Akureyri · Where to stay
Checked 1 September 2026 · 3 official sources
PICK YOUR BASE
Akureyri is small enough that the centre works for almost everyone; the real decision is whether to sleep in town and drive out each day, or move east to be closer to the whales and Mývatn.
Around Ráðhústorg — the centre
The square and the streets off it put the bars, restaurants, the town pool and the bus loops within a few minutes' walk. It is the only part of Akureyri where you do not need a car in the evening, and the noisiest on a Friday.
📍 Map · $$
Oddeyri — the spit north of the centre
The flat residential grid on the spit, a short walk from the square and close to the Glerártorg shopping centre and its supermarkets. Quieter and generally cheaper than the streets around Ráðhústorg.
📍 Map · $
Hamrar, in the woods above town
The campsite at Hamrar by Kjarnaskógur runs with full service from the beginning of May to the end of October, with kitchen, showers and washing machines. Outside those months you have to contact the warden to get at the facilities.
📍 Map · $
Or move east for the whales
Húsavík is an hour and a half away and Mývatn about 89 kilometres; if a morning whale boat and a full day at Mývatn are the point of the trip, two nights out east save you three or four hours of driving.
📍 Map · $$