Akureyri

Get in

right|thumb|250px|Akureyri Airport viewed from [[Route 1-Ring Road|the Ring road]]

Get around

right|thumb|400px|Waterfront

Being Iceland's northern capital doesn't mean Akureyri is a huge metropolis. Although it can get a bit hilly leaving the waterline, walking distances are reasonable for a fit person.

Akureyri has a public bus system, called SVA, which is free for all. The buses are not very frequent, each line has a bus every hour or so. The buses stop running at 23:00 on weekdays and only run between 12:00 and 18:00 on weekends and holidays, but when they're free, why complain? For easier routing and route-planning consider getting the Strætó bs. app.

BSÓ is the only taxi company in town, and they have a taxi rank in the centre.

For those who prefer to cycle, it's possible to rent a bicycle at the souvenir shop The Viking in Hafnarstræti (). The price is kr 1000 for 6 hours, or kr 1800 for the day.

See

thumb|Akureyrarkirkja and rainbow in Akureyri Akureyri is a very picturesque town with its location by a scenic fjord, eclectic building styles and streets winding their way through gorges. Spend some time walking around the city centre, see the impressive church and check out Listagilið (literally: "the art canyon"), home to a number of arts and crafts galleries and shops. The tranquil municipal botanical garden, Lystigarðurinn, is worth visiting, as are the several small museums dotted around town.

Be sure to visit Nonnahús, childhood home of author Jón "Nonni" Sveinsson, as well as Sigurhæðir and Davíðshús, the former homes of poets Matthías Jochumsson and Davíð Stefánsson. Admission is kr 1200 for adults, or get a day's pass that also includes access to Minjasafnið á Akureyri (Akureyri Museum) and Gamli bærinn Laufás (Old Turfhouse Laufás) for kr 2000. Better yet, a year's pass for all five costs only kr 3000 and will allow you to visit everything at your leisure.

You can visit Akureyri all year around. There is always a lot to see.

Do

Football: The soccer playing season is April-Sept. - Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (KA) play soccer in Besta deild karla, the top tier. Their home ground Akureyrarvöllur (capacity 1650) is 500 m northwest of town centre. - Þór Akureyri were promoted in 2025 so they too play in Besta deild karla, at Þórsvöllur 1.5 km northwest of the centre. You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4, , [email protected]).

Buy

Hafnarstræti, in the city center, is Akureyri's main shopping street. Shops there include an , several souvenir shops, and the curiosity shop Frúin í Hamborg.

For local art and design, head to Grófargil, colliqually known as Listagil (“art canyon”). It's a steep canyon by the street Kaupvangsstræti and home to several studios, galleries and shops.

A small shopping mall, called , is a short distance north of the city centre.

There is a Nettó supermarket near the Glerártorg shopping mall. There is also a supermarket near there, just a little further north along Glerágata/Hörgárbraut, and a supermarket at Tryggvabraut 8. A supermarket is located near the harbour, at Furuvellir 17.

Eat

While you're in Akureyri, be sure to get ice cream from the locally famous .

Drink

A nice bar is across the street from the main movie theatre. It seems that people in the city enjoy an 'early' movie theater around 20:00 or so, and, as customary in Iceland, go clubbing/barhopping after midnight. Keep in mind that the clubs close at 01:00, at least during the weekdays. A strange wheel-of-fortune with shots, beer, and nothing, is there, for kr 1500.

Sleep

There are many guesthouses more inland immediately away from the city center. They double as residences for college students, but they are the cheapest lodging you'll find, at around kr 8000 double and kr 5000 single.

In addition to hostels and hotels, there are a variety of apartments to rent. These are usually set up like a conventional 1-bedroom apartment (with amenities like a refrigerator, kitchen, and dining area). You might prefer renting an apartment if you're staying in the area for multiple days and want to buy groceries and prepare your own meals.

Connect

Akureyri has good mobile phone coverage (including 3G). Wi-fi internet is often available at cafés or hotels. Here are additional internet access options:

Go next

right|thumb|Pseudocraters in Mývatn with the volcano Vindbelgjarfjall in the background|250px

Akureyri is a good base to explore some of the more remote areas of Iceland, such as Mývatn. Several buses run mostly hourly from the city centre to other important places like the airport and neighboring settlements and bus tours are available which take you to see the enormous crater of Víti, and Goðafoss (waterfall of the gods).

Akureyri is fairly close to Húsavík, which has several whale watching tour operators, and Dalvík, from where you'll be able to catch a ferry to the island of Grímsey, Iceland's northernmost inhabited island, situated right on the Arctic Circle.

Akureyri to Myvatn (1 hr 30 min) kr 2400 / €16 Akureyri to Egilsstadir (3 hr 30 min) kr 7600 / €51