Best Hotels and Accommodation in Akranes — Biggest Selection & Lowest Prices Guaranteed

Akranes offers a calm coastal base with quick access to some of the best scenery in West Iceland. It’s an affordable base near Reykjavik, a launch point for Hvalfjordur and the Glymur hike in summer, or a quiet spot for relaxing dip under the northern lights in winter. 

Akranes is only about a 45-minute drive north of Reykjavik through the toll-free Hvalfjordur Tunnel. The town sits on a short peninsula on the north shore of Faxafloi Bay, and the range of accommodation here runs from simple in-town guesthouses to countryside cottages with hot tubs around Hvalfjordur. 

Travelers on self-drive tours that continue on to Borgarnes and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula usually pick Akranes. Staying here puts you close to several West Iceland highlights.

You can soak in the Gudlaug Baths on Langisandur Beach, hike Akrafjall Mountain for views across the bay, and drive into Hvalfjordur to reach the trailhead for Glymur Waterfall, one of the tallest in the country. 

The stays below are grouped by location and travel style, making it easier to choose the right base for your trip. Most are within easy reach of Akranes, Borgarnes, and the wider West Iceland region.

Best Affordable Stays in Akranes for a Reykjavik Stopover

The cheapest guesthouses and cottages around Akranes sit in or beside the town, which makes them an easy, low-cost first or last night near the capital. Expect clean, simple rooms and self-catering space rather than resort extras, at rates well below central Reykjavik.

• Moar Guesthouse: A countryside guesthouse in a peaceful coastal spot near the Akranes Harbor, with mountain and sea views. It’s a five-minute drive away from the nearest supermarket.

• Moar Cottages: Standalone self-catering cottages in an open field about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) northwest of the town center, a five-minute detour off the Ring Road, with more space for families on a budget.

• Teigur Guesthouse: A small, low-cost guesthouse just over a kilometer from the center of Akranes, within walking reach of Langisandur Beach and the town's two lighthouses.

Best Places to Stay Near Akranes for Hvalfjordur and the Glymur Hike

These West Iceland stays sit east of Akranes toward the mouth of Hvalfjordur, the closest bases for the Glymur Waterfall hike and a scenic drive around the fjord. Each is self-catering, which helps after a long day on the trail.

• Hotel Laxarbakki: A family-run set of self-catering apartments at Laxarbakki on Route 1, about a 15-minute drive east of Akranes, with full kitchens and quick access to the fjord and the Glymur trailhead.

• Charming Farmhouse: A rural farmhouse with a terrace on quiet land near the fjord, around a 25-minute drive from Akranes, with the Ring Road close by for day trips to Glymur or on toward Borgarnes.

• Laxarbakki Cottage: A self-catering cottage at Laxarbakki, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) east of Akranes on the edge of Hvalfjordur, beside the salmon river Laxa and handy for an early start on the hike.

Best Cottages Near Akranes for Hot Tubs and Northern Lights

For downtime, these countryside cottages match the appeal of Icelandic hotels with hot tubs, with private outdoor baths and dark rural skies that give a strong chance of the northern lights on clear winter nights.

• Cozy Cottage: A two-bedroom cottage with a private hot tub about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Akranes along the fjord, in a quiet spot made for stargazing.

• Hlid Cottages: Countryside cottages with an outdoor hot tub in Hvalfjardarsveit, set among open farmland with mountain views and some of the darkest winter skies within reach of Akranes.

• Bard Cottage: A wooden cabin that sleeps six, with a hot-tub patio, mountain views, and a children's playground, set in open countryside about 16 miles (25 kilometers) north of Akranes toward Borgarnes. 

Why Stay in Akranes

Akranes lets you enjoy the slower pace of staying in the Icelandic countryside while within easy reach of Reykjavik. You get sea air, mountain views, and a real working town with a pool, cafes, and a harbor, usually at nightly rates below hotels in Reykjavik. It is small and unhurried, which is the point for travelers who want a calmer base than the city.

Book early to secure your first choice, from a spot near the harbor to a base by the Glymur trail or a countryside cottage with a hot tub. Every option comes with a best price guarantee.