The Top Things to Do in Akureyri - The Travelling Hiker

If you’re planning your trip to Iceland, you are probably wondering whether you should include Akureyri as one of your stops or not. If this is your case, keep reading this article! In this blog, I will share all the practical things you need to know, the top things to do in Akureyri (and its surroundings), and how much time you should spend here.

Akureyri, The Capital of the North

Here are some interesting facts about Akureyri that you might not know:

With approximately 19.000 people living there, it’s the second largest “city” in Iceland after Reykjavík.
It is the center of trade and services in northern Iceland, which has made people call it “The Capital of the North”.
The Artic Circle is only 60km north of Akureyri.
It is located on the longest fjord in Iceland, Eyjafjordur.

Getting to Akureyri

There are two ways to get to Akureyri.

By plane: You can take a domestic flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri with Icelandair. The flight takes approximately 40 minutes.
By car: The second way to reach Akureyri is by driving. This is the best option if you have rented a car and are doing a road trip along the famous Ring Road (Route 1). If you are driving from Reykjavik, it will take around 5 hours of driving (without stops) to reach Akureyri.

Important: Near Akureyri, you will find the only toll road (or tunnel to be more specific) in Iceland. It is a Vaðlaheiði tunnel on the ring road if you are coming from Lake Myvatn. If you are planning on driving through this tunnel, you will have to pay the toll via the tunnel website within the next 24h after taking the tunnel. You will find all information about payments and prices on this website. It is also possible to do a 30-minute detour and avoid the tunnel

Accommodation in Akureyri (depending on your budget)

There are many options for places to stay in Akureyri depending on your budget.

Camping Hamrar (€): This will be your go-to option if you are traveling with a camper van.
Akureyri Backpackers (€€): Another budget-friendly option is to stay in a hostel. If you choose Akureyri backpackers, you will be lodging in the center of Akureyri.
Akureyri Luxury Apartments (€€€): These apartments are located outside the center but they have everything you can imagine to guarantee a fantastic stay in Akureyri.
Centrum Hotel (€€€): If you prefer the comfort of a hotel, then you can choose a centric hotel like this one.

Tips for visiting Akureyri

Good to know

Did you know that public transport in Akureyri is completely free? Once you have arrived in Akureyri, you can just park your car and use public transport to move around the city for free.

On this site, you will be able to find the different bus routes and schedules.

Best Places to Eat

During our two days in Akureyri, we only ate out once. We stayed in a super-equipped apartment and decided to save money by cooking our meals those days.

Nevertheless, the only restaurant we tried was actually really good. We enjoyed some delicious burgers at Akureyri Backpackers. If you are looking for a place to eat with a relaxed atmosphere, you should definitely try it.

Time needed

The time you should plan in Akureyri will mostly depend on what you like to do. We stayed there for 1.5 days (2 nights) because we wanted to do a hike to Mount Sulur and enjoy the beautiful views of the fjord.

However, I would only recommend staying there for more than one night if you want to add some activity outside Akureyri. A bit further you can find a list of the things you can do near Akureyri.

If you only want to visit the city’s main highlights then half a day is more than enough. This will allow you to visit the most important places in the city and enjoy something to eat.

Top Things To Do in Akureyri

1. Visit Akureyri Kirkja

The Akureyri Kirkja or church in English is, without doubt, the number one place to visit in Akureyri. You will be able to find it very easily as it is in the center of the town in a prominent and elevated area.

The church is a Lutheran church consecrated in 1940 and designed by architect Gudjon Samuelsson. It resembles a little bit of the Reykjavik church but instead of having one tower, it has two.

The stairs in front of the church are also a very popular place for Icelanders. Local people usually race each other while going up the stairs. It is so common, that every year they have a “church stair race” event in July.

From the church, you can also enjoy a pretty view of the Eyjafjordur fjord.

The church is open for visits from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm.

2. Admire the beautiful flowers in the Akureyri Botanical Garden

The Akureyri Botanical Garden or Lystigardurinn is the most northerly botanical garden in the world. It was created in 1912 with the aim to grow trees, shrubs, and perennials in the harsh climate of Iceland. Today, it has over 7.000 species of plants.

Walking around the park will surprise you with all the colorful flowers and plants that grow in this park. If you’re lucky you might be even able to admire it on a sunny day.

