Siglufjörður sits at the end of one of the narrowest fjords in Iceland, tucked between steep mountains in the far north of the Tröllaskagi peninsula. Until 2010 it was a long, sometimes dangerous detour from Akureyri over a high mountain pass. Today, two tunnels (Múlagöng and the 7-kilometre Héðinsfjarðargöng) make it an easy day trip — and one of the most rewarding drives in northern Iceland.
This guide covers the full route from Akureyri, what to stop for along the way, what to do in Siglufjörður itself, and whether to go as a day trip or stay overnight. If you have at least one free day from your Akureyri base, do this one.
Drive Route 82 north out of Akureyri along Eyjafjörður. Pass Hauganes and Dalvík (worth a stop), continue through the Múlagöng tunnel to Ólafsfjörður, then through the longer Héðinsfjarðargöng tunnel to Siglufjörður. About 75 km, 1 hr 15 min one way. Allow a full day with stops.
Why Drive to Siglufjörður?
Three reasons most people make the trip:
- The town itself. Siglufjörður is one of the most photogenic settlements in Iceland — brightly painted wooden houses, a working fishing harbour, and a backdrop of vertical mountain walls on three sides. It is the setting of the Icelandic noir TV series Trapped (Ófærð) for a reason.
- The Herring Era Museum (Síldarminjasafn Íslands). Won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2004 and is still one of the best small museums in the country. It tells the story of Siglufjörður's improbable boom and bust as the world's largest herring port in the early 20th century.
- The drive. Tröllaskagi means "Troll Peninsula" and it lives up to the name — sharp ridges, deep fjords, long tunnels, and small fishing villages spaced along the coast.
The Route — Stop by Stop
Akureyri → Hauganes (~25 km, 25 min)
Leave Akureyri on Route 1, then turn onto Route 82 toward Dalvík. The road runs along the western side of Eyjafjörður with constant fjord views. About 25 km from Akureyri is the tiny fishing village of Hauganes — worth knowing about because it runs some of the best small-boat whale watching tours in Iceland. Smaller groups, traditional wooden boats, run by local skippers. Post-tour fish-and-chips at Baccalá Bar in the village is excellent.
Dalvík (~35 km, 35 min from Akureyri)
Dalvík is the largest town between Akureyri and Siglufjörður and the natural stretch-the-legs stop. A working fishing town with a strong identity, it punches above its weight culturally for a town of 1,400 people.
If your visit overlaps with the first Saturday of August, you have stumbled into Fiskidagurinn mikli — "The Great Fish Day" — when Dalvík serves free seafood to up to 30,000 visitors. Tens of tonnes of cod, langoustine, fish soup, plokkfiskur, all free. It is one of the warmest local festivals in the country and worth planning around if your trip allows. For the wider festival context see the festivals section in the Iceland in summer guide.
Outside Fiskidagurinn, Dalvík has a pleasant harbour walk, a small folk museum (Byggðasafnið Hvoll), and a couple of cafés. Also: the ferry to Hrísey (the small inhabited island in the middle of Eyjafjörður) leaves from Dalvík, so you could fold a Hrísey side trip into the same day if you are highly ambitious.
Múlagöng → Ólafsfjörður (~50 km, 45 min from Akureyri)
After Dalvík the road climbs gently into the mountains and enters the Múlagöng tunnel — 3.4 km, single lane in places. Pay attention to oncoming traffic; there are passing pull-outs at regular intervals. The tunnel emerges in Ólafsfjörður.
Ólafsfjörður is a small fishing town of around 800 people sitting at the head of its own short fjord. The town pond (Ólafsfjarðarvatn) is reflective and beautiful on a still day. There is a small public pool, a café or two, and a museum about Iceland's marine biology research. Worth a 30-minute stop for the views, not a much longer one.
Héðinsfjarðargöng → Siglufjörður (~75 km, 1 hr 15 min from Akureyri)
The final leg is through Héðinsfjarðargöng, a 11-kilometre tunnel system that opened in 2010. The first 7-km section drops you out briefly into the empty, uninhabited Héðinsfjörður — a fjord with no road in or out except via the tunnels. Worth pulling over for a minute to look at the absolute stillness of an Icelandic fjord with no settlement in it. Then the second tunnel section takes you into Siglufjörður itself.
In Siglufjörður
Siglufjörður has a population of around 1,200 and you can walk the entire town in 30 minutes. Most of what is interesting is along Aðalgata, the main street that runs parallel to the harbour.
Síldarminjasafn Íslands — the Herring Era Museum
The main attraction. The museum is spread across three restored buildings on the harbour and reconstructs the herring era of 1903–1968, when Siglufjörður briefly was the largest herring port in the world and Iceland's most economically important town. The "salting station" recreation — with full-scale herring barrels, period costumes, and live salting demonstrations on summer Saturdays — is genuinely brilliant. Allow at least 90 minutes, longer if you read the displays carefully.
The museum won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2004, beating much larger institutions. It deserved it.
