Information about diverse activities and entertainment in Akureyri and the surrounding area can be found here , and the main events are listed on the event calendar here.
Below is general information and all kinds of ideas for the whole family during the autumn holidays, as well as an overview of the service and opening hours that (can be viewed here)
Ideas for the family during the autumn holidays:
Kjarnaskógur forest. Cool playgrounds tailored to different abilities and ages of users. There are three playgrounds in total, as well as picnic areas, barbequ facilities, restrooms and a volley ball coursed. The area also has a specially designed play area for the youngest group. In the forest you can find a number of pleasant hiking trails, clearings and sculptures, including a scavenger hunt which is based on characters from children's books. See more about the game here . The campsite Hamra is a short distance away, where you can also enjoy a fun playground. Here you can find more information and a map of the Kjarnaskógur forest area. Look here for maps and information about the area.
* Explore museums and exhibitions. Here Here you can see information about the current exhibitions and the opening hours of the museums: The Museum of Antiquities, The Nun House and The Toy Museum , The Industrial Museum ,The Art Museum in Akureyri , the Iceland Aviation Museum , the Motorcycle Museum . Children 18 and under are usually free in most museums.
* Akureyri Library encourage children to come and visit the library to read, play, bordgameing, colouring ect. See more on the museum's website.
* Go for a swim. Here you can see the opening hours of the swimming pools in Akureyri, Hrísey and Grímsey and here in Hrafnagili, Þelamörk, Forestlagoon, Beerspa , Geosea and Naturebaths
Krossanesborgir recreational area. Fun walking and cycling area, ponds and bird watching house. Along the route there are educational signs about birds, plants, etc.
Folf (frisbee golf). It is ideal to play folf during your vacation, several options are available: Hamarkotstún, Eiðsvölluri, the University campus and at Hamrar (by the campsite), there are also folf courses in Hrísey and Grímsey. More information can be found here.
* Skating - it's always fun to go skating - you can book a time with or without skate rental on the Skatingrink website at www.skautar.is .
Hiking / Walking. There are many interesting hiking trails in Akureyri and the surrounding area. Look here for maps and ideas.
Scateboard park - Braggaparkið. Indoor facilities for skateboards, rolerblades, kick scooters and BMX bikes at Laufásgata. An ideal venue for the family to test old or new skills. Both skateboards and kick scooters can be borrowed for those who would like to give it a try. More information regarding prices and delivery times, etc. see here.
* Indoor golf . In one of the best indoor facilities in the country is in the basement of the Sports Hall. Opening hours are 09.00-21.00 on weekdays (open until 19.00 on Fridays) and 10.00-17.00 on weekends. Price is 1000 ISK. for adults but free for children under 18. See here .
Information about all kinds of activities for the whole family can be found here and check the event calender here (and in icelandic here)
* Bike trails . If the weather and conditions are still good, it's ideal to grab your bike and go on a fun bike ride that's suitable for your ability and endurance. Just remember to dress well because at this time of the year it gets really cold.
* In Hof Cultural house are art exhibitions, events, cafes and the design store Kista. The building is open between 8-18 weekdays and 12-16 on Saturdays. Here is an overview of events.
* Stores. The main shopping centers ( see here ) are town center (Miðbærinn in Akureyri), mall Glerártorg, stores Kaupangur & stores Sunnuhlíð and you can find a number of other shops here and there around the town. If you are looking for outdoor stores, you can find most of them here .
For theatre, cinemas Sambíó, visti the christmas house Jólagarðurinn, or the island Hrísey (ferry aprox each 2 hours), go skaiting, horseback riding or whale watching to mention some options. Petting Zoo Daladýrð in Fnjóskadalur is open 11 til 18 (2023).
* Interesting places: in Akureyri we recommend strolling around the old town Innbæinn and looking at the beautiful old houses and visiting the museums. It's always fun to look around in botanical gardens Lystigarður . Akureyri churchis the symbol of the town and it is ideal to find out how many steps there are below the church (when the construction is finished). The Strandstígur trail along the coastline is popular all year round, and it's ideal to stop by Hof Cultural house, take a photo at the selfie traffic pole with the heart just to the south of it, and walk across the bridge Samkomubrúin and get some refreshments after walking this route. In the art street Listagilið there are exhibitions, shops and restaurants, and it is ideal to take a picture with the heart that is at the beginning of the shopping street in the city center, you can rotate the heart so that the background is the one you prefer.
* If you want to go out of town, we can recommend going to Hrísey island (20 min drive and ferry every 2 hours, sailing for 15 min), drive a loop around Eyjafjörður countryside with a stop at the Christmas Garden, you can go in loops of different lengths and the shortest is about 20 km. Then you can visit the following places, which are all in the vicinity of Akureyri: Goðafoss 35 km (tunnel)/51 (Víkurskarð), Mývatn 83 km (tunnel)/99 km (Víkurskarð), Húsavík 75 km (tunnel)/91 km (Víkurskarð) ), Dalvík 44 km, Ólafsfjörður 61 km, Siglufjörður 77 km
Get familiar with the history of Akureyri. Many places in the old part of the town informationboards tell the storry of each area. Informe about houses and areas in photos and text (icelandic and english), from Strandgata to the old town (Innbærinn). About the information board look here
Outdoor schulptures Go hiking around the town with the brouchure with where they can be found and information about each of them: Útilistaverk á Akureyri. A paper copy of the brouchure can be found at the Library, Akureyri pool or the Art Museum.