Zipline and adventure tours around Akureyri

8 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The activities on this page are spread over three areas. In Akureyri itself there is the zipline, kayaking along the shore and e-bike tours. Just outside the town are a husky farm and the winter tours with pickup. The motorised tours and the ice cave run from Mývatn, where Reykjahlíð is 84 km or about 1 hour 15 minutes from Akureyri by car. Most of the Mývatn tours do not include transport, so you either drive or pick a tour with pickup.

The season decides as much as the place. Snowmobiles, sleds and snowshoes need snow, and several operators say their tours depend on the season. The zipline, the buggies and the ice cave appear in reviews mainly from June to October.

The zipline in the Glerá gorge

The Glerá river runs through Akureyri, mostly in a steep gorge, and Zipline Akureyri has hung its course across it. From the base in town it is a walk of 2 to 3 minutes to the first line. Five ziplines of different lengths follow, and after the last one you walk about 10 minutes back. The tour is listed at 90 minutes; a pair can be done in just over an hour, while a full group of 12 needs about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Children can join from 8 years, with no more than two children per adult. The tour is not suitable for pregnant women or for people over 120 kg. A few reviewers found the lines too short. The reviews date mainly from June to September. If you have small children, the zipline and the other options in town are collected on our page on Akureyri with kids.

Lofthellir ice cave

The Lofthellir tour by Geo Travel goes underground. It is a permafrost ice cave deep in the Búrfellshraun lava field, about 30 km from Mývatn, reached by super jeep with local guides. The four-hour tour includes the cave entrance, boots, a helmet and a headlamp. It is not for people with claustrophobia, back problems or limited mobility, nor for anyone over 70. The tour page does not give a meeting point, so check it in your booking confirmation before you drive out.

Snowmobiles and buggies at Mývatn

In winter Geo Travel runs two-hour snowmobile tours in the Mývatn nature reserve. Every driver needs a valid driving licence and must sign a waiver; helmet and overalls are provided, gloves and shoes are not. Children under 8 cannot join. Departure times shift with the weather. One reviewer who drove in December counted about 45 minutes of actual riding after a long wait for other guests, so do not expect two hours on the machine.

If you have no car, Saga Travel sells a four-hour version with pickup in Akureyri and a drive of about 1 hour 15 minutes to the snowmobile base. Groups are capped at 16, and children from 6 can ride as passengers. For the dark evenings there is also a 2.5-hour northern lights snowmobile tour at Mývatn, from 10 years and again only with a licence. The aurora cannot be promised on any of them.

In summer the same operator swaps snowmobiles for UTV buggies. The two-hour tour includes about an hour of driving through the nature reserve; each buggy takes two people, drivers need a licence, and the minimum age is 6. A few guests were disappointed that the route crosses bare land without the views they had expected from the photos.

The highlands at Askja

A long day trip by 4×4 bus leaves Mývatn at 8 in the morning and returns around 7 or 8 in the evening. It visits the Askja caldera, Lake Askja and the Víti crater, with a guide who explains the geology. Meals and water are not included, so pack for a full day. Highland F-roads in Iceland only open in summer, typically from June, and the operator warns that there can be snow even then. Guest reviews come from August and September.

Huskies north of Akureyri

goHusky lives with its dogs about 7 minutes north of Akureyri, off road 816. In winter, when there is snow, the farm runs two-hour dog sledding tours for up to 4 guests, with children from 2 years. It also offers a two-hour walk with a husky on a harness and a belt around your waist, through the countryside, along the sea and up into the local forest, followed by time with the whole pack at the house. The walk takes groups of up to 12 and children from 6.

Kayaks, bikes and winter walks

On the water there are calmer options. A tandem kayak tour paddles along the Akureyri coastline to a geothermal waterfall, with a hike to the warm river that feeds it and a dip in a hot spring; non-swimmers cannot join, and transport is not included. Bakkaflöt runs a 90-minute trip on the Svartá river in Skagafjörður, with dry trousers, a jacket and a life vest, birdlife on the way and a hot tub at the end; under 12s need a parent.

On land, Original North starts a two-hour e-bike tour at Forest Lagoon and rides through the Kjarnaskógur forest and the old town, with lagoon entry included. In Dalvík, NorthTrails takes private groups out on full-suspension e-mountain bikes for three hours, from 12 years and a height of 145 cm.

Winter brings slower adventures. The Traveling Viking collects you at your hotel for a three-hour snowshoe walk around Akureyri with hot chocolate and biscuits, and drives to Ljósavatn for ice fishing, where the guide drills the holes by hand. The fishing licence is not included, and if you bring your own used fishing gear, Iceland requires it to be disinfected first. At Krafla near Mývatn, a three-hour snowshoe hike crosses lava and steaming geothermal ground, from 5 years.

Skiing at Hlíðarfjall

For skiing you do not need a tour. Hlíðarfjall, the town's ski area, lies about 8 km from the centre, roughly a 13-minute drive, and its slopes run from 500 to 1000 m above sea level. It has had snowmaking since 2006 and also grooms cross-country tracks. The 2025/26 season opened on 4 December, at first only in the lower area, and the area usually runs until spring, depending on the weather. A magic carpet in the lower area helps young beginners, and the mountain has its own ski hire and ski school, with lessons for children. Opening hours are confirmed day by day in winter, so look at Hlíðarfjall's website before you drive up. Our page on the best time to visit Akureyri shows what else the winter offers, and the tours around the lake are on Lake Mývatn tours.