More about: Reykjavik Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
One of the must-do things to see and do in Reykjavík is a tour of the city on board a tourist bus. This type of transport gives you the opportunity to see as many places as possible in less time and saving money.
I will show you some of the advantages of this tour, as well as tell you the details of how to get a pass to enjoy this activity during your visit to the city. If you are going with children, this is one of the must-do tours to do with them.
Reykjavik Hop-On Hop-Off City Sightseeing Bus Tour
A complete tour of the whole of Reykjavík valid for 24 hours.
Discover the most popular attractions throughout the city during a flexible tour through the streets of Reykjavík and admire the modern architecture that abounds in every corner of the city.
This 24-hour Reykjavík sightseeing bus pass gives you the possibility to visit each of these places at the pace you want. You can stay as long as you want at each of the attractions and above all you have the possibility to get off at any place without restrictions.
With 16 stops this option is definitely one of the best alternatives to visit Reykjavik without spending too much money. The price of the ticket does not include the entrance fees to the paid attractions.
The best sightseeing buses in the city
There is only one tour bus in Reykjavík and it has its advantages and disadvantages, but it is definitely a must if you are visiting Reykjavík, and above all it is one of the best options to include in your itinerary of things to do, especially if you are looking for the best time to visit Reykjavík but have little time to do so.
One of the reasons why this sightseeing tour is definitely the best option to see the city and save money is because it offers you free stops, so you can hop on and off as many times as you want during the time of your sightseeing pass.
It is a double-decker bus that has comfortable spaces so you can travel around the city in comfort to really enjoy the ride.
It has a built-in upper deck from which you can enjoy panoramic views of the entire city during one of the best tours of Reykjavík while enjoying the commentary in the language of your choice as audio guides narrate the entire tour and tell you interesting stories about each place you visit.
This bus has become one of the most popular attractions in Reykjavik mainly because it gives you the opportunity to see places that you might miss out on if you hire a car for sightseeing.
Different Reykjavík Sightseeing Bus routes
This sightseeing bus is identified with the red route and consists of 16 stops where you are free to hop off and explore each sightseeing spot. This route starts each day at Harpa Concert Hall and ends at the iconic Hofdi House.
At any of the 16 stops you can hop off to explore the site and then hop back on the bus as many times as you like. As you know, this pass lasts for 24 hours so you can use it as many times as you like during this time.
If you prefer to stay on the bus and travel around the city without getting off at any of the stipulated stops, you can also do that without any problem. One of the best things about this experience is the freedom you have to visit the city of Reykjavík without a timetable and at your own pace.
You can take the red bus route at any point on the daily itinerary, but you should know that you can get on a bus every 45 minutes, meaning that if you miss the one hour bus, then you will have to wait approximately 45 minutes before you have the chance to get back on board.
Advantages of using the sightseeing bus
This bus operates only during daytime and evening hours, so it's one of the best ways to visit the city during the day. Although Reykjavík is a quiet and peaceful city, it is large enough to need a good means of transport to get around.
The preferred mode of transport for tourists is definitely the tourist double-decker bus. Among the advantages of this adventure is the personalised use of time, which means that you will have the possibility to explore the city according to your time availability.
Some of the other most advantageous features of this tourist bus are described below.
- You have access to free wifi on board the bus so you can look up information about everything you want to know about each tourist site, and it's fast enough to let you post as many photos as you want on your social media.
- It is equipped with air conditioning for the comfort of all passengers, but if you feel very cold, I recommend you to wear thermal clothes even inside the city, because temperatures are usually low even in summer.
- It has free stops, which is ideal to get to know the whole city at your own pace and according to your time availability. If you're on a family trip, you can take as long as you want, and if you're only in town for a short time, it's a quick tour.
- It has an audio guide in different languages, including Spanish, in which you can listen to the history of each of the tourist attractions you will visit on your tour.
- It is an excellent option to save money and at the same time have the opportunity to travel to almost the entire city for a single cost. Other means of transport may be more expensive than this alternative.
- Bus ticket prices are usually graded according to the age of the user. Children under the age of 12 do not have to pay a ticket to board the bus, which is a great saving if you are travelling to Iceland as a family and want to know what to see and do in Reykjavik with children.
- This is an option that can be used to your advantage in both summer and winter, however, in summer it is often more advantageous to use this route as the atmosphere in Reykjavík in summer is considerably more pleasant than during the rest of the year.
How long is the full tour of the sightseeing bus?
The full tour on board this sightseeing bus can take approximately one hour without getting off at any stops. But if you decide to get off to explore each of the places you will see along the way, then it can last as long as you want.
If you opt for the option of discovering the sights one by one, I recommend using the stop at one of the city's most popular shopping malls to shop for souvenirs and other things you might want to take home as a souvenir.
As for the duration of the pass, this is enabled for 24 hours, after this time, if you want to continue touring the city of Reykjavik because you missed places to know and see, you must buy a new ticket that will take you to see these places.
What will I see from the sightseeing bus?
One of the things I like most about this tour bus is that it takes you to the most popular places in the capital and gives you the chance to take your time to get to know each of the locations where you will stop.
In that sense, the itinerary shows you interesting places that would otherwise be impossible to visit in a single day. Here is a brief overview of the attractions and interesting sites you will see at each of the 16 stops.
Harpa Concert Hall
An imposing structure that serves as a concert and conference hall in the centre of Reykjavík. It is a work of architecture that is the pride of the locals. You can get off to see Harpa from inside or just admire it from the bus.
