City Break: Reykjavík — TripIt Blog

Metropolis split (noun): a quick holiday getaway expended in a metropolis, these kinds of as when on enterprise travel.
In advance of there was bleisure travel, there was the town break—the brief area of leisure time that grants you access to the cultural and culinary features that significant metropolitan areas provide. In this collection from TripIt, we examine some of the world’s greatest towns for planning a quick getaway or extending a get the job done vacation.
Here are our guidelines for producing the most of your city break in Reykjavík.
The place to fly in
Reykjavík is served by Keflavik International Airport (KEF), the major intercontinental airport for all of Iceland. It’s positioned 30 miles from Reykjavík.
After on the ground, travelers have a couple ground transportation options to get to their final desired destination. If you prefer to vacation by bus, book a experience with Airport Immediate or Flybus. The former runs on a preset agenda, whereas the latter has no preset program, and will wait for you if your flight is delayed. Both journeys get about 45 minutes to get to the town centre.
There is also a public bus provider, termed Strætó, that operates regular routes to and from the airport. Taxis are also available from KEF. Even so, rideshares, these types of as Uber and Lyft, are not offered in Iceland.
Desire to get close to on your possess accord? Your ideal bet is to rent a vehicle. Support desks are situated within the arrivals corridor.
Wherever to keep throughout your metropolis break
If you like centrally situated accommodations with a contact of luxurious, seem no additional than The Reykjavík Edition (pictured above), which offers sights of the harbor close by, as very well as Mount Esja and Snæfellsjökull glacier in the distance. The hotel is also home to myriad dining and leisure venues, which include Tides—a seafood-concentrated restaurant from Michelin-star chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason.
Wanting for a lot more finances-helpful digs? KEX Hostel, also found just minutes from the harbor, is a taking place put. Apart from providing a location to lay your head, KEX has cultivated one thing special: an effortless vibe that attracts locals and tourists alike. Even if you are not organizing to book a area, you’ll want to spend some time there. Grab a chunk at Flatus, buy a beer or cocktail at DRINX, or peruse the spines of Text. No overnight keep required.
Want to keep someplace that falls in between 5 stars and shared areas with strangers? I get that! Below are a several to take into account:
- The three-star Town Heart Lodge is true to its name, located appropriate in downtown Reykjavík and just a couple minutes walk to big attractions, places to eat, and nightlife.
- Storm Hotel, also a three-star hotel, is in fact a welcome shelter from the notorious Icelandic weather. Thoughtful design and cozy lodging make this a clever selection for your city crack it’s also centrally situated and walking distance to most city sights.
- Four-star Fosshotel Reykjavík is Iceland’s major hotel, that includes 16 floors and 320 rooms—many with breathtaking views of the town, harbor, and outside of. If you’re in Reykjavík on organization, this is also a fantastic place to host a convention or conferences the latter can be held on the top flooring of the lodge.
Family vacation rentals, like individuals booked as a result of Airbnb, are also offered in Reykjavík.
How to get close to
Section of Reykjavík’s charm is its quick walkability—yes, even in inclement climate. The metropolis has invested in an underground geothermal heating technique for its sidewalks and streets, preserving the streets from harmful snow plowing, when also preserving pedestrians from slipping on slippery surfaces.
If strolling is not feasible or appealing, Reykjavík’s city buses will choose you to and from several of the city’s sights and points of interest. Fork out for bus fare, system your route, and see in which buses are in actual time with the Klappid application. Bus fare can also be compensated for by using Klapp card or Klapp 10 (a 10-pack of tickets). If you want to invest in a card, you can do so at these suppliers in Reykjavík.
As for your micromobility selections, you can hire electric scooters by Hopp. Down load the app to get commenced. At the time of publication, it fees just 100 Icelandic króna (ISK) to unlock an e-scooter, and then it’s 33 ISK for each moment to journey.
Taxis are also readily available for journeys in Reykjavík.
Though leasing a automobile isn’t genuinely necessary if you are arranging to keep in the metropolis limits, you will want just one if you system to explore much more of Iceland during your trip. (And you unquestionably ought to, if you have the time!)
