Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik – How to Get to the City

You’ve made it through immigration, grabbed your bags, and maybe sorted a SIM card, so now what? Getting from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik is likely your next decision to make in Iceland, and it’s a bigger one than it looks, since Keflavík isn’t actually in Reykjavik at all. Iceland’s main international airport sits out on its own peninsula, almost an hour’s drive away from the capital. It’s best to decide how you’re going to get to the city before you get here, and it will make your first hour on the ground a lot less stressful. Here’s our guide to getting from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik…

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There’s no single right answer for Keflavik to Reykjavik travel; it really depends on your budget, your luggage, and whether you’re renting a car anyway. Getting to Reykjavik from Keflavik Airport to the city breaks down into four real options: the Flybus and its competitors, renting a car right at the terminal, a taxi or private transfer, and the public Strætó bus. I’ll walk through what each one actually costs, how long it takes, and whom it makes sense for, then give you my recommendation based on what we’d do again.

Where Is Keflavík Airport?

Keflavík International Airport (KEF) is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, out on the southwest tip of Iceland, not in the city of Reykjavik itself. This catches a lot of people out; there’s a Reykjavik Airport too (RKV), but that’s a small domestic one right in the city, used for internal flights, not international arrivals. When you’re exploring Reykjavik (use my travel guide here), you’ll see (smaller) planes flying overhead. If you’ve flown into Iceland, you’ve landed at Keflavík. Or the smaller other international airport in the north of Iceland at Akureyri (AEY).

Back to KEF. The airport is close to the small town of Keflavík itself (hence the name), and it’s the gateway for pretty much all of Iceland’s international air traffic. The Reykjanes Peninsula is worth a stop in its own right too, actually, and I’d recommend building in time to explore it, and it makes sense to do that either on your first day or your last.

How Far Is Keflavík Airport From Reykjavik

Keflavík Airport is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from downtown Reykjavik, and the drive takes around 45-50 minutes under normal conditions. That’s assuming clear roads and no traffic, which is usually the case; Iceland doesn’t really do rush hour the way bigger cities do, although I don’t recommend trying to get back from the Peninsula on a Sunday evening.

It’s a straightforward, single road most of the way, so there’s no scenic detour or confusing junction to worry about. Compared to some airport to city transfers we’ve done elsewhere (Saigon Airport to the city, for one), this is refreshingly simple.

How to Go From Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik

Here’s every real way to get from Keflavík Airport into Reykjavik, and what each one will actually cost you.

Option 1: Airport Transfer Buses from Keflavík Airport into Reykjavik

The Flybus is the obvious default, and for good reason. It’s timed to every arriving flight, so there’s always a bus waiting, even if you’ve landed at 03:00 or your flight was delayed. If you are traveling from Keflavík Airport (KEF), your ticket is flexible and valid on the next available Flybus, regardless of possible flight delays.

The standard one-way fare runs around 3,999 ISK (there’s an additional charge for onward transport to certain hotels), and the ride to the BSÍ Bus Terminal in downtown Reykjavik takes about 45 minutes.

You can book directly with Flybus.is here

Or you can book with Viator.com here

If you don’t want to deal with a second leg to your actual hotel, book the Flybus+ option instead; it adds a minibus transfer from BSÍ to a stop near your accommodation, tacking on roughly another 30 minutes but saving you a walk with your bags. Book ahead online; it’s cheaper than paying at the kiosk, and there’s zero downside to locking it in before you land.

Book your Flybus ticket here.

Option 2: Renting a Car at Keflavík Airport

If you’re planning to explore beyond Reykjavik at all, and honestly, most visitors should (read our full breakdown of whether you need a car in Iceland), picking up your rental right at Keflavík is the easiest way to get to Reykjavik and skip a second transport booking entirely. Every major rental company has a desk or a shuttle pickup point just outside the terminal.

We’d pre-booked ours, so we walked straight past the Flybus stop and the taxi rank to our rental car shuttle, no second thoughts about it. If a car’s already part of your plan, there’s no reason to book a separate transfer into the city; just drive yourself in, but make sure that your Iceland Accommodation has parking, or that you’ve figured out where to park and how much it costs in the city.

