Akureyri and North Iceland: What to See

Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest urban area, sits at the head of a long fjord in the north and makes a natural, comfortable base for a day or two on a Ring Road trip.

Whale watching from a calmer fjord

Eyjafjörður, the fjord Akureyri sits on, is known for reliably calm waters and regular whale sightings, making it one of the best places in Iceland for a [whale watching](/tours/category/whale-watching) trip without the open-ocean swell of some other departure points.

Goðafoss: the waterfall of the gods

A short drive from Akureyri, Goðafoss is a wide, horseshoe-shaped waterfall whose name — legend has it — comes from a chieftain casting pagan idols into it after Iceland formally adopted Christianity around the year 1000.

Lake Mývatn: a landscape unlike anywhere else on the loop

Further east, Lake Mývatn’s volcanic craters, lava formations, and geothermal areas feel distinctly different from the glaciers and waterfalls of the south — one of the clearest examples of how varied the Ring Road’s regions really are.

Fitting it into a trip

Akureyri sits roughly at the halfway point of a clockwise or counter-clockwise Ring Road loop, making it a natural overnight stop on a [multi-day itinerary](/tours/category/multi-day) rather than a standalone destination.