The top eight things to do in Akureyri

Akureyri is my hometown, and I love it dearly. The town is both pretty and peaceful, and well-placed as a base for exploring northern Iceland. The first thing to know about Akureyri is that it is the largest urban center outside southwest Iceland and has all the services and amenities you need. Now the town is ‘Instagram famous’ for heart-shaped traffic lights, which I find amusing. Anybody trying to introduce heart-shaped anything in Akureyri during my childhood would have been tarred and feathered. In any case, Akureyri is a great destination. Scroll down for practical information about shopping, hotels, and tours in and around Akureyri.

How to get to Akureyri

The fastest way is the 45-minute Icelandair flight from Reykjavík — they run several times a day, year-round. Quick heads-up though: these leave from Reykjavík Domestic Airport (RKV), not Keflavík (KEF) where you land coming into Iceland, so allow time to transfer between the two. Prefer to drive? It’s about 388 km / 5 hours from Reykjavík on the Ring Road, and a properly handsome drive once you clear Borgarnes. UK readers — easyJet flies direct from London Gatwick and Manchester to Akureyri in winter, skipping Reykjavík entirely.

When to go

Both seasons earn their keep. Summer (June–August) is for the botanical gardens at full bloom, whale watching in Eyjafjörður, the midnight sun, and easy driving. Winter (November–March) is for skiing at Hlíðarfjall and catching the northern lights — Akureyri sits far enough north that you can often see them right from town without driving anywhere.

Tip 1 for Akureyri – visit the Forest Lagoon

Visit the wonderful Forest Lagoon. What to do when a work crew tunneling through a mountain unleashes a deluge of hot water on themselves? Well, one not-so-obvious answer is to use the river of hot water for outdoor baths that make visitors feel like they are in an enchanted forest. That is exactly what happened at the recently opened Forest Lagoon. That is wild but true.

Tip 2 – Visit the northernmost botanical gardens in the world

I love the botanical gardens in Akureyri. As far as I know, they are the northernmost gardens of their kind. Originally, the botanical gardens were founded in 1912 by wealthy, well-meaning, and presumably bored, upper-crust ladies of Danish descent. At that time, Akureyri’s elite were all Danish, and most of them were merchants. Their purpose was sound; they wanted the citizens of Akureyri to have access to something beautiful in their free time. I must say, though, my ancestors, who were not as fancy as those Danish ladies, did not have a lot of free time on their hands! However, in good weather, it is just divine to meander there, enjoy the fauna, and have coffee at the café.

Tip 3 – Have brunch at Berlín

Akureyri does have a few restaurants, but the only brunch place I know of is Berlín. The brunch there is absolutely scrumptious, and therefore, Berlín is always very busy. Just hang in there, you will get a table eventually.

Tip 4 – Have ice cream at the Brynja ice-cream store

The most Akureyri thing to do is to get ice cream at the Brynja ice cream store. I daresay that Brynja is Iceland’s oldest ice-cream parlor; its recipe for vanilla ice-cream has not changed since the fifties. The proper way to enjoy a Brynja ice cream is to get the plain vanilla in a cone. Ordering any other variant of the ice cream is, of course, barbaric sacrilege in my view.

Tip 5 – Visit Hauganes

Hauganes is only a half-hour drive from Akureyri. It has rustic outdoor hot-tubs, and the baccalá (salted cod) at the small restaurant Baccalá bar is delicious. And that is not all. You can also book a whale-watching tour with my partners at Hauganes Whale Watching.

Tip 6 – Go swimming in the Akureyri waterworld

The swimming pool in Akureyri is probably the best swimming pool in Iceland. At least that is my opinion! It has everything a swimming pool should have: a big pool for swimming, really nice hot tubs, and of course, water slides. I always find it delightful to visit this swimming pool. All Icelandic children are required to learn how to swim, and I was really bad at it. I take special pleasure in visiting this swimming pool without being yelled at by an irate, sadistic PE teacher in the awful, freezing weather of deep winter, when the lessons took place. I am a reasonable swimmer these days, and it is up to me what I do in the pool.  Furthermore, back then in the dark ages, this pool was really crap. Nurturing grudges when combined with your adult freedom, and gentrification is not always bad!

Tip 7 – Catch a live concert at the Græni Hatturinn (Green Hat)

Græni Hatturinn, or the Green Hat, is situated in a cavernous space in downtown Akureyri. It is, without a doubt, the best venue for live music in Iceland. This is the place where popular Icelandic musicians play for the local crowd.

Tip 8 – Go Whale Watching

Go whale watching with my partners at Whale Watching Akureyri. Whale-watching from Akureyri is a great activity. Whale watching companies consistently have a very high success rate.

