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Voykit pocket guide · Iceland
Húsavík
Give Húsavík one night, two if you want a whale tour plus the GeoSea pool: it is a 45-min drive from Akureyri and worth a stop, not a base.
Húsavík is a 2,500-person harbour town on Skjálfandi bay and Iceland's whale-watching centre: operators report sightings on most summer sailings. The town itself is small enough to walk in 20 minutes, so the trip is about the bay, the whale museum and the geothermal pool, not about covering sights. Most travellers reach it by car from Akureyri or as a stop on the Ring Road.
- Country
- Iceland
- Best months
- Jun–Aug for whale season and midnight sun; Apr–May and Sep for fewer crowds
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (tours limited, roads and weather can close the pass from Akureyri)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- ISK
- Money
- Currency is the Icelandic króna (ISK, kr). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including remote petrol stations and toilets. About 145 ISK to €1 — check.
- Daily spend
- Budget 8,000–13,000 kr excl. bed · Mid 13,000–22,000 kr excl. bed · High 22,000 kr+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EEA roaming applies: EU/EEA SIMs work at home prices.
- Emergency
- Emergency (police, fire, ambulance, coast guard) 112 · Non-urgent medical advice 1700 · Road conditions 1777
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Not expected.; Tour guide: Optional; ISK 1,000–3,000 for an excellent guide.; Taxi: Nothing.
- Water
- Cold tap water is excellent; hot tap water is geothermal and smells of sulphur — do not drink it.
- Toilets
- Few on long drives; petrol stations and paid toilets (ISK 200–500) at sites.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 500–800 kr |
| Fish soup or a bowl of lamb soup | 2,000–3,200 kr |
| Main course, harbour restaurant | 3,500–6,000 kr |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | 1,200–1,600 kr / 400–600 kr |
| Whale-watching tour, 3 h | 11,000–12,000 kr |
| GeoSea geothermal sea baths, adult | about 6,000 kr |
| Whale Museum entry, adult | about 1,300 kr |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | 2,000–4,000 kr |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HZK · Húsavík airport
- About 5 min by car from town; domestic flights only — check current operators and schedules.
- AEY · Akureyri airport
- About 1 h by car; the practical arrival point for most travellers.
Typical fares
- Strætó bus 79, Akureyri → Húsavík
- 1–3 departures a day, about 1 h 30 min
- Taxi, Húsavík airport → town centre
- about 5 min by car
- Whale-watching tour, 3 h
- 11,000–12,000 kr per adult
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The town is flat and small: harbour to church is about 10 minutes on foot, and there is no local public transport. A car is only needed for the pool, Saltvík farm and day trips; parking in the centre is free.
See and do
Known for
- Whale watching on Skjálfandi bay
- Húsavíkurkirkja wooden church (1907)
- Húsavík Whale Museum
- GeoSea geothermal sea baths
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mývatn | Drive Route 85 east, then Route 87 or 848 | About 1 h |
| Akureyri | Drive Route 85 via the Ljósavatnskard pass | About 45 min–1 h |
| Ásbyrgi and Dettifoss | Drive Route 85 east then Route 864 | About 1 h to Ásbyrgi, 1.5 h to Dettifoss |
| Siglufjörður | Drive west via Route 85 and Route 76, through the Tröllaskagi tunnels | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Town centre and harbour
- Walking distance to the whale-tour ticket offices, Whale Museum and restaurants; best for one night with an early sailing.
- Höfði (Húsavík Cape)
- Quiet headland above town, 5 min walk to the harbour and 2 min to the pool; views over the bay.
- Kaldbakur, 2 km south
- Self-catering cottages with parking; needs a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallóha-LOH |
| Thank you | Þakka þérTHAH-ka thyer |
| How much is it? | Hvað kostar það?kvath KOS-tar thah |
| Can I pay by card? | Get ég borgað með korti?get yeg BOR-gath meth KOR-ti |
| Where is the harbour? | Hvar er höfnin?kvar er HUP-nin |
| I need help | Ég þarf hjálpyeg tharf yalp |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names; avoid: Using titles or surnames — there usually is no family name
- Pools: Shower naked first, keep the hot pot conversational; avoid: Swimwear in the showers
- Driving: Pull into lay-bys for photos, dip lights on single-lane bridges; avoid: Stopping on the road
- Nature: Stay on paths, carry litter out; avoid: Stone stacks, walking on moss
- Conversation: Ask about books, music, weather and the elves with good humour; avoid: Lecturing on whaling
Scams and watch-outs
- It is cold and windy on the water even in July: warm socks, gloves and a hat matter more than a rain jacket, since operators lend waterproof over-trousers.
- Secure your phone or camera on deck — dropping gear overboard is the most common accident on whale tours.
- If you get seasick, take medication before boarding; the bay can be rough.
- The mountain pass from Akureyri (Route 85 via Ljósavatnskard) can close in winter storms: check road.is and vedur.is before driving.
- Whale watching runs roughly April–October; outside that window sailings are limited or cancelled.
Very safe: the real risks are cold and wind on the water, slippery harbour edges, and winter driving over the pass from Akureyri. Use 112 for emergencies and 1700 for non-urgent medical advice.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Húsavík yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Whale watching on Skjálfandi bay
- Húsavíkurkirkja wooden church (1907)
- Húsavík Whale Museum
- GeoSea geothermal sea baths
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Húsavík — official destination site: www.visithusavik.com/
- Húsavík Whale Museum: www.whalemuseum.is
- Húsavík Museum: www.husmus.is/en
- Strætó — bus 79, Akureyri–Húsavík: www.straeto.is
- Wikivoyage: Húsavík, revision 5293545 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5293545
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Húsavík
Á þetta heimilisfang, takk
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Húsavík; embassies are in Reykjavík. US citizens: the US Embassy in Reykjavík handles consular help (check the address and hours).
Print or screenshot this card: mobile coverage is good in town but patchy on the roads east towards Dettifoss.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/husavik). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.