Keflavík Airport sits out on the Reykjanes peninsula, about 50 kilometres from Reykjavik, so getting from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik means a drive of around 45 minutes whichever way you travel. There are no trains, so your choice is between the Flybus airport coach, the public bus 55, a taxi or a hire car, and many people choose to stop off at the Blue Lagoon on the way.
The quick answer is Flybus. It runs according to flight arrivals, including at night, and takes you to the BSÍ bus terminal or on to a stop close to your hotel. If you’re hiring a car for the rest of your trip, you can pick it up at the airport and drive straight off. Here you’ll find prices, journey times and how to get back to the airport. Prices are given in Icelandic krónur with the approximate amount in pounds in brackets.
Contents
Quick overview
- Flybus to BSÍ: 3,999 ISK (around £25), about 45 minutes to the BSÍ bus terminal, runs after every arrival.
- Flybus to your hotel: 5,299 ISK (around £33), the same coach with a change at BSÍ to a minibus that drops you at a stop close to your hotel.
- Strætó bus 55: 2,400 ISK (around £15), about 50 minutes to Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður and about 70 minutes to BSÍ on the services that go all the way in, 12 departures on weekdays and fewer at weekends.
- Taxi: 22,500 ISK (around £140) at a fixed price for up to four people when you book in advance with Hreyfill, about 45 minutes door to door.
- Hire car: the price depends on the car and rental period, about 45 minutes along Route 41 to Reykjavik.
- Blue Lagoon on the way: about 20 minutes by car from the airport, and the Destination Blue Lagoon bus runs from the airport to the lagoon and on to Reykjavik.
How to find transport at the airport
Keflavík has one terminal, and once you’ve collected your luggage and gone through customs, you come out into the arrivals hall. This is where you’ll find the airport coach desk and ticket machines, as well as the desks of the big car hire companies. The airport has gathered all the options on its page about transport to and from the airport.
Flybus stops just outside the terminal. Turn left as you leave the arrivals hall and you’ll see the coaches lined up in rows out on the forecourt. Strætó’s bus 55 stops at the KEF Arrivals stop in the Bus B waiting area on the arrivals side, and there’s a covered walkway from the terminal out to the bus.
Taxis wait just outside the arrivals hall, and they’re available around the clock. Hire cars from the companies with desks in the terminal are parked in the rental car park a few minutes’ walk from arrivals. If you’ve hired from a company without a desk, you’ll be picked up by a shuttle bus from the bus area outside the terminal or met by a member of staff in the arrivals hall, so read your confirmation before you land.
1. Flybus to BSÍ and your hotel
Flybus is the airport coach most people take, and it runs between the airport and the BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavik. Departures from the airport are timed to match flights: the coach leaves about 40 minutes after each landing, including at night, and when lots of planes land at the same time, extra coaches run. If your flight is delayed, your ticket simply covers the next coach, with no need to rebook.
The journey to BSÍ takes about 45 minutes. On the way, the coach stops at Aktu Taktu in Garðabær and at Fjörukráin in Hafnarfjörður if there are passengers for those stops. You can bring two suitcases of up to 23 kilos each, plus hand luggage, at no extra cost.
You may come across the name Airport Direct in older guides. Its website now redirects you to Flybus, and Gray Line also refers you to Flybus for airport transport, so Flybus is effectively the airport coach to look out for.
Price and tickets
A ticket to BSÍ costs 3,999 ISK (around £25) for an adult. If you want to continue to a stop close to your hotel, the ticket costs 5,299 ISK (around £33). Young people aged 6 to 15 pay 1,999 ISK (around £12) to BSÍ and 2,649 ISK (around £16) including the hotel transfer, and children aged 1 to 5 travel free.
If you buy a return in one go, you automatically get a small discount, and groups of four or more get a discount too. Special luggage costs an extra 1,500 ISK (around £9). You’ll find all the fares on Flybus’ price page.
