTransport in the fare
The coach waits in the car park of the pier your ship is on. In five to six hours you see the big waterfall on the road east, then the lava, craters and steaming ground around the lake, and you are back at the same pier. It is an overview built for a port day. The one extra to plan for is the bath.
What five to six hours from the pier contains
Collected at your own pier
You are met in the car park of the pier where your ship docks. No taxi, no town.
The waterfall first
Thirty minutes at the falls on the way out, about 40 minutes from town.
Three hours around the lake
Mud pools and steam vents, lava formations and an old bathing cave.
Nineteen seats at most
A small coach rather than a ship’s bus of fifty.
A bath if your ship allows
An optional hour in the baths, with the entry paid by you and booked ahead.
4.5 from 546 ratings
The most-reviewed day out of town, with an honest spread of scores.
What $197 buys on a port day
You pay for the driving, a guide and the time. Your transport, a guide who talks as you go, and pickup and drop-off at the pier are all in the fare. Food, drink and the bath entry are not. You never have to find the town, a bus stop or a car-hire desk.
That is the whole case for booking it rather than a coach day from town. Lake Mývatn is about an hour’s drive east, and a ship’s call gives you one day. This day starts where you step off. Carolyn H. found the operator’s hut at the port easily and was on the minibus quickly.
Goðafoss, 30 minutes
The first stop is Goðafoss, about 40 minutes by road from Akureyri. It is 12 m high and 30 m wide, on the Skjálfandafljót river. The name means the waterfall of the gods. The story goes that a lawspeaker threw the old carved idols into it after Iceland took up Christianity.
You get half an hour. That is enough for the main viewpoint and your photographs. It is not enough to walk both banks, so pick one side and stay there.
Three hours around Lake Mývatn: the stops
The lake is the heart of the day. You get three hours in the area, split between short stops. At Hverir, under Námafjall, you walk among bubbling mud pools and hissing steam vents for about 20 minutes. At Dimmuborgir you get 20 minutes among tall black lava formations. At Grjótagjá you look into a flooded cave for 15 minutes.
Grjótagjá was once a bathing cave. Volcanic activity between 1975 and 1984 heated the water, and bathing ended. It sits on the rift between the North American and Eurasian plates. You look, and you do not swim.
Short stops are the trade you make for fitting it all into a port day. Jillian G. missed the cave because other travellers kept coming back late. Be on time at each stop and you protect the last one.
The Mývatn baths stop: optional, and the entry is extra
If your ship’s schedule allows, the day adds about an hour at Earth Lagoon Mývatn, the former Mývatn Nature Baths. The entry is not in your fare. You have to reserve it yourself before the day. Entry starts from 7,900 ISK at the baths’ own counter.
Bring your own towel, or pay to rent one there, as Collette K. found. If your ship sails early, the bath is the stop that drops. If a soak matters most to you, the lagoon ticket across the fjord costs $80 with towel and a drink, and it is five minutes from town.
How the day tends to run
- Find the sign at your pier. The coach waits in the car park of Oddeyrarbryggja or Tangabryggja.
- Drive east through the tunnel. Route 1 runs under the mountain on the far side of the fjord.
- Half an hour at the falls. The main viewpoint is a short walk from the car park.
- Mud pools and steam vents. About 20 minutes at Hverir, on bare orange ground.
- Lava formations. About 20 minutes on the paths at Dimmuborgir.
- The old bathing cave. About 15 minutes at Grjótagjá, looking in.
- The baths, if time allows. About an hour, with the entry reserved and paid by you.
- Back to your pier. The day ends where it began, five to six hours later.
Who this suits: cruise passengers with a full day ashore
Book this if
You are on a ship with seven hours or more in port, and you want the lake and the falls without arranging anything. It suits a first look at the north: many places, briefly. Seats are capped at 19, so loading at each stop is quick.
Book something else if
You are staying in town: the eight-hour lake day with town pickups costs $197 and collects you at 09:00. For eight seats and a slower pace, the small-group lake day is $215 with a minimum of two. On a short call, the two-and-a-half-hour waterfall run is $128. If you want the bigger waterfall too, Akureyri day tours lists the long days that reach Dettifoss, about two hours from town.
What the fare covers, and what you pay on the day
In the fare
- Guided tour
- Transport
- Pickup and drop-off at the pier
Not in the fare
- Food and drink
- Mývatn Nature Baths admission
The bath entry starts from 7,900 ISK and must be reserved before the day. Bring cash or a card for lunch at a stop.
Pickup at your ship’s pier car park
Large ships berth at two piers, Oddeyrarbryggja and Tangabryggja. You meet the coach in the car park of whichever one your ship is on. Look for the Imagine Iceland Travel sign. The day ends back at the same pier.
You do not need to walk into town first. If your ship moves pier or you cannot find the sign, ask at the terminal on Laufásgata. The piers and the terminal are marked on our map of meeting points, and every Akureyri shore excursion is compared on one page.
Know before you go
- Pack a head net in summer. Midges swarm at the lake; Deepanwita G. said take one.
- Reserve the bath yourself. Entry starts from 7,900 ISK, and it is not in the fare.
- Be back on time at every stop. The last stop is the one that drops when the group runs late.
- Expect an overview. Stops run 15 to 30 minutes; this is not a day of long walks.
- It is not wheelchair accessible. The paths at the stops are uneven. Pushchairs are allowed.
- Cancel a day ahead and pay nothing. The full fare comes back up to 24 hours before the start.
What passengers say back at the pier
★★★★☆
The lake and waterfall day from the Akureyri port
Great views at every stop and along the road, and a funny, considerate driver-guide. Pack a net for the insects.
Deepanwita G. · September 2026
★★☆☆☆
The lake and waterfall day from the Akureyri port
We felt hurried between stops. The commentary was hard to hear.
Emily E. · July 2026
Questions about this shore day
Can I fit Dettifoss into this day?
No. Dettifoss is about two hours from Akureyri, and this day turns back at the lake. The day tours page lists the longer days that reach it.
Is the bath entry included?
No. The bath stop is optional and only happens if your ship’s schedule allows. Entry starts from 7,900 ISK, and you reserve it yourself.
What if my ship is late or changes pier?
The day is built around your time ashore, so book the date of your call. If the pier changes, ask at the cruise terminal on Laufásgata for the sign.
What else fits a port day?
The classic whale ship from the town pier is a walk from most berths. Our cruise-day guide plans the hours.
Is food included?
No. Food and drink are not in the fare, so bring snacks or money for a café stop.
What if I need to cancel?
You get the full fare back if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. Inside that window nothing is refunded.
Other ways to spend a day ashore
Ready for the lake and the falls?
Check which dates match your call, see what your party pays, and hold a place with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability