How Many Days Do You Need in Reykjavik, Iceland?
How many days do you really need in Reykjavik?
The answer depends less on the size of the city and more on what role Reykjavik plays in your Iceland itinerary. Are you spending a few days in Iceland and using Reykjavik as your home base? Starting or ending a road trip? Visiting before a cruise? Or simply taking advantage of an extended Iceland stopover?
We've visited Iceland twice, and Reykjavik played a very different role in each trip.
On our first visit, in February 2020, we stayed in Reykjavik for three nights and used the city as a base for day trips. On our second trip, we spent two nights in Reykjavik before heading out on a longer road trip, then returned for one final night before flying home.
After experiencing the city both ways, our recommendation is pretty simple:
If Reykjavik is your primary base in Iceland, plan on 3–4 nights. If it's one stop on a larger Iceland road trip, 1–2 nights is usually enough.
Here's how we'd decide how much time to spend in Reykjavik—and what we'd make time for while you're there.
Do You Need a Rental Car in Reykjavik?
Reykjavik is about 45 minutes from Keflavik International Airport, so one of the first decisions you'll need to make is how you're getting from the airport to the city—and whether you need a rental car at all.
If you're staying in Reykjavik and taking organized day tours, you probably don't need one.
On our first trip, we didn't rent a car. Instead, we took the Flybus from Keflavik Airport into Reykjavik and booked tours for the places we wanted to see outside the city.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Flybus initially takes you to the main bus terminal. Depending on where you're staying, you may then need to transfer to another bus or walk to your accommodations. That's worth considering if you're traveling with a lot of luggage or someone in your group has mobility concerns.
Our second trip was different because Reykjavik was the starting point for a longer Iceland road trip, so we picked up our rental car as soon as we arrived.
If you're considering doing the same, there are a few things to think about.
Parking in central Reykjavik can be limited and expensive, and your hotel may not offer complimentary parking. You'll also want to understand exactly what your rental-car insurance covers. Iceland's weather, gravel roads and other driving conditions can present risks you may not normally encounter when renting a car elsewhere.
We chose additional protection for our rental car. It added to the cost, but the peace of mind was worth it for us.
And don't schedule your rental-car pickup too tightly after your flight. Passport control at Keflavik can take longer than you expect, and depending on the rental company, you may also need to take a shuttle to the rental-car facility.
How Much Time Do You Need to Explore Reykjavik Itself?
You may be surprised by how little dedicated sightseeing time you actually need.
Reykjavik is relatively compact, and on both of our trips, much of our exploring happened naturally in the evenings. We could walk around the city, shop, have dinner or drinks, and visit several sights without building an entire day around sightseeing.
That means you don't necessarily need to set aside a full day exclusively for Reykjavik—especially if you're traveling around Iceland and would rather use your daylight hours to explore farther afield.
There are, however, a few Reykjavik attractions we'd plan around.
Hallgrímskirkja
You can't really visit Reykjavik without seeing Hallgrímskirkja. The striking church is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks and dominates the Reykjavik skyline.
You can visit the interior, and for a small fee, take the elevator up the tower for panoramic views over the colorful rooftops of Reykjavik and the surrounding landscape.
Even if your time in the city is limited, we'd put this on the list.
Is Perlan Worth Visiting?
This one depends on the rest of your itinerary.
Perlan is an interactive museum focused on Iceland's natural environment, with exhibits about glaciers, volcanoes and the country's landscape, along with an indoor ice cave.
If Reykjavik is your base or you're only spending a few days in Iceland, Perlan is a great way to experience and learn about parts of the country you may not otherwise get to see.
If you're heading out on a longer Iceland road trip, we'd consider it more optional. You'll be seeing glaciers, waterfalls, volcanic landscapes and other natural features firsthand, so some of the exhibits may not have quite the same impact.
If you do visit, don't miss the observation deck—and head up to the rotating restaurant for a fantastic view over Reykjavik.
See Real Molten Lava at the Lava Show
One of the more unusual things you can do in Reykjavik is watch actual molten lava flow right in front of you.
At the Lava Show, you learn how lava behaves while watching it pour into the showroom at incredibly high temperatures. It's entertaining, but it also gives you a better understanding of the volcanic forces that created Iceland.
And unlike waterfalls, glaciers and geothermal areas, this isn't an experience you can simply pull over and see while road-tripping around the country.
Splurge-Worthy: Take a Helicopter Tour From Reykjavik
If you're looking for a memorable splurge, Reykjavik is also a convenient jumping-off point for helicopter tours over Iceland's volcanic landscape.
We booked a roughly 40-minute flight from Reykjavik that took us over lava fields, volcanic craters and fissures created by recent eruptions.
Seeing the scale of Iceland's volcanic landscape from above was incredible, but our favorite part was landing on a lava field and getting out to explore it on foot.
At around $560 per person when we booked, this was definitely one of the more expensive experiences of our trip.
It was also my favorite.
If a helicopter tour fits your budget, it's an experience we'd seriously consider adding to your Reykjavik itinerary.
Should You Visit the Blue Lagoon From Reykjavik?
The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland's most famous experiences, but there's an important planning detail to know:
It's closer to Keflavik International Airport than it is to Reykjavik.
Because of that, we think the Blue Lagoon makes the most sense on your arrival or departure day rather than taking up part of another sightseeing day.
We've actually done it both ways.
On our first Iceland trip, we visited the Blue Lagoon after spending a full day touring the Golden Circle. By the time we arrived, we were exhausted.
On our second trip, we went straight from the airport to the Blue Lagoon. We spent around three hours relaxing there before continuing to Reykjavik and checking into our hotel.
We much preferred the second option.
Instead of trying to sightsee while jet-lagged—or hoping our hotel would let us check in early—we were able to spend those first few hours relaxing.
And you don't need a rental car to make this work. Scheduled transportation connects Keflavik Airport, the Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik.
If we were planning another Iceland trip, arrival day is exactly when we'd visit the Blue Lagoon again.
Give the Golden Circle a Full Day
If you have several nights in Reykjavik, the Golden Circle is one day trip we'd absolutely make time for.
You can drive the route yourself or take an organized tour. We've actually taken tours on both of our Iceland trips, but they were very different experiences.
On our first visit, we took a traditional bus tour. We saw the major Golden Circle attractions and learned quite a bit about Iceland's history and culture from our guide.
On our second trip, we wanted something more adventurous and booked a small-group Super Jeep tour.
Both tours included the three classic Golden Circle stops:
Thingvellir National Park – Here you can walk through the dramatic landscape between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates while visiting one of Iceland's most historically significant places.
Geysir Geothermal Area – This geothermal area gives you an up-close look at Iceland's geothermal activity. While the original Great Geysir is mostly dormant today, nearby Strokkur regularly erupts, often every few minutes.
Gullfoss – One of Iceland's most impressive waterfalls, Gullfoss plunges through a dramatic two-tiered canyon. Multiple viewpoints let you experience the waterfall from different perspectives—and appreciate just how powerful it is.
These locations are popular for a reason, so don't expect to have them to yourself.
Driving Onto Langjökull Glacier
The highlight—and the main reason we booked a 4x4 tour—was Langjökull Glacier.
After visiting the traditional Golden Circle sights, our route took us away from the regular tour buses and toward Iceland's second-largest glacier. This is where having a specially equipped 4x4 completely changed the experience.
We didn't just drive to a viewpoint overlooking Langjökull.
We drove onto the glacier itself.
Our 4x4 Ford Super Duty carried us across the rugged terrain and directly onto the ice, where we were able to get out, walk around on the glacier and even drink glacier water.
It was one of those experiences that perfectly illustrates why we sometimes choose an organized tour even when we have our own rental car.