Where to buy your ticket
The easiest option is to buy your ticket online before you travel, so you skip the queue in the arrivals hall. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. In the arrivals hall, you can also buy a ticket at the Flybus desk or from the machines after customs. Flybus accepts cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and cash in Icelandic krónur is only accepted at the desk at the airport.
If you’d rather have the coach sorted in the same booking as the rest of your activities, you can book a coach transfer between the airport and BSÍ or the city centre here.
Where should you get off?
BSÍ: The bus terminal is at Vatnsmýrarvegur 10, just south of the centre. From here it’s about a 15-minute walk into the city centre. The terminal has toilets, a place to eat and luggage lockers available around the clock, in case you have time to kill before you can check in.
The stop by your hotel: If you’ve bought a ticket including the hotel transfer, you change at BSÍ to a smaller bus, and staff will show you which one to take. Many hotels in the centre aren’t served door to door but have a numbered stop nearby, such as stop 1 by the City Hall, 6 by Safnahúsið and 8 by Hallgrímskirkja. Enter your hotel on Flybus’ page about stops to see which stop is yours.
The stops are in Miðborg, which is the area I recommend for most people, and you can see hotels in Miðborg here. If you’re unsure about the neighbourhood, read my guide to where to stay in Reykjavik.
2. Strætó bus 55 to Hafnarfjörður and BSÍ
Bus 55 is the public bus between the airport and the capital area. It doesn’t run according to flights but to a fixed timetable, so it works best if you land during the day and aren’t in a hurry. On weekdays there are 12 departures from the airport, from 6.27am to 10.54pm. On Saturdays it runs roughly every two hours from 6.54am, and on Sundays every two hours from 10.54am.
The catch is the final stop. Most services terminate at the Fjörður shopping centre in Hafnarfjörður, which the bus reaches in about 50 minutes. Only a few weekday services continue into Reykjavik via Kringlumýrarbraut, Hlíðar and Klambratún to BSÍ, and they take about 70 minutes. So check the sign on the bus, and look at Strætó’s page about bus 55 before you travel.
At Fjörður you change to city bus 1, which runs via Klambratún and Hlíðar to Lækjartorg and Harpa in the centre. The journey takes about 30 minutes to Lækjartorg, and on weekdays bus 1 runs every 10 to 15 minutes during the day and every half hour in the evening. With the change, allow around an hour and a half from the airport to the centre.
Price and tickets
A ticket from the airport to Garðabær and Reykjavik costs 2,400 ISK (around £15), and to Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður it costs 1,800 ISK (around £11). Young people aged 12 to 17 and people over 67 pay half, so 1,200 ISK (around £7) to Reykjavik, and children aged 11 and under travel free.
If you need to change to bus 1 at Fjörður, ask the driver whether your ticket is valid for the onward journey. Otherwise, a standard city ticket costs 690 ISK (around £4) when you pay by card on the city bus. The fares are listed at Strætó.
Where to buy your ticket
You pay when you board bus 55. The bus accepts bank cards and cash, and you can’t reserve a seat in advance. On the city bus, you hold your bank card or phone against the card reader as you board.
Where should you get off?
Klambratún: The stop by the park with Kjarvalsstaðir is in Hlíðar and is handy if you’re staying at the eastern end of the centre or around Hlemmur. You can reach it on the services that run all the way to BSÍ, or on bus 1 from Fjörður.
BSÍ: The bus terminal is about a 15-minute walk from the centre. From here you can walk or take a taxi for the last stretch.
Fjörður: The shopping centre in the middle of Hafnarfjörður. If you’re staying in Hafnarfjörður, you’ve arrived, and you can see hotels in Hafnarfjörður here. If you’re heading on to Reykjavik, change here to bus 1.
3. Taxi and private transfer
Taxis wait outside the arrivals hall around the clock, and the journey to Reykjavik takes about 45 minutes, though longer in rush hour and bad weather. You’re free to choose which taxi you take, and the driver must accept payment by card and phone. The airport recommends that you ask for a price estimate or agree the fare before you set off, and that you ask for a receipt.
