24 Hours in Reykjavík
Covers Kraków, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Reykjavík, plus the Christmas market ranking.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
Reykjavík is small, and its airport is not close. Keflavík is about 31 miles (50 km) away, and the Flybus takes about 45 minutes to the BSÍ terminal. The Blue Lagoon sits between the two, near the airport, which is why the best one-night plan treats it as part of the journey rather than a separate trip. Most visitors arrive this way on a transatlantic flight, using Icelandair's stopover, which the airline says carries no additional airfare; our guide to free stopover programs explains how it works.
The town itself fills an afternoon and an evening: the Hallgrímskirkja tower, Laugavegur, the Sun Voyager, Harpa and the harbor. It is not cheap. The cheapest 3-star-or-better hotel with a guest score of 8 or more in downtown 101 was $153 (£115) on Kayak for Friday, January 15, 2027, and $248 (£186) for Friday, June 11, 2027. If you are only between flights, see our Keflavík layover guide.
At a glance
- Best for
- Transatlantic travelers on an Icelandair stopover who want the Blue Lagoon and one evening in town
- Skip it if
- You want waterfalls, glaciers or the Golden Circle; they need a day of their own outside the city
- Airport to center
- Flybus to BSÍ Bus Terminal in about 45 minutes, $33 (£25; ISK 3,999); it leaves about 40 minutes after each landing
- One night, mid-January
- $153 (£115) for a 3-star double in downtown 101 on Kayak (January 15, 2027); $248 (£186) on June 11, 2027
- Arrive by
- 7:30 a.m. at Keflavík for the bus to the Blue Lagoon, or by noon to do the city first
In this guide
The 24-hour plan
- 8:00 a.m.
Blue Lagoon
Straight from an early transatlantic arrival: the 7:30 a.m. Reykjavik Excursions bus runs from the airport to the lagoon, you store bags there, and you continue to Reykjavík on the 1:15 p.m. bus. Admission must be booked ahead; prices vary by time slot.
- 2:30 p.m.
Café Loki
Late lunch across the street from Hallgrímskirkja: an Icelandic plate of rye bread with mashed fish, and the café's rye bread ice cream.
- 3:30 p.m.
Hallgrímskirkja
Take the lift up the 73-meter concrete tower for the view over the colored roofs. In winter the last tower entry is 4:45 p.m., and access stops during services and concerts.
- 4:30 p.m.
Laugavegur
Walk down Skólavörðustígur and along Laugavegur, the main shopping and bar street, toward the water.
- 5:15 p.m.
The Sun Voyager
The steel ship sculpture on the shore path, facing the bay; the light here at dusk is the point.
- 5:45 p.m.
Harpa
Ten minutes along the shore to the glass-walled concert hall on Austurbakki, home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, with a design shop open every day.
- 7:30 p.m.
Grandi Mathöll
Dinner at the food hall on Grandagarður, past the Old Harbour, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- 10:00 p.m.
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
The hot dog stand on Tryggvagata, open since 1937 and until 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, between the bars of the old center.
- 8:00 a.m.
Brauð & Co
Next morning, a cinnamon bun from the sourdough bakery at Frakkastígur 16, open from 6:30 a.m., then the Flybus from BSÍ to the airport.
The route is 2.3 miles (3.7 km) from stop to stop in a straight line; the real walk is longer.
Hallgrímskirkja is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter (last tower entry 4:45 p.m.) and restricts access during services and concerts; the Blue Lagoon opens every day (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. January to May, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from June 1, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 15 to August 20); lagoon buses to Reykjavík leave at 1:15, 2:15, 4:15 and 7:15 p.m.
How the 24 hours work
If you land early in the morning, too early for a hotel room, go to the lagoon first. Reykjavik Excursions runs a 7:30 a.m. bus from the airport to the Blue Lagoon, where you leave your bags for $4.10 (£3.10; ISK 500) each. The airport-lagoon-Reykjavík transfer starts at $66 (£49; ISK 7,999), and you need a booked lagoon ticket first: Comfort admission starts at $99 (£74). Buses from the lagoon to Reykjavík leave at 1:15, 2:15, 4:15 and 7:15 p.m.
Take the 1:15 p.m. bus, drop your bags and walk up to Café Loki for a late lunch, then go up the Hallgrímskirkja tower, $11.50 (£8.60; ISK 1,400). In winter the last tower entry is 4:45 p.m., and the church limits access during services and concerts. Walk down Laugavegur to the Sun Voyager and along the shore to Harpa. Dinner is at Grandi Mathöll, and the night ends with a hot dog on Tryggvagata.
