Grímsey and the Arctic Circle: flight or ferry?

Fly if you’re doing it in a day. The ferry from Dalvík is around three hours each way, which turns a small island into a long day at sea, and the North Atlantic between the mainland and Grímsey is not always kind. The flight from Akureyri is short and gives you more time on the island. Take the ferry only if you like boats, or you’re staying the night.

We don’t sell a Grímsey trip. Nobody we work with runs one through our system. So this is a plain guide to doing it yourself, and what to book on the mainland if Grímsey doesn’t fit.

What Grímsey is

Grímsey is a small, low island about 40 km off the north coast, with a harbour, a church, a guesthouse or two, and a population of well under a hundred. The Arctic Circle crosses it. That’s the draw, and it’s the only place in Iceland where you can stand on it.

The line moves. The Earth’s tilt wobbles over thousands of years, so the Arctic Circle drifts north by roughly 15 metres a year. Because of that, the marker is a large concrete sphere, Orbis et Globus, which the islanders move to follow it. It sits towards the north end, a walk of roughly half an hour or more from the harbour. The older signpost near the airstrip marks where the line used to run, and plenty of people take their photo there anyway.

Flight or ferry

The flight leaves from Akureyri Airport, takes under half an hour, and in summer runs on several days a week. Some are sold as a package with a short guided walk and a certificate for crossing the line. The small plane is weather-dependent. Low cloud on either end cancels it.

The ferry, Sæfari, sails from Dalvík, about 40 minutes north of Akureyri by road. It takes roughly three hours each way and runs a few days a week, more often in summer. On a day return you get a few hours on the island between arrival and departure. If you get seasick, don’t. The crossing is open sea.

Neither runs every day. Check the timetable before you build a day around it, and have a backup plan for the mainland.

What to do on the island

Walk. From the harbour, head north to the sphere, then come back along the cliffs. Allow two hours at a relaxed pace. There’s a small shop and, in summer, somewhere to get coffee. Don’t count on much more.

In summer the cliffs are nesting ground for puffins, guillemots and razorbills, roughly from May to mid-August. The puffins are usually out on the cliff edges in the evening. We can’t promise you’ll see them. Arctic terns nest near the paths in summer too, and they defend their nests by diving at your head. Wear a hat. Hold something above you if they’re persistent.

Outside the summer, Grímsey is a windswept rock with a sign. That’s honest, and some people love it. Most won’t.

If Grímsey doesn’t fit

It often won’t, because of the timetable or the weather. These run from the mainland, around Eyjafjörður:

• Star Travel’s Arctic Coastline and Tröllaskagi Peninsula, from €257, six hours from Akureyri out along the coast to Dalvík, Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður, with the Herring Era Museum entry included. This is the Arctic coast without the boat.
• Northtrails’ Hrísey island private E-mtb tour, from €234, four hours. Hrísey is the other island, inside the fjord, a short ferry from Árskógssandur. The ferry fare is included. It’s private, so the price is for your group’s guide.
• North Sailing’s Whale Watching Eyjafjörður from Árskógssandur, from €91, two and a half hours on a wooden boat, with overalls, hot chocolate and cinnamon buns.
• Whale Watching Hauganes’ Whale Watching and Sea Angling Tour, from €93, three hours from Hauganes, 30 minutes from Akureyri. It runs all year and adds a go at fishing to the whale watch. Whales are possible, not promised.

Our honest take

If standing on the Arctic Circle matters to you, fly, go in June or July, and stay long enough to walk the cliffs. Book the flight with a morning departure so a cancellation can move to the afternoon or next day. Don’t do the ferry as a day trip unless you actually want six hours at sea.

If it’s a nice-to-have, skip it. You’ll see more of the north on the Tröllaskagi drive, and more wildlife in Eyjafjörður, than on a short visit to a flat island. The Arctic Circle is a line on a map. Grímsey is worth it for the island, not the line.