The most predictable option is to book in advance. The taxi company Hreyfill runs between the airport and Reykjavik at a fixed price: 22,500 ISK (around £140) for a car with up to four people and 29,250 ISK (around £180) for five to eight people. The driver tracks your flight and waits in the arrivals hall with a sign bearing your name. You can book in Hreyfill’s app, online or by phone.
If you take a metered taxi, an airport fee of 490 ISK (around £3) is added. Based on Hreyfill’s rates, a 50-kilometre journey comes to around 20,000 ISK (around £125) during the day on weekdays and up to 24,000 ISK (around £150) in the evening and at weekends. On major holidays such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve there’s a 35 per cent surcharge. The rates are on Hreyfill’s price page. Uber doesn’t operate in Iceland, so it’s a taxi or a transfer if you want to be driven to the door.
If there are several of you, or you’re landing late with children and lots of luggage, you can book a private transfer between the airport and Reykjavik here. The price is per car, and the driver waits for you at the airport.
4. Car hire from Keflavík Airport
Many people hire a car at the airport, because Iceland is best explored independently, and because a car is often cheaper than the bus or a taxi when there are several of you. Four companies have desks inside the terminal: Avis, which also runs Budget and Payless, Europcar, which also runs Goldcar among others, Hertz and Sixt. Here you walk straight from the baggage belt to the desk. Many other companies pick you up with a shuttle bus or send a member of staff to the arrivals hall.
The airport warns that some companies claim to be located at the airport even though their office is outside, so check where you need to go. The desks in the terminal have long opening hours, but they aren’t open around the clock, so if you land in the middle of the night, you’ll need to arrange the handover with the company. You can see which companies have desks on the airport’s car hire page. Read the insurance terms carefully, and choose a car that suits the season and your route.
The drive to Reykjavik
From the airport you take Reykjanesbraut, Route 41, through the lava fields and past Hafnarfjörður into Reykjavik. It’s about 50 kilometres, and the drive takes around 45 minutes. The speed limit is 90 km/h on paved roads outside towns and 50 km/h in towns, and you must always drive with your headlights on, even during the day. The rules are set out by the Icelandic Road Administration, Vegagerðin.
In winter there can be ice, snow and strong winds on Reykjanes, and roads can be closed at short notice. Check road conditions on umferdin.is before you set off, especially if you land in the evening during the dark months.
Parking in Reykjavik
Central Reykjavik has zoned paid parking, and you pay in an app or at a machine. The city’s car parks and private spaces have their own rules. You can read more at Reykjavik City Council. Ask your hotel about parking before you book, as quite a few hotels in the centre have no spaces, while some hotels in Hlíðar and Laugardalur offer free parking.
5. The Blue Lagoon on the way from the airport
The Blue Lagoon is near Grindavík, only about 20 minutes by car from the airport and about 50 minutes from Reykjavik, so it works well as the first or last stop of your trip. By car, you take Route 41, turn off onto Grindavíkurvegur, Route 43, and follow the signs. Parking is free.
You need to buy a ticket in advance, as you may not get in without one. The cheapest ticket, Comfort, starts at 11,990 ISK (around £75), and the price depends on the time slot. The area around Grindavík has seen volcanic activity, and the lagoon can close at short notice, so check the Blue Lagoon’s own website before you plan your day.
By bus from the airport
The Destination Blue Lagoon bus is the lagoon’s official transport partner and runs from the airport to the lagoon, from the lagoon to Reykjavik, and in the other direction. From the airport there are only a few scheduled departures a day, in the morning, around midday and in the afternoon, while buses from the lagoon to Reykjavik run roughly once an hour from midday to evening. Departures change with the seasons and are listed in Destination Blue Lagoon’s timetable.
You can book the bus together with your lagoon ticket, or you can book a transfer from the airport or Reykjavik to the Blue Lagoon here. If you land early in the morning, it can pay to visit the lagoon first and head into town afterwards, so you’re not waiting around to check in.
