Day trip to Akureyri from Iceland

How to get there

Icelandair operates 3-5 daily flights from Reykjavik domestic airport (not Keflavik) to Akureyri, from ISK 13510 one way. First flight leaves at 7am, last returns at 9pm — enough for a full day. The route uses 76-seat Dash 8-400 turboprops, and the flight code is AEY for Akureyri Airport. Book at least a week ahead for July and early August travel, when fares climb toward ISK 22108 and flights around the Akureyri Culture Night weekend sell out. A taxi from AEY into the town centre takes about 5 minutes and costs roughly ISK 1500, or it is a flat 15-minute walk if you are travelling light.

Alternatively, drive in summer: 5 hours each way makes it a 2-day trip minimum. Buses (Straeto route 57) take 6.5 hours for ISK 7983 — not worth it for a day. Driving follows Route 1 past Blonduos and Varmahlid, crossing the Oxnadalsheidi pass, which can close in winter storms and is genuinely risky on ice even with a 4x4. Fuel for the round trip in a compact rental runs about ISK 9000, and car rental in Reykjavik starts near ISK 9000 a day. If you do drive, flying one way and returning the rental in Akureyri avoids doubling back over the pass in fading light.

What to do

Walk the pedestrianised Hafnarstraeti, hit Blaa Kannan cafe for coffee and ISK 860 cake in the blue wooden house. Akureyrarkirkja church up the hill mirrors Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik. The Botanical Garden is free and impressive given how far north you are. Nearby, Akureyri Art Museum (Listasafnid a Akureyri) charges ISK 1500 entry and rotates contemporary Icelandic shows, while Nonnahus, the childhood home of writer Nonni, gives a 20-minute glimpse of 19th-century town life for ISK 1200. Hof Cultural Centre by the harbour is worth a look for its glass facade even if nothing is on that day.

The must-do is Forest Lagoon (ISK 6755), which opened in 2022 — a geothermal pool built into the birch forest overlooking Eyjafjordur. It is smaller and calmer than the Blue Lagoon. It opens 11am-11pm daily, towel rental is ISK 900, and booking online ahead is sensible in peak summer weeks. If you have already done Forest Lagoon on a previous trip, Myvatn Nature Baths is 90 minutes further east at ISK 6900 and is the better pick for a longer stopover, but for a single Akureyri day, Forest Lagoon wins on time alone.

Godafoss and lunch

Rent a car at Akureyri airport (ISK 8597 for the day) and drive 45km east to Godafoss — the horseshoe waterfall where the Icelandic lawspeaker threw the pagan idols in 1000 AD. Free, well-signposted, 20 minutes to see both viewpoints. The car park sits right off Route 1, and a gravel path leads to both the western and eastern viewpoints without any real climbing, so it suits any fitness level. Skip the temptation to also chase Aldeyjarfoss the same day — the gravel Route 842 access adds well over an hour each way and is not worth it against a return flight deadline.

Back in town, eat at Rub23 for sushi (nigiri ISK 737-ISK 983 a piece) or Strikid for the fjord view and lamb shank at ISK 4667. Kaffi Ilmur does a great ISK 2211 fish soup lunch. For something faster before a flight, Bautinn on Hafnarstraeti serves burgers and Icelandic comfort food from ISK 2400 and turns tables quickly, which matters if you are cutting it close to a 6 or 7pm departure back to Reykjavik.

Whale watching from the harbour

Eyjafjordur is one of the more reliable whale-watching fjords in Iceland, and boats leave directly from Akureyri harbour rather than requiring a transfer. Ambassador runs 2.5 to 3-hour trips from around ISK 13900 per adult, with humpback sightings common from May through September and a decent chance of harbour porpoise or minke whale year-round. Warm overalls are provided, but dress for wind regardless of season.

Fitting a whale-watching trip into the same day as Godafoss and Forest Lagoon is tight — pick one or the other rather than both, since the boat trip alone eats 3 hours plus transfer time. If whales are the priority, take the earliest Icelandair flight north, book the first available afternoon sailing, and treat Godafoss as the thing to save for a return visit rather than the reverse.

Winter visits and Hlidarfjall

Akureyri works as a winter day trip too, and arguably a better one for Northern Lights odds than Reykjavik, since the town has less light pollution and clearer skies on the lee side of the mountains. Hlidarfjall ski resort, a 10-minute drive from the centre, runs lifts from November to April with a day pass around ISK 6900 and rental gear available on site for roughly ISK 5500 — a genuine option if your flight lands mid-morning and returns in the evening.

The trade-off is daylight: from December to February you get only 4-5 usable hours of light, which rules out the Godafoss detour unless you are comfortable seeing it half in the dark. Winter flights are also more prone to weather delays than summer ones, so build in a buffer before your return flight rather than booking the last one out.

If you decide to stay overnight

A day trip is genuinely doable, but if the whale-watching and Godafoss and Forest Lagoon all appeal, splitting the visit over two days removes the rush. Akureyri cabin with an amazing view is a practical overnight option a short drive from the centre, with fjord views that make the extra night worthwhile rather than just a place to sleep.

Staying over also opens up an early Hlidarfjall lift or a dawn Northern Lights check in winter without racing a flight schedule, and it means eating a proper dinner at Rub23 or Strikid rather than watching the clock. If your return flight is the 9pm one anyway, the marginal cost of a second night is often smaller than the stress of cutting it fine at Akureyri Airport security.