If you're interested in exploring northern Iceland, here are our top things to do near Akureyri, the largest town in the region.
Akureyri, the fifth largest city in Iceland, is known as the “capital of the North.” When we visited, we found it to have a walkable small town feel. It was a very enjoyable stop on our Iceland tour.
We used a rental car for this portion of our trip, so some of our suggestions assume that you will be doing the same. But if you're getting to Akureyri via bus, you can still access many of these attractions.
1. Visit Trollaskagi on the Way
If you’re driving to Akureyri from the west and are a fan of lighthouses, you might want to travel via the coastal route and make a brief stop at Trollaskagi, a small, brightly colored lighthouse about an hour from Akureyri.
The lighthouse faces the Greenland Sea, looking out towards the Arctic Circle.
There’s not really anything else to do here, but it might be worth the stop if you’re into lighthouses or just want a gorgeous scenic drive. We enjoyed the view!
2. Visit Segull 67 Brewery on the Way
Continuing from the lighthouse towards Akureyri, visit Segull 67 Brewery in Siglufjörður.
This is a small brewery that had a handful of pale ales and an IPA on tap when we visited. They also had a gluten-free beer available.
You can take a brewery tour and do a tasting (which can be booked online).
3. Visit the Beer Spa on the Way
Check out the Beer Spa (Bjórboðin) in Árskógssandur, about 30 minutes west of Akureyri. The Beer Spa is a quirky take on Iceland’s hot spring lagoons. Instead of natural hot spring water, you soak in — you guessed it — beer!
(We didn’t make it here, but I am intrigued!)
4. Walk Akureyri
Central Akureyri has lots of shops and cute cafes. We could see cruise ships in the port, and the view of the water and surrounding mountains was gorgeous.
We also enjoyed stopping at the Indian Curry House for some comforting curry on a cold, dreary evening.
Make sure to notice the heart-shaped red stop lights! I wish this were implemented worldwide because of how adorable it is.
5. Visit Einstök Brewer’s Lounge
Visit the Einstök Brewer’s Lounge and try a beer flight on their “sampling axe” tasting board.
They also have a small menu if you’d like snacks during your visit.
6. Relax at the Spa
Soak in Forest Lagoon, which is just across the fjord from Akureyri. There's even a complimentary shuttle to and from the city.
We went for a morning soak and really enjoyed their green smoothie. The sauna and the pools have incredible views, and there's also a nice bistro.
7. Visit Akureyri Botanical Gardens
Botanical gardens... in Iceland? (You may indeed wonder.) Iceland is not known for an overly hospitable growing season, but that's kind of the point here.
The goal of these botanical gardens is not only to showcase native plants, but also (per their website) to prove the hardiness of various perennials and trees in a challenging climate. This was the first public park in Iceland.
The botanical gardens and café are open year-round.
8. Browse Akureyri Art Museum
The art museum is small but has multiple exhibits coming and going throughout the year. Admission is paid — and if you're there on a day that they're doing guided tours in English, the tour is included in the price. There's also a café.
9. Have Breakfast at Kaffi Ilmur
Kaffi Ilmur is one of our favorite restaurant memories from this leg of our trip — the coffee was amazing! We also highly recommend the waffles, as well as the smoked salmon and bagel.
You can also get lunch items here.
10. Visit the GeoSea Pools on the Way Out
If you are continuing your travels northeast toward Húsavík, check out the thermal pools at GeoSea, about an hour's drive from Akureyri.
Perched on a cliff at the very edge of the bay, this spa has unbeatable views, especially at sunset!
Have fun exploring northern Iceland! For ideas in other regions of the country, check out my post on the top things to do in the Westfjords, as well as hiking the Fimmvörðuhals and Laugavegur trails as a self-guided backpacking trip.
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