This travel guide is a lot more about Reykjavik and the day excursions that you can take from there. We also included sample itineraries, budget breakdown and recommendations on things to do. If you’re planning on checking out other parts of Iceland, this may not be suitable.
Most people think that Iceland is expensive.
Well, I hate to break it to you but, uhm, Iceland is really expensive. Reykjavik, its capital, is probably the most expensive city I’ve set foot in. It could cost you an arm, but you know what? It will treat your senses to an limitless succession of wonder that you will gladly give your other arm for another go at it.
That’s not to say that splurging is the only way to go. There are ways to lessen expenses, as we learned during our stay. and that is what we’re gonna share in this post.
O que está coberto neste guia?
Understanding Iceland and Reykjavik
When is the best Time to visit Iceland
How to get to Reykjavik, Iceland
How to get from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik City CenterRent a Car
Take a FlyBus or Grayline Bus
Take the public Bus
Take a mini-bus or shuttle
Where to stay cheap in ReykjavikTop Hostels in Reykjavik
Search for more: Reykjavik Hotels
How to get around Reykjavik City Center
How to visit nearby parts of Iceland from ReykjavikOption 1: By Car
Option 2: By Bus
Option 3: group Tours
Day excursions from Reykjavik (And a night Tour)Northern Lights Tour
Blue Lagoon
Golden Circle Tour
South coast Tour
South coast excursion with Glacier Walk
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon (Icebergs!)
Other Iceland Attractions
Places to visit in Reykjavik Proper
Where to eat cheap in Reykjavik
How to stay connected in Iceland
Sample Iceland travel plan and ExpensesIceland travel plan A: You’re joining Tours
Iceland travel plan B: You’re Driving
More Iceland ideas for the poor Traveler
More ideas on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️Related Posts:
Understanding Iceland and Reykjavik
Iceland is exceptional in lots of ways. It’s one of the youngest landmasses on the planet geologically, formed when lava spewed by volcanoes rose to the surface of the ocean and accumulated over millions of years. Iceland rises directly above where new crust is created, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, with one foot on the North American plate and the other on Eurasian plate, splitting the country apart. imagine the crazy volcanic activities happening here, adding the latter bit to its nickname, “Land of Ice and Fire.”
Iceland is also one of the last countries to be populated in Europe. According to tradition, its first permanent settler was the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson who arrived in the island in 874 CE. Yet, it has the world’s oldest national parliament that is still in existence, the Icelandic Alþingi (aka Althing or Althingi), the history of which can be traced to 930 at Þingvellir.
Þingvellir, where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart
With only over 300,000 residents, Iceland is also one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe. Two-thirds of the population lives in Reykjavik and nearby areas in the southwest edges of the island. Although it is Iceland’s economic and political center, Reykjavik is a lot more like a big town than a city. It has preserved a nostalgic, rustic atmosphere, with no skyscrapers or gigantic shopping malls around.
Here are a lot more things you need to know about Iceland.
Language: Icelandic, a North Germanic language. It looks intimidating for non-speakers, especially when you see some really lengthy words that are hard to pronounce. but English is the second language and is spoken fluently by nearly everyone.
Currency: Icelandic Króna (ISK, kr). 100kr is around EUR 0.76, USD 0.87, SGD 1.2, PHP 47 (as of October 2018).
Cost of travel: very high. Iceland is an expensive destination. There are ways to minimize the cost, but it is normally expensive especially for travelers from developing countries like us.
Modes of payment: a lot of establishments accept both credit scores card and cash, but cash transactions are rare even for small purchases. Snack stands and cafes expect credit scores card a lot of of the time.
Electricity Info: 230V, 50Hz. Iceland uses type F sockets, also known as schuko. These are sockets that are indented into the wall and accepts plugs with two round pins including Plugs C and E.
When is the best Time to visit Iceland
It depends on what you’re in Iceland for. If you want to explore much of the country — including the desolate and off-the-beaten-track lands of the north — the summer months of mid-June to early September are ideal. The temperature is pleasant, just playing around 20C, and there’s a lot more daylight, which indicates a lot more hours of exploring. roads leading to the farthest corners of the island are open, too, and there are a lot more public transportation options. summer is also considered height season so prepare for the expensive to be a lot more expensive during this time.
Strokkur Geyser
But if you’re after the northern Lights (like I was), you need to visit between late September to late March. Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world, which indicates it is also the most easily accessible city for enjoying Aurora Borealis. The carry months of September, October, and March are great options not just because of the Lights but also because the rates are not as steep and the days are as long as the nights.
