Activities in The North
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Saltvík Horse Farm
Short horse rides (one to three hours) and longer tours (five to nine days) are available at Saltvík horse farm, 5km south of Húsavík.
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Whale Watching
Húsavík lies on the edge of Skjálfandi, a wide, deep bay with good water circulation, natural shelter and little variation in tides - ideal conditions for whales. The area has become Iceland's premier whale-watching destination, with 12 species coming here to feed in summer.
Minke whales are by far the most common species seen in the bay, with regular sightings of white-beaked dolphins, humpback whales and porpoises and less frequent appearances by orcas, fin, sei or pilot whales, and the 'big one' - blue whales.
It takes about an hour to sail to the prime feeding grounds, where crew and participants get busy looking out for telltale signs of a surfacing whale. Although…
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Mt Súlur
A pleasant but demanding day hike leads up the Glerádalur valley to the summit of Mt Súlur (1144m). The trail begins on Súluvegur, a left turn off Þingvallastræti just before the Glerá bridge. Give yourself at least seven hours to complete the return journey.
With two days, you can continue up the valley to the beautifully situated Lambi mountain hut (at N 65°34.880', W 18°17.770'), which accommodates up to six people. Alternatively, from the Hlíðarfjall ski resort there's a challenging but beautiful day hike up to the small glacier Vindheimajökull and the 1456m peak Strýta. For more information on hiking in the area, contact Ferðafélag Akureyrar.
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Whale Watching, Norður Sigling
The original whale watching operator is Norður Sigling, which started whale watching here in 1994. It has four boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Trips run up to four times daily from mid-May to mid-September. Hot chocolate and pastries are provided during the trip, but it's still a good idea to wrap up well before departure as it can be bitterly cold out on the boat, no matter how warm it feels in town.
In early and late season both operators may have only one departure daily, so check in advance. If there are no sightings, you can usually get on another trip for free.
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Gentle Giants - whale watching
The second whale watching operator in Húsavík is Gentle Giants, with two boats making trips up to five times daily from June to mid-September. Hot chocolate and pastries are provided during the trip, but it's still a good idea to wrap up well before departure as it can be bitterly cold out on the boat, no matter how warm it feels in town. In early and late season both operators may have only one departure daily, so check in advance.
If there are no sightings, you can usually get on another trip for free. You can buy tickets from the 'lighthouse' ticket booth opposite the church.
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Jaðarsvöllur
For anyone who loves to play golf, there’s something strangely appealing about teeing off at midnight. At only a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle, Akureyri’s Jaðarsvöllur basks in perpetual daylight from June to early August. In summer you can play golf here around the clock; just book ahead for the midnight tee-off. The par-71 course is home to the annual 36-hole Arctic Open, a golf tournament played overnight in late June. Contact the club for the latest information on green fees and club rentals.
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Arts Festival
Akureyri's annual arts festival runs from late June to late August and attracts artists and musicians from around Iceland. There are special exhibitions, concerts, free jazz on Thursday, theatre performances and everything from clay-pigeon shooting to historical walks. It all culminates in a weekend street party and parade. For details on events and exhibitions, contact the tourist office.
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Hlíðarfjall Ski Centre
The Hlíðarfjall ski centre, west of town 7km up Glerárdalur, is Iceland’s premier downhill ski slope, with green and blue pistes suitable for beginner to upper-intermediate skiers. The longest run is 2.5km, with a vertical drop of about 500m. There’s also 20km of cross-country ski routes and a terrain park for snowboarders.
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Húsavíkurfjall
Húsavík's lovely setting looking out over the blue-green bay to the mountains and sheer cliffs to the south makes it an appealing location for some hiking. In a couple of hours you can make it up the steep trail (4.9km) to the summit of 417m-high Húsavíkurfjall. The path starts on the main road just 1.8km north of town.
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North Sailing
North Sailing operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It has a fleet of beautiful old-school boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Their popular ‘Whales, Puffins & Sails’ tour stops at beautiful Lundey, and overnight trips to Grímsey are possible a few times during the summer.
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Summer Tours
Akureyri's main tour agency, Nonni Travel, runs a host of summer tours, including daily trips to Mývatn. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday self-guided trips by ferry can be arranged to Hrísey and Grímsey. The Grímsey tour can also be done by combining a ferry and flight.
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Pólar Hestar
Horse tours and hire are available from a range of outlying farms; ask at the tourist office for a full list. The best-known operator is Pólar Hestar, which offers week-long wilderness trips in the surrounding mountains and valleys.
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Swimming Pool
This superb swimming pool, near the campsite, is one of Iceland’s finest. It has three heated pools, hot pots, water slides, saunas, pummelling water jets and a solarium – perfect for a relaxing afternoon.
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excursion to Jökulsárgljúfur National Park & Dettifoss
The SBA-Norðurleið bus picks up at Húsavík at 10:00 daily in summer, and does a return eight-hour excursion to Jökulsárgljúfur National Park & Dettifoss , stopping at the main sights.
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Gentle Giants
Gentle Giants, with their flotilla of lovingly restored fishing vessels, operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It also runs special trips to lovely Flatey – you’ll most likely see whales along the way.
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Puffin-watching Tours
Norður Sigling runs daily combination whale- and puffin-watching tours to Lundey (three to four hours) and Flatey (five to six hours), as well as full day trips to Grímsey on request.
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Norðanhestar
Norðanhestar, located just beyond the campsite site at Hamrar, offers scenic riding trips, horse-wagon tours and short sightseeing excursions in Akureyri’s old town district.
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Haffari
Haffari offers sightseeing and sea angling tours (three hours; adult/child Ikr3900/1950), departing from Akureyri’s old port. Trips depart at 3.30pm and 8pm daily.
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Horse riding, Torfunes
Torfunes horse farm at Ljósavatnshreppur, 32km south of Húsavík, offers three-hour horse rides from May to September, as well as six- to eight-day trips in July.
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Sea-angling Trips
Gentle Giants offers sea-angling trips (three to four hours) and tours to Flatey (five hours). You can buy tickets from the 'lighthouse' ticket booth opposite the church.
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Whale Watching
Akureyri's main tour agency, Nonni Travel, offers whale watching at Húsavík. Akureyri HI Hostel also offers whale watching trips with discounts for members.
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Hestaleigan Kátur Horse Tours
Horse tours and hire are available from a range of outlying farms; ask at the tourist office for a full list. Call for more information.
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Engimýri Horse Tours
Horse tours and hire are available from a range of outlying farms. Call for more information
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Jeep tours
Highland Expedition Tours offers super Jeep tours year-round in the northeast region.
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Swimming Pool
The local swimming pool has hot pots, and water slides for children.
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