One of the most popular cruise destinations in Iceland, Akureyri, lies at the bottom of Iceland’s longest fjord, Eyjafjördur. This small but bustling town has only 18,500 inhabitants.

Sometimes called the woodland town because of the nearby forest, Akureyri is also renowned as a cultural and educational hub, with good schooling on offer from kindergarten level, right through to University.

Akureyri offers a broad selection of museums, art galleries, international exhibitions, conference facilities, music venues, theatre and cinemas showing the latest films. The Cultural House HOF hosts diverse events and has a great concert hall with capacity for 500 seated guests. In town you will find more than 20 restaurants, which embrace both Icelandic and international cuisine, with top chefs creating innovative dishes that have a strong emphasis on local food. Cafés, each with their individual speciality abound, while local micro-breweries and farms offering food tasting are a fascinating addition to the food scene.

For groups and individuals, Akureyri offers a wide range of activities and events. Companies in town arrange a multitude of tours, catering for any number of people and covering everything from fishing, caving and flying, to hiking, whale- or bird-watching, horse riding, and even visits to ‘Huldufólk’, Iceland’s elves or ‘hidden people’. Akureyri itself has many local gems such as the old town, the botanical garden, art trails, and outdoor areas. The town is also an ideal base for visiting some of Iceland‘s greatest natural wonders, such as Lake Mývatn, the volcanic areas of Krafla and Námaskarð, and the great waterfalls Goðafoss and Dettifoss, the latter being the most powerful waterfall in Europe.

Last but not least, set your sights on the two islands which are a part of the municipality of Akureyri: Hrísey island is in the middle of the fjord, a peaceful place with a powerful healing energy according to some, and then further out in the Atlantic Ocean, Grímsey straddling the Arctic Circle and populated by a bunch of colourful puffins.

Whale watching from Akureyri
The departure place, Hofsbót is in the city centre and only 200 metres from the main cruise pier.
Eyjafjördur is the longest fjord in Iceland and greatly sheltered with high mountains on both sides.

That means you won’t be affected by the high and heavy swells you are more likely to experience in the open ocean.
The calm seas of the morning, the arctic sunset and the beautiful mountainous region of Eyjafjördur, all help to make whale watching here a truly memorable experience.

Mývatn Nature Baths
A designated nature reserve, Mývatn is an area of fragile beauty where tourist services have been developed in such a way as to cause as little disruption as possible to what is a unique and highly delicate ecosystem.

Drawing on a centuries-old tradition, the tastefully designed bathing complex offers bathers a completely natural experience that begins with a relaxing dip amidst clouds of steam rising up from a fissure deep in the earth´s surface, and ends with a luxurious swim in a pool of geothermal water drawn from depths of up to 2,500 metres.

Tour to Goðafoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn and the highlight of Northern Iceland
Goðafoss, or “Waterfall of the Gods” derives its name from the momentous occasion on which the Chieftain, Thorgeir of Ljósavatn, threw his pagan idols into the falls as a demonstration of his conversion to the Christian faith.

Mývatn is famous for its abundant bird life — in fact, one of the largest concentrations of breeding ducks in the world can be found here.

The surroundings are truly magnificent — the volcanic and geothermal features succeed in reminding the admiring tourist of the incredible forces that surge below the ground.

The grotesque lava formations of Dimmuborgir have been forged into a maze of towers, castles and caves that resemble a fantastic giant’s playground.

The area is considered one of the world’s natural wonders and is one of Iceland’s most popular tourist resorts.