Route 79 can move a base, but it is not a sightseeing service
The Húsavík guide covers the harbour, whale watching, GeoSea and the case for spending the night. The Akureyri guide covers city supplies, restaurants and the route west. Route 79 sits between those decisions: are you willing to make “reaching the other town” the day's only transport task? If yes, moving hotels can work. If you also want whale watching, a forest hot pool, Lake Mývatn sights or an airport transfer on the same day, the bus is only one leg, not a complete itinerary.
Start with the Húsavík destination guide to decide whether the harbour activity justifies paying for another night. If you have decided to leave the harbour, return to the Akureyri destination guide and check whether the city's dinner, laundry and next-day direction can genuinely support the move. Those pages answer “where is it worth sleeping?” This page answers only whether public transport can carry out the decision between two beds.
Check the timetable before you add the day around it
| Direction / time | Example from the current update | The more realistic task | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Húsavík → Akureyri, early service | Weekdays depart 06:45 and arrive at Hof at about 08:09; Sunday services differ | Leave the harbour after whale watching, or turn the previous night into an Akureyri city evening | You will definitely make it after a morning boat trip; the end time, luggage and walk need their own calculation |
| Húsavík → Akureyri, afternoon | Weekdays depart 15:00 and arrive at Hof at about 16:17; the second service is later | Move bases after a morning activity, then eat and organise the next leg in Akureyri | GeoSea entry, lunch, checkout and the wait for the bus will connect seamlessly |
| Akureyri → Húsavík, early service | Weekdays depart 08:45 and arrive in Húsavík at about 10:03 | Reach an afternoon activity, walk around the harbour, or use Húsavík as that night's base | It will get you to an early whale-watching departure; most early check-ins are before arrival |
| Akureyri → Húsavík, late service | Weekdays depart 19:45 and arrive at about 21:03; Sunday has a 20:10 / 21:28 example | Accept a late arrival, use accommodation with self check-in and have no early fixed activity the next day | A full dinner, open shops and a transfer will still be available after arrival |
The times in the table are checked examples from the update page, not a promise for every day in 2026. Strætó also states that Route 79 changes with road service and seasonal timetables; in summer, some Akureyri city stops may be removed, leaving the Hof and airport directions. That is why the departure date, day of week and exact city stop are part of the same decision, rather than copying a single total journey time.
When the move works—and when to stop forcing it
| Your actual task | Route 79's role | My judgement | Work you must add |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whale watching is finished; tomorrow you want to head west from Akureyri | Turns a harbour night into a city night | Worth considering, provided you can still catch the day's service after the boat returns | Confirm the operator's return time, luggage, lunch and checkout time |
| You are staying in Akureyri and only want to visit Húsavík in the afternoon | One leg of a day trip | Suitable for a short harbour activity or a late return you have accepted; do not add several more sights | Write down what happens after arriving around 21:00: dinner, the accommodation entrance and everyone's energy |
| You have an early whale-watching trip in Húsavík tomorrow morning | Cannot carry the early-morning connection on the day | Staying in Húsavík the previous night is usually more sensible | Work backwards from the check-in time on the activity confirmation, rather than treating the existence of a bus as sleep buffer |
| You land at Akureyri Airport and want to go straight to Húsavík | A possible connection, not an airport transfer service | Usable only if the flight, wait and luggage buffers all work | Confirm whether the day's route calls at Hof first, where the airport stop is and the accommodation policy after delays |
| You have large luggage, young children or accessibility needs | Solves only the main leg between towns | Do not leave the last kilometre to guesswork after you get off | Confirm luggage space, boarding and alighting stops, and the final approach with Strætó, the accommodation and the activity operator |
The part most easily underestimated is changing bases after whale watching. Even if the boat trip is listed as three hours, allow for returning to port, putting equipment away, the bathroom, finding luggage, eating and walking to the bus stop. If you are comparing staying in Húsavík for whale watching or making it a day trip, Route 79 can be a connection you verify, but it cannot make the decision for you. The answer still depends on the activity finish time and whether the next hotel accepts a late arrival.
This route is not simply “convenient” or “inconvenient”; its value changes sharply with the task.
The bus stop is not the hotel door
In Akureyri, Route 79 uses Hof, the airport and some city stops; in summer it may also remove VMA, the hospital and Dalsbraut / Klettaborg stops. For someone staying in the city centre, that may mean only a longer walk. With luggage, rain or a fixed activity to catch, it becomes another time cost. Húsavík also needs more detail than “the town”: your hotel may be by the harbour, on the main street or outside town and require a short transfer.
