Day Trips from Akureyri: Lakes, Valleys and Coastal Drives

The Lake and the Valley Immediately South

Lake Mývatn sits about 90 km east of Akureyri on Route 1, roughly 75 to 90 minutes by car depending on road conditions and summer traffic. The ring road passes the lake's southern shore, where you find the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir's lava formations and the geothermal area at Hverir near Námaskarð. Plan a full day: the lake itself rewards four to five hours of slow stopping, and the drive back in evening light along Eyjafjörður is the best part of the round trip.

This is the day trip to book first. Fuel up in Akureyri before leaving, because services east of the city are thin and seasonal. Go early — departures before 09:00 put you at Dimmuborgir ahead of the coach groups that arrive mid-morning. Winter is possible but Route 1 over the heiði can close in weather; check road conditions the evening before. June to August is the reliable window, with late June giving near-continuous daylight for the return drive.

Goðafoss and the Valley Routes

Goðafoss falls on the Skjálfandafljót river, half an hour east of Akureyri just off Route 1 — short enough to combine with Mývatn in a single long day, or to take on its own when weather is closing in. The car park is right at the falls, with paths on both banks. From there the Bárðardalur valley road runs south into quiet farmland and river bends that most visitors never see, a low-traffic alternative to retracing the highway.

For a mountain day, drive north up the Eyjafjörður coast and turn inland at Dalvík for the road toward Svarfaðardalur, a broad valley beneath the Tröllaskagi ridge. It is paved, quiet and stops at a small village with a church and a campsite. Ask locally before taking any highland track; the F-roads require a four-wheel drive and open only in summer. Hiking trails around Akureyri itself, including the paths up to the Glerá river gorge, fill a half day without a car.

Coastal Drives North and West

The whale-watching harbour at Húsavík is about 90 km from Akureyri, roughly an hour and a half on Route 85, and it is the classic north-coast half-day. Boats leave from the harbour in summer; book ahead in July and August, when the town fills. The drive itself is the reward: you cross the Öxarfjörður plain and pass through smaller fishing settlements, with the Skjálfandi bay open beside the road. A detour to the Ásbyrgi canyon and the horseshoe cliffs at Hljóðaklettar adds two hours.

West along Eyjafjörður, Route 82 crosses the fjord on the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel, which shortens the trip to Dalvík considerably. From Dalvík, the ferry to Grímsey island runs a few times a week in summer; it is a full day out and not one to attempt casually. For something shorter, the drive up the west shore to Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður passes through tunnels and along cliff edges, and Siglufjörður's herring-era harbour is a stop worth two hours. Allow a full day for the round trip.

Practicalities and Where to Stay

A car is the difference between two day trips and five. Akureyri has the north's main rental agencies, but summer fleets sell out, so reserve well ahead. Distances are short by Icelandic standards — most of the trips above sit within 100 km — but speed limits and single-lane bridges make them slower than the map suggests. Petrol stations are frequent along Route 1 but sparse on the Troll Peninsula and around the lake's northern shore. Budget for tolls on the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel.

Akureyri itself is the right base. It has the region's concentration of hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, a walkable centre along Hafnarstræti and the botanical garden, and it puts the lake, the coast and the valleys within a day's reach. Of the accommodation areas, I would book near the town centre for walkable evenings rather than out by the ring road. Summer is peak; May and September give you the drives without the coach traffic, at lower rates and with more daylight than you expect.