How to Get from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik City in 2024 (Best KEF Transfer Options)

Are you looking for a bus from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik city? Or maybe you are wondering how to get from Keflavik to Reykjavik, and are considering a taxi, a private transfer, or a rental car? This article should answer all your questions about the best ways to travel from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik – find out!

First of all, congratulations on researching the best Reykjavik airport transportation options before your trip! This will save you lots of money.

I run a Facebook group for Iceland and Scandinavia travel and you would be surprised how often I see stories of people who just hop on a taxi at Keflavik airport without doing any prior research and are then presented with a 250+ EUR bill when they get to their Reykjavik accommodation… And no, the taxi drivers don’t scam tourists in Iceland – these are the regular taxi prices from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik.

But what is the best affordable way to get to Reykjavik from Keflavik airport (KEF)? Find out!

Good to know: Before we continue with the airport transfers, you should know that Keflavik airport is located really far from the city. It’s a 50km (30 miles) ride to town that in the best case takes at least 40-45 minutes.

TIP #1: If you are looking for the best price/quality Reykjavik airport transfer and don’t have the time to read about all the other options, then I’ll save you time. Flybus transfer between KEF airport and Reykjavik hotels is one of the best price/quality transfer options from Keflavik airport to your hotel in Reykjavik.

TIP #2: If you are looking for an airport transfer to the Blue Lagoon and from the Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik, you can book your Blue Lagoon transfers here and your Blue Lagoon tickets here. This private transfer is the easiest way to get to the Blue Lagoon straight from the airport if you are not renting a car.

TIP #3: If Blue Lagoon is closed or you prefer a more intimate experience, go to Sky Lagoon instead! In fact, most of our readers prefer Sky Lagoon. Just be sure to book in advance because it always sells out, often even weeks ahead! Here you can book Sky Lagoon tickets and transfers (from the city – there are no direct transfers from the airport).

   

Reykjavik airport transfers – overview:

• Bus transfers
• Taxi and Uber
• Private transfers
• Public transport
• Rental car
• Blue Lagoon transfers

Bus and minibus transfers from KEF to Reykjavik city

I’ll start with the best price/quality way to get from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik city – bus and minibus transfers.

There are several big companies offering bus transfers from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik. They are all priced quite similarly (25-30 EUR price range), have the same discounts for the children, and offer free Wi-Fi on the bus.

However, differ a bit, mostly in drop-off locations. See a short comparison below.

 

Flybus transfer between Keflavik airport & Reykjavik

Flybus has one of the best schedules for Reykjavik airport transfers. Flybus shuttles depart at the airport 35-40 minutes after the arrival of each flight. They adapt their schedule in case of flight delays, so there is always a bus waiting for you right outside the terminal building. Your ticket is valid on any bus, so if you miss a bus, you just take the next one. Furthermore, there is no luggage restriction (or at least not for regular-size luggage).

The company says that pre-booked tickets have a seat guaranteed, so it’s wise to book in advance. But in any case, I’d head straight to the bus after you pick up your luggage as the buses can get quite crowded at times.

There is just one choice you have to make: a transfer to the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik (+ 2 stops along the way – see below) or a drop-off at your hotel in the city center. The price difference is just a few euros, so unless your hotel is located close to the bus terminal, I’d definitely opt for the second option.

Below, you can read the explanation about these two options, and you can choose one of these options when you book your FlyBus tickets.

• Option 1 – Flybus: Bus transfer between KEF airport and BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik. The trip will take approximately 45 minutes. On request, the bus will also stop at Hotel Viking in Hafnarfjörður and at Aktu Taktu eatery in Garðabær.

• Option 2 – Flybus+: Transfer between Keflavik airport & hotels. This option costs just a few euros more and the first part of the trip is exactly the same – you take a bus to the BSI bus terminal. There you switch to another bus that offers drop-off at most hotels, hostels, and guesthouses in Reykjavik. Note that there is a bus ban in Reykjavik downtown, so if you are staying at one of the hotels in the bus-free area, the bus will drop you off at the nearest bus stop. Depending on where you are staying, the total duration of this airport transfer should be 1-1.5 hours.

Good to know: You can book the exact same Flybus transfers from Reykjavik town back to the airport as well. In case you choose a hotel pick-up option, make sure you read the information on the voucher very clearly (or call them just to be safe). Depending on where you are staying, the bus might be waiting for you at the nearest bus stop rather than at the hotel itself.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ: How to See the Best of Reykjavik in 1 Day

Gray Line – Airport Direct

Gray Line Airport Direct has a very similar shuttle service to Flybus. There is one difference – their bus terminal is located a bit further away from the Reykjavik downtown area.

So if you decide to go with this option, it’s best to book their airport bus transfer with hotel pick-up and drop off. (You can choose this in the booking process).

The process is pretty much the same as with FlyBus – they use big buses between the airport and the bus terminal in town, and smaller minivans between the hotels and the bus terminal. So you’ll have to switch from one bus to the other, but it’s generally very simple and well organized.

When booking this shuttle you have to indicate the time of the bus even for the transfer from the airport. So in case your flight is delayed you’ll have to ask to change your ticket to the next available bus at their desk at the airport. From what I read, it’s not a big deal and people can normally just hop on the next bus. Normally, just as FlyBus, they have buses available after all incoming flights.

Taxi and Uber ride from KEF airport to Reykjavik

As mentioned above, the distance between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik is quite big, therefore taking a taxi to/from Reykjavik airport is very expensive. Depending on where your hotel is, you can expect to pay over 250 EUR for a taxi ride from Reykjavik airport to the city center. Furthermore, you have no certainty about the price in advance.