If you land around midday instead, reverse it: city first, and the lagoon on the way out. Lagoon buses to the airport leave at 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., and must be booked at least 24 hours ahead.
The Blue Lagoon and the Reykjanes eruptions
The lagoon sits beside the Svartsengi power plant near Grindavík, on the Reykjanes peninsula, where the Sundhnúkur crater row has erupted repeatedly since December 2023; lava reached the lagoon's car park in November 2024. When we checked on October 21, 2026, the lagoon's own site listed normal hours and said it is open every day of the year, and the Icelandic Met Office showed no active alerts.
The risk has not gone away. The Met Office's update of September 30, 2026 says slow ground uplift continues at Svartsengi, seismic activity is low, and a new magma intrusion, possibly leading to an eruption on the Sundhnúkur crater row, remains the most likely scenario. The lagoon closed several times during the 2023 and 2024 eruptions. Book a flexible ticket, check the lagoon's website and the Met Office on the morning you go, and keep the Sky Lagoon or a city pool as a backup.
Hours change by season: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from January 1 to May 31, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from June 1, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. from June 15 to August 20. Premium admission starts at $123 (£92) and Signature at $152 (£114).
Where to stay for one night
Stay in downtown 101, the area around Laugavegur and the old harbor. We priced it on Kayak for one Friday night, two adults, 3-star or better, guest score 8 or higher, with the stay total including all taxes and fees:
- January 15, 2027: $153 (£115) at Center Hotels Klöpp, a 3-star rated 8.2 on Klapparstígur. A 4-star, Hotel Ódinsvé, was $154 (£115).
- June 11, 2027: $248 (£186) at City Center Hotel, a 3-star rated 8.6 on Austurstræti.
Any address in 101 works, because the center is about a mile across. Book a hotel on the Flybus hotel drop-off list if you will arrive with bags after dark.
Getting in from the airport
The Flybus is timed to every international arrival and, says Keflavík Airport, leaves about 40 minutes after each plane lands. The ride to BSÍ Bus Terminal takes about 45 minutes, with stops in Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður. A one-way adult ticket on its booking page is $33 (£25; ISK 3,999); a return saves 8%, and hotel drop-off costs extra. Allow about an hour and a half from landing to downtown.
Back to the airport, Flybus leaves BSÍ every 30 to 60 minutes from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Flybus suggests leaving three to four hours before your flight. Strætó also runs regular buses to the airport.
A taxi is expensive. Hreyfill's fixed fare from Keflavík to Reykjavík is $185 (£139; ISK 22,500) for one to four passengers. Inside the city, Strætó buses charge $5.70 (£4.30; ISK 690) a ride, capped at three fares a day; there is no day pass, and you will walk this plan anyway.
What to eat in 24 hours
- Rye bread ice cream at Café Loki: opposite Hallgrímskirkja, open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with Icelandic plates of rye bread and mashed fish.
- A hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur: the Tryggvagata stand has been there since 1937, and it stays open until 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Dinner at Grandi Mathöll: the food hall by the old harbor, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- A cinnamon bun at Brauð & Co: the sourdough bakery at Frakkastígur 16, open from 6:30 a.m., before the Flybus.
None of these publishes prices online, so we quote none. Expect Reykjavík food to cost more than in Copenhagen.
If you only have 12 hours
Choose one: the lagoon or the city. With 12 hours between flights, the lagoon is the efficient choice, because it is near the airport and has buses back to Keflavík at 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The city needs about three hours of bus time there and back, leaving roughly six hours for Hallgrímskirkja, Laugavegur and the harbor. Our Keflavík layover page has the timings.
What 24 hours costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Hotel, one night, downtown 101, January 15, 2027 | $153 (£115) |
| Airport to Blue Lagoon to Reykjavík bus | $66 (£49; ISK 7,999) |
| Blue Lagoon, Comfort admission | $99 (£74) |
| Hallgrímskirkja tower | $11.50 (£8.60; ISK 1,400) |
| Flybus back to the airport | $33 (£25; ISK 3,999) |
On the ground that is $209 (£157) before food. With the January room the total is $362 (£271); with the June room, $457 (£342). That is more than double our January total for Copenhagen.