The sights and attractions in Akureyri – everything from Christmas all year round to tuberculosis!

Akureyri has attractions such as the beautiful Akureyrarkirkja church, which was under construction in World War 2. That building is a masterpiece in my opinion.

Check out the old town below Akureyri church, which looks similar to Reykjavik’s old town. The church is the brainchild of Guðjón Samúelsson, the same architect who designed Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral in Reykjavik.

Hiking in and around Akureyri

During winter, skiers will enjoy visiting the town’s ski resort, Hlíðarfjall. Ambitious hikers can perhaps consider the Glerárdalshringurinn – a bona fide death march where you scale 24 peaks, which are above Akureyri to the East of town. I would not attempt any hiking there unless you are an experienced hiker and have a qualified local guide with you.  A part of the mountain ring around Akureyri is the beautiful Súlur Mountain. A great and challenging hiking experience indeed. You will be rewarded with a stunning view when you reach the top. Another worthwhile hike is the hike up to Mt. Kaldbakur. To get there, drive to the village of Grenivik and park your car there.

Close to Grenivik is the Laufás farm, a really impressive and beautiful collection of turf houses. However, if you think all Icelanders lived like this back in the day, think again. Laufás is a surviving mansion where the 1% lived. The rest eked out an existence in damp, filthy, and smoke-filled holes in the ground.

Take a walk in the lovely Kjarnaskógur woods at the southern edge of town. It is also popular for mountain biking during summer, and cross-country skiing in winter. If you are traveling with kids, the woods are a haven for rabbits, so bring some snacks for them.

Museums and exhibitions in Akureyri

Museums and exhibitions in Akureyri include the quaint Christmas House, which is open year-round, the Aviation Museum, and the Museum of Tuberculosis in Iceland (HÆLIÐ) at the sanatorium in Kristsnes.

At HÆLIÐ, you can immerse yourself in the awful history of how tuberculosis devastated the lives of people in North Iceland. Malnutrition, lack of hygiene, and all poor housing made the population very susceptible to this terrible disease.  It is a sobering experience indeed.

Akureyri’s most famous son must be the writer and Jesuit priest Jón Sveinsson “Nonni” (not to be confused with my AI bot!). His childhood home, Nonnahús, is now a museum that celebrates his life and achievements. His books, which focused on his upbringing with his brother Ármann, were popular in Europe back in the day. A German TV series based on the books was a smash hit. I always thought they were extremely corny and a very poor representation of life in the 19th century, but each to their own, I suppose.

Art and music in Akureyri

Art lovers should check out the Akureyri art center, which is close to the Akureyri church. Local artists and performers often have events and exhibitions there. Akureyri has a wonderful music venue, Hof. If you are in the mood for Icelandic music, this is the place for you.

Hotels and tours in Akureyri

My favorite hotel in Akureyri is Hótel Kjarnalundur. My sister Hildur runs it. Please say hello from Jón if you stay there! In addition, there is a great selection of hotels and other forms of accommodation in and around the town. The same goes for tours; there are so many cool activities and tours you can join in and around Akureyri.

Shopping in Akureyri

The Glerártorg shopping center should have everything you need to stock up for your road trip. Low-cost supermarkets Krónan and Bónus also have stores in Akureyri. You will also find the low-cost self-service gas stations Atlantsolia, ÓB, and Orkan in Akureyri.

Akureyri nightlife

Akureyri does not have the robust nightlife that Reykjavik has. However, if you are down for drinks and music, I recommend Götubarinn. It has a piano there, and revelers indulge in very loud sing-alongs, which are always fun. My sister Hildur also owns this establishment, so it is the only bar in the world where I can be considered a VIP!

Dining in Akureyri

Akureyri is not the culinary capital in the world. Rub23 is the best place for fancy dinners; they have fantastic sushi. Strikið is another option for upmarket dining. Akureyri is, however, a paradise for junk food lovers. Greifinn is a solid choice for families; their pizzas are usually decent. Bautinn has been around since the Dark Ages, and the last time I tried it, it was OK. The gas stations and small restaurants serve up greasy calorie bombs if you are so inclined. However, I don’t have the bandwidth to keep up with the burger and pizza joints, which frequently come and go.

Skip the tunnel when driving east in summer

From Akureyri, there is an easy drive on the ring road to Húsavík to the east. If you drive in summer, I would save some money, skip the tunnel, and proceed through the Víkurskarð pass. You will get an excellent view while driving there. In winter, use the tunnel since Víkurskarð Pass can get pretty crazy in wintertime.