The town itself
Walk Aðalgata for the painted houses, the harbour edge, and the old wooden buildings. The town church (Siglufjarðarkirkja, 1932) sits on the hillside and is worth the short climb for the view down over the fjord. The folk music centre (Þjóðlagasetur sr. Bjarna Þorsteinssonar) is a small museum about Icelandic folk songs, housed in a beautifully restored old house — niche, but interesting if you have time.
Food, coffee and beer
- Hannes Boy — the most well-known restaurant in town. Seafood-focused, harbour-side, often booked out in summer. Reserve ahead.
- Frída Chocolate & Café — a small but excellent café on the main street. The chocolate is genuinely good and the cakes are made on site.
- Kaffi Rauðka — a casual restaurant and bar with a red wooden building on the harbour. Burgers, fish, beer.
- Segull 67 — Siglufjörður's craft brewery, founded in 2015 in an old fish processing building. Tap room with their own beers; tours by appointment. Their flagship pale ale is sold all over Iceland.
If you have extra time
- Hike up Hólshyrna (685 m) for the best aerial view of the town — about 2–3 hours round trip, well-marked trail.
- Walk the abandoned road through Strákagöng to the next fjord (Héðinsfjörður is only reachable on foot or via the tunnel).
- Visit the Folk Music Centre if you are at all curious about traditional Icelandic music.
- Skarðsdalur ski area (winter only) — small but charming, popular with locals from Akureyri.
Day Trip or Overnight?
Both work. The choice depends on your overall trip:
- Day trip from Akureyri. Leave Akureyri by 9am, spend an hour in Dalvík, three to four hours in Siglufjörður (museum + lunch + town walk), drive back by early evening. This is the most common option and works well — you do not need an overnight to see Siglufjörður.
- Overnight in Siglufjörður. Worth it if you want the town in the evening light (especially summer evenings — the sun reflects off the water in golden ways), or if you are continuing on toward Hofsós and Sauðárkrókur the next day rather than returning to Akureyri.
Continuing west from Siglufjörður via Route 76 you reach Hofsós (an old trading town with a wonderful infinity-edge swimming pool overlooking the fjord) and Sauðárkrókur. Either is a reasonable next stop if you are slowly working your way around the North.
Where to Stay in Siglufjörður
- Sigló Hotel — the largest and most upmarket option, right on the harbour next to the Herring Museum. Includes its own restaurant and small pool. The premium choice.
- Hótel Siglufjörður (formerly Hótel Síldarminjasafn / Hótel Siglunes) — mid-range, traditional, central.
- Guesthouses and Airbnbs — several scattered through the town, often in restored old houses. Cheaper than the hotels and often more characterful.
- Camping — the Siglufjörður campsite is a small site on the edge of town, usable from June through August. See the camping section of the summer guide.
Doing the Drive in Different Seasons
Summer (June–August) — easiest conditions, longest days, town is busy with visitors but never overwhelmed. Hannes Boy and Sigló Hotel restaurant book out in advance. Whale watching from Hauganes is at peak. The light on the fjord in the late evening is extraordinary.
Winter (November–March) — completely different experience. The road is open thanks to the tunnels, but conditions can change fast. Múlagöng has a small avalanche risk and the road in front of Siglufjörður itself occasionally closes for snow clearance. Always check road.is the morning of your drive. In return you get a town that looks like a Christmas card, with skiing at Skarðsdalur and good aurora viewing if the sky is clear. See the Iceland in winter guide for general winter driving caveats.
The tunnels removed the worst mountain pass on this route, but the road between Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður can still close in serious storms. If a yellow or red weather warning is in effect, postpone the trip — the drive is not worth doing in a blizzard, and you will not see anything anyway.
Akureyri → Siglufjörður FAQ
How long does the drive really take?
Allow about 1 hr 15 min one way without stops. With a stop in Dalvík and a quick look at Ólafsfjörður, plan for around 2.5 hours each way — and you will still have a comfortable four to five hours in Siglufjörður itself.
Is it worth it if I've already been to Akureyri?
Yes. Siglufjörður is a different feel from Akureyri — smaller, more tucked away, with a stronger fishing-village identity. The museum alone justifies the drive for most visitors.
Can I do this trip from Reykjavík in one day?
No. Reykjavík to Siglufjörður is about 5.5 hours one way (390 km), so a round trip in a day is unreasonable. You would need to overnight in Akureyri, Siglufjörður, or somewhere in between like Blönduós.
Are there places to eat along the route?
Dalvík has cafés and a grocery store. Ólafsfjörður has a small café. Between Akureyri and Dalvík you can stop at Hauganes for the fish-and-chips at Baccalá Bar. Beyond that you are saving your appetite for Siglufjörður itself.
Are the tunnels safe to drive?
Yes, but Múlagöng is single lane in parts. There are well-marked passing bays — pull in if you see oncoming headlights. Do not stop in the tunnel except in an emergency.
The Bottom Line
Siglufjörður is the kind of place that surprises people. It is far, it is small, and it should not really exist as the town it is — until you spend a few hours in the Herring Museum and realise this was once one of the most important places in the country. The drive from Akureyri is one of the best in North Iceland, the town is genuinely photogenic, and the food and coffee are above the small-town average.
If you are basing yourself in Akureyri for two or three days, give one of them to Tröllaskagi. You will not regret it.