Seyðisfjörður cruise port: an independent day guide

By Stefán · Iceland Roads · Written by a local who drives these roads

Dock

Seyðisfjörður harbor - also the Smyril Line ferry terminal

Typical port time

6-9 hours (varies by ship)

Right now near Egilsstaðir

7°C, wind 1 m/s (gusts 1)

Full conditions →

What's walkable from the dock

The town is built right around the harbor - no shuttle needed.

Rainbow Street & the blue church

The town's signature image: a rainbow-painted street leading up to Seyðisfjarðarkirkja, the pale blue wooden church. Five minutes from the dock.

Skaftfell art center & the old town

A working art center plus a scatter of Norwegian-style timber buildings from the town's herring-boom past - the whole core is walkable in well under an hour.

Self-drive options, with honest time budgets

These are drive-and-visit times, not just drive times - and they don't include the walk or shuttle to a rental office, or the paperwork at pickup. Add that separately, and build buffer on top.

Egilsstaðir, over Fjarðarheiði

Only on a long call

~30-40 min each way in good conditions, ~1.5-2 hours round trip with a stop

The only road connection - there is no tunnel bypass, and none is coming for a long time (the planned Fjarðarheiðargöng tunnel has been pushed back in Iceland's transport plan to sometime after 2040). Fine in clear summer weather; genuinely risky to attempt on a shoulder-season or off-peak call without checking conditions first, since this pass closes with little notice.

Tips for this port

This is the same pass Smyril Line ferry arrivals cross on their way into Iceland - see the ferry guide if you're self-driving in rather than on a cruise call.
Check the live alert bar and today's conditions before crossing Fjarðarheiði, even for a short trip - it's one of the more closure-prone roads in the east.
If in doubt, stay in town. Seyðisfjörður rewards a slow walk more than most ports on this list.

Common questions

Is there a tunnel under Fjarðarheiði from Seyðisfjörður?

Not yet. A tunnel (Fjarðarheiðargöng) has been planned for years but was pushed back in Iceland's national transport plan in 2025, with construction now not expected until sometime after 2040. Until then, the mountain road is the only route in or out.

Is Seyðisfjörður also a ferry port?

Yes - it's the Icelandic terminal for the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark and the Faroe Islands, the only way to bring your own car into Iceland by sea.