Reykjavík Layover

Yes, on a US or UK passport. Iceland is in the Schengen area, so you get up to 90 days without a visa. The UK government counts it as 90 days in any 180 and wants your passport issued less than 10 years before arrival and valid for 3 months after you leave. The US State Department asks for 3 months' validity beyond your departure from the Schengen area and 2 blank pages.

ETIAS is not required yet. The EU's official ETIAS site says the system is not in operation and no applications are collected; the EU will announce the start date several months ahead. When it starts, it will cost $22 (£16.80; €20). Ignore any site that sells one today.

EES is live. The European Commission says the Entry/Exit System became fully operational on April 10, 2026. At your first Schengen entry you give fingerprints and a photo, with no fee, and the UK government says the record lasts 3 years. The first registration adds time to the queue, so count it into your layover.

Where you fly next matters. Between the US and the UK, both outside Schengen, you can stay airside without seeing a border guard. Between the US and a Schengen city such as Paris or Amsterdam, Keflavík is your Schengen entry point, so you clear EES here anyway.

Build it from the fixed pieces. Passport control first, slower if it is your first EES registration. Then the coach: Keflavík Airport says the Flybus leaves about 40 minutes after each plane lands, and the ride to BSÍ takes about 45 minutes. Coming back, Flybus runs from BSÍ to a timetable, every 30 to 60 minutes between 4 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Last, Icelandair calls three hours before departure a good rule of thumb at Keflavík, and 2 hours the latest.

• Under 6 hours: stay airside. The coach both ways and the three-hour return leave you nothing in town.
• 6 to 8 hours: the Blue Lagoon, not the city. It is 20 km (12 miles) from the airport, and Destination Blue Lagoon runs coaches to and from the terminal.
• 9 to 12 hours: about two to four hours in Reykjavík, enough for the church, the harbor and a meal.
• Overnight or longer: sleep in Reykjavík, or turn the connection into an Icelandair Stopover.

Check your bag through to your final destination if you can. If you cannot, lockers on the arrivals side of the terminal are open 24 hours.

Flybus (the main option): the official airport transfer runs from the terminal to BSÍ Bus Terminal in central Reykjavík in about 45 minutes. A one-way ticket on the Flybus booking page costs from $33 (£25; ISK 3,999); a return saves 8%. Departures from the airport are timed to arrivals, and if your flight is late your ticket stays valid for the next coach. A hotel drop-off option continues from BSÍ by shuttle for an extra fee. On the way, the coach stops in Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður.

Strætó route 55: the public bus runs between the airport and BSÍ via Hafnarfjörður. It is slower and less frequent, so it suits a long layover, not a tight one.

Taxi: cars wait outside Arrivals 24 hours a day, and the airport says the ride from central Reykjavík takes about 45 minutes. No fixed fare is published: Keflavík Airport tells you to check the price list and ask for the fare before you set off. Every taxi must accept cards. For two people on a short layover, the coach is the safer bet on cost.

With 6 to 8 hours, skip Reykjavík. The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is about 20 km (12 miles) from the airport, much closer than the capital. Day visits start at $99 (£74; ISK 11,990) on the Blue Lagoon site, and entry is booked for a time slot, so book before you fly. From August 21 to December 31 the lagoon opens 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from January to May).

Destination Blue Lagoon, the spa's transport partner, runs coaches from the airport at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and back to the airport at noon, 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. year-round. Match those times to your flights before you commit: a 9:30 a.m. coach out and the 2:30 p.m. coach back suits a late-afternoon departure. One more check: volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula closed the lagoon several times between 2023 and 2025, so look at its site on the day.

Twelve hours gives you roughly four hours in town after the coach, the return buffer and the border. Start at BSÍ and walk north. Climb to Hallgrímskirkja, the concrete church on the hill; in winter it opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry to the tower at 4:45 p.m. Walk down Skólavörðustígur and along Laugavegur, the main shopping street.

Eat a hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the stand near the harbor, then walk to Harpa, the glass concert hall on the waterfront, and along the shore path to the Sun Voyager sculpture. Finish at the Old Harbour for fish and a look at the boats, then head back to BSÍ for a Flybus timed to leave you three hours before your flight.