If you visit in December-February, prepare for shorter days and average zero degrees.
Note: It DOES feel colder in reality than what the forecast says because of the wind and the rain showers. Iceland’s climate is a bit very unpredictable. It’s sunshiny one time and then raining the next, so make sure you’re prepared for the cold (warm clothes!) even when it’s sunny when you leave your hotel.
How to get to Reykjavik, Iceland
First of all, know that Iceland is part of the Schengen Agreement, which indicates you will need a Schengen Visa to visit. lots of travel to Iceland as part of a larger European trip, just like we did. (If you’re based in the Philippines, and Iceland is the only country you’re gonna visit on this trip, you may apply for a Schengen Visa at the Norwegian embassy in Manila.)
Reykjavik has its own airport, Reykjavik airport (RKV), but it is used only for flights from and to other Icelandic towns, Faroe Islands, and Greenland.
If you’re coming from another country, you’ll be landing at the Keflavik international airport (KEF), which is an hour away from Reykjavik. If your trip to Iceland is part of a longer Eurotrip, the least expensive flights to Reykjavik are normally those coming from London, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam.
If you’re coming from Manila, the least expensive flight would be by means of Turkish Airlines + Icelandair. You’ll find ROUNDTRIP tickets for less than PhP 28,000 for March (off-peak, northern Lights) or for only PhP 31,000 for June (peak season, summer). See screenshots below.
The crucial is to book waaay in advance. The early bird catches the best fares.
Manila-Reykjavik, March
Manila-Reykjavik, June
How to get from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik City Center
Keflavik airport is located an hour away from Reykjavik. It’s actually a small airport so don’t worry about getting lost or not finding your way around.
To get to the city center, you have four options:
Alugar um carro
If you can drive and have a driving license, you might want to consider this. I mean, really consider this. Renting a car is by far the least expensive (if you’re a party of 2 or more) and a lot of convenient way to get around Iceland. If you’re planning on renting a car to excursion anyway, you might as well pick it up at the airport. You can set up this before your flight or rent at the airport. (I’ll go over a lot more details in the section below. Scroll down.)
If you can’t drive for whatever reason, you can:
Take a FlyBus or Grayline Bus
Most tourists end up taking this because they have very visible booths by the terminal exit. It’s slightly pricier than the public bus and they charge a lot more if they drop you off at your hotel. note that if you choose that they take you to your hotel and if your hotel is located in the Old Town, you will be switching to a smaller mini-bus/shuttle at the terminal because big buses are not allowed in the area. here are the rates:
GRAYLINE(one-way)
To Grayline Terminal: EUR 20 (ISK 2400)
To your Hotel: EUR 24 (ISK 2900)
FLYBUS (one-way)
To Reykjavik BSI Terminal: EUR 20 (ISK 2500)
To your Hotel: EUR 24 (ISK 3000)
✅ get YOUR TICKET HERE
Take the public Bus
This is the more affordable bus option. Iceland has a Public Bus System called Strætó, and it runs Bus 55 that plies the Keflavik airport to Reykjavik route. just look for the BUS 55 sign outside the terminal. Its final stop is the BSI Umferðarmiðstöðin, which is the city’s main bus terminal. You can take another bus or you can walk to your hotel from here. The downside here is that it’s not as frequent as the private buses. You may check the timetable here. Fare: 1760 ISK (14.5 Euro, 16.5 USD). updated fares here.
Take a mini-bus or shuttle
There are also other companies like Reykjavik Sightseeing who could take you straight to your hotel without stopping or switching automobiles because they use a smaller shuttle all the way through. Fare: ISK 2990 (EUR 24).
Where to stay cheap in Reykjavik
If you’re going on a road trip around the island, then you shouldn’t spend all your nights in Reykjavik. but if you can’t drive or not planning on checking out the farther corners of the country, it makes sense to use Reykjavik as your home base because a lot of accommodations are here.
The Old town is the best place to stay because it’s the heart and soul of the city. It’s great to walk around and there are plenty of respectable restaurants.
When we were searching for hotels in Reykjavik, we were shocked. Our visit was in October bAs taxas foram de pelo menos 100 euros (US $ 110) por noite para um quarto duplo ou duplo em um hotel “orçamentário”. Os sofisticados discutiriam US $ 1000 por noite.
As camas de dormitório eram mais acessíveis em torno de US $ 25-55 por pessoa (mas eu ronco tão escandalosamente que não gostaria de colocar meus colegas de quarto, haha, então não era uma opção para mim).
