Neskaupstaður offers a variety of attractions side by side: hiking trails in the landscape park, three museums in Safnahúsið, and the Eistnaflug metal festival. For practical planning, the trail features, seasonal museum hours and annual festival dates are all important.
Hiking Trails and Páskahellir
The landscape park in Neskaupstaður was protected in 1972 and was Iceland’s first landscape park. There are six marked hiking trails in the park. One of them, the Nípukollur trail, is suitable for experienced hikers and reaches an elevation of 819 m above sea level. For this route, both its stated suitability and its elevation are useful points of reference.
The trail from the landscape park car park to Páskahellir is about 1 km long. The cave can be reached via wooden stairs leading down from the trail to the beach. The trail length and the stairs describe two different aspects of access: the distance starts at the car park, while the steps lead down from the trail to the beach. This gives you both an approximate distance and an idea of the type of access when planning your visit.
Museums and Festival
Safnahúsið in Neskaupstaður houses three museums: a natural history museum, Jósafat Hinriksson’s maritime and blacksmithing museum, and the art museum of painter Tryggvi Ólafsson, who is from Neskaupstaður. Natural history, seafaring and blacksmithing sit alongside the work of a local painter, bringing a range of subjects together under one roof.
From 1 June to 31 August, Safnahúsið is open daily from 13:00 to 17:00. From 1 September to 31 May, visits are possible by appointment. Check visiting hours before your trip and arrange an appointment outside the summer opening period.
Eistnaflug is a metal festival held annually in Neskaupstaður on the second weekend of July. If you want to plan your trip around it, check the specific event dates in advance. The museum and festival offer different timing considerations: Safnahúsið has seasonal opening hours or visits by appointment, while Eistnaflug takes place over the July weekend.
Tours and Other Activities
Fjardaferðir offers a seasonal RIB boat tour departing from the central harbour in Neskaupstaður. It visits places such as Easter Cave, Nípuklettur, the Rauðubjörg cliffs and Hellisfjörður. The tour includes several named destinations. Check the availability of the seasonal tour before your trip.
Stefánslaug swimming pool is located in the hills above Neskaupstaður. The outdoor pool has hot tubs, a sauna and two water slides. This offers a different kind of activity from hiking and boat tours, focusing on the outdoor pool and its listed facilities.
Skorrahestar offers short and long horse-riding tours, as well as hiking tours in the fjords along the Atlantic coast. The horse-riding tours are offered in short and long options, while the hiking tours take place in the fjords. Confirm the availability of these activities before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Vallanes, Hoffell, Djúpivogur, Hámundarstaðir, Reydarfjördur, Svartiskogur, Brekka, Stöðvarfjörður
For the regional travel overview: Austurland.