The park is open only in the summer between 9 am and 10 pm and entrance is free.

3. Be impressed by Eyjafjordur fjord

Akureyri is located at the end of the longest fjord in Iceland, Eyjafjordur. But this is not the only remarkable thing about it, it is also a beautiful fjord.

There are several places in Akureyri where you will be able to admire the fjord (you will be able to find the viewpoints on the map above).

From the Akureyri Kirkja.
On the opposite side of the fjord from Akureyri, you will get a fantastic view of the fjord and the city.

4. Go Whale Watching

Whale Watching is a very common thing to do in the North of Iceland and Eyjafjördur is no exception. It is not rare to see whales swimming in the fjord, even right in front of Akureyri!

If you want to go whale watching during your stay in Akureyri, there are several companies that offer boat tours departing from the pier in Akureyri.

5. Take a selfie with the read hearts of Akureyri's traffic lights

Akureyri is known for the red hearts in its traffic lights and now they have become a tourist attraction in itself.

These red hearts started to appear during the 2008 financial crisis in Iceland in the hopes of them lifting up people’s spirits.

While driving or walking around the town make sure to check out the traffic lights to find the red hearts instead of the regular red traffic light. If you do take a photo of it and post it on your social media, make sure to use the hashtag #redheartsofakureyri.

6. Take a stroll through the old town of Akureyri

Walk around the old town of Akureyri to feel as if you have traveled in time back to when the town was founded.

Along your walk, you will be able to see some of the oldest houses in town, the old theatre, primary school, and hospital,

Top Things to Do Near Akureyri

1. Learn About the Icelandic Way of Living at the Laufás Turf Houses

Not far from Akureyri, approximately 25 km driving, you will find the old rectory of Akureyri. This farm has some of the best-preserved turf houses in Iceland. These houses were built in 1865 and will give you an idea of how people used to live in Iceland before the 20th century.

The Laufás Turf Houses belong to the Akureyri Museum. You can find all information about prices and opening hours on the Akureyri Museum site.

2. Get into Christmas spirit at Jolahusid

Jolahusid or Christmas House is a shop that will get you into the Christmas mood no matter what time of year you visit it. It’s the perfect place to get some very special Christmas decorations from Iceland.

The shop is open all year round and it offers all sorts of Christmas decorations, from the more traditional ones to specific Icelandic ones. Just keep in mind that Icelandic Christmas traditions are a bit different from what you might expect.

3. Hike up to Mount Sulur

Mount Súlur is the mountain right next to Akureyri town. If you are looking for a more adventurous activity, this is perfect for you. This hike is considered a challenging one with approximately 10km (5km each way) and 900m elevation gain. However, your effort will be rewarded with amazing views of Akureyri and the fjord.

The hike begins at the parking lot at the end of “Súlurvegur” road (the exact place available on the map above) and it will take around 6h hours to complete it depending on your fitness level.

4. Fly to Grímsey Island to be in the Artic Polar Circle

Grímsey island is a small island that is part of Iceland’s territory and is located approximately 40km north of Iceland. Only a hundred people, mostly fishermen and their families live there.

Upon arrival, tourists get a certificate that states that they have been to Artic Polar Circle. From there, there are 5 different hikes that you can do, to get a glimpse of this little island.

There are two ways of reaching Grímsey Island.

By ferry. There is a ferry line that connects Iceland with Grímsey three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) all year round. It takes approximately 3h to reach Grímsey.
By plane. There is a 30-minute flight from Akureyri to Grímsey island three days per week (Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays).

5. Discover Hrísey Island in the middle of Eyjafjördur

Hrísey is another small island located in the middle of Eyjafjördur. This island will be a paradise for bird watchers with more than 40 different species of birds.

If you decided to visit Hrísey there are also several easy trails (from 2 km to 5km) that you can walk to discover the island.

You can reach Hrísey via a ferry that departs from Ásskógssandur village and it only takes 15 minutes to get there. Here you can find the ferry schedule.

Hope you enjoyed my list of the best things to do in Akureyri and nearby. Let me know in the comments if you do try any of them or if you know any others.

DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking and buying from them will be at no additional cost to you but I will get a small commission.

The 11 Top Things to Do in Akureyri (and nearby)