With a full day, sleep in the city. The first Flybus leaves BSÍ around 4 a.m., which covers the early transatlantic and European departures. Spend the evening around Laugavegur and the harbor, and use the morning for the lagoon or a museum. Our Reykjavík plan has the timed route, hotel prices and what each stop costs.

If your connection is longer than a day, do not stretch a layover. Rebook it as an Icelandair Stopover: same airfare, up to 7 nights, and time for a day tour out of the city. For other hubs that reward a full day, see the best stopover cities.

Icelandair's Stopover lets you stay in Iceland for one night up to 7 nights on a transatlantic Icelandair trip without paying additional airfare. Economy Flex and Saga Premium Flex fares allow up to 21 nights, and stays over 7 nights go through the service center. To get it, select "Stopover in Iceland" when you book and pick your nights. Adding it to a booking you already paid for costs a change fee.

Know what it is not. It covers the flights only: you book and pay for the hotel, and fares still vary by date. There is no free hotel night and no free airport city tour for transit passengers at Keflavík. For how this compares with TAP in Lisbon and the Gulf airlines, see our guide to free stopover programs.

Keflavík is a place to wait, not to spend a day. It has no transit hotel on its services list, no pool and no garden. The Icelandair Saga Lounge opens every day from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has showers and refreshments; access follows Icelandair's lounge rules. Airside you get duty-free, a Blue Lagoon skincare shop, 66°North and an Icelandic deli. On an overnight connection, sleep at a hotel in Reykjavík or near the airport rather than in the terminal.

Keflavík has no staffed left-luggage desk. Luggage Lockers runs 26 self-service lockers in the "Bike Pit" on the arrivals side of the terminal, open 24 hours. For up to 24 hours, a medium locker costs $21 (£15.40; ISK 2,490), a large one $41 (£31; ISK 4,990) and an extra-large one $62 (£46; ISK 7,490). From June 1 to September 10 the maximum is 4 days.

It is cheaper to carry the bag on the Flybus and lock it at BSÍ, where the same company has 96 lockers open 24 hours: medium $12.30 (£9.20; ISK 1,490) and large $25 (£18.40; ISK 2,990) for up to 24 hours.

US passport

Free to leave. Visa-free in the Schengen area (Iceland included) for up to 90 days for tourism or business; the State Department asks for 3 months' passport validity beyond your departure from the Schengen area and 2 blank pages. ETIAS is not yet operating. EES biometric registration (fingerprints and photo) at first entry, no fee.

UK passport

Free to leave. Visa-free in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180; passport issued under 10 years before arrival and valid 3 months after you leave. ETIAS is not yet operating. EES registration at first entry, no fee, record valid 3 years.

Into town from KEF

45 min by Flybus coach from Keflavík Airport to BSÍ Bus Terminal, Reykjavík (leaves about 40 minutes after each landing), $33 (£25; ISK 3,999)

Stopover program

Free stopover on your ticket. Icelandair Stopover: Add a stop of one night up to 7 nights in Iceland on a transatlantic Icelandair ticket without paying additional airfare (Economy Flex and Saga Premium Flex fares allow up to 21 nights, longer than 7 via the service center). Choose 'Stopover in Iceland' when booking; adding it to an existing booking costs a change fee. Flights only: you book and pay for the hotel.

Left luggage

Luggage Lockers self-service lockers in the 'Bike Pit' on the arrivals side of the terminal, open 24 hours (26 lockers); more lockers at BSÍ Bus Terminal in Reykjavík, open 24 hours At KEF, up to 24 hours: medium $21 (£15.40; ISK 2,490), large $41 (£31; ISK 4,990), extra-large $62 (£46; ISK 7,490). At BSÍ: medium $12.30 (£9.20; ISK 1,490), large $25 (£18.40; ISK 2,990)

Airside hotel

None

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).

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.

3 hours

5.0★★★★★★★★★★(21,345 reviews)

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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.

50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes

4.9★★★★★★★★★★(3,905 reviews)

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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.

Allow 2 to 3 hours

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Rating as shown on Viator

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