Akureyri & North Iceland to Reykjavík: travel options
Approximate direct distance: 249 km • Travel distance depends on the route and transport you choose.
Choosing your journey
Allow roughly five and a half hours of driving in good conditions, plus breaks. Use a final night in Reykjavík before a Keflavík flight instead of relying on this long stage on departure day.
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Side-by-Side Transport Options
Driving times exclude stops. Car costs are shared by your group; tickets are per passenger.
Swipe the table horizontally to compare every option.
| Transport Mode | Operator / arrangement | Duration | Price guide | Start / arrival | Key Booking Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bus Direct | Strætó | About 6h | Choose a departure for the fare |
Dep: Akureyri regional bus stop
Arr: Reykjavík regional bus stop
|
Use route 57’s dated timetable and selected stops. The fare is per passenger; luggage, stop access and onward travel need their own check. Tickets and times |
| car Self-drive | Self-drive planning | About 5h 30m | Shared vehicle cost; see guide |
Dep: Akureyri
Arr: Reykjavík
|
Allow roughly five and a half hours of driving in good conditions, plus breaks. Use a final night in Reykjavík before a Keflavík flight instead of relying on this long stage on departure day. Driving information |
| flight Direct | Icelandair | Check planner | Choose a departure for the fare |
Dep: Akureyri Airport (AEY)
Arr: Reykjavík Airport (RKV)
|
Choose the actual departure and baggage allowance. RKV is separate from Keflavík; include airport access and any KEF connection in the total. Tickets and times |
Treat the southbound journey as a travel day
Route 1 takes you west and south towards Reykjavík. Plan a meal and comfort breaks, then leave any longer sightseeing detour conditional on time and weather. A map’s uninterrupted driving estimate is not the time from checking out of one room to settling into the next.
If you want a proper visit to northwest Iceland or Snæfellsnes, add nights for it. A long peninsula circuit is not a small diversion from this transfer. The ten-day Ring Road plan uses this day to return to Reykjavík and keeps departure for the following day.
Compare a bus or domestic flight
Strætó route 57 connects Akureyri and Reykjavík. The regional visitor site describes a journey of about six hours; check the current timetable and departure stop. Buy for the route and date, and arrange the last part from the Reykjavík stop to your room.
Icelandair offers a domestic flight to Reykjavík Airport, RKV. This can reduce time on the road but does not take you to Keflavík. Include baggage, local airport access and any transfer to KEF when comparing the full journey. Check the cost of returning a rental car in Akureyri if your booking began elsewhere.
Finish close to where you need to be
In Reykjavík, choose parking or return the car according to your booking. For an early flight, a Keflavík-area final night may suit you better, with its own travel and meal arrangements. Keep enough time for refuelling or charging and the actual vehicle-return process.
Regional bus information · Domestic airport arrangements
Count the car once for your group
This is a self-drive stage, so there is no separate passenger fare. Add the full rental quote, chosen cover, road-use charges, fuel or charging, parking and any tolls to the trip once. If a charge is already included in the rental quote, do not add it again. Divide the shared total only after those costs are clear. The car-hire guide gives a worked comparison.
The basic road journey between the named endpoints is roughly 380 km, calculated from a road-network map. It excludes sightseeing detours and is not a live route recommendation. The map summary above shows straight-line separation. Check the actual address, current road conditions and weather forecast before departure; allow extra time for stops and conditions.