Getting there from the US and the UK
From the US, Icelandair flies from New York JFK, Newark, Chicago O'Hare, Boston and Washington Dulles, and seasonally from Miami. Delta adds a seasonal JFK flight and United seasonal flights from Newark, O'Hare and Dulles. There is no nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta or Dallas/Fort Worth. Icelandair's stopover lets you stay up to seven nights on most fares, flights only.
From the UK, British Airways and Icelandair fly from Heathrow, Icelandair from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh, easyJet from Manchester and Edinburgh (Gatwick in season), and Jet2 and TUI seasonally, including Jet2 from Stansted.
Entry rules. Iceland is in the Schengen area, so the EU's Entry/Exit System applies: it has been fully operational since April 10, 2026, and you register fingerprints and a photo on first entry. ETIAS is not running yet; the European Commission will announce its start several months ahead, with the fee set at $22 (£16.80; €20). See also the best stopover cities.
Reykjavík’s Snack Score
How well Reykjavík works for 24 hours and one night: six factors, scored 0 to 10 the same way for all 45 cities. Our verdict here is a conditional one, which takes 0.3 off the weighted average. How we score
- Sights in a dayEditors · 30%6.0
- FoodEditors · 15%6.5
- After darkEditors · 10%7.0
- Compact routeData · 15%10.0
- Airport to centerData · 15%6.4
- One-night costData · 15%1.5
The numbers behind the score
- Airport to center
- 45 min from Keflavik International Airport: Flybus coach from Keflavík Airport to BSÍ Bus Terminal, timed to every arrival (it leaves about 40 minutes after each landing); hotel drop-off costs extra, $33 (£25; ISK 3,999)
- One night, Friday
- $153 (£115) on January 15, 2027 · $248 (£186) on June 11, 2027 (Downtown Reykjavík, postcode 101 (Kayak's Miðborg neighborhood))
- Day ticket
- None: Strætó adult single fare $5.70 (£4.30; ISK 690), capped at three fares a day: $17 (£12.80; ISK 2,070)
- 24 hours, per person
- $183 (£137): half the average room, the airport ride both ways and a day ticket (entries extra)
- Nonstop from the US
- JFK, EWR, ORD, BOS, IAD, MIA
- Nonstop from the UK
- All 5 of our 5 UK airports
Hotel prices: Cheapest 3-star-or-better double, 1 night (Friday), 2 adults, Price type set to Stay total including all taxes and fees, guest rating 8+, Kayak Miðborg neighborhood filter, addresses checked (all 101), checked 2026-10-21. January: Center Hotels Klöpp (3-star, 8.2) on Klapparstígur at $153. June: City Center Hotel (3-star, 8.6) on Austurstræti at $248..
Weather month by month
Best months for walking around by our weather score: June, July, August. Daytime highs and lows, rain days (1 mm or more) and sunshine hours are 2016–2025 averages for Reykjavík (Open-Meteo historical weather archive).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 35 | 36 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 55 | 51 | 44 | 39 | 36 |
| High °C | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Low °F | 27 | 28 | 30 | 34 | 39 | 44 | 48 | 47 | 42 | 37 | 32 | 28 |
| Rain days | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 |
| Sun (hours) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Weather score | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 4.7 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
Tickets and tours you can book
Reykjavik Food Walk - Local Foodie Adventure in Iceland
Most-reviewed product in this file. Lunch and dinner departures, maximum 14 people, dietary needs handled on request. Not wheelchair accessible.
Rating as shown on Viator
Lava Show Reykjavik Admission Ticket - Optional Premium Upgrade
Shows run through the day; arrive 20 minutes early. The premium upgrade adds balcony seats, a drink and a keepsake. A good rainy-day or dark-evening option in winter.
Rating as shown on Viator
Sky Lagoon Entrance Ticket Including 7-Step Ritual
Ages 12 and up. No transfer included, so take a taxi or bus. Food and drink are extra. Supplied by Sky Lagoon itself; compare with its own site before booking. A late slot makes it the evening option.
Rating as shown on Viator
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
Is one day in Reykjavík enough?
For the town, yes: Hallgrímskirkja, Laugavegur, Harpa and the harbor fill an afternoon and evening. It is not enough for the Golden Circle, the south coast or glaciers, which each need a full day outside the city.
Can I visit the Blue Lagoon on the way from the airport?
