How to travel to North Iceland?

There are a couple of ways to travel to North Iceland. An area that has not been affected by the tourist boom that has hit the Reykjavík area and the south coast as much, mainly because it’s not as accessible. The North is a magical and versatile world that you shouldn’t miss on your travels in Iceland.

North Iceland is a combination of the North-West and the North-East, The area from Hrútafjörður (Laugarbakki) fjord in the west to the Bakkafjörður fjord in the east. The distance between those end points is approx. 500 km (300 miles) and in between them is a whole world and dozens of villages worth exploring.

There are several options for transportation to North Iceland:

International flights

EasyJet has a scheduled flight twice every week to Akureyri airport, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from London Gatwick during winter 23-24.

With Icelandair you can book your flight from their departure location all the way to Akureyri but in some cases you need to switch airports (remember your luggage!) and go from KEF to the domestic airport in REY on your own expense.

Asterdam Schiphol is a recent connection to Akureyri Airport. Check at Voigt Travel for your flight from Europe to Akureyri North Iceland.

Via domestic flight

The domestic flight goes from Reykjavík domestic airport (note not Keflavík) close to Reykjavík city center and to Akureyri.

From Akureyri you can fly to Grímsey Island, the northernmost point in North Iceland.

Book a flight here

Rent a car
Driving yourself is probably the most convenient way to get to North Iceland but you should get familiar with the rules and regulations that apply, and that the roads are narrow and often poorly maintained. Check out our blog post about self-drive in Iceland and get familiar with these websites:
http://safetravel.is
http://www.road.is
By bus

Strætó bus system goes all the way to Akureyri. Information on schedule and prices is at straeto.is/en and note you can buy a fare when you board the bus.

Bus rides in Iceland are comfortable and convenient, you can enjoy the great scenery on the way and in many buses you have access to WiFi. You can get an Akureyri-Express ticket or get a hop on / hop off ring-road passport which includes many of the villages in North Iceland.
Booking and further information on icelandbybus.is

Blog post: Safety tips for driving in Iceland