Akureyri: Goðafoss and geothermal baths

You’re going to love Akureyri

Akureyri is the main town of North Iceland, at the inner end of the Eyjafjörður fjord and about 390 km by road from Reykjavík. Around 20,000 people live there, close to the Arctic Circle, and it is the starting point for waterfalls, lava landscapes and geothermal baths. If you are looking for the south-west and the Golden Circle, that is our Reykjavík guide; this one is for the north.

Our two trips start at the Akureyri cruise terminal and share their first stop, the Goðafoss waterfall. After it you finish the day in the Mývatn Nature Baths or in the Forest Lagoon. Most of the day is spent on a coach, so we call them land-and-water tours and tell you which part is which.

The 5 best reasons to visit Akureyri

1. 1

   A waterfall with a storyGoðafoss, the “waterfall of the gods”, is about 12 m high and 30 m wide, and a well-known story says that around the year 1000 the lawspeaker Þorgeir threw his statues of the old gods into it.

2. 2

   Two ways to bathe in geothermal waterThe Mývatn Nature Baths, on the 6-hour trip, and the Forest Lagoon, on the 5-hour one, with views over the fjord and Akureyri. You choose; the admission is included on both.

3. 3

   A volcanic landscapeLake Mývatn was formed about 2,300 years ago by a basaltic fissure eruption. Nearby, at Hverir, you can see steaming vents and bubbling mud pools from the marked paths.

4. 4

   A fjord town in the far northAkureyri sits at about 100 km from the Arctic Circle, with a church, the Hof cultural centre, art and local-history museums and a botanical garden that is open all year and free.

5. 5

   Whales in the fjordVisit Akureyri says humpback whales are the main attraction in Eyjafjörður and are seen throughout the year. Whale watching is not part of our trips, and a sighting is never guaranteed.

What to do in Akureyri

• Stop at GoðafossThe first stop of both trips. It sits on the Ring Road about 45 minutes from Akureyri, on the Skjálfandafljót river, and the ground can be uneven, so wear sturdy shoes.
• Bathe at MývatnOn the 6-hour trip: a viewpoint over the lake, the Nature Baths, and the geothermal area with mud pools and hot springs. In Iceland you shower without your swimsuit before getting into the water. A sandwich, chocolate and juice are included.
• Relax in the Forest LagoonOn the 5-hour trip, a couple of hours in a geothermal spa with several lagoons, cold plunges and a sauna, looking over Eyjafjörður towards Akureyri.
• Take a ferry to HríseyA ferry of about fifteen minutes from Árskógssandur takes you to the island of Hrísey, in Eyjafjörður, known for its birds. It is not part of our trips: check the ferry timetable first.
• Walk around AkureyriLeave time before or after your trip for the church, Hof, the museums and the botanical garden, all in town.