Akureyri, Iceland

Akureyri is your quintessential Icelandic town that is nicknamed the ‘Capital of North Iceland’ thanks to be the biggest town in the region.

Despite that, it still maintains a remote feel and small-town charm that you want form somewhere such as Iceland and from my point of view, one of the best aspects of docking in Akureyri is the arrival.

You sail down the beautiful Eyjafjordur, past the island of Hrisey and dock centrally in the town centre, just a short walk from the shops and cafes of Akureyri.

There are some walking trails taking you to viewpoints up the mountains that surrounds the town and Akureyri itself is a charming place to take a walk around but due to its size, you can easily explore it in a couple of hours.

That allows you to head out on excursion to explore the wider region and still enjoy your visit to the town and thankfully, Akureyri shorex offers opportunities to enjoy the best of Iceland.

But just what are the top 10 Akureyri shore excursions? That is just what I answer in this list, which is based on my experience of visiting the port on a cruise holiday and the research I did before visiting there.

Shore Excursions In Akureyri

Best of Myvatn and Godafoss

This one just had to be at number one on this list as it is the excursion that me and my wife did on our visit there.

We used a company called Arctic Shorex and would highly recommend using them as they offered a professional service throughout and really helped to make for a great day onshore.

Our trip saw us head through the incredible North Icelandic scenery to the impressive Godafoss waterfall, where we had plenty of time to take a walk down both sides of it and head to the different viewing platforms for some great photo opportunities.

We then headed to the impressive Lake Myvatn, the unique Skutustadagigar pseudocraters before heading to the lava rock formations at Dimmuborgir.

Our adventure ended with a trip to the otherworldly geothermal landscape at Hverir for a day that really gave us an insight into the region and showed us thing you can only see in Iceland.

Godafoss Waterfall

If you have looked at photos of Iceland or watch videos on YouTube, you will more than likely have seen the Godafoss waterfall as not only is it arguably the most famous ‘attraction’ in the north of Iceland, but it is one of the iconic sights to see in the country as a whole.

The picture-perfect waterfall will get you grabbing for your phone or camera as soon as you get there as this is just the sort of thing that many head to Iceland to see.

The main fall is around 12metres high and over 30 metres wide so whilst not the biggest in the country, the setting for it, coupled with the crystal clear glacial water makes for an incredible spectacle.

Dimmuborgir Lava Formations

The lava rock formations of Dimmuborgir are an incredible place to visit and is like nowhere else I have ever been to.

You get to walk around a winding path that take you past 100 of rock formations all created out of lava but what makes it so fascinating is that each formation is different.

Some are massive and you can even walk through some whilst some are small and need to be hunted out, but no matter which you find impressive, all will grab your attention.

Lake Myvatn

Myvatn is an incredible place to visit, especially if you visit at the same time of year as we did when there were, literally, millions of midges and mosquitos but aside from that, the lake is simply stunning.

Aside from what you see when there, its history is just as incredible as it formed thousands of years ago by a lava fissure eruption which has left it surrounded by pitch-black lava fields, which offers a contrast to the blue water and makes it incredibly photogenic- if your camera and face isn’t covered in bugs of course!

Hverir Geothermal Area

It’s hard to describe Hverir except it is somewhere you really should visit.

It’s almost like you are walking on the seabed as you head out onto the sand surrounded by a large red rock mountain but what you would really expect to see out at sea is a number of geothermal features including fumaroles (steam vents) which release columns of hot steam into the air.

There are also bubbling mud pits and boiling water in the ground as magma heats the ground as it escapes through fissures in the Earth’s crust.

Botanical Gardens

There are plenty of things you will expect to see when in port in Akureyri, from mountains to waterfalls and from glaciers to geysers but one thing you may not expect to see is a Botanical Garden.

Due to the high mountains that surround the town and the fjord, it has a relatively milder and calmer climate than you would expect for a town at its latitude.

The town actually has one of the warmest climates in Iceland despite been only around 60 miles from the Arctic circle and its Botanical Garden is one of the world’s northern-most and offers a great mix of local fauna and flowers from around the world.

Whale Watching

This is something that is possible to do from your cruise ship and I personally saw plenty of whales in the fjord entrance and exit from the town but if you want to get closer to the aquatic wildlife in Akureyri, a whale watching trip is the option for you.

Guests head out on the Eyjafjordur, the longest fjord in Iceland, which is famed as a feeding ground for humpback whales but there are plenty of other species that can be spotted including minke whales, blue fin whales, sei whales, porpoises and white-beaked dolphins.

Sightseeing Flight

If you want an expensive but memorable adventure whilst in Akureyri, it is possible to take to the sky and take in the incredibly scenery all around you.

From the mountains to the fjord and from the lakes to geothermal eruptions, there is lots to take in whilst up in the air.

There are a few options offered for your sightseeing flight but all will start with a short drive to the airport, where you will board a small sightseeing plane and take off into the sky with incredible views out over the town and fjord before fliting over the Godafoss Waterfall, Lake Myvatn, the Vatnajokull Glacier national Park, the Dettifoss Waterfall and a number of canyons and volcanic mountains before heading back to the Akureyri airport.

There you can also take a look at the aviation museum to gain an understanding of the aviation of Iceland.

Laufas Folk Museum

Myvatn Nature Baths

If you want to relax and enjoy the benefits of soaking in a naturally heated bath, there are only a few places you can do it in the world, including on the outskirts of Akureyri.

Located in the Myvatn area of outstanding natural beauty, you will feel relaxed just by taking in the stunning scenery but as soon as you plunge into the geothermally heated waters of the baths, all of life’s stresses will leave your body- for an hour or so anyway.

Akureyri Shorex

Akureyri, in the north of Iceland, is one of the world’s most stunning ports and is well worth visiting just for the arrival as it sits at the end of Iceland’s longest fjords.

There is lots to see and do in the town but most will want to head out to take in the many attractions found in the north of Iceland.