Option 3: Taxi or Private Transfer from Keflavík Airport into Reykjavik

A taxi from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik will run you somewhere in the range of 16,000 to 20,000 ISK, more during weekends, holidays, or if traffic’s bad, and that’s before any waiting fees. For a solo traveler, that’s a LOT more than the bus; for a group of three or four splitting the cost, it starts looking a lot more reasonable. You’ll be able to pay with cash (ISK) or a major credit card.

Private transfers work similarly, but you book and pay in advance, so you know your fare before you land- no meter, no surprises. It’s worth it if you land at an awkward hour, and you’d rather not manage a Flybus connection with a toddler and three suitcases.

You can check the price of a private transfer from KEF to your Reykjavik Hotel here.

Option 4: Public Bus aka Strætó

Strætó Bus 55 is the cheapest way to get from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik, at around 2,400 ISK one-way, less than the Flybus. The catch is that it doesn’t run as frequently, and there’s no service timed to the earliest or latest arrivals, so if you’ve landed on a red-eye at 05:00, this isn’t going to be waiting for you. The first public bus from the airport to Reykjavik is at 06:27.

You can pay by card on board, so there’s no need to hunt down cash or a ticket machine before you get there (read my guide to Currency and Payments in Iceland here). The public bus from KEF to Reykjavik is a budget option that works well if your flight lands at a reasonable hour and you don’t mind a slightly less than optimal schedule. The bus takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik.

The price of a single adult ticket from KEF to Reykjavik is 2,400 ISK. You can check prices for other age groups and locations here.

Which Airport to Reykjavik Option Is Best for You?

If you’re traveling solo or as a couple on a budget, then take the Flybus, or Strætó if your flight timing lines up. If you’re already renting a car for the whole trip, then it’s usually cheaper to skip the transfer altogether and drive yourselves in. If you’re landing at 03:00 with an early start that same morning and don’t want to think about logistics, then Flybus+ with the hotel drop-off is worth the extra krona. If you’re traveling as a group of three or four, then it’s worth doing the sums on a taxi or private transfer; split four ways it can come out close to the bus fare, with a lot less faff.

For us, the choice was easy; we’d already booked a car, so we walked straight past every other option.

Reserve your rental car here

Map: Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik

If you’d rather see the route and locations laid out visually than picture it from a description, here’s our map of KEF and Reykjavik. You can also see the map here.

FAQs for Getting From Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik

Here are a few quick answers to the questions you’ll have about getting from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik.

How long does the drive from the airport to Reykjavik take?

It takes about 45 minutes, covering roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles), assuming normal traffic and road conditions.

Is there a train from the airport to Reykjavik?

No, Iceland has no passenger railway at all, not just at the airport. Bus, car, or taxi are your only options.

How much does the Keflavik airport bus cost?

The Flybus costs around 3,999 ISK one-way. Strætó’s public Bus 55 is cheaper, at around 2,400 ISK, but runs on a much more limited schedule.

Can I get a taxi at Keflavik airport?

Yes, taxis wait right outside the terminal. Expect to pay somewhere between 19,000 and 20,000 ISK for the ride into Reykjavik, more on weekends or during busy periods.

Can I take an Uber from Keflavik airport?

No. Uber does not operate in Iceland. There are no ride-sharing apps in Iceland. You can use an app called Hopp, which simply hails a licensed taxi.

Do I need to book a transfer from Keflavik airport in advance?

You don’t NEED to; buses run in connection with every flight and taxis are readily available, but booking the Flybus ahead online is cheaper and one less thing to think about after a long flight.

Is it cheaper to rent a car than take the bus at Keflavik airport?

For a single traveler with no onward road trip planned, no, the bus is the cheaper option. But if you’re renting a car for the whole trip anyway, there’s no reason to also pay for a transfer just to reach Reykjavik.

Final Words on Getting From Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik

Getting from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik really comes down to what you’re already doing with the rest of your trip. We, for instance, didn’t visit Reykjavik until the end of our first trip. But if a car’s in your plans anyway, just drive yourself in and skip the extra booking. If not, the Flybus is the easy, reliable default that most people end up taking, and for good reason. Whatever you choose, it’s a straightforward 45-minute-ish journey down a single road; nothing here should keep you up at night before you land.

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