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Region

North Iceland

Base in Akureyri 2–3 nights and loop Mývatn, Húsavík and Goðafoss by car; add Skagafjörður or Siglufjörður only with a spare day.

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Key facts · Iceland

Best months
Jun–Aug
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Icelandic króna (ISK, kr)
Language
Icelandic
Plugs
C · F · 230 V
Time zone
GMT all year
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Nordic countries ↗Decide light or dark before anything else: summer trips (June–August) and aurora trips (September–March in the Arctic) need different countries, clothes and bases.
  • Nordic countries ↗Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the Faroes sell stronger alcohol only in state shops with short hours; buy before evening and before Sundays and holidays.
  • Iceland ↗Iceland is not in the EU but is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources.
  • Iceland ↗Driving off marked roads is illegal and fined heavily; F-roads into the highlands open only in summer and require a 4x4.
  • Iceland ↗Check the road authority's conditions map and the Met Office forecast every morning, and leave a travel plan on SafeTravel for hikes and remote drives.

North Iceland is Iceland in miniature: farmland, glacier-capped mountains, near-desert in the far northeast and Grímsey on the Arctic Circle. It is the country's best region for outdoor activity, and Akureyri, Iceland's second-largest urban area, is the natural base. Distances are long and buses are thin, so a hire car turns a 3-day stop into a real region; without one, pick Akureyri plus one tour.

Where to sleep

6 places in this region

Sleep base

  • AkureyriCity guide

    Second-largest urban area; airport, car hire, pools, skiing, day loops to Mývatn and Goðafoss.

    Best Feb–Mar, Jun–Oct

    Open Akureyri →

  • MývatnCity guide

    Volcanic lake area; nature baths and lava fields, 1–2 nights.

    Best Jun–Sep

    Open Mývatn →

Day trip

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights
Akureyri 2 nights; Goðafoss and Mývatn as a long day loop
3 nights
Akureyri 2 + Mývatn 1; Húsavík whales on the transfer day
5 nights
Skagafjörður 1 + Akureyri 2 + Mývatn 2, driving the Ring Road north
  • Hitchhiking here is dangerous: Arctic blizzards can hit suddenly from March into April and strand you outside town.
  • The Mývatn–Egilsstaðir stretch of the Ring Road is one of the most remote in Iceland with very few settlements.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
MývatnAkureyri90 minunknownTolled tunnel on the direct route; the long way round via Route 83/84 avoids it if conditions allow.
HúsavíkMývatn50 minunknownWhale tours sail from the harbour; book ahead in Jul–Aug.
GoðafossAkureyri45 minunknownRight off the Ring Road; a 30–45 min stop is enough.
SiglufjörðurAkureyri75 minunknownTunnel from Ólafsfjörður; check winter closures.
HríseyDalvík30 minunknownFerry Sæfari; island sailings are limited to certain weekdays — check the timetable.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding between towns; you carry your own bags unless a tour operator moves them.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Akureyri
Mývatn
Húsavík
Siglufjörður
Skagafjörður
Raufarhöfn
Iceland (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
North Iceland coastAkureyri, Skagafjörður, Mývatn, Húsavíkcoldcoldcoldcoolokbestbestbestokcoolcoldcold
best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, grey
North Iceland coast
Colder and harsher than Reykjavík; winter storms can close roads. Midges around Mývatn in summer — check.

Jun–Sep is the practical window for the full loop and whale watching; ski touring on Tröllaskagi runs about mid-March to mid-June.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
Reykjavík (domestic)AkureyriIcelandair domestic flight~45 min airMultiple flights a day; fastest way north.
ReykjavíkAkureyriHire car on the Ring Road via Blönduós~5 h driving244 km (152 mi) Reykjavík–Blönduós, then 144 km (89 mi) to Akureyri; break the drive.
Egilsstaðir (East Iceland)AkureyriRing Road~3 h 30 driving260 km (162 mi); the Mývatn stretch is remote.
London Gatwick / Zurich / AmsterdamAkureyriSeasonal international flightcheckSeasonal only; check the current schedule.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel toll

buy

Pay online at veggjald.is within 24 hours either side (3 hours with a foreign plate); the Route 83/84 detour avoids it if open.

Rental car

buy

The region's buses are thin and many sights are off the Ring Road; a car gives you the region on your own schedule.

Sterna / SBA scheduled buses

check

Cover the western Ring Road, Akureyri–Húsavík and Akureyri–Egilsstaðir; frequency is low — check timetables.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
Skyr and bakery pastriesAkureyriBreakfast before a driving day — check opening hours.
Lamb soup and fish of the dayAkureyri, Húsavík, SkagafjörðurLunch is usually the cheaper meal — check.
Harbour fish and chipsHúsavíkEat after a whale tour; hours outside summer — check.

Go next

West Iceland

planned

Ring Road west via Blönduós

Snæfellsnes and the Saga valleys.

Westfjords

planned

Drive or bus from the west

Remote fjords and bird cliffs; summer only.

South Iceland

Ring Road east then south

Waterfalls, glaciers and black beaches.

Reykjavík

Domestic flight ~45 min, or drive ~5 h

Fly home from KEF.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
2 bases
Day trips
5, 30 min to 1 h 30
Nights suggested
2–5 nights
Ways in
4 listed
Best months
Jun–Aug

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Plan your trip to Iceland Up to Iceland

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

Ask about North Iceland

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