Eu mexerei com motores de reserva de hotéis e descobri que essas são taxas normais para junho a outubro. Você pode reservar quartos gêmeos particulares em um hotel orçamentário por até 55 euros por noite, se suas datas de viagem caírem no período de novembro a março.
De qualquer forma, acabamos reservando um apartamento ou condomínio por meio do Airbnb por apenas 70 euros por noite (+ EUR 42 Taxa de serviço). Vou escrever uma entrada separada sobre isso em breve.
Top Hostels em Reykjavik
Reykjavik Downtown Hostel
Vesturgata 17, centro da cidade de Reykjavik
Taxas de verificação
Hostel B47
Baronsstigur 47, Reykjavik, Islândia, 101
Taxas de verificação
Pesquise mais: Reykjavik Hotels
Como se locomover por Reykjavik City Center
Reykjavik é uma cidade pequena e percorrida. Se você quiser percorrer a cidade, vá a pé. A menos que o tempo esteja azedo ou esteja muito frio, é claro. Caso contrário, caminhe.
Você realmente precisa pegar o ônibus, aqui estão as taxas:
Passeio único: ISK 420
20 bilhetes: ISK 8000
Cartão de 1 dia: ISK 1.500
Cartão de 3 dias: ISK 3.500
Se você não tiver certeza sobre o que comprar, selecione um único passeio primeiro e tente explorar a cidade a pé e veja se você realmente precisa andar de ônibus do seu hotel para seus destinos.
Como visitar partes próximas da Islândia de Reykjavik
Vik, vila mais ao sul da Islândia
Não há ferrovias na Islândia. Os moradores normalmente viajam de carro ou de avião (por longas distâncias dentro do país). Mas se você quiser ver as partes do sul e sudoeste da Islândia, que são as regiões mais próximas de Reykjavik, você tem duas opções.
Opção 1: de carro
Como eu disse anteriormente, a maneira mais barata e conveniente de dar a volta na Islândia é de carro. Se você sabe como dirigir e ter uma carteira de motorista, faz o melhor sentido de dirigir. Por quê? Como as opções de transporte público são escassas e excursões são caras.
As taxas de aluguel de carros normalmente começam em torno de 100 euros (ISK 13.000, Php 5500) pelo primeiro dia e de 30 a 50 euros euros para cada dia seguinte. Isso é para um Hyundai i10, Suzuki Alto, ou unidade semelhante com milhagem irrestrita e pode acomodar até 4 passageiros. Um aluguel de 5 dias provavelmente custaria 210 euros (ISK 26.500) e um aluguel de 6 dias em torno de 270 euros (ISK 34.000).
Adicione o custo e o seguro de gasolina/gás (cerca de 5 euros por dia), e essas seriam suas únicas despesas de transporte. Se você é um grupo de dois ou mais, isso é muito mais acessível do que ingressar em turnês em grupo, que eu irei mais tarde.
Alugar um carro dá não apenas economia, mas também flexibilidade. Você pode escolher suas paradas e pode até optar por passar a noite em outra cidade para não precisar ir para Reykjavik no final de cada dia.
Opção 2: de ônibus
Se você quiser ver grande parte da Islândia além daqueles que circundam Reykjavik, mas não pode dirigir, pode comprar um passaporte de ônibus. Isso permitirá que você entre e desça um sistema de ônibus que parasse em muitas atrações e cidades cruciais. Existem quatro rotas para escolher. O mais popular é o passaporte completo que permitirá que você viaje pelo país em uma direção, que pode começar e terminar em Reykjavik. Custa 300 euros (ISK 37.900).
Aqui está o problema, ele só está disponível durante o verão, meados de junho até o início de setembro. Além disso, na minha opinião, para maximizar seu valor (porque é caro), é ideal se (1) você estiver na Islândia por pelo menos uma semana e (2) você deseja ver as partes leste e norte do país. Muito mais informações sobre passaportes de ônibus aqui.
Você também pode pegar os ônibus públicos, mas lembre -se da programação da rota que deseja seguir e da frequência de viagens. Muito mais informações aqui: programação de ônibus públicos da Islândia.
Opção 3: passeios em grupo
Se você não pode dirigir e não quiser envolver a cabeça dos horários do ônibus, poderá participar de uma turnê em grupo. Podemos dirigir, mas não temos uma licença válida, por isso acabamos juntando excursões em grupo. Como todas as outras coisas na Islândia, é ‘