Luggage at the Blue Lagoon
Suitcases aren’t allowed in the changing rooms. There are lockers for all guests, where you can keep valuables and a rucksack-sized bag, and by the car park there’s a luggage storage for larger bags, which costs 1,000 ISK (around £6) per suitcase. This is stated in the Blue Lagoon’s help centre.
Travelling around Iceland straight from the airport
If you’re not staying in Reykjavik for the first few nights, you can drive straight from the airport. With a hire car, you take Route 41 towards Reykjavik and carry on out of the city towards the Golden Circle, the South Coast or Snæfellsnes. Choose a short first drive if you land late or in winter. If you want to plan what to see along the way, read my guide to the best sights in Iceland.
If you land late and fly on early, a night in Reykjanesbær close to the airport can save you the drive there and back, and you can see hotels in Reykjanesbær here. If you need help choosing bases around the country, read my guide to where to stay in Iceland.
Getting back to the airport
Flybus runs from BSÍ to a fixed timetable, and the coach doesn’t wait for late passengers. The first leaves at 4am and the last at 10.30pm, with departures every half hour to two hours. The journey takes about 45 minutes. If your ticket includes pick-up, you’ll be collected from your stop half an hour before the coach leaves BSÍ, and you need to be ready 10 minutes beforehand. Flybus recommends allowing an hour and a quarter from pick-up to the airport, and departures during the late-afternoon rush hour can be delayed.
Bus 55 only runs from BSÍ on a few weekday services and takes about 65 minutes. The other services leave from Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður and take about 45 minutes. The bus drops you at the terminal on the departures side, in the same place as the airport coaches. The first bus reaches the airport at around 7.30am at the earliest, so for early morning flights Flybus or a taxi is the safe choice.
If you’re driving, return the hire car to the rental car park by the terminal following the company’s instructions. If you’re being dropped off in front of the terminal, keep the goodbyes short, as a car stopping for more than 5 minutes in the drop-off zone is charged a fee. Follow your airline’s recommended check-in time, and allow extra time if the weather is bad.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s my recommendation based on who you’re travelling with and where you’re going:
First time in Reykjavik: Take Flybus with the hotel transfer. It runs according to your flight and drops you close to your hotel for 5,299 ISK (around £33).
If you want to save money: Take Flybus to BSÍ and walk the last stretch into the centre. Bus 55 is cheaper, but it runs less often and frequently requires a change in Hafnarfjörður.
If there are three or four of you: Four Flybus tickets with the hotel transfer cost just over 21,000 ISK (around £130) before the group discount is deducted, so a fixed-price taxi at 22,500 ISK (around £140) costs almost the same and takes you to the door.
If you’re touring Iceland: Pick up your hire car at the airport and drive straight off. You save the trip in and out of town and can fit the Blue Lagoon in on the way.
If you land early in the morning: Take the bus to the Blue Lagoon and continue to Reykjavik in the afternoon, when you can check in at your hotel.
If you land at night: Flybus also runs after late arrivals. Bus 55 doesn’t run at night, so the alternative is a taxi.
Practical tips for getting from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik
Buy your Flybus ticket before you leave home. That way you can walk straight out to the coach, and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours beforehand. The ticket is valid for the next coach if your flight is delayed.
Find your stop before you travel. With the hotel transfer, you’re often dropped off and picked up at a numbered stop rather than at the door. Write the number down so you know where to wait on your way home.
Check where bus 55 is going. Many services terminate in Hafnarfjörður, and at weekends the bus only runs every two hours. If it doesn’t fit your flight, Flybus is the best choice.
Have a bank card ready. Buses, taxis and parking are almost always paid by card or phone in Iceland, so you don’t need to change money into Icelandic krónur to get into town.
Make the most of a stopover. If you’re flying on across the Atlantic with Icelandair, you can add a couple of days in Reykjavik on the way. I’ve written about what it’s like to fly to New York with Icelandair via Iceland.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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