The short answer
Akureyri is a small, walkable town in north Iceland. The big nature sights: Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn, need a tour or rental car.
Where Akureyri lies
Where your ship docks
Ships dock at the town pier in Akureyri at the head of the Eyjafjörður fjord (unverified).
Shuttle. Check your planner.
Getting to the sights
| The way | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Walk to Town center | 5-10 minutes (unverified) | Free |
| Tour to Goðafoss / Mývatn | Goðafoss about 30-40 minutes' drive (unverified); Mývatn full day | Unverified |
Walk to Town center
- Walk from the pier.
Akureyri city buses have been free (unverified).
Tour to Goðafoss / Mývatn
- Book a tour.
What to see
Goðafoss
'Waterfall of the gods'.
- How
- Tour.
- Time
- 3 hours
- Tickets
- Free
Lake Mývatn
Volcanic landscapes and nature baths.
- How
- Tour.
- Time
- Full day
- Tickets
- Unverified
Akureyrarkirkja
Church above town.
- How
- Walk up steps.
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Tickets
- Free
Botanical Garden
Arctic gardens.
- How
- Walk.
- Time
- 45 minutes
- Tickets
- Free (unverified)
Your day, hour by hour
Planned for a typical call. Check your ship's all-aboard time and be back an hour early. The ship will not wait.
- Walk town, church, botanical garden.
- Or join a Goðafoss tour.
- Back 45 minutes early.
What goes wrong, and how to avoid it
Beware
- Cold; weather changes fast.
Fees, money and access
Rules & fees
- Iceland charges cruise passengers an infrastructure fee of ISK 1,600 per passenger for each started 24 hours the ship is in Iceland's waters (sea days as well as port days), per Iceland's tax office. Crew are exempt. Cruise lines usually add it to your fare or onboard bill. (It was ISK 2,500 when introduced on January 1, 2025.)
Accessibility
Town center is flat near the harbor.
Money
Icelandic króna (ISK). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, even for tiny amounts. You do not need cash.
More of the Iceland
Sources & what we could not confirm · 4 sources · checked 2026-11
- World Ports: Iceland infrastructure fee (2,500 ISK from 1 Jan 2025)
- Húsavík.com: lawmakers scale back cruise passenger fee to 1,600 ISK (Dec 2025)
- MSC Cruises, destination fees (Iceland)
- Skatturinn (Iceland tax office), cruise ship infrastructure fee
Still being confirmed
- Docking details
- Drive times
- Free bus