When it comes to day trips, Reykjavik is the perfect starting point and there are various ideas depending on the type of day trip you are interested in. Let’s find the day trip that suits you best:
A day in the blue lagoon
Direction
Nordurljosavegur 9, 240 Grindavík, IcelandGet directions
Telephone
+354 420 8800
Web
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Naturally, the Blue Lagoon is the most popular destination for a day trip from Reykjavik. If you feel like relaxing and floating in the warm geothermally heated waters for a few hours, this is definitely the way to spend a day outside of Reykjavik. You can get there by bus from Reykjavik Main Bus Station or by car.
The Blue Lagoon is open every day all year round and it doesn’t cost a lot. Please note that this is a day trip that is best suited for adult travelers.
The classic tour of the golden circle
The Golden Circle Classic Tour is a full-day guided tour of Iceland and one of the most popular day trips from Reykjavik. Stops include Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall, famous Geysir, and several other must-see sights.
The tour departs daily throughout the year, with free pickup from your Reykjavik location.
One day trip to the volcanoes
Turning some volcanoes into a day trip from Reykjavik is becoming increasingly popular. How adventurous are you? Iceland has numerous exciting volcanoes, so your trip can include as many as you like. Start with a map of them to get an idea of the locations.
Remember that safety must come first when visiting an active volcano and keep a safe distance from any hot material or source of eruption.
A day trip along the southern coast of Iceland
From May to September, this is a true all-day (8am – 10pm) guided tour of Iceland not to be missed. The trip includes Skogafoss Waterfall and Skaftafell National Park, a boat ride through the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, and you will see the movie setting used for James Bond’s Die Another Day and A Sight to Kill, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
This full-day trip from Reykjavik runs several times a week, with free pickup from Reykjavik hotels.
One day on the Snaefellsnes peninsula
The Snaefellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland is one of the most popular destinations for visitors, with countless lava caves, hot springs and waterfalls. On the peninsula, you’ll also find Snæfellsjökull, a 1,446-meter (4,744-foot) high glacier-volcano, the highlight of Snæfellsjökull National Park.
To get from Reykjavik to Snaefellsnes, it’s about a 2-hour drive. Take the Icelandic Ring Road (Highway 1) to the west and drive through the Hvalfjörður tunnel. Bring your camera.
Ride Viking horses to Gullfoss and Geysir
This guided tour is so much fun for all ages and is a perfect Icelandic day trip for families! Everyone can enjoy riding Viking-bred Icelandic horses, and after a relaxing lunch break, the tour leads to the famous Gullfoss waterfalls, Icelandic National Park, and the unique Geysir area.
Departs every day throughout the year with pickup from your Reykjavik hotel around 10am
Laguna Azul + Cascada Gullfoss + Geysir
This is a very interesting full day tour of Iceland that includes a lot of nature and landscapes. The tour operator takes you to the Blue Lagoon, the beautiful Gullfoss waterfall, and then it’s time to see the Geysir. Don’t forget to visit the interesting greenhouse community of Hveragerdi.
The trip starts and ends in Reykjavik, takes a total of 10.5 hours.
A day trip from Reykjavik to Grímsey Island
Grímsey offers serene beauty with colorful salt marshes, high cliffs and countless birds. Although Grímsey is located in the Arctic Circle, the North Atlantic Current brings warmth from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a mild Icelandic climate in Grimsey. Grimsey is a bird watcher’s paradise. Sometimes Greenland polar bears come ashore on drift ice here.
To get to Grímsey, you can use the air and ferry connections from the mainland of Iceland. The 3-hour Saefari ferry leaves Dalvik (connected to Akureyri by bus) at 9:00 am Monday through Wednesday. Grímsey’s departure back to the mainland is at 4:00 pm on the same day.
A day in the blue lagoon and the lava caves
This 7-hour combo trip from Reykjavik is the best way to combine two great guided tours in one day. It’s an easy way to visit Iceland’s most spectacular caves and lava tube craters and then head to the Blue Lagoon for some pampering and relaxation.
The tour departs on Saturdays and Sundays from Reykjavik.
