Keflavík airport to Reykjavík: bus, taxi, car

Almost every visitor to Iceland lands at Keflavík International Airport (KEF) – and is surprised that it is not in Reykjavík at all. The airport lies on the windswept Reykjanes peninsula, about 48 km from the capital, according to Visit Iceland. There is no train in Iceland, so you have three choices: the Flybus, the public bus 55, or a taxi or rental car. The short answer: take the Flybus to the BSÍ terminal or straight to your hotel; pick up a rental car at the airport if you are starting a road trip.

Keflavík airport to Reykjavík: the options

By car, it is 49 km from the airport to Hallgrímskirkja in the centre of Reykjavík and about 49 minutes of pure driving time, according to OpenStreetMap routing. Visit Iceland gives 40 to 50 minutes for the drive.

Base map: Natural Earth

The Flybus: timed to the flights

The Flybus is the airport transfer most people use. According to the operator, its buses leave shortly after every flight arrival, day or night, all year round, and the journey to the BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík takes about 45 minutes. At BSÍ, passengers who booked the hotel option change to a smaller shuttle that drops them at hotels and guesthouses – many streets in the centre are too narrow for big coaches, so the last stretch is often to a nearby bus stop rather than the door.

Tickets are sold online, at a kiosk in the arrivals hall and through partners; Visit Iceland adds that they can also be bought on Icelandair flights. Because the bus waits for the flights, a delayed landing is no problem – one of the main reasons to choose it over the public bus.

For the way back, the Flybus leaves from BSÍ or from designated pick-up points about 30 minutes before the scheduled time, according to the operator. Check the departure that matches your flight on its website.

Public bus 55: cheaper, less flexible

Strætó, the public bus company, runs route 55 between the airport and the capital area every day. According to Strætó, you board at the Strætó stop in the Bus B pick-up area on the arrivals side of the terminal. Not every trip goes to BSÍ: some end at Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður, south of Reykjavík, so check the timetable before you rely on it. You pay on board by debit or credit card or in cash, or with a countryside bus card; children aged 11 and under travel free.

The bus runs to its own timetable, not to the flights, so it suits travellers who land at a convenient hour and do not mind waiting. With a late or delayed arrival, the Flybus is the safer choice.

Taxi, transfer and rental car

Taxis wait outside arrivals 24 hours a day, according to Visit Iceland. With the long distance, a taxi is expensive for one person, but can make sense for a family or a group sharing it. If you prefer a fixed price and a driver waiting with your name, a pre-booked transfer from Keflavík airport^* (Welcome Pickups) is the most relaxed option. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options.

Many visitors do not go to Reykjavík first at all. The car rental desks are in the arrivals hall, and from the airport you are directly on the road to the Golden Circle or the south coast. If you plan a road trip, compare a rental car for Iceland^* (Localrent) in advance; our Iceland road trip itinerary shows the route around the island.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel in central Reykjavík, first visit: Flybus with the hotel shuttle.
• Hotel near BSÍ or the University: Flybus to BSÍ, then on foot.
• Arrival at a convenient hour, tight budget: Strætó bus 55 – check whether your trip goes to BSÍ or Fjörður.
• Family or group with lots of luggage: taxi or a pre-booked transfer.
• Road trip around Iceland: rental car straight from the airport.

Iceland is not in the EU, so roaming rules from EU contracts do not always apply in the same way – check your plan. A travel eSIM for Iceland^* (Airalo) is often the simpler option, and our eSIM price index compares prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

Plan generously: about 45 minutes of driving, plus the time for the shuttle from your hotel to BSÍ if you use it. In winter, wind and snow on the Reykjanesbraut can slow traffic. How long to stay in the capital, and what to see, is in our article how many days in Reykjavík; the best months for the trip are in best time to visit Iceland.

Reykjavík trip planDay by day, with map and tips

How YesTrip helps you plan

In YesTrip you add your flight and hotel to the trip and plan each day around them, with a map of your places in Reykjavík and the weather for your travel days – useful in a country where the weather changes quickly. The ready-made plans for Reykjavík can be copied into your trip with one tap, and with the offline package you have the map without a connection, even outside the towns. YesTrip is free.

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