10 daysBook onlineNext departures in May 2027Campervan
10-Day Iceland Ring Road Campervan Self-Drive
From $2,437 / campervan · whole rental
See the itinerary
Museums
Akureyri Botanical Garden
About Akureyri Botanical Garden
The Akureyri Botanical Garden, Lystigarðurinn to locals, is a sheltered spread of flowerbeds, lawns and tall trees on the hill above Akureyri's town center. At 65.7°N, just below the Arctic Circle, it holds a range of plants that seems unlikely this far north.
The land was set aside for a park in 1910, and the Akureyri Park Society, whose members were all women, opened it in 1912 as Iceland's first public park. It became a botanic garden in 1957 and is run by the town. Today it covers about 3.7 hectares and more than 6,400 hardy perennial species, with native Icelandic plants growing alongside species from mountain and arctic regions abroad.
Summer is the time to come, when the Akureyri botanical garden is in full flower and a café in the grounds serves coffee and light meals. From June 1 to September 30, the gates and toilets are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The gates also stay open from October to May, though the toilets close and the beds are mostly bare or under snow.
The garden is on Eyrarlandsvegur, about a 15-minute walk uphill from the town center and close to the Akureyri swimming pool, so it fits easily into a cruise stop or a free afternoon. Walking in costs nothing; only some summer concerts held in the garden are ticketed. Allow an hour for a slow loop, longer if you stop for coffee.
Multi-day trips featuring Akureyri Botanical Garden
All packages →- 10 daysBook onlineNext departures in May 2027
Good to know
Is the Akureyri Botanical Garden free?
Yes, you can walk in without a ticket, and the gates are open year-round. Only some summer concerts held in the garden charge admission.
What are the Akureyri Botanical Garden opening hours?
From June 1 to September 30, the gates and toilets are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. From October to May, the gates stay open but the toilets are closed.
When is the best time to visit the Akureyri Botanical Garden?
Come in summer, from June to August, when the flowerbeds are in bloom and the café is open. In winter the garden is still open for a walk, but most plants are dormant.
How do you get to the Akureyri Botanical Garden?
Walk about 15 minutes uphill from the town center to Eyrarlandsvegur, where the garden sits a few minutes from the Akureyri swimming pool. Cruise passengers can reach it on foot during a port stop.
How many plants grow in the Akureyri Botanical Garden?
The garden has more than 6,400 hardy perennial species, including native Icelandic plants and species from arctic and mountain regions around the world.
Trip planning — free, no commitment
Put Akureyri Botanical Garden on your route
Tell us your dates, pace and can’t-miss list — a local planner builds the route, stays and tours around it, and stays a text away while you travel.