Town · North Iceland

Akureyri

The largest town outside the capital area, with an airport, a working harbour and enough departures to base a trip on.

prices and departures checked 13 Sept 2026

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The short version

  • 43 tours in our catalogue stop at Akureyri — 17 of them day tours from a single base, 26 as part of a longer package.
  • A seat on a day tour here typically costs €178, from €97 at the cheapest. Private tours are priced per vehicle and sit outside that figure.
  • 12 different operators run here, so a cancellation rarely means the day is lost.
  • Departures in our next 360 days fall in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.
  • Seasonal here: Whale watching (April–October), Midnight sun (May–July), Lupine in bloom (June–July).
  • 1 of the tours here are priced on request rather than published — usually private charters.

The facts

Type
Town
Region
North Iceland
Tours that stop here
4317 day tours · 26 multi-day
Day tour, cheapest
€97
Day tour, typical
€178median of 15 per-person fares
Operators
12
From Reykjavík
250 km (155 mi)straight line — the road is longer
Coordinates
65.6800, -18.0900

Daylight through the year

Iceland's daylight swings further than almost anywhere people holiday, and it decides what a tour can actually show you. Times are for the 15th of each month at this spot.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
January11:0315:394 h 36 min
March07:3619:0811 h 32 min
June01:4500:4022 h 55 min
September06:2919:4613 h 16 min
December11:3014:453 h 15 min

What is seasonal here

None of these have fixed dates, so each one says what its real dates depend on.

Whale watching

April–October

Boats run year-round from Reykjavík, but Húsavík and the northern harbours are seasonal and sightings peak in summer.

Midnight sun

May–July

True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.

Lupine in bloom

June–July

Introduced, controversial and impossible to miss when it flowers. Peaks a fortnight later in the north than the south.

What people do here

Getting here without a car

The 16 tours we sell that stop at Akureyri leave from Akureyri and Sauðárkrókur. Akureyri, where most of them start, is about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík by road.

6 of the 16 collect you from your accommodation or a designated stop, so the tour is the transport — there is nothing else to arrange and no timetable to read.

A seat on a day tour here starts at €97 and typically runs €143, per person, private charters excluded because those are priced per vehicle and would flatter the figure. There is also a scheduled bus or transfer serving Akureyri, from €107 — cheaper than a tour, with no guide and no stops on the way.

The days themselves run from about 2 h to 10 h door to door, so check the length as carefully as the price — the cheapest seat is often the longest coach day. 8 different operators run here, which matters more without a car than with one: if the weather cancels your day, there is usually another departure rather than a lost trip.

Being driven is the easy answer here: enough operators run it that a cancellation rarely loses you the day, and you get to look out of the window instead of at the road.

Cheapest way in without a car: a guided day tour from Akureyri, from €97 per person.

We have done the sums on this properly: why we tell people to skip the rental car in winter.

Scheduled bus or transfer options to Akureyri: Akureyri Airport (AEY) - To Mývatn hotels

Tours that stop at Akureyri

Taken from each operator's own itinerary, not from marketing copy — these are tours whose agenda names Akureyri as a stop.

Whale Watching from Reykjavík & Akureyri2 days and 6 hours

Elding Adventure at Sea

Whale Watching from Reykjavík & Akureyri

4.50· 2,403 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Reykjavík

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Meet on location

Are you crazy about whales, wildlife or nature in general? - Then why not make the most of your stay and go whale watching in South and North Iceland.

from

€180 per person

32% above the €136 typical

or book on its own →
Akureyri Classic Whale Watching3 hours

Elding Adventure at Sea

Akureyri Classic Whale Watching

4.50· 2,403 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Meet on location

Prepare for an exhilarating journey as we race across Iceland's deepest fjord, where the giants of the sea emerge in breathtaking displays.

from

€104 per person

24% below the €136 typical

or book on its own →
Akureyri Classic Whales in the Midnight Sun3 hoursMay – Sep

Elding Adventure at Sea

Akureyri Classic Whales in the Midnight Sun

4.50· 2,403 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Meet on location

The mystical midnight sun and the nature of the fjord provide a unique nature and wildlife experience. A truly wonderful whale watching experience in the magical summer sun and everlasting daylight.

from

€104 per person

24% below the €136 typical

or book on its own →
Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn9 hours

Imagine Iceland Travel

Diamond Circle Day Tour from Akureyri or Lake Myvatn

4.70· 58 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Hotel pickup
  • Book the night before

Discover the Natural Wonders of Diamond Circle, Lake Myvatn, the amazing Dettifoss Waterfall in Vatnajokull National Park, Jokulsargljufur Canyon, Hljodaklettar Echo Cliffs, Asbyrgi Canyon, Tjornes Cliffs, Husavik & GeoSea optional add on

from

€279 per person

or book on its own →
Akureyri Express Whales & Eyjafjord2 hours

Elding Adventure at Sea

Akureyri Express Whales & Eyjafjord

4.50· 2,403 Google reviews of the operator

Leaves from Akureyri

  • Age 10+
  • Gear included
  • Family friendly

Join an intimate, high speed RIB boat tour from Akureyri for a close encounter with the majestic humpback whales and diverse birdlife in Iceland's longest fjord.

from

€178 per person

31% above the €136 typical

or book on its own →

Showing 12 of 43. Browse everything or build a day around it.

Who runs them

12 operators, all of whom we hold a contract with. We do not list every company in Iceland, on purpose.

Arctic Adventures · Arctic Yeti Ehf · BusTravel Iceland · Elding Adventure at Sea · Geo Travel · Icelimo Luxury Travel · Imagine Iceland Travel · Nordur Travel Services ehf · Reykjavik Sailors · Snaeland Travel · Star Travel · Viking Rafting

Akureyri: questions people ask

How many tours go to Akureyri?

We list 43 — 17 day tours and 26 multi-day packages, from 12 operators. That is what we currently have contracts for, not everything that exists in Iceland.

How much does it cost to visit Akureyri?

The place itself is usually free to enter; what you pay for is getting there. A day tour seat runs from €97, with a typical price of €178. Some sites charge separately for parking or admission — check the individual tour.

When can you visit Akureyri?

Looking at the next 360 days of live availability, departures fall in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August. That is a rolling window rather than the full year, so a month missing here is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

How much daylight is there at Akureyri?

January: 4 h 36 min · March: 11 h 32 min · June: 22 h 55 min · September: 13 h 16 min · December: 3 h 15 min. Iceland stays on UTC all year, so there is no clock change to allow for.

Do you need a tour, or can you drive to Akureyri yourself?

Both work. Driving gives you the stops you want and the time you want them; a tour removes the winter road decisions and lets everyone look out of the window. We sell the tours and say so — if self-driving suits you better, it suits you better.

Can you get to Akureyri without a car?

Yes — 16 guided day tours in our catalogue stop here, and a scheduled bus or transfer serves it as well. 6 of the tours pick you up from your accommodation, so no onward transport is needed.

How far is Akureyri from Reykjavík?

The tours that go here mostly start in Akureyri, about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík on roads that stay open all year. That is driving time in normal conditions and not an estimate of your day — a tour that reaches Akureyri and comes back is a good deal longer than twice that.

What is the cheapest way to get to Akureyri?

A guided day tour from Akureyri, from €97 per person, with €143 the more typical fare. Private tours cost more because they are priced per vehicle rather than per seat.

Put it in a day

Akureyri is rarely a whole day on its own. The planner knows how long each tour takes and how far apart the start points are, so it can build the rest of the day around it.

Plan a day around Akureyri