( November to April )
Akureyri in winter
From late November the snow usually settles on Innbærinn and the lifts open on Hlíðarfjall above the town. On dark nights with a clear sky, the northern lights can come out over the fjord.
Akureyri keeps going all winter. The town pool and Forest Lagoon stay open, the whale-watching boat still sails from the pier in town, and in Advent the town square has its Christmas tree from Randers in Denmark.
The house is an easy base for all of it: your own kitchen and living room, the hot tub in the garden from 07:00 to 23:00, and parking at the door.
( Daylight and temperature )
The season, month by month
Daylight on the 15th of each month at the house, with the average daily high and low in Akureyri.
- October Sun up 08:06–17:489 h 42 min of daylight Average high 6.6 °C, low 1.1 °C
- November Sun up 09:55–15:576 h 02 min of daylight Average high 3.6 °C, low −2.1 °C
- December Sun up 11:29–14:453 h 16 min of daylight Average high 2.6 °C, low −3.6 °C
- January Sun up 10:59–15:444 h 45 min of daylight Average high 2.7 °C, low −3.5 °C
- February Sun up 09:15–17:388 h 23 min of daylight Average high 2.6 °C, low −3.6 °C
- March Sun up 07:32–19:1211 h 40 min of daylight Average high 3.5 °C, low −2.6 °C
- April Sun up 05:34–20:5315 h 19 min of daylight Average high 6.6 °C, low −0.2 °C
Sunrise and sunset are calculated for the house with the standard solar equations, with atmospheric refraction and a sea-level horizon. In midwinter the low sun barely clears the mountains: the Icelandic Met Office’s Akureyri station records less than an hour of sunshine in the whole of an average December. Temperatures are the Icelandic Met Office’s averages for Akureyri, 1991–2020.
( Winter days )
What to do in winter
Measured from the front door. The minutes are for a clear day.
Skiing at Hlíðarfjall
11 min by carThe ski area on the mountain above the town: seven lifts and 23 alpine slopes, with the main runs floodlit for evening skiing. You can rent skis and book lessons there. The season usually runs from late November to early May, snow permitting.
Hlíðarfjall’s own site (opens in a new tab)Cross-country skiing
6–11 min by carGroomed tracks at Hlíðarfjall, 11 minutes by car, with 3.5 km of them floodlit until 22:00, and more trails through Kjarnaskógur forest, 6 minutes by car, which also has slopes for sledging.
The tracks at Hlíðarfjall (opens in a new tab)Northern lights
9 min by carThe northern lights can be seen in North Iceland from the end of August to mid-April, on dark nights when the sky is clear or partly clear. The Icelandic Met Office’s forecast shows the cloud cover and the expected activity for each night. For darker skies, try the Krossanesborgir nature reserve on the north edge of town.
Tonight’s aurora forecast (opens in a new tab)Bathing in the snow
4 min by carForest Lagoon, in the woods across the fjord, has warm pools at 37 °C, a sauna and a cold pool. The town pool, Sundlaug Akureyrar, is open all year, with four hot tubs at 37 to 42 °C, and is 16 minutes from the house on foot.
Forest Lagoon ticketsIce skating
15 min on footSkautahöllin, the town’s ice rink, opens for public skating at weekends and rents skates. It is closed from May to August.
Public skating times (opens in a new tab)Whales in winter
23 min on footElding sails from the Oddeyrarbót pier in town all year: two and a half to three hours on Eyjafjörður, on a boat with a heated indoor saloon.
Whale watching from AkureyriHuskies and snowmobiles
Pickup in AkureyriGo dog sledding with Snow Dogs Iceland, or spend a winter day at Lake Mývatn with half an hour on a snowmobile. Snow Dogs’ sledding trip with Goðafoss starts in Akureyri, and the Mývatn day picks you up in town.
Both toursGoðafoss and Mývatn
30 min by carThe road east through the Vaðlaheiði tunnel reaches Goðafoss in about 30 minutes and Lake Mývatn in a little over an hour. Check the roads before you set off.
Before you drive( Advent and New Year )
Christmas and New Year
In Advent the town square, Ráðhústorg, has a Christmas tree from Akureyri’s sister town of Randers in Denmark, a few Christmas stalls and the Yule Cat.
The botanical garden is lit, and its café, Kaffi LYST, is 10 minutes from the house on foot.
The Christmas Garden, a house and garden full of Icelandic Christmas traditions, is open all year, 12 minutes south of the house by car.
New Year’s Eve ends with a bonfire and fireworks over the town.
Most shops and restaurants close around noon on 24 December and open again on 26 December. The same pattern usually applies over New Year, from noon on 31 December until 2 January. Book Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinners ahead.
( Roads, buses and flights )
Driving and getting around
- Before you drive
- Check the roads on road.is (opens in a new tab) or phone 1777, and the weather on vedur.is (opens in a new tab). The site safetravel.is (opens in a new tab) posts travel warnings and lets you register your travel plan.
- The tunnel
- The drive east goes through the Vaðlaheiði tunnel, which has a toll. Pay at tunnel.is (opens in a new tab): a single trip can be paid for from 24 hours before until 24 hours after you drive through.
- In town
- Leave the car at the house: the centre is 18 minutes on foot. The town buses are free, with a stop on Aðalstræti, 2 minutes from the door.
- On foot
- Pavements can be icy. Shoes with a good grip, or slip-on spikes, make the walk into town easier.
- Flying in
- Akureyri Airport is 5 minutes from the house by car. Flights from Reykjavík take about 45 minutes, and in winter easyJet flies direct from London Gatwick and Manchester. The town buses do not go to the airport.
Winter questions
( Asked before a winter stay )
From the end of August to mid-April, on dark nights when the sky is clear or partly clear. The Icelandic Met Office’s aurora forecast at vedur.is (opens in a new tab) shows the cloud cover and the expected activity for each night. Krossanesborgir, 9 minutes by car on the north edge of town, is a good dark spot.
It is 7.9 km away, about 11 minutes by car. The season usually runs from late November to early May, the main runs are floodlit for evening skiing, and you can rent skis and book lessons on the mountain.
From December to February the average daily high in Akureyri is between 2 and 3 °C and the average low is about −3.5 °C (Icelandic Met Office, 1991–2020).
Around 21 December the sun is up in Akureyri from about 11:35 to 14:45, a little over 3 hours. By mid-February the day is a little over 8 hours long, and by mid-March nearly 12.
Yes. The lodge is open all winter, and the hot tub can be used between 07:00 and 23:00, as in summer.
Yes. When guests are staying, the parking directly in front of the house is cleared of snow.
Not in town: the centre is 18 minutes on foot and the town buses are free. For Hlíðarfjall, Goðafoss or Lake Mývatn you will want a car, or a tour with pickup in Akureyri. Check road.is (opens in a new tab) before driving out of town.
Most close around noon on 24 December and open again on 26 December. The same pattern usually applies over New Year, from noon on 31 December until 2 January. Book Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinners ahead.
Make Akureyri your base
Stay in a historic Icelandic house, have your own space, and explore North Iceland at your own pace.
Or contact us directly: akureyrilodge@akureyrilodge.is