How Many Tunnels Are There in Iceland?
Iceland, europe
11 km
30 m
hard
Year-round
# Iceland's Amazing Tunnel Network: A Underground Road Trip
Want to experience some truly unique driving? Iceland's got you covered with 14 incredible road tunnels that'll make your journey unforgettable. Built since the 1960s, these tunnels have completely transformed how people get around the country—think less time stuck behind scenic overlooks and more time actually exploring them!
## The Big Players
**Héðinsfjarðargöng** is the showstopper—an 11-kilometer monster that opened in 2010. It connects Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður up in North Iceland near Akureyri, and here's the cool part: it actually dips down through Héðinsfjörður before continuing on. Best of all? It's completely free.
**Breiðadals tunnel** out in the Westfjords is a trip in the best way possible. This 9.12-kilometer beauty (opened in 1996) has something you won't find anywhere else—an underground crossroad! You might actually encounter traffic from Suðureyri while you're driving through, which sounds chaotic but works surprisingly well thanks to plenty of passing spots. The tunnel switches between two lanes and single lanes depending on the section.
Head north of Ísafjörður and you'll find another 2010 gem—a straightforward 5.4-kilometer two-lane tunnel with great lighting that whisks you from Ísafjörður to Bolungarvík.
## The Classics
**Arnardalshamar** holds the crown as Iceland's first tunnel. This tiny 30-meter pioneer sits between Ísafjörður and Súðavík and marks the beginning of the country's tunnel era.
**Strákagöng** opened way back in 1967 and is just 800 meters of single-lane goodness in northern Iceland. Fair warning: you'll need to follow local single-lane etiquette here.
## The Workhorses
**Múlagöng** (3.4 km, opened 1990) connects Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður as a single-lane tunnel with passing areas to keep things flowing.
**Hvalfjörður tunnel** deserves its fame. Just 30 kilometers north of Reykjavík on the Ring Road, this 5.7-kilometer tunnel burrows 165 meters below sea level—making it one of the world's deepest sea tunnels. Before it opened in 1998, the drive took an hour longer. Now? Seven minutes flat. And since 2018, it's free to use!
**Norðfjarðargöng** (7.5 kilometers, near Eskifjörður) is the modern replacement for the older Oddsskarð tunnel, offering safer, smoother driving through the area.
## The New Wave
**Fáskrúðsfjarðargöng** (5.9 km, opened 2005) provides two-way lanes to connect Eastfjords communities with ease.
**Almannaskarð** (1.3 km, opened 2005) might be short, but it's a game-changer—it finally gave people a safe route between south and east Iceland, replacing those sketchy mountain passes everyone used to dread.
Ready to tunnel through Iceland?
Where is it?
How Many Tunnels Are There in Iceland? is located in Iceland (europe). Coordinates: 64.5284, -17.8649
Road Details
- Country
- Iceland
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 11 km
- Max Elevation
- 30 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 64.5284, -17.8649
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