One Day In Reykjavik Itinerary: The Ultimate 24 Hours Guide

Not only is Reykjavik the largest city and capital city of Iceland, but it's often the starting point for a road trip around the country. This travel guide shows you how to spend one day in Reykjavik before exploring the beautiful nature and more remote corners of Iceland.

Most visitors to Iceland fly to the Keflavik Airport and venture into Reykjavik to start their trip. That's what we did and we recommend that you do so, too. Even if you only spend 3 days in Iceland (on a long weekend trip or a layover), spend at least one day in Reykjavik.

Reykjavik is an amazing place for a city break and you should spend at least one day there. Justin and I spent two days in Reykjavik, though our first day was mostly spent resting and recuperating after an overnight flight from Toronto. Waking up feeling totally refreshed, we set out to fully explore this charming and colorful city.

In this guide to having the best day in Reykjavik, we'll share everything that you need to know before your vacation. Starting at the airport, we'll detail the easiest way to get into town. Then, we'll recommend where to stay, the best attractions and activities in Reykjavik, how to get around, and how to make the most of your stay.

In a hurry? Want the quick version of this one day in Reykjavik itinerary? Check out our mini guide in the yellow box below.

Getting to Reykjavik From the Keflavik Airport

So, you've decided to travel to Iceland. Here's where you can find the best rates on flights to Reykjavik. There's a good chance that you'll arrive in the early morning hours at Keflavik Airport, especially if you're flying from North America.

How do you get to Reykjavik? I recommend booking bus tickets to Reykjavik in advance. There are buses departing the Keflavik Airport 35-40 minutes after every flight arrival. Your ticket guarantees you a seat on the bus.

It's great because you don't need to schedule a particular bus ride. Simply hop on the bus once your flight lands and you collect your luggage. When we traveled to Iceland at the end of May, a bus departed every hour.

We didn't feel rushed to catch any bus. Instead, we enjoyed a coffee at the airport and stretched our legs a bit before getting on board another mode of transportation.

The bus ride from Keflavik Airport to the BSÍ Bus Terminal is about 45 minutes. Once you reach the bus terminal, there are lockers where you can store your luggage if you're staying at an Airbnb and the room isn't ready. Otherwise, take your luggage straight to your hotel where they can hold it for you until your room is ready.

Renting a Car in Iceland

Yes, we rented a car in Reykjavik, but we didn't pick up our rental car from the airport. It is not necessary to have a car in Reykjavik as the city is very walkable. Instead, we spent two nights in Reykjavik and then picked up our rental car in the city to embark on our road trip of the Ring Road.

Many car rental establishments will pick you up at your accommodation and bring you to the rental agency's office. This makes it easy to pick up your rental car, especially if you have luggage.

Here's everything you need to know about renting a car in Iceland. I recommend using Discover Cars to compare car rental prices between companies in order to find the best rates. We're always impressed with their customer service and only have excellent things to say about Discover Cars.

How to Spend the Morning in Reykjavik

We stayed at Grandi by Center Hotels (more on that in a bit). If your room isn't ready, they can hold your luggage for you in a storage area until check-in time.

Hygge Coffee & Micro Bakery is right next door to the hotel. Naturally, this is a cozy and casual spot that's perfect to stop for coffee and breakfast. Their coffee is rich and delicious, and they've got an excellent avocado toast.

Alternatively, if you're staying right in the city center (for instance, at our other recommended spot, Old Charm Reykjavik Apartments), consider popping by Sandholt Bakery on Laugavegur for a light breakfast. They open bright and early at 7:00am. This family bakery has operated for four generations, and it's one of the oldest operating bakeries in all of Iceland.

They specialize in sourdough bread, as well as sandwiches and breakfast offerings. For vegans, enjoy some of their fresh sourdough bread with an assortment of local jams and jellies.

Relax at Sky Lagoon

Sky Lagoon is a therapeutic and rejuvenating geothermal spa, located centrally in Reykjavik. There's a main geothermal pool with a 75-metre infinity edge, perfect for gazing at the stunning landscapes all around.

While Sky Lagoon is a manmade bath, they've designed the landscape to blend into the natural terrain. There are massive volcanic rocks all around, and some components are seamlessly built into the landscape, like the swim-up bar.

While the lagoon isn't exactly natural, it is geothermally heated by nature. When you visit Sky Lagoon, you must participate in the 7-step Skjól Ritual to get the full experience. The healing properties of Nordic spas happen when you alternate between hot and cold.

The 7-step ritual includes the first step of soaking in the warm lagoon. Next, take a cold plunge before relaxing in the sauna. After the sauna, become refreshed by a cold mist. Then, exfoliate your body with a invigorating body scrub. Absorb the hot steam in the steam room, and then drink an elixir of crowberries that grow in the wild in Iceland (called krækiber).

Sky Lagoon is the perfect first stop after a long flight to Iceland. You'll feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day. Here are tickets for Sky Lagoon with the 7-step ritual, and here are tickets for Sky Lagoon with the 7-step ritual and roundtrip transfers from Reykjavik.

Alternatively, you could also visit The Blue Lagoon, though the location is back towards the airport. If you arrive really early in the morning, this isn't always a convenient choice. The Blue Lagoon doesn't open until 8:00am, so you'd need to hang out at the airport until it opened.

One Day in Reykjavik Itinerary: How to Spend the Afternoon

Once you've spent a few hours at Sky Lagoon, head back to the Reykjavik city center for the afternoon. We'll explore by foot to see the interesting architecture, unique landmarks and colouful murals and street art.

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrimskirkja is the tallest church in Iceland and the sixth tallest structure in the country. It's the highest building in the city with the most impressive panoramic views from the top.

