Reykjavik Attraction Tours: A City Card Plan
One card, one ticket or a mix? In Reykjavik the answer depends on how many museums and pools you plan to fit into a day, so it helps to count before you buy.
The City Card arithmetic
The Reykjavik City Card sells at ISK 6,100 for 24 hours, ISK 8,500 for 48 hours and ISK 10,500 for 72 hours. It covers Strætó city buses, the eight public pools, around 17 museums and attractions, and the ferry to Viðey island. A single pool visit is ISK 1,500 for an adult, so a swim plus two museum entries starts to repay the 24-hour card. Buy it from Visit Reykjavik .
Attractions that sit outside the card
FlyOver Iceland at Fiskislóð 43 simulates a flight over glaciers, canyons and volcanoes on a 20 m spherical screen with motion seats, wind and mist. Online tickets cost ISK 5,690 and gate tickets ISK 6,250. Minimum height is 100 cm, and open hours are 09:00 to 18:30. Book through flyovericeland.com .
Perlan, on Öskjuhlíð hill, is a glass dome on geothermal hot-water tanks with an artificial ice cave, a northern lights planetarium show, a volcano exhibit and a viewing deck. Exhibitions are open 09:00 to 21:00. Ticket prices vary, so use perlan.is for the current figure.
Old-town tickets
The Settlement Exhibition at Aðalstræti 16 is built around a Viking longhouse, dated to about 871 from a layer of volcanic ash. Open 10:00 to 17:00 and included in the City Card.
Harpa runs a guided tour of about 45 minutes, covering the Eldborg hall, rehearsal rooms and backstage corridors. Schedules and fares are listed on harpa.is .
Whales of Iceland
The exhibition in Grandi, at Fiskislóð 23-25, displays 23 life-size whale models, including a 25 m blue whale, with audio guides in 12 languages. Guided tours run at 11:00 and 15:00, and it is open daily 10:00 to 17:00.
Tours that include a pick-up
Coaches cannot wait outside hotels in the 101 postcode. Operators collect passengers from one of 14 numbered Tourist Bus Stops, so expect to walk 2 to 5 minutes from your door. When a booking shows a hotel pick-up, check the confirmation for the stop number. If you want a guided trip, check city and attraction tours and compare start points before paying.
A sample day
Spend the morning in Grandi with FlyOver and the whale hall (both are near each other), then walk or ride to Aðalstræti for the longhouse. Finish at Harpa for the free foyer. For a fuller plan see the three-day itinerary .
Money matters
Prices are in ISK, and cards and phones are accepted nearly everywhere. Tipping is not expected, since service is included in the price. Hotels add a lodging tax of ISK 800 per unit per night. The sightseeing page lists free alternatives.
Verdict: buy the City Card only if you will swim at least once and enter two or more museums on the same day. Otherwise pay per ticket and book FlyOver online to save about ISK 560.