I read online that a taxi ride from Keflavik to Reykjavik should cost you between 150 and 180 EUR, but I also saw many travelers sharing their experience on Facebook groups and they all paid at least 200 EUR for a taxi to get to Reykjavik. This was several years ago when this article was first written. In the meantime, the prices only went up.

The biggest advantage of taking a taxi is, of course, flexibility. It is also one of the fastest ways to get to Reykjavik. However, you get the same benefits with a private transfer as well, and there at least you know what you pay (see below for more information).

At the moment, there is no Uber (or Lyft or Bolt) in Iceland, so you cannot take an Uber from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ: Best Things to Do in Reykjavik

Private Reykjavik airport transfers

Private airport transfers in Reykjavik are the best option for those who are short on time and don’t mind spending a bit more. A private driver will be waiting for you at the Keflavik airport, so you don’t have to worry about flight delays or full buses.

A big advantage compared to taking a taxi is that you know in advance exactly what you pay. From what I see, the price of a private airport transfer to town is now at least 50-60 EUR lower than that of a taxi. This has changed a lot recently and private transfers are now much more affordable, especially if you are traveling with a bigger family/group of friends.

A private transfer to the Blue Lagoon is yet cheaper since it’s much closer to the airport than the city.

A private transfer is a very expensive option if you are traveling on your own, but if you are with 3-4 people it’s already much more affordable. You can also book a transfer by minibus for up to 8 people and in that case, it costs just a few Euros per person more than paying for 8x bus transfer described above.

Beware that there are many companies offering private transfers to and from Reykjavik airport, but many of them are even more expensive than a taxi. The private transfer I linked to above is the cheapest that I was able to find in Reykjavik.

Public transportation – bus from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik

The cheapest way to get from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik is by taking a public bus. Public Reykjavik airport bus no. 55 connects Keflavik airport to Reykjavik city.

The only advantage of taking a bus is that it’s a bit cheaper than the other options. You’ll save 7-10 EUR one-way, but there are several things to consider. The main disadvantages are the inflexible and limited schedule (especially on weekends and outside regular working hours), it takes much longer, and if you miss one bus you may have to wait a long time for the next one.

But if you are visiting Iceland on a budget and have plenty of time, then bus 55 is the cheapest way to get to Reykjavik from the airport. Here, you can find more information about the bus schedule and prices (at the moment of the latest update, 1960 ISK, which is about 13-15 EUR).

Rental car

If your visit to Iceland is longer than 2-3 days I strongly recommend renting a car. Public transportation in Iceland will not get you to the most beautiful locations; it’s really not an option outside of Reykjavik. There are several bus companies that have regular routes in Iceland, but it’s so much easier to explore Iceland on your own.

Renting a car directly at Keflavik airport will save you lots of trouble as you won’t have to worry about airport transfers. If, however, you are staying in the city for longer than a day, it might be wiser to pick up your rental car in town (but don’t count on cheaper rates compared to airport pick-up). Do your research!

We use and recommend this popular car rental search engine where you can find some of the best deals for Iceland car rental. Not only can you compare different providers and find the best prices for your travel dates, but you are also much better protected and have a much more flexible cancelation policy than you’d ever get when booking with small local companies directly.

We rent all our cars via this website when we travel, which is usually around 3-4 rentals per year, and we never had a bad experience. We also take insurance via them. Once, we had to make a claim, and it was handled on the same day, and the money was on our account a week later.

Blue Lagoon transfers

Many people choose to visit the Blue Lagoon immediately after arriving in Iceland or just before departure. Since the Blue Lagoon is located just 20 minutes drive from Keflavik airport, it’s indeed quite easy to do. That is IF you have a car.

If you don’t have a car, the best way to get to the Blue Lagoon from Keflavik airport is by taking a private transfer to the Blue Lagoon. There are also bus transfers to the Blue Lagoon from the city and back, but getting there from the airport by bus isn’t easy at all.

Good to know: Please note that any of these transfers don’t include Blue Lagoon admission tickets. You have to book them well in advance because Blue Lagoon is usually completely sold out. Here you can book the regular Blue Lagoon tickets.

READ ALSO: Best Half-Day Tours from Reykjavik

   

So, this is our guide to Reykjavik airport transfers and the best ways to get from Keflavik airport to Reykjavik. Hope you found it useful!

TIP: If you are staying in Reykjavik and don’t have a car, then you’ll need to book tours in order to see the most beautiful places nearby. See our hand-picked selection of the best guided tours from Reykjavik and also best winter tours and day trips from Reykjavik.

   

More tips for your trip to Iceland:

• When to go: When to Visit Iceland – Summer vs. Winter
• Where to stay: Where to Stay in Iceland & Where to Stay in Reykjavik
• Budget: How Expensive is Iceland (& How to Save Money)
• Packing: What to Wear in Iceland in Winter & What to Pack for Iceland in Summer
• Tours: Best Tours and Day Trips in Iceland 
• Winter visit: Best Winter Day Trips from Reykjavik & Iceland in Winter (Seasonal Tips) & How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland

What to see:

• Top sights: Best Places to Visit in Iceland & Best Places To See in Reykjavik
• Itinerary suggestions: Iceland Itinerary Suggestions for 1 to 14 Days
• Ring Road: Best Self-drive Itinerary for Iceland’s Ring Road
• South Coast: 4 Days in Iceland – Best Itinerary & Best Places to See on Iceland’s South Coast
• South and West Iceland: 7 Days in Iceland
• More travel Inspiration: Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Westman Islands, Icelandic Highlands, Reykjanes Peninsula, Perlan Museum in Reykjavik

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin this image!

   

You can also read this article about Keflavik – Reykjavik airport transfers in German: Reykjavik Flughafentransfer.