The 13 Best Akureyri Shore Excursions

1.Lake Myvatn Day Tour and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $205Our pick

Leave your Akureyri cruise ship for Godafoss and Lake Myvatn on a 5 to 6 hour guided trip. You’ll see Hverir’s steaming mud pools, Dimmuborgir lava, Grjotagja Cave, and the Nature Baths. Guides such as Oli, Jon, and Johannes add local stories, while port pickup keeps the day simple.

“We did this during a cruise stop in Akureyri and were happy with how the day went. Pickup was easy, the pacing was comfortable, and the stops felt well-planned. Goðafoss was impressive, and our guide shared helpful background without overloading us with information. The Lake Mývatn area was interesting and offered a nice variety of scenery. The tour didn’t feel rushed, and we had enough time at each stop to look around and take photos. The vehicle was clean and comfortable, and everything ran on schedule, which mattered since we had to be back at the ship. Overall, it was a good, well-organized way to see the highlights in a…”

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2.Lake Mývatn and Godafoss Cruise Ship Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 269 reviews · 6 hours · from $182

From Akureyri’s cruise pier, you’ll travel by 11 to 19-seat minibus to Goðafoss, Dimmuborgir, Námaskarð, Lake Mývatn, and the optional Mývatn Nature Baths. Local guides such as Johannes, Armann, Biggi, and Fribby add stories, geology, and extra stops when time allows.

“Great way to see the geological features at almost half the cost of what our cruise line would have cost small group versus a large bus.”

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3.Whale Watching Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 250 reviews · from $100

Sail from Akureyri into Eyjafjörður aboard a fast catamaran with an English-speaking guide, heated seating, Wi-Fi, café, and warm overalls. Guides such as Massimiliano and Dominique add clear explanations about whale behavior, while the crew works to find humpbacks, minkes, porpoises, dolphins, and seabirds.

“The staff were very friendly and very informative. We were delighted to see humpback and minky whales”

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4.Myvatn Nature Baths & Goðafoss Waterfall Akureyri Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $248

From Akureyri, visit historic Goðafoss, photograph Lake Mývatn’s volcanic scenery, then spend about two hours at the geothermal Mývatn Nature Baths. Guides such as Niko, Victoria, Petra, and Nicole lead the trip, with ship-friendly timing and return transport included.

“The baths were amazing. The bus driver and tour guide were also very helpful and great at providing info on the area. All in all a great experience! Thank you!”

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5.Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss Shared Shore Excursions

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 57 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $200

Travel from Akureyri to Goðafoss and the volcanic Mývatn region in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide. See pseudo-craters, Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá Cave, Hverir, and filming sites, then choose the geothermal Mývatn Nature Baths or more sightseeing.

“The whole experience was seamless. Our guide was easily found at the port (look for a bright yellow jacket). Since everyone arrived early we were able to even leave before 9:30! The tour itself was well planned and took us to beautiful spots. Ending at the baths was great. It also freed us up later on during our travels as we decided to skip Blue Lagoon for the smaller, but as beautiful lagoon at Lake Myvan. We would highly recommend this tour. Our guide was personable, knowledgeable, and wove in details about her personal life to explain Icelandic customs and culture. It was a great tour!”

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6.From Akureyri Port: Godafoss Waterfall Tour for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $102

Ride from Akureyri to Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, with an English-speaking guide. Expect about 45 minutes at the falls, countryside views through Fnjoskadalur, and a short Akureyri viewpoint stop. Guide Andres is praised for his clear stories and humor.

“bring a camera, it was awesome, very well organized, awesome waterfall, there was a rainbow over the waterfall, made for an awesome picture”

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7.Godafoss Waterfall Shore Excursion From Akureyri Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $84Best value

Ride from Akureyri Cruise Terminal to Goðafoss, one of North Iceland’s most striking waterfalls. Expect about 40 minutes at the falls, English guiding, and a return to port. Drivers such as Johannes and Sigurlaug have added local stories and scenic stops when time allowed.

“The tour was excellent. Falls were fantastic and we were given lots of time to explore. Scenery was spectacular.”

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8.Whale Watching Tour with Transfer from Port

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 19 reviews · 4 - 8 hours · from $141

You’ll ride from Akureyri port to Hauganes, then spend about 2.5 hours on Eyjafjörður looking for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Saga Travel provides guides, WiFi, warm drinks, cinnamon buns, and a return transfer timed for cruise departures.

“zu viele Leute an Bord, zu wenig Platz zum Beobachten und Fotografieren, sonst ok”

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9.Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $169

From Akureyri port, you’ll spend 5 to 7 hours touring Goðafoss and the Lake Mývatn area by vehicle. Expect a small group, flexible time at several stops, WiFi onboard, and dramatic contrasts between waterfalls, lava fields, pseudocraters, caves, and steaming ground.

“We had a great small trip tour and were able to enjoy northern Iceland on this great experience! We'd recommend this trip for nature lovers!”

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10.Goðafoss and Akureyri Botanic Garden Shared Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $166

Travel from Akureyri to mighty Goðafoss, then see the town, its northern botanic garden, and a fjord viewpoint. An English-speaking guide and air-conditioned vehicle handle the route, with a maximum of 18 people.

“Bathroom lines at the falls are really long, and you must pay. By the time we went to the falls and walked up to the bathrooms there wasn’t enough time to wait in line, so I couldn’t go. Suggest adding about 15 minutes to the time.”

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11.Lake Myvatn Private Day Tour Mývatn, Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) Top rated

Travel from Akureyri Port to Godafoss and Lake Myvatn in a private vehicle with an English-speaking guide. See Hverir’s steaming ground, Dimmuborgir lava formations, Grjotagja Cave, and the Myvatn Nature Baths, with time for a soak if you pay the separate entrance fee.

“Daniel was awesome. We saw everything on our list plus some. He was knowledgeable, interesting and a joy to be with all day. Can’t imagine a better day in Iceland.”

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12.Lake Myvatn and Godafoss Waterfall for Cruise Ships from Husavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $306

Travel by small group from Húsavík to Godafoss and Lake Myvatn with a local guide such as Norbert. See bubbling mud pools, Dimmuborgir lava formations, Grjotagja Cave, and the Myvatn Nature Baths. Reserve bath entry separately, and allow for a brisk schedule.

“Our ship was late coming into port so our tour was a bit rushed. It was a very fast paced tour and the ships delay made it even more so. We decided to skip the visit to the hot springs as there was not really enough time to enjoy it. So we opted for the tectonic plates and cave instead which was really something spectacular to see.”

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13.German-speaking shore excursion Góðafoss & Mývatn from Akureyri in a small group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $180

From Akureyri’s cruise port, a German-speaking local guide leads you by small bus to Goðafoss and the volcanic Mývatn area. Expect up to 19 participants, time at lava formations, pseudocraters, Grjótagjá, Hverir, and Krafla, with departure and return matched to your ship.

“Sehr schöner Kleinbus mit einem sehr gut deutsch sprechendem Guide. Es war an jedem Stopp ausreichend Zeit und es wurde versucht, den großen Reisebussen aus dem Weg zu gehen. Absolute Empfehlung.”

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