Public transport

With the Reykjavík City Card you can use public transport in Iceland's capital with ease. The card doubles as your bus ticket and comes with extra perks - ideal for visitors unfamiliar with the city.

The Reykjavík Card as your public transport ticket

The Reykjavík City Card comprehensively covers public transport in Reykjavík. The city has no underground or tram system; yellow city buses (operated by Strætó) are the main mode of transport. A passenger ferry also runs to Viðey island. The following are included with the City Card:

• City buses: Unlimited travel on all Strætó city bus routes across greater Reykjavík (including surrounding municipalities).
• Ferry to Viðey: Free return crossing on the ferry to Viðey island.
• Not included: airport transfer. Strætó route 55 to Keflavík Airport lies outside the city area and is not covered by the card.

The City Card is available with 24, 48 or 72 hours of validity. Its validity period only starts once you use the card for the first time (e.g. boarding a bus or visiting an attraction). From that point, your chosen number of hours counts down continuously - for example, a 48-hour card activated at midday is valid until the same time two days later. If you collect the card in advance, you can also arrange a later start time there. There are no time-of-day restrictions - within your validity period you can use the transport network at any time.

Using it in practice

Using the Reykjavík Card on public transport is straightforward: board at the front of the bus and show the driver your card, clearly visible, as your ticket. You don't need to buy or validate a separate ticket - the City Card itself counts as a valid fare. When you change buses, show your card again to the driver as you board the next one. It works the same way on the Viðey ferry: show your card to staff at the ferry dock to cross for free.

If there's a ticket inspection, it's also enough to show your valid City Card. Keep the card with you throughout your journey. Since the ticket is activated with its first use, there's no need to get a time stamp - validity starts automatically from your first use.

Timetables and the public transport app

For planning your journeys, the official Strætó app "Klappið" is recommended, free for both Android and iOS. The app can be set to English and offers handy features: you can plan routes, check upcoming departures and find your connection. Klappið also shows the real-time position of buses and alerts you to timetable changes, so you're always up to date on delays or disruptions. (Note: the app also lets you buy digital tickets, though City Card holders don't need to.) Alternatively, you can check connections on Strætó's official website or at the timetables posted at bus stops.

Operating hours: City buses run on weekdays roughly from 6:30am to midnight. On Saturdays, the first services start a little later (around 7:30am), and on Sundays and public holidays from around 9:30am. Night buses only run at the weekend: on the nights of Friday into Saturday and Saturday into Sunday, several routes run between around 1:00am and 4:30am from the centre out to the suburbs. There's no night service during the week (Sun-Thu). Note that public holidays usually follow the Sunday timetable (reduced frequency).

Key routes for visitors

Airport and arrival: The Reykjavík Card does not cover the trip from the airport - you'll need to arrange your airport transfer separately. The fastest connection from Keflavík Airport (KEF) into the city is the private Flybus shuttle (about 45 minutes), which takes you directly to the central BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík. Cheaper but slower is Strætó's public route 55, which runs roughly every 1-2 hours from the airport to Reykjavík (about 90 minutes to BSÍ). Important: route 55 is not included with the City Card, so the fare must be paid separately. The BSÍ terminal is fairly central - about a 15-minute walk from the city centre. From there you can continue by city bus (e.g. route 5) or taxi.

Key interchanges: Within the city, Hlemmur (a bus terminal on the eastern edge of downtown) and Lækjartorg (a stop in the heart of downtown) are important hubs of the bus network. Many routes meet at these stops, making them convenient places to change buses or start your journey. From Hlemmur and Lækjartorg, the main routes get you to nearly all of Reykjavík's tourist sights.

A few key bus routes and the sights they serve:

• Route 1: Connects downtown with western and eastern neighbourhoods, passing the Perlan Museum on Öskjuhlíð hill and Harpa Concert Hall by the harbour. This route runs very frequently during the day and covers many of the main attractions.
• Route 6: Runs from the centre through residential neighbourhoods to the western part of the city, stopping near the famous Hallgrímskirkja church and the National Museum of Iceland - handy for reaching these sights directly.
• Route 5: Starts at the BSÍ bus terminal and crosses downtown (stopping at Lækjartorg) heading east. It runs to the Laugardalur recreation area, home to the Reykjavík Zoo & Family Park and popular thermal pools. This route is useful for getting from the bus terminal into the centre and for reaching family attractions in Laugardalur.

Beyond those listed here, there are of course other routes serving residential areas, shopping centres and nearby suburbs. Many downtown sights are also easily reached on foot. With the Reykjavík Card you can simply hop on the next bus to cover longer distances comfortably - without an extra ticket - so you can explore Reykjavík flexibly and affordably.