Glaciers, volcanoes and geothermal parks; Iceland is not short of natural wonders. One of the easiest ways to see the delights of this small island is to base yourself in the capital and embark on a series of day tours from Reykjavik. With a driver and guide, you can hit Iceland’s famous black-sanded beaches, snowmobile across a vast, frozen ice cap and see the sights of the Golden Circle all in a single day. There are myriad of activities and tours leaving Reykjavik every day, year-round, all you need to do is decide the best ones for your style of travel. Here’s our guide to help you choose.

Five popular day tours from Reykjavik

Iceland is a land rich with natural wonders so there are loads of day tours to choose from. If it’s your first time visiting Iceland or if you just want to make sure that you’re not missing out on any of the country’s highlights, we’ve got five popular day tours from Reykjavik to choose from.

The Golden Circle

Covering the absolute must-sees of the island, no trip to Iceland is complete without seeing the sights of the Golden Circle. This route from Reykjavik takes in Þingvellir National Park where the continental plates meet, the vast cascade of Gullfoss Waterfall and the geothermal area of Geysir. The Golden Circle Direct tour covers it all in just six hours, leaving time to unwind in Reykjavik in the evening, or perhaps embark on a trip to spot the Northern Lights if you’re short on time. You’ll be driven by bus from Reykjavik, so all you have to remember to bring are plenty of layers and your camera.

Wonders of Snaefellsnes National Park

In a single day, you can experience the contrasting Icelandic landscapes all in one place – the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This full day tour covers the wonders of Snaefellsnes National Park in twelve hours from Reykjavik. Black-sanded beaches, ice caps, towering mountains and cute villages sitting against the mossy-green scenery all await. At the centre of it all, you’ll stop to admire Snæfellsjökull glacier. Warm clothes, sturdy shoes and a waterproof jacket are recommended, especially in the colder months.


### South Coast and Black Beach ATV Adventure

For a little shot of adrenaline between natural wonders, consider the South Coast and Black Beach ATV Adventure. Travelling by bus towards Mýrdalsjökull glacier from Reykjavik, you’ll stop to pick up your ATVs (safety gear and protective clothing is provided) before embarking on a two-hour adventure fording rivers and powering down the black-sanded beach. Be sure to pack a camera to capture images of the DC-3 aircraft wreck on the beach. Along the south coast, you’ll also stop at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls. The entire tour takes around ten and a half hours.

Natural Wonders of the South Shore

If you just want to sit back and let the awesome (in the old sense of the word) scenery speak for itself, the classic tour of Iceland’s south coast is a great way to spend a day. Stop at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls (bring a waterproof jacket to walk behind Seljalandsfoss). Spot glaciers from the roadside and take a stroll on a dramatic, black-sanded beach. All of this is covered in ten and a half hours from Reykjavik.

Sky Lagoon and the Northern Lights

Slow the pace and relax with a session at a geothermal bath before heading out of the city to find the aurora borealis. Combine the Sky Lagoon and Northern Lights for a night to remember. The Sky Lagoon is on the outskirts of Reykjavik, and this tour includes transfers to the lagoon – naturally heated and jutting out over the Atlantic Ocean. Once you’ve rejuvenated, you’ll have free time in Reykjavik before heading out to the countryside with a professional to spot the Northern Lights glowing against the night sky.

Action-packed day trips from Reykjavik

If you want to turbo-charge your trip to Iceland, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the dramatic landscape with a bit of action and adventure thrown in. Get a bird’s eye view of the wild south coast with a zip-line adventure in Vik, where a hike through a river canyon ends with a flying zip-line above the Grafargil scenery. Or, perhaps zoom across the frozen surface of one of Iceland’s biggest glaciers on a snowmobile with a trip to the Golden Circle and Langjokull glacier. Take in every inch of the capital in just under an hour with a helicopter tour of Reykjavik, landing atop a towering mountain.

The logistics of our day tours

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to expect on a day tour; will there be enough toilet stops, what should I wear, and do I need to bring lunch? Here are the logistical details so you know exactly what to expect.

