After crossing the Arctic Circle at some point during the night, we have arrived in Akureyri. The weather is much better than on our last visit and the captain has no problems bringing Island Princess into port. Nor does the captain of the Norwegian Prima which is docked in front of us.
Akureyri is the fifth largest town in Iceland which means that it isn’t very big. Again, we have very few plans for this port, so we take our time disembarking and wandering slowly into town. We had planned to visit the Godafoss Waterfall just outside the city, but the cost of tours / taxis is incredibly expensive so we have to give it a miss.
Top tip: The number 79 bus runs from the stop outside the Hof Cultural Centre to Fosshall, a short walk from the Godafoss waterfall itself. The journey should take just 32 minutes and costs kr1710 (~£10) each way.
But be warned: buses are infrequent and may not coincide with your all-aboard time. And if there are two ships in town, there is a very real risk you may not get on the return bus from Godafoss.
Feeling confident? You can plan your bus journey here.
On the way we score another geocache (GC1QN6A). It’s a quick, simple cache and the view across the fjord is impressive.
We also pass a number of local tour operators and taxis touting for business. Expect to pay approx. $100 USD per person for a trip out to Godafoss.
The centre of Akureyri itself seems quite compact with one Main Street attracting all the tourist attention. There are plenty of cafés and bars, along with stores selling various trinkets and souvenirs.
As is our ritual, we stop at the Akureyri Backpackers bar and hostel. Linda is thrilled to see Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc on tap, something we haven’t really seen since visiting Bosnia back in 2019. I opt for an Icelandic IPA because I’m a sucker for new tastes.
Afterwards we head back to the ship. It’s not been the most adventurous of port days, but Akureyri seems like a nice enough town.
As we leave port, we are treated to a spectacular sunset, the sky a vibrant neon red. Last time we were here, the sun never seemed to go down…
