Getting from Reykjavik to Akureyri

Akureyri is the capital of the north, a university town of about 20,000 people with a busy center full of shops, cafes and restaurants. It's also the best base for exploring north Iceland: Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn and Húsavík are all within easy reach.

You have three ways to get there from Reykjavik. Flying is the quickest, driving gives you the most freedom, and the bus is the cheapest if you're on your own.

By plane

Flying is still the easiest way to do it. Icelandair flies from Reykjavik to Akureyri several times a day, all year, and the flight takes about 45 minutes. Ask for a window seat if the weather's clear.

Two things to know:

• Flights leave from Reykjavik Airport, the small domestic airport in the city, not from Keflavík. If you're landing from abroad, you'll need to get into Reykjavik first (see getting from Keflavík to Reykjavik). The domestic airport is about a 30-minute walk from downtown, and Strætó buses stop there too.
• Air Iceland is now part of Icelandair. The old Air Iceland (later Air Iceland Connect) brand was merged into Icelandair in 2021, so book domestic flights on icelandair.com.

Fares move a lot with season and demand, so I won't quote one. Book early for summer and holiday weekends, when the planes fill up. For live departures, check the Akureyri Airport page.

Akureyri Airport is only a few minutes from the town center (the route 57 bus takes eight minutes between the airport and Hof). If you're flying in from abroad, Visit Akureyri notes that some airlines also fly directly to Akureyri, which can save you the trip through Reykjavik.

By car

The drive is simple, at least for directions: take Route 1, the Ring Road, north out of Reykjavik and stay on it. The distance is about 388 km, going by the Road Administration's distance tables. Visit Akureyri puts the drive at roughly 4.5 to 6 hours, and I'd plan on the long end once you add a lunch stop and a few photo stops.

Along the way you'll go through the Hvalfjörður tunnel, past Borgarnes, and over two mountain passes, Holtavörðuheiði and Öxnadalsheiði. Both can get snow and strong winds from autumn to spring, and the road authority's traffic site has a weather station and cameras on each, so you can see what they look like before you leave. In winter, check road conditions and the weather forecast before you set off, and give yourself extra time. Our pages on driving in Iceland and driving the Ring Road go into more detail, and you can file a travel plan with Safetravel.

If you have time, don't do it in one push. Borgarnes and Blönduós both make good breaks, and the drive into Akureyri down Öxnadalur valley is one of the prettiest stretches of the Ring Road.

By bus

Strætó route 57 connects Reykjavik and Akureyri, and since the countryside network changed on 1 January 2026, it runs once a day, every day.

• Schedule: as of September 2026, the weekday bus leaves Mjódd in Reykjavik at 14:48 and reaches Akureyri (Hof) at 21:23. Heading south, it leaves Akureyri Airport at 13:41 and Hof at 13:49, arriving at Mjódd at 20:25. That's about six and a half hours.
• Fare: 13,200 ISK for adults and 6,600 ISK for youths and seniors, according to Strætó's 2026 countryside price list.
• Paying: on countryside buses you can pay with a debit or credit card or cash when you board. Countryside fares can't be bought in the Klapp app, according to Strætó.
• Stops include Borgarnes, Staðarskáli, Blönduós, Sauðárkrókur and Varmahlíð.

Mjódd is a bus hub in the Breiðholt neighborhood, not downtown, so allow time to get there on a city bus (see getting around Reykjavik). Since there's only one bus a day and it arrives in the evening, book your first night in Akureyri before you go. The Akureyri hotels page has ideas.

For one person, the bus is hard to beat on price. If there are two or more of you, price out a rental car too, since it also makes day trips from Akureyri much easier. More on the network on our bus travel page.

Once you're in Akureyri

From Akureyri, Strætó route 79 runs to Húsavík and route 56 runs east past Goðafoss and Mývatn to Egilsstaðir. If you'd rather not drive, tours in northern Iceland cover the big sights. The north Iceland page has the rest.

FAQ

Can I do Reykjavik to Akureyri as a day trip?

Only by plane, and even then it's a rush. By car or bus you'll spend most of the day on the road each way, so plan at least one night.

Is the drive safe in winter?

Route 1 is paved and kept open as much as possible, but the mountain passes can close in storms. If you aren't used to snow and ice, fly or take the bus in winter.

Is flying or taking the bus faster door to door?

Flying, by a long way. Even after getting to Reykjavik Airport and checking in, you'll be in Akureyri hours before the bus.

Photo by Pet_r