Pick-ups for day tours

All over Reykjavik you’ll find numbered bus stops where you can be picked up for your day tour. Reykjavik Excursions operate an upgrade to a shuttle bus service that can pick you up from one of these bus stops or selected hotels and guest houses. All day tours from Reykjavik leave from the BSI bus terminal, which is a ten-minute walk from the centre – around Hallgrimskirkja and Laugavegur. If you’re not upgrading to a shuttle from your hotel or nearest bus stop, you can join our day tours at BSI bus terminal.

Length of tours

We have a huge selection of tours from Reykjavik that last from the shortest (a 40-minute helicopter ride) to the longest trip in a single day to the beautiful Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, 380 kilometres away. The longest trip takes fourteen and a half hours. Typically, Golden Circle tours can take between six and eight hours, depending on how much time you want to spend at each sight and whether or not you want to add some other experiences along the way. While south coast tours tend to last around ten to eleven hours.

Bus sizes

Reykjavik Excursions has an entire fleet of buses from six-seater minibuses to forty-seater coaches. Small group tours for up to twelve people use the minibuses and larger tours, like the direct Golden Circle, use large coaches. There are also 4x4 coaches for winter excursions and trips out onto glaciers. All the buses have Wifi on board.

During the tours

Our large coaches have onboard WCs and there are toilets at nearly every sight across Iceland – including waterfalls and black-sanded beaches. If there is a long drive involved and you’re on a small group tour in a minibus, the driver and guide will stop at a petrol station for a comfort break.

Lunch and dinner are not usually included with a day tour, but there will be a break long enough to fuel up at a café or restaurant. Most of Iceland’s major sights have an onsite café serving hot, traditional soups, sandwiches and full meals.

Day trips and the seasons

A few of our day trips are dependent on the season. For example, the Icelandic highlands are only accessible in the summer months, so walking the Fimmvörduháls trail is only possible between around May and September. At the other end of the spectrum, the Northern Lights can only be seen in the autumn and winter months, between September and March. Your chances of spotting them increase in the deepest, darkest winter when the nights last longer. It’s worth noting that spotting the Northern Lights is never a certainty as the sky needs to be clear and cloudless.

Some activities can be done at any time of year, but flexibility is affected by the season. Whales can be spotted off the coast of Reykjavik year-round but, due to the long days, they can be seen 24/7 in summer. Also, different species frequent the waters at different times of year – the most reliable time to spot orcas is between March and June.

Overall, winter tours tend to be less crowded than during the summer as winter is low season in Iceland. Tours that run in autumn, winter and spring have the risk of being disrupted by Iceland’s unpredictable weather and can sometimes be cancelled at the last minute, but there will be less crowds along the Golden Circle and south shore than in the summer months.

What to bring for a day trip

It’s always a good idea to bring layers on a day trip in Iceland. The weather is hard to predict throughout the year, and even in summer a waterproof jacket is a good idea in case it rains. Lighter fabric t-shirts and long-sleeve jumpers are good for summer. Sturdy walking boots with a pair of thick Icelandic wool socks are essential when it’s cold – they keep your feet toasty warm and make you feel like a proper Icelander.

In winter, hats, scarves and waterproof gloves are a good idea on day trips, along with fleeces or thick woolly jumpers and a waterproof jacket over the top. Thermal layers can keep you warm in the most biting wind.

Although there are lunch stops on nearly every day trip, you might want to bring snacks for the bus, especially if it is a long drive. Reykjavik Excursions’ buses have Wifi, so you should fully charge your electrics before you get on board, and perhaps bring a power pack if you want to take a lot of videos.

Frequently asked questions about Reykjavik tours

What’s the most popular day trip from Reykjavik?

The most popular day trip from Reykjavik is the classic Golden Circle route, taking in the Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir area of geothermal activity. The natural sights form a circular route that’s easy to access from the capital, and features the absolute classics of the island’s unique scenery, making it the most popular trip. The wonders of the south coast – black sanded beaches, waterfalls and glaciers – is a close second in terms of popularity.

