Classic whale watching from Akureyri harbour
Large ship, up to 200 guests · 2.5–3.5 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €102
Book on GetYourGuide
Akureyri and North Iceland
Whale watching in Eyjafjörður, Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn and the geothermal baths, all within a day trip of the town. Compare the tours from Akureyri and the cruise port and book the one that suits your trip.
Whale trips from Akureyri all year · Aurora season late August to April
Three tours to start with
A classic whale trip by ship out into Eyjafjörður, a day at Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn with pickup from your hotel, and an evening at the Forest Lagoon, a five-minute drive from the centre with towel and a drink included.
Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn with hotel pickup
Minibus, guided · 6 hours
✓ Free cancellation
from €182
Book on GetYourGuide
A fjord town below the Arctic Circle
Akureyri sits at the head of Eyjafjörður, one of the longest fjords in Iceland, with mountains of 1000 to 1500 metres on both sides. About 20,000 people live here, which makes it the largest urban area outside the capital region. According to Visit Akureyri, the Arctic Circle lies only 60 km to the north, and it crosses the island of Grímsey. Our page on the town itself covers what to see in the centre.
The centre is small enough to walk, city buses cost nothing, and most cruise ships tie up within about ten minutes' walk of the main streets. From here the classic day trips are short: Goðafoss is about 35 km east, Húsavík about 76 km and the shore of Lake Mývatn a little over 80 km, roughly an hour and a quarter by car. Whale boats leave from Akureyri itself and from the villages of Hauganes, Árskógssandur and Dalvík further out along the fjord.
The light changes the trip more than the temperature does. On 21 December the sun is up for about three hours over a flat horizon, and the mountains around the fjord hide it for longer. In June the sky never gets dark. The month-by-month guide sets out which tours run when.
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Akureyri?
It depends on what you want to do. July and August are the mildest months, with average temperatures of about 11 °C, and in June and early July the sky does not get properly dark. For the northern lights, Visit North Iceland names September to March as the months with the most reliable dark skies. Whale trips sail from Akureyri all year, weather permitting.
Is there midnight sun in Akureyri?
Not in the strict sense. On 21 June 2027 the sun sets at 00:57 and rises again at 01:31, according to the US Naval Observatory, and the sky stays bright in between. Real midnight sun is on Grímsey, the island on the Arctic Circle.
How do I get to Akureyri from Reykjavík?
Icelandair flies from Reykjavík's domestic airport several times a day, and the flight takes about 40 minutes. By road it is a little under 390 km on the Ring Road, around five hours without stops. Strætó bus 57 takes about six hours.
Do I need a car in Akureyri?
Not in town: the centre is compact and the city buses are free. Several day tours to Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn include hotel pickup, and many shore excursions start at the cruise port. For the countryside on your own, check road conditions at road.is before you set off, especially from autumn to spring.
Is this the official tourist office?
No. Akureyri Tourism is an independent guide. The official travel guide to the town is Visit Akureyri at visitakureyri.is, and the regional tourism organisation is Visit North Iceland at northiceland.is.
Tours from €52
Compare tours