Things to Do in Akureyri: North Iceland Activities Guide

Akureyri’s appeal is twofold: the town itself has a lively restaurant scene, excellent museums, and a compact centre worth exploring on foot, and its position at the head of Eyjafjörður makes it the best base in North Iceland for day trips. The whale watching at Húsavík, the geological spectacle of Lake Mývatn, and Goðafoss waterfall are all within an hour’s drive. In winter, Hlíðarfjall ski resort adds a fourth draw.

In Town

Akureyri Church (Akureyrarkirkja) — The distinctive modernist church designed by Guðjón Samúelsson dominates the town’s hillside. The same architect designed Reykjavík’s Hallgrímskirkja; the Akureyri version is smaller but equally striking from below. Worth the short climb for views over Eyjafjörður. Free. Open daily.

Akureyri Botanical Garden (Lystigarðurinn) — Remarkably lush in summer, benefiting from the fjord’s sheltered microclimate. Founded in 1912, it is considered the world’s northernmost botanical garden and contains over 7,000 species, including plants that seem improbably tender for this latitude. Free entry. Open June–September, 08:00–22:00. The café in the park serves light lunches and coffee.

Akureyri Museum (Minjasafnið á Akureyri) — Regional museum covering the settlement and history of North Iceland, from the Viking age through the fishing industry of the 19th and 20th centuries. Entry approximately ISK 1,800 adult as of 2026. Allow 1.5 hours. Closed Mondays out of season.

Nonnahús — The childhood home of Jón Sveinsson (Nonni), an Icelandic-Jesuit priest who wrote the internationally popular Nonni children’s books in the early 20th century. A tiny but well-presented house museum on the old residential streets below the church. Entry approximately ISK 1,500 adult. Open June–August.

Industry Museum (Iðnaðarsafnið) — A comprehensive collection of old Icelandic machinery, tools, and vehicles showing the development of industry across North Iceland. Worth an hour for anyone interested in social history or engineering. Entry approximately ISK 1,500 adult.

Café Laut at the Botanical Garden — A relaxed lunch stop with outdoor seating in summer. Soups, sandwiches, and cakes from approximately ISK 1,200–2,500. One of the most pleasant places to eat in Akureyri on a clear day.

Swimming at Akureyri Pool (Sundlaug Akureyrar) — All Icelandic towns have a geothermal pool, and this is one of the best outside Reykjavík. Outdoor hot pools, a 50m lap pool, waterslide, and steam room. Entry approximately ISK 1,000 adult as of 2026. Open daily. A good way to join local life on any visit.

Bláa Kannan — The town’s most iconic café, in a blue timber building on Hafnarstræti that dates from 1910. Coffee and cakes from ISK 500. A good base for watching the main street.

Day Trips from Akureyri

Húsavík Whale Watching (90km east)

The most reliable place in Iceland for humpback whale sightings, June–August. North Sailing and Gentle Giants are the two main operators, both departing from Húsavík harbour. Tours run 3 hours; prices approximately ISK 12,900–15,000 adult as of 2026. Both operators offer a free rebook if no whales are sighted, though sightings are extremely reliable in July and August.

The drive from Akureyri to Húsavík takes approximately 90 minutes via Route 85. Budget a full day for whale watching plus the Húsavík Whale Museum (ISK 2,500 adult — full-size whale skeletons and excellent educational displays) and the GeoSea geothermal baths (ISK 4,500 adult; clifftop infinity pools overlooking the harbour — one of Iceland’s best spa experiences).

Lake Mývatn (100km east)

Iceland’s most volcanically active area and the best full-day trip from Akureyri. Drive east on Route 1 (approximately 1 hour). The circuit around the lake takes a full day:

• Skútustaðir pseudo craters (free) — formed by steam explosions when lava flowed over a wetland
• Dimmuborgir lava formations (free) — a labyrinth of unusual lava pillars and caves; walking trails of 30–90 minutes
• Námaskarð geothermal fields (free) — bubbling mud pots and yellow sulphurous fumaroles on a ridge east of the lake
• Krafla volcano and Víti crater (free) — a 30-minute walk from the car park to the bright-blue crater lake
• Mývatn Nature Baths (ISK 6,500 adult as of 2026, myvatnnaturebaths.is) — a large geothermal bathing lagoon, far less crowded than the Blue Lagoon and with a more authentic atmosphere

Allow 8–9 hours including driving time from Akureyri.

Goðafoss Waterfall (47km southeast)

One of Iceland’s most striking waterfalls, right off the Ring Road at Fosshóll. The waterfall takes its name — Goðafoss, “waterfall of the gods” — from the local chieftain Þorgeir, who is said to have thrown his pagan idols into the falls when Iceland officially adopted Christianity in 1000 AD. Free, year-round, with car parks on both banks. Allow 45 minutes each way from Akureyri. A worthwhile stop on any drive south or east.

Siglufjörður (65km northwest)

The most scenically positioned small town in North Iceland, at the end of a long fjord accessible through the Héðinsfjörður mountain tunnels. The Herring Era Museum (Síldarminjasafnið) is one of Iceland’s best regional museums, covering the boom-and-bust herring fishing industry of the early 20th century when Siglufjörður was the busiest fishing port in Iceland (ISK 2,800 adult). The fjord setting and painted timber houses make it a good photography subject year-round. Allow a half day.

Dettifoss (160km east via Route 864)

If combining the Mývatn day with a detour to Dettifoss, allow a full day from Akureyri. Dettifoss is Europe’s most powerful waterfall by volume, on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. Route 864 is a gravel road accessible to regular cars. The west bank viewpoint (Route 862, paved) offers the more dramatic view. Free.

Hlíðarfjall Ski Resort (Winter)

5km from town centre, signposted from Akureyri. Iceland’s largest ski resort, with 27 pistes and a gondola system on the slopes above Eyjafjörður. The views down the fjord from the upper lifts are exceptional on clear days.

Day lift pass: approximately ISK 7,000–9,000 adult as of 2026. Multi-day passes are more economical. Ski and snowboard hire available at the resort (approximately ISK 5,500–7,500 per day for a full set).

Season: approximately November through April, snow-dependent. The resort usually has good snow cover December–March. Check conditions at hlidafjall.is before visiting.

Ski school: Lessons available for beginners through the resort ski school, approximately ISK 8,000–12,000 for a group lesson.

Akureyri is relatively easy to reach by domestic flight (40 minutes from Reykjavík, from approximately ISK 8,000–15,000 with Icelandair or PLAY), which makes a 2–3 day ski trip feasible without a long drive.

Northern Lights (Autumn–Spring)

Akureyri gets consistently good Northern Lights viewing from September through March. Less light pollution than Reykjavík, and the local cloud cover patterns can favour the north when the south is overcast (and vice versa).

Several local operators run Northern Lights tours by super-jeep or minibus from approximately ISK 8,900–12,500 — these include local guides who know the optimal viewing spots and can move quickly away from cloud cover. Tours are cancelled in overcast conditions; most operators apply a free rebook policy. Aurora forecast at vedur.is shows both cloud cover and KP index — check this before booking on a given night.

For self-drive aurora hunting, drive north of Akureyri along Eyjafjörður (Route 82) or east on Route 1 toward Mývatn for darker skies and fewer streetlights.