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521 km
About 8 h 10 min
Car 1–4 · Van 5–7
Free cancellation 24 h
North · from KEF
About Húsavík and the drive
Húsavík is a harbour town on Skjálfandi bay in North-east Iceland, best known as one of the country's main whale-watching centres. Boats leave from the old harbour throughout the season, and the Húsavík Whale Museum near the quay explains what you might see. The wooden church in the centre is the town's landmark, and on the headland above the harbour the GeoSea sea baths look out over the bay towards the mountains on the far side.
This is one of our longest transfers. From Keflavík Airport the route follows Route 1 north through Reykjavík, over Holtavörðuheiði and Öxnadalsheiði to Akureyri, then continues east towards Goðafoss before turning north towards the coast. Most of a day goes by on the road, so after an overnight flight it can make sense to stop a night in Akureyri, or to fly part of the way from Reykjavík's domestic airport to Akureyri and continue from there.
If you do travel straight through, your driver will build in comfort breaks and take you to the door of your hotel or guesthouse in Húsavík. Whale-watching tours are booked directly with the operators; check their current schedule before you fix your travel day.
Seasons and roads
Whale watching runs mainly in the warmer months, with some trips in winter depending on the operator and weather. Winter brings short days and possible temporary closures on the northern mountain passes, so we may suggest adjusting the timing or splitting the journey.