Yes. Reykjavik Excursions runs a 7:30 a.m. bus from Keflavík to the lagoon and on to Reykjavík, from $66 (£49; ISK 7,999), and you can store bags at the lagoon for $4.10 (£3.10; ISK 500) each. You must book lagoon admission first.
Is the Blue Lagoon open after the eruptions?
When we checked on October 21, 2026, it listed normal daily hours and the Icelandic Met Office had no active alerts. The Met Office still expects another eruption on the Sundhnúkur crater row to be the most likely next event, so check both sites on the day.
How long is the Flybus from Keflavík to Reykjavík?
About 45 minutes to BSÍ Bus Terminal, for $33 (£25; ISK 3,999) one way. It leaves about 40 minutes after each plane lands, so allow around an hour and a half from touchdown.
Does the Icelandair stopover cost extra?
Icelandair says a stopover carries no additional airfare, for one night up to seven on most fares, though your total fare can vary by date and hotels are not included.
Further reading
Official sources
- Flybus - Book (official) – One adult one way $33 (£25; ISK 3,999); about 45 minutes; hotel drop-off extra; return saves 8%; checked October 21, 2026
- Flybus - FAQ (official) – Timed to every arrival; BSÍ departures every 30 to 60 minutes 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; about 45 minutes, 50 km; checked October 21, 2026
- Keflavík Airport - By coach or bus (official) – Flybus departs 40 minutes after each plane lands; stops in Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður; Strætó serves the airport; checked October 21, 2026
- Hreyfill - Prices (official) – Fixed Keflavík to Reykjavík fare $185 (£139; ISK 22,500) for 1 to 4 passengers; checked October 21, 2026
- Strætó - Pricing (official) – Adult single $5.70 (£4.30; ISK 690); fare capping at 3 rides a day; checked October 21, 2026
- Reykjavik Excursions - Blue Lagoon transfer from Keflavík Airport (official) – From $66 (£49; ISK 7,999); 7:30 a.m. departure from KEF; lagoon to Reykjavík 1:15, 2:15, 4:15, 7:15 p.m.; lagoon to KEF 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.; luggage $4.10 (£3.10; ISK 500) per bag; admission must be prebooked; checked October 21, 2026
- Blue Lagoon - The Blue Lagoon day visit (official) – Comfort from $99 (£74), Premium from $123 (£92), Signature from $152 (£114); pre-booking essential; checked October 21, 2026
- Blue Lagoon - Opening hours (official) – Open every day; January 1 to May 31 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; June 1 to 14 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; June 15 to August 20 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; August 21 to December 31 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; checked October 21, 2026
- Wikipedia - Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa) – Water from the nearby Svartsengi plant; closures during the November 2023 to March 2024 eruptions; lava reached the car park on November 22, 2024; checked October 21, 2026
- Icelandic Meteorological Office (official) – Situation on the Reykjanes Peninsula, September 30, 2026: slow uplift at Svartsengi, low seismicity, new intrusion and Sundhnúkur eruption the most likely scenario; no alerts on October 21, 2026
- Hallgrímskirkja - Opening hours (official) – Winter from September 1: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., last tower entry 4:45 p.m.; access limited during services; checked October 21, 2026
- Visit Reykjavík - Hallgrímskirkja church tower (City of Reykjavík) – Adult tower ticket $11.50 (£8.60; ISK 1,400); checked October 21, 2026
- Icelandair - Stopover (official) – No additional airfare; up to 7 nights on most fares; flights only; checked October 21, 2026
- Café Loki (official) – Lokastígur 28, opposite Hallgrímskirkja; daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; checked October 21, 2026
- Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (official) – Tryggvagata since 1937; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 a.m.; checked October 21, 2026
- Grandi Mathöll (official) – Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; checked October 21, 2026
- Brauð & Co (official) – Frakkastígur 16, open from 6:30 a.m.; checked October 21, 2026
- Kayak - Reykjavík Miðborg (101) hotels – Stay total incl. taxes and fees, 3-star+, 8+ rating: $153 (£115) for January 15, 2027; $248 (£186) for June 11, 2027; checked October 21, 2026
- Wikipedia - Keflavík International Airport, Airlines and destinations – Nonstop US and UK routes by airline; checked October 21, 2026
- European Commission (DG HOME) - ETIAS – Not in operation; fee $22 (£16.80; €20) once it starts; checked October 21, 2026
- European Commission (DG HOME) - Entry/Exit System – Fully operational since April 10, 2026; checked October 21, 2026