Should I stay in Reykjavik and do day trips?

In winter, when the weather is unpredictable and harsh, driving around Iceland by yourself can be difficult. Basing yourself in Reykjavik, where there are plenty of hotels and guesthouses to choose from, and using day trips to see the Golden Circle, south coast and glaciers is a great way to take the hassle out of your trip. If you want to move around the island and see some of the other towns, Reykjavik Excursions also offer multi-day tours.

How many days is enough in Reykjavik?

Reykjavik is a small city with a population of around 120,000 people so seeing the entire city is possible in a day, especially if you use the hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus. But dedicating two full days to exploring the city itself would allow you to relax a little and perhaps pause for a session at the Sky Lagoon. Of course, if you are basing yourself in Reykjavik and using day trips to explore the rest of Iceland’s wild scenery, a minimum of a week is recommended to at least see the sights of the Golden Circle and south coast too.

What should you not do in Reykjavik?

If you’re booking an airport transfer from Keflavik to Reykjavik, don’t opt for an airport taxi as this is the most expensive option. The Flybus is much cheaper and is a convenient way to get into central Reykjavik.

There’s no need to buy bottled water in Iceland as the tap water is some of the best in the world. If you’re staying in an apartment, just make sure you drink from the kitchen tap as the bathroom water is often heated geothermally and can taste a bit sulphuric. There’s also no need to tip in Reykjavik – it’s not part of Icelandic customs.

Is it worth spending a day in Reykjavik?

There are loads of things to see and do in Reykjavik, so spending a day is the absolute minimum you should dedicate to this city. You can spot the striking architecture of the Hallgrimskirkja, wander the little streets of the centre and go shopping for knitwear and souvenirs on Laugavegur in the centre. Walking down to the waterfront, you can see the snow-tipped mountains around Faxaflói Bay and snap some photos of the Sun Voyager sculpture glowing against the water at sunset. Along the waterfront you’ll also find the striking facade of the Harpa concert hall and Reykjavik’s old harbour where boat tours leave for whale watching adventures. That’s not to mention all the restaurants, pubs, museums (there’s a punk museum in a former public toilet) and the Flyover Iceland experience.

Can you explore Iceland from Reykjavik?

With so many day tours running throughout the year from Reykjavik, stretching as far as the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon and Diamond Beach (380 kilometres from Reykjavik), you can easily explore Iceland from Reykjavik. A popular way to see the whole island is to embark on a road trip around the ring-road that runs along the entire coast of Iceland, but this can be difficult during the colder months when the weather is unpredictable.

Can you do the Golden Circle on a day trip from Reykjavik?

The Golden Circle is one of the most popular day trips from Reykjavik and tours covering this route run throughout the year. The basic tour, covering the highlights – Þingvellir National Park, Gulfoss waterfall and Geysir – takes as little as six hours, but there are options to see a bit more along the way, perhaps adding a stop at the tomato greenhouse for lunch or recovering from the sightseeing with a soak in the Sky Lagoon.

Get under the skin of Iceland’s capital with a Reykjavik city tour

Base yourself in Reykjavik and explore every inch of the city with our selection of Reykjavik city tours. There is loads to do in Iceland’s capital and some of the activities might surprise you. Wildlife lovers can head out to spot whales in Faxaflói Bay, or join a puffin-watching expedition from the old harbour. You don’t have to leave the city to spot the Northern Light from the deck of a boat. Or, opt for the ultimate in relaxation with a session at the Sky Lagoon on the outskirts of the city.

So there you have it – you don’t have to stay outside Reykjavik to experience the natural wonders of Iceland. Day tours and activities from Reykjavik run throughout the year, taking in the highlights of the Golden Circle, the south shore and Snaefellsnes Peninsula, covering activities for all kinds of traveller. Adrenaline junkies can try zip-lining in Vik, snowmobiling on a glacier or a helicopter ride above the city. Or, for a more sedate option, there are transfers and packages to the island’s geothermal baths and spas. Whatever your preference, there’s a day trip for you.