Reykjavik & Iceland travel guide

Plan your trip, step by step

• Where to stay
  Pick a neighborhood and choose a hotel vs. a self-catering apartment.
• Things to do
  Choose which day trips and experiences to pre-book (some sell out).
• Reykjavik in 3 days
  Follow a plan: the city plus the Golden Circle and South Coast.
• Estimate your trip cost
  See what an Iceland trip really costs — it’s pricey; plan for it.
• First-timer mistakes to avoid
  Sidestep the errors that cost first-timers money and daylight.

The neighborhoods at a glance

101 Reykjavik (downtown)

Known for the walkable core — Laugavegur shopping, bars, cafés and Hallgrímskirkja.

Old Harbour & Grandi

Known for whale-watching boats, seafood, the Harpa concert hall and the Sun Voyager.

Laugardalur

Known for the big geothermal pool, a park and the botanic garden, a short bus east.

Vesturbær (west side)

Known for residential calm and the locals’ favourite Vesturbæjarlaug pool.

Deciding where to base yourself? The where-to-stay guide turns these areas into a lodging decision.

When to go — month by month

Average daytime high (bars) and rainy days per month, from 5-year climate normals. Greener months are the most comfortable to visit.

Best months to visit: Jul–Aug

Destinations with a similar climate

Like Reykjavik’s weather? These places have the closest year-round climate in our data — tap through for each one’s best time to visit.

• Murren →
• St Moritz →
• Zermatt →
• Bergen →
• Helsinki →
• Wengen →

Know before you go

Currency

Icelandic króna (ISK). Iceland is nearly cashless — cards (incl. contactless) work everywhere; you rarely need cash at all.

Language

Icelandic. English is spoken essentially everywhere.

From the airport

Keflavík (KEF) is ~45 min from the city by Flybus coach or rental car. The Blue Lagoon sits on that route.

Getting around

Walk downtown; for the sights outside town, rent a car or take day tours. City buses (Strætó) cover Reykjavik; there’s no metro.

Tap water & alcohol

Tap water is superb — don’t buy bottled. A faint sulfur smell in HOT water is just the geothermal supply. Alcohol is pricey and sold only at Vínbúðin state stores.

Tipping

Not expected — service is included. Round up only for something special.

For the best months to visit and a day-by-day plan, see Reykjavik in 3 days.