Old Harbour Souvenirs
It is a picturesque place with multiple houses in the style of Reykjavík that have been converted into small souvenir shops. Old Harbour Souvenirs is a good stop to appreciate the place and especially to do some interesting shopping before continuing the tour.
Reykjavík Maritime Museum
This is Reykjavík's maritime museum, and if you decide to visit it, you're guaranteed a trip back in time, where you'll learn a little more about the history of the Vikings and how they had a big impact on traditional Norse culture.
Whales of Iceland
This is another of Reykjavík's most important museums, being the one dedicated to the species of the sea. At Whales of Iceland you can learn all about marine life and its characteristic species.
National Museum of Iceland
This is one of the museums dedicated to the history of the island, inside the National Museum of Iceland you can find many samples of ancient civilizations, such as statuettes representing great gods of Norse and Scandinavian mythology.
Lækjargata
One of the most popular streets in Reykjavík, Lækjargata leads you straight to Lake Tjörnin. If you are looking for a good place to take beautiful pictures, I definitely recommend stopping at this street. It also has a very typical Icelandic scenery.
Laugavegur
This is a hiking spot very close to Reykjavík, where you can start a nice tour to other places of interest such as the Porsmork glacial valley. If you want to follow this route, I recommend hiring one of the best Reykjavík bike tours to do so.
Reykjavík Art Museum Kjarvalsstaðir
Of course, one of the most modern museums in Iceland, the Reykjavík Art Museum Kjarvalsstaðir, dedicated to art and sculpture, could not be missing on this route. Reykjavík is a city of culture, so the locals place special value on the visual arts.
Hallgrimskirkja
Hallgrimskirkja is the most important church in all of Iceland. It has an impressive structure, being, together with Harpa, one of the most striking structures of Iceland's capital city architecture. A unique place to take beautiful pictures.
BSÍ
This is the bus stop, so in theory, it is not a place to stop and visit, however, if you want to take another bus to visit other interesting places on the island, I invite you to stay at this station.
Perlan
The Perlan is a must-see attraction. It is a kind of planetarium located in the capital city and has a futuristic structure consisting of a pair of cylinders with a glass dome on top. If you want to see ice caves and aurora borealis without leaving Reykjavik, this is the place to experience them.
Hilton Reykjavik Nordica
This is one of the city's most eye-catching hotels and has a gourmet restaurant with rave reviews, so if it's lunchtime and you want to recharge your batteries, you can't miss this stop for good Icelandic and international food.
Laugardalur
This fun place is a good stop especially if you're going with kids. You'll have the chance to swim in the open air in the warm hot springs. You can also enjoy a relaxing walk through the trees before continuing on the bus route.
Skarfabakki Harbour
This is the cruise terminal in Reykjavík, owned by the Icelandic Harbour Society. If you are on a cruise ship visiting the island but don't want to miss the city tour, this is the station where you should join the tour. In case you are already on board, I recommend you look at the place from your seat on the bus.
Hofdi House
This property is located to the north of Reykjavík and dates back to 1909. If you like history and politics, you'll enjoy a stop at Hofdi House, the abode that hosted the decisive meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan to end the Cold War.
During the itinerary you'll also have the opportunity to visit some clothing shops for routine shopping. At each of the places on the itinerary you will have the opportunity to take amazing pictures, both in winter and summer.
Once you arrive at the Hofdi House stop, you return on the same itinerary, so you can always stay at your starting point.
How much does a ticket for the sightseeing bus cost?
The cost of the ticket to get on the sightseeing bus can vary according to the age of the passenger. Generally it costs between 26 and 34 Euros for adults. Young people between 12 and 15 years old pay approximately 17 euros per ticket, while children under 12 years old can get on for free.
This cost structure can change considerably depending on how you book your ticket. If you buy your ticket online, the ticket may be much cheaper, as well as being advantageous because you avoid running out of tickets by the time you want to take the tour.
The price of these tickets is usually the same during winter and summer, although routes may change slightly according to seasonal weather conditions.
Tourist bus timetable
This tour bus operates only during daylight hours, so it has a stipulated timetable for operation. Although this timetable changes according to the season whether it is winter or summer, its schedule changes very slightly and does not take advantage of the long daylight hours during the summer, being between 9:30am and 4:30pm.
Should you visit Reykjavík in winter and want to board the bus, you're likely to be in for a night-time spectacle because during this season the nights are much longer, extending up to 20 hours each day.
With so little sunlight and a timetable of 9.30am to 4.15pm each day, there is plenty of room for you to see and visit the city at night, appreciating the lights that illuminate the city and often give a better perspective of the sights.
How does the sightseeing bus work?
The first thing you need to know about the tour bus in Reykjavík is that it operates every day of the year, except for the bank holidays of June 17th. The bus also stops running on the 6th and 20th of August.
As for how to buy a ticket to get on the bus, what I recommend is to buy it online, so that you can be sure that you will have reserved your seat on the bus.
Once you buy the ticket, it is valid and the time you have to use it starts to run. On the other hand, you don't need to activate it in any way for it to start working, you just have to get on the bus and present your ticket to the driver.
When you buy the ticket you will have all the information you need about the route, the timetables and the number of stops, as well as the place where you can take the bus the first time.
This bus operates on a stop-by-stop basis, so make sure you get the closest stop to your accommodation, as the fare for this tourist transport does not include pick-up and drop-off at the hotel, but each passenger must make their own way to the bus stop.