Our rental car was sitting back at our hotel in Reykjavik that day, but there was no way we could have recreated this experience with it. The Super Jeep gave us access to a part of Iceland we simply couldn't have reached on our own.
For us, Langjökull was what made this tour worth taking.
Not All Golden Circle Tours Are the Same
One of the biggest things we learned from taking two different Golden Circle tours is that you shouldn't choose a tour simply by counting how many stops it includes.
Beyond Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, itineraries can vary significantly. Depending on the tour, you might visit waterfalls, farms, volcanic craters or other attractions along the route.
More stops don't necessarily make a better tour.
On our first trip, for example, our tour stopped at Friðheimar Tomato Farm. We loved the concept, but we didn't have enough time to actually sit down and enjoy a meal.
So on our second trip, we deliberately chose a Golden Circle tour that didn't include Friðheimar. Instead, we made our own reservation and visited later during our road trip.
That gave us time to sit in the greenhouse, enjoy the food and actually experience the restaurant without watching the clock.
If Friðheimar is on your Iceland wish list, we'd definitely recommend making a reservation in advance.
Self-Drive or Take a Golden Circle Tour?
There's no universally better option—it depends on what you want from the day.
Driving yourself gives you flexibility. You can spend longer at the places you love, skip the ones you don't and add stops that interest you.
A guided tour gives you something different: context.
Our guides taught us about Icelandic history, geology and culture that we wouldn't necessarily have learned by simply pulling into each attraction ourselves.
Specialty tours can also take you places you can't safely or practically reach in a standard rental car.
That was the biggest reason we chose our Super Jeep tour.
In addition to the classic Golden Circle attractions, our 4x4 took us onto Langjökull Glacier. We drove out onto the glacier, got out to walk around and even drank glacier water.
Ironically, our rental car was sitting back at our Reykjavik hotel that entire day—but it couldn't have taken us where the Super Jeep did.
So our rule would be:
Self-drive if flexibility is your priority. Choose a traditional tour if you value history and context. Consider a specialty tour if you're looking for an experience you couldn't easily do on your own.
Whichever option you choose, give the Golden Circle a full day rather than trying to squeeze too much else into your itinerary.
So, How Many Days Should You Spend in Reykjavik?
After visiting Iceland twice, we'd plan it like this:
1 Night in Reykjavik
This can work if Reykjavik is primarily the beginning or end of a longer Iceland road trip. Spend the afternoon or evening walking around the city, visit Hallgrímskirkja, have dinner and enjoy downtown Reykjavik before moving on.
2 Nights in Reykjavik
For a larger Iceland itinerary, this is probably our sweet spot. You'll have enough time to experience Reykjavik itself while adding an attraction or excursion without taking too much time away from the rest of the country.
You could also visit the Blue Lagoon on arrival day, spend your first evening exploring Reykjavik, devote the next day to the Golden Circle, and then begin your road trip.
3–4 Nights in Reykjavik
If Reykjavik is your primary base, we'd recommend three to four nights. That gives you time to explore the city while taking day trips to places like the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon without feeling like every day is packed.
It can also be a good option if you don't want to rent a car. There are plenty of organized tours departing from Reykjavik, allowing you to experience some of Iceland's most popular destinations while returning to the same hotel each night.
Our Recommendation
The better question isn't really How many days do you need in Reykjavik?
It's What do you want to experience in Iceland?
If Reykjavik is the trip, give yourself 3–4 nights and use the city as a base for exploring.
If you're heading out on a longer road trip around Iceland, we'd spend 1–2 nights in Reykjavik and save more of your time for the country's waterfalls, glaciers, volcanic landscapes, small towns and incredible scenery.
Reykjavik itself is compact enough that you can experience quite a bit simply by exploring in the evenings, which makes it easy to fit the city around the rest of your Iceland itinerary.
And if you're still deciding how to structure your trip, check out our How Many Days Do You Need in Reykjavik?video to see these experiences firsthand and follow along with our Iceland adventure.