The architecture of the church itself is unlike any other, so definitely admire it from the exterior. However, I think it's totally worth going indoors and paying to go to the top.

The church itself is free to enter. You can check out the exterior and interior of the church at no cost. However, you'll want to splurge on the ticket to the top of the church tower. It's an extra 1400 ISK for a ticket to the top (children are 200 ISK and seniors/students are 1000 ISK).

After a short elevator ride, you'll enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view overlooking the whole city. It was a bit windy up there, though it's completely covered so you'll be protected in all kinds of weather.

I wasn't able to stop snapping photos of Hallgrimskirkja. The architect designed it to resemble the basalt lava flows in Iceland. Perhaps that's why it really isn't like any other building in the world.

Laugavegur (Shopping Street)

This is the main shopping street in downtown Reykjavik. You'll be able to do some window shopping, browse the boutiques, and perhaps bring some souvenirs home for family and friends. Iceland is an expensive country, so you might have a little bit of sticker shock.

There are also many restaurants, cafes, and bars on Laugavegur. We stopped at one that caught Justin's eye, the Lebowski Bar. Okay, it's a bit touristy, but plenty of fun for fans of the film. We went inside for a pint of beer, and this is where we learned that it is not cheap to drink at the bars in Iceland. But, it was a pretty unique spot and we didn't have any regrets.

Tip: If you're thinking about drinking, you can pick up beer at the duty-free shop at Keflavik Airport. It's actually fine to buy beer on your arrival at the airport and bring it along with you. It's definitely cheaper than drinking at the pubs!

For coffee lovers, make sure to grab a coffee or cappuccino at Kaffibrennslan. They serve specialty coffee, tea, sandwiches, and Icelandic beer. It's a cafe all day long and turns into a bar in the evening.

Street Art and Murals

Reykjavik is one of the most colorful cities I've visited. The houses are painted in a variety of bright colors. There's street art everywhere.

Large murals cover the sides of buildings, walls at city parks, and even along construction sites. For your one day in Reykjavik itinerary, I recommend that you walk around the city and admire the character of the city, as presented through its artwork.

Reykjavik's Rainbow Street

Following the theme of murals and street art, there's a bright and colourful street in Reykjavik with a rainbow painted on it. Also known as Skólavörðustígur, the rainbow starts at Laugavegur and follows the length of the street up towards Hallgrimskirkja.

Skólavörðustígur is home to some of Reykjavik's best festivals and celebrations. Naturally, it is the home of the Reykjavik Pride. It's also where you'll find the Reykjavik International Film Festival, The Reykjavik Arts Festival and others. The street is also a place where public art exhibitions are on display from time to time.

Harbourfront and Solfar

Continue your walk from Laugavegur down towards the waterfront. Walk a few blocks until you reach the harbour. There are mountains off in the distance and a lengthy paved path that follows the waterfront.

One iconic sculpture you must check out is Sólfar, also known as the Sun Voyager. It is an ode to the sun, and the promise of undiscovered territory and freedom. Solfar is right on the waterfront, so you can include it as part of your harbourfront stroll.

Harpa Concert Hall

Even with only 24 hours in Reykjavik, don't miss witnessing the beauty of Harpa, the concert hall on the waterfront. This is a giant glass building that's quite stunning. Admire it from the outside and then make sure you go inside as well.

You don't need to have purchased a concert ticket to admire the interior of Harpa. Visitors are free to wander around the inside of Harpa at no cost. It's a gorgeous work of architecture that you need to see in person.

The Reykjavik City Card

While the above attractions can easily fill day, you may want to check out some of Reykjavik's museums or other attractions, especially if the weather isn't cooperating. I recommend that you consider buying a Reykjavik City Card.

Bonus: Meet Friendly Cats

If you're a cat lover like us, you'll likely meet some friendly kitties when you're in Reykjavik. We saw several cats roaming about. They didn't seem to mind getting some love and attention from us.

As an extra perk, there was an orange cat who hung around the front of our hotel, Grandi by Center Hotels. One morning, I discovered the cat curled up on a chair in the front lobby! The cat does not belong to the hotel, but he's known to sneak indoors through the sliding glass doors and have a snooze on his favourite chair.

Restaurants in Reykjavik

Monkeys

Monkeys is a fine dining restaurant in Reykjavik offering Nikkei cuisine, a fusion between Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. There's an exciting cocktail list, an enticing menu of small plates, and set course meals. They have a vegan set meal with several courses featuring mouthwatering concoctions.

OTO

OTO features the creations of an award-winning Icelandic chef, and the restaurant is listed in the prestigious Michelin guide. The cuisine is a fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine. There are also tempting cocktails and set course menus at OTO, with one of these being fully plant-based.

KOL

KOL is another upscale establishment in Reykjavik serving cuisine from all over the world. Try one of their innovative cocktails paired with seasonal dishes. They also have set course menus, including a vegan one, which I was eager to try. It's hard to choose a favourite dinner restaurant between Monkeys, OTO and KOL, but the crispy tacos at KOL ranked pretty high on my list.

Where to Stay in Reykjavik

Hotel vs apartment? If it's your first day arriving in Reykjavik early in the morning, a hotel is the better option. There's a good chance you won't be able to check into your room right away, and they'll have luggage storage services at the front desk.

We enjoyed staying at Grandi by Center Hotels. This is a modern and stylish hotel with many great amenities, only a short walk from the middle of town. There's an on-site spa that's complimentary for all guests.

Our room was spacious and comfortable, perfect for our stay in Reykjavik. We loved how quiet it was because we needed to eventually get enough sleep to overcome our jetlag. There's also a large breakfast buffet in the morning if you choose to dine on site.