Visitors to Akureyri during Christmas and New Year can immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere of the holidays, surrounded by colorful Christmas lights and decorations. New Year’s Eve is a highlight in Iceland, marked by an bonfire and a spectacular fireworks display that lights up the night sky above the town. The atmosphere is truly magical every year.

For an event calendar, click here (English). 

Accommodation and Dining
For a list of accommodation available in town - look here and for restaurants here. Keep in mind that dinner reservations at hotel restaurants for Christmas and New Year’s Eve must be made in advance.

Holiday Opening Hours
The opening hours for restaurants, shops, and other services vary during the holidays. Most establishments close around noon on December 24th and reopen on December 26th. The same schedule applies to New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. For detailed holiday opening hours, see the overview here.

Winter Activities
The largest ski area in Iceland, Hlíðarfjall (www.hlidarfjall.is/en), is open during most of the winter holidays. Additionally, many local tour operators offer various tours during this season.

How to get there:

• Direct Flights:
  EasyJet offers direct flights to Akureyri from London and Manchester twice a week.

• Via Keflavik Airport:
  Icelandair (www.icelandair.com) and several other airlines provide scheduled flights to Keflavik Airport in southern Iceland, serving many European and North American destinations. From there, you can take a domestic flight from Reykjavik’s domestic airport to Akureyri. Domestic flights take about 45 minutes and are available several times a day through Icelandair.

• By Road:
  You can drive from Reykjavik to Akureyri along the main Route 1, covering a distance of approximately 400 km. The drive takes about 5 hours by private car. Alternatively, scheduled buses (www.straeto.is) run daily, with a journey time of 6–7 hours.

Related to the Christmas also visit The Christmas Cat at Ráðhústorg Square.

Enjoy the advent

It‘s quite possible to find interesting things to do during the advent. Here we have suggestions for what the family can do together in the advent.

• The Christmas Square. On the Town Square "ráðhústorg", you’ll find the Christmas tree from our sister city, Randers in Denmark. There are also a few Christmas stalls, decorated gate, and the fearsome Yule Cat prowling around. For more details, visit christmas square web site.
• Walk around town. Akureyri has quite a few interesting walking routes, check suggestions here.
• Check out the Christmas lights and decorations. Have a walk around town or a drive to take a look at the decorations.
• The Botanical Garden has a romantic athmosphere this time of year. The Garden is lit and has a great café/restaurant.
• Play in the snow, make snowmen and -women or build a snowhouse.
• The Christmas House. A visit to the Christmas Garden brings the festive spirit. Only 10 minutes drive from Akureyri.
• Kjarnaskógur woodland. Playgrounds, labyrinth, interesting hiking routes etc. There are paths for cross-country skiing and slopes for sleigh rides. Find more information on the area here.
• Akureyri Art Trail. Walk between the interesting outdoor art in Akureyri. You can find the brochure online or at the places mentioned at the bottom of the list.
• Krossanesborgir. Beautiful area with easy walking trails. Also there are information signs to read and if the sky is clear at night, this can be a great spot for northern lights hunting.
• Historical information boards. You will find the Historical Information Boards at various locations in the town center and in the oldest part of town (Innbærinn). They tell the story of houses, districts and places. Each board has a QR code with further information.
• Find information on activities and sights here and check out what‘s on in Akureyri here. 
• Brochures and maps can be found in the reception of the Library, Akureyri Art Museum and Akureyri Geothermal Pool.