Before booking, put three addresses in one screenshot: the bus stop where you get off, the hotel entrance and the meeting point for the next day's first activity. If the three points involve an exposed walk, luggage storage or another unverified taxi, Route 79 is only the main leg. That does not dismiss public transport; it separates reaching the town from completing the day.
Route 79 and Route 56 do different jobs
If you are travelling east from Akureyri to Lake Mývatn, the practical breakdown of whether Route 56 is enough covers the local transport after getting off at Reykjahlíð. This page covers the harbour-to-city transfer on the north-west side. Both routes can reduce the need for a hire car, but neither turns Lake Mývatn, Húsavík and Akureyri into towns you can freely hop between every day.
If you have only two days, use the two-day choice between whale watching, hot pools and Goðafoss to remove the second fixed-time commitment. If the harbour activity is the core of the trip, return to the Lake Mývatn and Húsavík base split to decide whether to change beds. The timetable should serve that decision, not force the itinerary into whichever bus happens to run.
Five checks before departure
- Which Route 79 timetable covers your travel date, and does Sunday differ from weekdays?
- Is your Akureyri stop Hof, the airport or a seasonal city stop, and how long is the walk from the hotel?
- Will the Húsavík hotel accept a late arrival, and who handles the final leg if the boat is delayed?
- Before the bus leaves, do you still need to check out, store luggage, eat or join a whale-watching trip?
- If the service is cancelled that day, can you stay at your original base instead of buying an expensive last-minute transfer?
Route 79 is most useful when it turns a settled accommodation decision into an executable transfer. It is most risky when you see the words “direct bus” first and then try to fit whale watching, dinner, luggage and hotel cancellation terms into the same day. Protect the night that matters most, then use the timetable to narrow the options.
Related reading
Then choose the night
Húsavík destination guideAkureyri destination guideStay in Húsavík for whale watching or make it a day tripMore reading
Fit Mývatn into the next two days
Akureyri to Lake Mývatn without driving: is Route 56 enough?Two days of whale watching, hot pools and Goðafoss: what to chooseSplitting your Lake Mývatn and Húsavík basesCompare the fare with the real cost of moving
In 2026, a one-way adult fare from Akureyri to Húsavík is about 3,600 ISK, or approximately HK$215 / NT$1,730; youth, senior and disability fares are about 1,800 ISK, or approximately HK$110 / NT$860. This price covers the bus only, not the last kilometre from the stop to the hotel; for two travellers, compare the time flexibility and total cost of a hire car separately.
| Fare type | Icelandic króna | Approx. HKD | Approx. TWD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult one-way | 3,600 ISK | Approx. HK$215 | Approx. NT$1,730 |
| Youth / senior / disability | 1,800 ISK | Approx. HK$110 | Approx. NT$860 |
Q&A | Questions to settle before departure
Is Route 79 suitable for changing hotels?
It works for moving a night from Húsavík to Akureyri or completing a fixed North Iceland transfer. Do not assume it will also make an early whale-watching trip or an evening activity easy simply because the bus is direct.
Can Route 79 get me to an early Húsavík whale-watching trip?
Do not look only at the journey time. The checked examples include an 08:45 service from Akureyri to Húsavík, while whale-watching check-in may be earlier. Match the departure-day service against the check-in time in your activity confirmation, minute by minute.
What is easiest to overlook when taking Route 79 with large luggage?
The last kilometre from the bus stop to the hotel, the exact stop location, loading and unloading luggage, the weather while waiting, and a fallback after timetable changes. A bus stop is not a hotel door; the transfer is not complete until the final leg is solved.
References | Data and limits
References
The following information was checked on 7 September 2026. Regional bus services, roadworks, seasonal stops, fares and luggage arrangements can change; before departure, use the current route planner and confirm the accommodation.
- Strætó: Route 56, 78 and 79 updates (weekday / Sunday examples, Hof / airport, roadworks and seasonal timetable changes).
- Strætó: 2026 summer arrangements (summer dates for Route 79 and Akureyri stop changes).
- Strætó: Route 79 Húsavík → Akureyri (route planner for the travel date).
- Strætó: 2026 North and Northeast Iceland one-way fare table (fare zones; recheck the current notice before paying).
- OpenStreetMap contributors (base map and attribution for the North Iceland location map; locations are for orientation, not navigation or a timetable guarantee).
- Simone / Wikimedia Commons: Akureyri harbour, CC BY-SA 4.0; the photograph shows the scale of the Akureyri city base, not a stop, road or service on the travel date.