Professional suggestion: Use TripIt’s Navigator feature to lookup transportation possibilities offered to you. It will clearly show you the believed expenditures and vacation periods for just about every solution, so you can decide which performs finest. For illustration, if you insert a restaurant reservation to your itinerary (much more on where by to try to eat, beneath), Navigator also allows you come across the finest transportation solutions for receiving to your table. You can come across Navigator within your plan particulars screens.
Wherever to eat
If you only have time for one food in Reykjavík, dine at Snaps Bistro (pictured previously mentioned). The dishes are delectable, the wine record is outstanding, and for a city that is typically limited on daylight, you will take pleasure in the dining-in-a-greenhouse vibes. You are going to will need a reservation, so e book a single as early as you can.
Spending a couple of foods in the funds town? Love seafood? Put Tides (talked about higher than) and Fish Industry on your dining itinerary. Furthermore, you’ll need a reservation for each.
Like extra casual eating alternatives? KEX Hostel’s restaurant Flatus (also pointed out over) is a wonderful location for pizzas and other relaxed fare. Icelandic Road Foods is an additional excellent place for informal eats. Just want some thing you can grab and go (especially right after the pub)? Test “the ideal hotdog in Europe” at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur—open late (late!) night time, and notably, considering that 1937.
Speaking of pub tradition, in Iceland, Prohibition on beer (but not wine or spirits) was in effect until 1989—and microbreweries have been building up for shed time at any time due to the fact. You can check out local craft beers at numerous of the city’s bars and pubs, which include Microbar, Reykjavík’s 1st craft beer bar Kaldi Bar and Skúli – Craft Bar.
Tip: Alcohol is high priced in Iceland, so extend your króna at delighted hour(s). A lot of pubs and bars offer you discounted price ranges. Check out their social media accounts for deals and hrs.
Considerably less night owl, additional early riser? For breakfast, head to Brauð & Co for freshly baked merchandise, or Café Babalú for sweet and savory crepes. The latter’s vibrant exterior is tough to overlook, and the cafe is also 1 of the greatest places for a cup of coffee in the city. Other selections for a cup of joe incorporate Reykjavík Roasters, Mokka Kaffi, and Kaffibrennslan.
What to do on your city crack
If you only have a small amount of time in Reykjavík, be positive to tick the packing containers on some of the city’s most amazing sights, including Hallgrimskirkja (tip: climb to the prime of the tower to snap that legendary pic of the vibrant properties fanning out underneath) Harpa, the city’s glass-windowed concert corridor and convention heart and the Sun Voyager, pictured higher than.
For a dose of the country’s background, head to the Perlan, a museum—and an functioning geothermal water storage facility it is effectively worth a take a look at. The fourth ground capabilities a 360° observation deck that lies on the leading of the incredibly hot drinking water tanks, and gives a 1-of-a-type check out of Reykjavík and the encompassing space.
Want to up your Nordic design and style? Head to Laugavegur, a single of Reykjavík’s oldest streets and its principal browsing district, to peruse the myriad merchants featuring everything from high-close boutiques, vintage outfits outlets, house decor, cozy cafes, and much a lot more.
Planning to examine a lot more of Iceland throughout your vacation? Lots of of the country’s most stunning sights, together with the Blue Lagoon, Silfra (wherever you can snorkel among two tectonic plates) in Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss (waterfall), Strokkur (geyser), Reynisfjara (black sand seashore), Skógarfoss (waterfall), and Seljalandsfoss (waterfall) are within just a handful of hours generate.
Be aware: As destinations reopen all around the environment, be confident to check with and adhere to all community recommendations and travel limits, as they fluctuate extensively and will carry on to adjust. A person way to keep on top rated of shifting guidelines is to check with the COVID-19 vacation direction attribute in the TripIt app for vacation spot-specific information and facts, together with testing and vaccination demands, present infection premiums, quarantine guidelines upon arrival, and other information and facts you need to have to know prior to traveling to the location.