Cities in Iceland worth adding to your route

Reykjavík is where most Iceland trips begin, but it definitely doesn't have to be the only town you spend time in. Around the island, you'll find small harbour towns backed by mountains, fishing villages where you can stop for lunch and northern towns that make great bases for whale watching, hiking or geothermal pools. Some are worth staying overnight, while others fit perfectly into a road trip for a few hours. So, which Icelandic cities should you actually add to your route?

What to know about the cities in Iceland?

Reykjavík is the only real city in Iceland by population

There are towns in Iceland such as Akureyri, Ísafjörður and Húsavík

Akureyri works as a base for whale watching, hiking and the Diamond Circle.

Húsavík calls itself the whale watching capital of Europe

Hafnarfjörður and Kópavogur sit close enough to Reykjavík to visit in an afternoon

Ísafjörður and Seyðisfjörður take more effort to reach, tucked deep in the Westfjords and East Fjords

Reykjavík: your starting point, not the whole trip

For most trips around Iceland, Reykjavík is the obvious place to start, and we'd give it at least a day before heading out on the road.

What to actually do here beyond the obvious

Beyond the church and the main shopping street, the harbour area has genuinely good restaurants if you want good fish without a tourist markup, and the Sun Voyager sculpture makes a nice calm stop along the waterfront at sunset.

You'll notice the architecture here too, a mix of colourful corrugated iron houses and newer, angular buildings like the Harpa concert hall down by the water. If you're travelling solo, Reykjavík is an easy place to start, since public transport, tours and short walking routes all begin right in the centre.

How long to stay in the capital city of Iceland?

Two full days cover the highlights properly without leaving you exhausted, though a single day works if you're tight on time and heading straight out to the south coast or the Golden Circle afterward.

Akureyri: the Icelandic town surrounded by mountains

It's Iceland's second largest town, sitting at the innermost point of Eyjafjörður, surrounded by mountains that turn striking under winter snow. It works as a real base for exploring the north.

Things worth doing around Akureyri

The botanical garden here is a treat given how far north you are, with plants from around the globe. There's also a well-known geothermal bath complex, the Forest Lagoon, tucked into the trees just outside town, and it's a good deal calmer than anything you'll find near Reykjavík. Its church, perched above the town on a hill, is worth the short climb up for the view alone.

Using Akureyri as a base

From here, you're within easy driving distance of Goðafoss waterfall, the Mývatn area's geothermal fields, and Húsavík for whale watching, which makes Akureyri a good place to base yourself for two or three nights rather than just passing through.

Wondering where else to base yourself around the island? Read our guide to the best places to stay in Iceland, with the best areas for different parts of your trip.

Húsavík and the whale watching towns

If wildlife is part of why you're travelling, Húsavík deserves its own overnight stop rather than a quick drive-through. It stands on Skjálfandi Bay, and the waters here draw humpback whales, minke whales, and white-beaked dolphins for much of the year.

Why Húsavík stands out from the other coastal towns in Iceland

The town itself dates back to Iceland's earliest settlement, and its all-wooden church is one of the prettiest small buildings in the country. Beyond whale watching, the GeoSea geothermal baths sit right on a cliff edge above the ocean, so you can soak in warm water and watch the sea below at the same time, a combination you won't find in many other spots.

Curious what else you might spot around Iceland? Read our wildlife in Iceland guide for more on whales, puffins, seals and the best places to see them.

More towns along Iceland’s coast

Along the rest of the coast, places like Vík, Höfn and Vestmannaeyjar are worth keeping in mind as you plan your route. Each gives you another reason to spend a little longer by the sea, whether that's black sand beaches, harbour views or wildlife.

Hafnarfjörður and Kópavogur: easy add-ons near Reykjavík

Just south of Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður and Kópavogur are two of Iceland’s towns you can easily visit without adding hours of driving to your route. Hafnarfjörður is the more interesting of the two for a short stop, with its harbour, old centre and neighbourhoods built between natural lava formations. Kópavogur sits even closer to Reykjavík and feels more like an extension of the capital, so it works best if you're already staying nearby or have some extra time before heading further around the island.

Hafnarfjörður's lava field charm

According to local folklore, Hafnarfjörður is home to a rather unusual group of residents: elves and hidden people believed to live among the town's lava rocks. The town even has guided Hidden Worlds walks where you can hear the stories connected to particular rocks and lava formations. Around the harbour, you'll find a small centre with cafés and restaurants, making it an easy place to stop for lunch before heading back to Reykjavík.

Curious about Iceland's obsession with elves and hidden people? Read our fun facts about Iceland blog for more stories like this, plus some of the stranger things you probably didn't know about the country.

Kópavogur for a calmer half day

Kópavogur, right next door, doesn't get much attention from visitors, but its church and cultural centre are worth a short detour if you have a spare afternoon. Both towns work well as a half-day trip by bus or rental car, easily combined with a stop at the Blue Lagoon if that's on your route already.

Ísafjörður and Seyðisfjörður: worth the extra miles

Once you start travelling beyond Iceland's more familiar routes, Ísafjörður and Seyðisfjörður are two towns worth making extra time for. Sitting deep inside fjords on opposite sides of the country, neither is somewhere you'll accidentally pass on the way. Getting there is part of the fun though, with mountain roads, tiny villages and some pretty incredible scenery along the way.

Ísafjörður, the Westfjords' main town

Steep mountains ring this town on three sides, and its compact old town is full of wooden buildings dating back over a century, plus a good food culture for such a remote spot. It also works as the jumping-off point for the Westfjords' more remote hiking trails and the striking Látrabjarg bird cliffs.

Planning to see more of Iceland’s peaks and mountain scenery? Read our guide to the mountains in Iceland for more places to hike, drive and explore around the country.

Seyðisfjörður's rainbow street and arts community

On the east side of the country, Seyðisfjörður is known for its rainbow-painted main street leading up to a pale blue church, plus a small but genuinely active group of artists running galleries and studios out of old wooden houses. The ferry from Denmark docks here too, making Seyðisfjörður a good starting point if you’re planning to continue your trip to Denmark by ferry.

Which Iceland cities and towns should you add to your trip?

With so many small towns spread around Iceland, you definitely don't need to squeeze them all into one route. Pick two or three that work with the rest of your plans instead. Akureyri and Húsavík fit nicely into a northern route, while Vík and Höfn make much more sense if you're travelling along the south coast. With more time, Ísafjörður or Seyðisfjörður can take you into parts of the country that feel completely different again.

Heading south? Read our south coast of Iceland guide to see how stops like Vík and Höfn fit into a longer route.

Once you've picked your favourite Iceland town stops, add them to the Guided app and see how they fit together on the map. You can check driving distances, move your overnight stops around and browse itineraries from other travellers if you need a few more ideas.

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