Keflavík

Let's be honest. For most visitors, Keflavík is a view from a bus window at six in the morning. Flat lava, a lot of wind, and the airport. That's fine. It's also a little more than that.

Keflavík is a town on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland, and home to Keflavík International Airport, where nearly every visitor to Iceland lands. Together with neighbouring Njarðvík and Hafnir, it forms the municipality of Reykjanesbær, one of the largest towns in the country outside the capital area. Most people only see the airport and the road out of it, but if you have a spare evening before an early flight, it makes a perfectly sensible place to stay.

Tours that visit Keflavík

Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik Cruise Terminal (Sedan)

1 hour and 45 minutes · From Keflavík

4.8(363)

From 24.000 ISK

Skarfabakki | Skarfabakki Cruise Terminal to Keflavik Airport (Minivan)

1 hour and 45 minutes · From Reykjavík

4.8(363)

From 29.500 ISK

Reykjavik to Keflavik Airport by Minivan

45 minutes · From Reykjavík

4.8(153)

From 23.387 ISK

Roundtrip from Keflavik Airport and Reykjavik by Minivan

45 minutes · From Hafnarfjörður

4.8(363)

From 46.042 ISK

Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik City Centre by Minivan

45 minutes · From Iceland

4.8(363)

From 31.000 ISK

Reykjavik Harbour | Reykjavik Cruise Terminal to Keflavik Airport (Sedan)

1 hour and 45 minutes · From Reykjavík

4.8(363)

From 24.000 ISK

Keflavík airport to Reykjavík

The airport is about 50 kilometres from Reykjavík, roughly 45 minutes by road. You can take the airport bus, rent a car, or book a private transfer by sedan or minivan, which is the easy option with a group, a lot of luggage or a cruise ship to catch. Private transfers on this page also go straight to and from the cruise terminals in Reykjavík.

Pro tip: if you land in the morning and your hotel check-in isn't until the afternoon, don't just sit in the lobby. Head for the Blue Lagoon, about 20 minutes from the airport, or book a transfer that stops there on the way to Reykjavík. Many transfers and lagoon tickets can be combined, and it's a far better way to spend your first jet-lagged hours.

Things to do near Keflavík

The Reykjanes peninsula is right on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Within half an hour of the airport you'll find the Bridge Between Continents, a footbridge across a rift between the North American and Eurasian plates, and Gunnuhver, a steaming, roaring geothermal area near the Reykjanes lighthouse. In Reykjanesbær, Viking World has a full-size replica of a Viking ship. The peninsula has seen repeated volcanic eruptions near Grindavík since 2021, so check safetravel.is for current conditions and closures before you go anywhere near the eruption areas.

Is it worth staying in Keflavík?

For a first or last night, yes. An early flight out of Keflavík means a very early start from Reykjavík, and a bed ten minutes from the terminal buys you a surprising amount of sleep. For anything longer, stay in Reykjavík, where the restaurants, tours and nightlife are.

Private tours of Reykjanes, the Blue Lagoon and even the South Coast can pick you up straight from the airport. Tours and transfers that include Keflavík are below.