IS · Northeastern Region · 65.68°N 18.10°W

akureyri

A fjord-side town with a botanical garden, whale boats and waterfalls within reach.

Best time
June–September is best for the garden, the whales and road trips. Winter has skiing and northern lights, but snow, darkness and road closures make it a different kind of trip.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Keflavík, usually via London, Amsterdam or Istanbul (about 19–21 hours all in). Akureyri is a 45-minute domestic flight from Reykjavík's city airport, or about 5 hours' drive. Iceland is 8 hours behind KL all year.
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IS · Northeastern Regionakureyri65.68°N 18.10°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A fjord-side town with a botanical garden, whale boats and waterfalls within reach.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingAkureyriIS, Northeastern Region
KLakureyri
≈ 10,995 km from KL, as the crow flies
Downtown Akureyri seen from Vaðlaheiði.

Photo: Kaldbakstindur · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Akureyri sits at the head of a long fjord and feels like a proper town after days of open road. It has cafés, a botanical garden and whale boats, and makes a good base for Mývatn and the north.

Makan

  1. Fish soupCreamy and filling, on most lunch menus in town.Map ↗
  2. Brynja ice creamIcelanders eat ice cream all year, and Brynja's soft-serve has been an Akureyri favourite for generations.Map ↗
  3. Rye bread and butterDense Icelandic rye, good with soup or smoked fish.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Botanical GardenOne of the world's northernmost botanical gardens, surprisingly lush in summer.Map ↗
  2. Whale watchingBoats from the harbour head up Eyjafjörður, where humpbacks often feed in summer.Map ↗
  3. AkureyrarkirkjaThe church at the top of a long stairway, with views over the town and fjord.Map ↗
  4. GoðafossThe 'waterfall of the gods', a wide horseshoe falls about 35 minutes east.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Domestic flights leave from Reykjavík's city airport, not Keflavík, so allow about an hour to get between them.
  • Book whale watching early in your stay, so there's a spare day if the sea is too rough.
  • Halal meat is hard to find outside Reykjavík; Akureyri's supermarkets have fish, eggs and vegetables for self-catering.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.