Getting around Akureyri and the north

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Akureyri is compact. From the centre around Ráðhústorg you walk to the church, the harbour and the culture house Hof in a few minutes, and the cruise port is about five minutes away on foot. For anything further out, such as the Kjarnaskógur forest, the free town buses help. Outside town the choice is simple: drive yourself, use the regional buses with their limited timetables, or book a tour that collects you.

Free buses in town

All town buses in Akureyri are free of charge. Every route is a loop that starts and ends at the main stop Miðbær in the centre, near the taxi rank, and one round takes 30 to 50 minutes. On weekdays the buses run from about 6:30 until around 23:00. At weekends service starts around midday and ends in the early evening. All buses are wheelchair accessible.

Hreyfill runs the taxis, around the clock, on +354 461 1010 or through its app. The cars are not adapted for wheelchairs; if you can get in yourself, the chair goes in the boot. For a vehicle with a lift, Visit Akureyri refers to Akurinn bus, which takes up to three wheelchairs (+354 845 0090). Public toilets with step-free access are in Hof and in the art museum.

Regional buses

Strætó runs the long-distance buses, and its summer 2026 timetable (1 June to 31 August) lists three useful routes from Akureyri. Bus 79 goes to Húsavík via Fosshóll, the stop for Goðafoss, in about 1 hour 20 minutes, several times a day. Bus 78 heads north along the west side of the fjord to Dalvík, Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður, about 1 hour 25 minutes to the end. Bus 56 crosses to Egilsstaðir in the east via Goðafoss and Reykjahlíð on Lake Mývatn and needs about three and a half hours. It does not run every day.

The winter timetable from September to May differs, so check the current one before you plan around a bus. Tickets are sold on board for cash or by card.

Ferries and the flight to Grímsey

The small ferry Sævar crosses to Hrísey from Árskógssandur in about 15 minutes. It sails all year, roughly every two hours between 7:00 and 23:00, with up to nine departures a day. Early weekend sailings run only on request. Bus 78 stops at Árskógssandur, but only up on the main road. From there it is a walk of about 2 km down to the ferry harbour.

Grímsey is a bigger undertaking. The ferry Sæfari leaves from Dalvík, 45 km north of Akureyri, and takes about three hours each way, all year. That leaves around two hours on the island in winter and four in summer (two on Thursdays). It always leaves Dalvík at 9:00, on three to five days a week depending on the season, and booking ahead on ferjur.is is recommended. Norlandair also flies to Grímsey two or three times a week in about 30 minutes. The Hrísey and Grímsey page has more on both islands.

Driving distances

A car gives you the most freedom in the north, and rental desks are at the airport. These are approximate driving times from central Akureyri in summer conditions, without stops:

• Hlíðarfjall ski area: about 8 km by road from the centre, under 15 minutes
• Christmas Garden at Hrafnagil: about 15 km, 15 minutes
• Laufás turf farm: about 29 km, under 30 minutes
• Hauganes and Árskógssandur: about 35 km, 35 minutes
• Goðafoss: about 35 km, 35 minutes
• Dalvík: about 43 km, 40 minutes
• Húsavík: about 76 km, 1 hour 10 minutes
• Reykjahlíð on Lake Mývatn: about 84 km, 1 hour 15 minutes
• Dettifoss: about 150 km, 2 hours 20 minutes

Visit North Iceland gives roughly 250 km for the full Diamond Circle loop, which our Goðafoss and Diamond Circle page covers.

Roads, tunnel and winter driving

Heading east towards Goðafoss and Mývatn, Route 1 runs through the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel, which charges a toll. You register the number plate and pay online at veggjald.is, up to 24 hours before or after the trip. If you do not, the registered owner of the car receives a bill with a collection fee added.

The Ring Road is paved and open to all vehicles all year, subject to the weather. The road authority publishes conditions on road.is and umferdin.is and answers on 1777, and Safetravel posts weather warnings. Studded tyres and chains are banned from 15 April to 31 October unless conditions call for them. The highland F-roads open only in summer, usually from June, and only for four-wheel-drive cars.

Letting a tour do the driving

Without a car, tours cover most of the north. Day trips to Goðafoss and Mývatn collect you at hotels in Akureyri, and several have winter versions. Aurora tours pick you up in the evening and drive out of town to darker skies. For the Mývatn snowmobiles there is a version with pickup in Akureyri, which saves the drive of about 75 minutes each way in winter. Ideas for putting the days together are on the itineraries page.