Can you visit Iceland without a car, by bus?

This is a question I get asked regularly, and it deserves a clear answer. The easiest way to visit Iceland is obviously to hire a car (or camp, or whatever). But for those who don’t have a licence or don’t fancy driving in weather that can be pretty wild at times, what can you do? What is there to visit, and how?

Let’s take a look, but I can confirm it’s not straightforward! Obviously, if you focus on the south and the west, everything around Reykjavik, well there you’ve got quite a few options thanks to the agencies, as we’ll see.

There’s a second base that lets you discover the north of Iceland for the most part even without a car: Akureyri, and honestly it’s not bad at all.

That said, as we’ll see, for the other regions it’s much more difficult. Right, off we go!

Can you visit Iceland by bus?

So yes, when you look at Iceland’s public transport map (which you can look at here), there’s a bus network that goes all the way round and, depending on the season, runs along the inland roads. It’s lovely, it’s tidy, you think to yourself ‘it’ll be fiiine, this’ll work!’, well no, actually not. Because when you look at the timetables, you see that there’s often just one bus a day, sometimes fewer! Unless you want to reach the big towns close to Reykjavik, like Akranes or Selfoss, where yes, there are plenty of buses a day. Also be careful: since the bus network was overhauled on 1 January 2026, the south coast towards Höfn is now served by the new ligne 52, which only runs 4 days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday). Suffice to say it’s even more complicated than before! By the way, the site to check the buses is Straeto.

If you want to sightsee, to see the tourist spots (that’s why you’re here, not to go to Akranes), you’ll come up against the harsh reality. Just one bus a day, then. So when you arrive, you have to wait 24 hours to leave again. OK, it makes for slow tourism, why not! Except… where do you sleep? Because — otherwise it’d be too easy — there aren’t necessarily any hotels or campsites near these tourist spots; I’m thinking especially of the south coast.

Let’s look at a few examples, with ligne 52 (the former line 51 before the 2026 overhaul) which runs along the entire Icelandic south coast and serves many tourist spots:

• if you want to go to the pretty Seljalandsfoss waterfall, easy — there’s no stop. Simple, effective.
• on the other hand, if you go to the Skogafoss waterfall, then yes, there’s a stop. And even better! there’s a campsite where you can sleep (and leave again the next day at the same time!)
• you want, like everyone, to visit the Jokulsarlon lagoon? perfect! there’s a bus that drops you off at 7pm. Except… well, there’s no hotel for miles around. You can walk 15km to the Fjallsarlon Overnight Adventure to sleep by the Fjallsarlon lagoon. Or walk 15km north to the superb Hotel Jokulsarlon. But not a campsite, nothing around the lagoon. Handy.
• Finally, you want to see the superb Vestrahorn mountain? You’ve got the bus that goes to Höfn, OK. Fine. But from there, you have to take a taxi to get to the Viking Café, at the entrance to the area. Not easy, but the good thing is that you can absolutely stay at the Viking Café!

And it’s the same with all the other tourist spots on the south coast. The two canyons with unpronounceable names? no stop. The plane? same (well, luckily there, because there’s nothing for 50km around).

So what I’m trying to show you is that visiting Iceland by bus takes a LOT of organisation and courage. Because you can’t visit everything. When you stop somewhere, it’s for 24 hours and you need to be sure you’ve got an official place to sleep.

Right, as we’ll see later on, there are still ways to visit Iceland without a car.

Landmannalaugar and Thorsmork are accessible by bus!

And thankfully! Because they’re the two most beautiful hikes in the country, and you can’t get there on foot or by car (well, sometimes you can). And since these are hikes that can take several days, with a different starting point from the finishing point, it wouldn’t always be practical to go by car

Landmannalaugar is accessible by bus from Reykjavik!

• Reykjavik Excursions
  • • Departure from Reykjavik in the morning, around 7am
    • Departure from Landmannalaugar in the afternoon, around 4pm
    • Price: about €87 (12,200 ISK) one way
    • More info
• Travel Experiences (TRex)
  • • • Departure from Reykjavik City Hall at 7.30am and 12.30pm
      • Departure from Landmannalaugar at 2.30pm and 6pm
      • Price: €95 one way
      • More info

Otherwise, to visit Landmannalaugar as a day trip, you can go through an agency. During my very first trip in 2016 it’s something I did because, although I had a car, it wasn’t a 4×4 (so no highlands) but above all it was in May, so still a huge amount of snow — it was impossible to go without an agency.

• Randonnée in Landmannalaugar departing from Reykjavik (or on site) — a guide will take you to the most beautiful spots on a fairly sporty hike
  • Info and booking
• A top-notch 4×4 minibus tour! that crosses rivers and everything. You’ll discover the region’s essentials and can take a dip in the hot springs
  • Info and booking
• The Landmannalaugar tour by Super Jeep! You’ll discover the region in a small group, and you have time for a hike as well as a swim
  • Info and booking
• Another super jeep, but one that runs all year round, including winter! Here it’s in a very small group, and if you come in the snow it’ll be a really different experience. I did it in winter, it’s honestly brilliant.
  • Info and booking

For Thorsmork, never easy to spell, there are also buses to visit for a day or over several days:

• South Adventure, with loads of options, from Reykjavik or closer
• TREX.is, about €100 from Reykjavik
• Nat.is

The other means of transport in Iceland

No, there’s no train network in Iceland

It would be really handy, but impossible to maintain because of the country’s constant seismic activity (it moves all the time!). There’s quite simply no train line in the country. It has to be said that, with the low population density outside the Reykjavik region, it wouldn’t really be profitable! especially as you’d have to maintain it in this rotten weather 😀

You can try a horse instead.

You can take domestic flights

There are several small airports all over Iceland, served by Icelandair (which absorbed the former Air Iceland Connect airline) from Reykjavik’s domestic airport:

• Akureyri, several flights a day, from about €80 — by far the most useful, we’ll see why
• Egilsstadir (east), about 2 flights a day, around €100
• Höfn (Hornafjörður), about 5 flights a week since the contract passed back to Icelandair at the end of 2025, around €110
• Ísafjörður (Westfjords), but this route is being cut back as the old planes are withdrawn: check it still exists before counting on it

On paper it’s super handy because the distances are big: the road between Reykjavik and Akureyri is long and not the most thrilling, so flying really makes sense.

BUT be careful, and this is THE important point: a flight is only worthwhile if you can then get around once you’re there. And there, only Akureyri really allows that, thanks to its agencies that fan out (Myvatn, the whales, the waterfalls). In Höfn, Egilsstadir or the Westfjords, once you’ve landed… you’re stuck: no buses, no excursions. You couldn’t even reach Vestrahorn, which is right next door! So in practice, without a car, flying is mainly useful for reaching Akureyri.

Visiting part of Iceland thanks to the agencies

But fortunately, as in any tourist country, there are agencies in the big towns that let you visit the surroundings. Here I’d say there are two big hubs, from which you can fan out over several days:

• Reykjavik, there are dozens of really interesting outings. The Golden Circle, the south coast over one or several days, Snaefellsnes…
• Akureyri, it’s ideal for discovering the north coast, towards Myvatn, all the waterfalls, but also some more remote spots, or to see the whales
• Vik, yes and no. Well, it’s sometimes the departure point for ice caves, glaciers, but there’s no tour that shows you around the surroundings, that takes you to Dyrholaey for example

The different outings to discover Iceland from Reykjavik

As I was telling you earlier, by fanning out from Reykjavik you’ve got plenty of scope to discover 3 great regions, the most touristy ones, without needing to take the bus. The agencies take care of everything.

That said, it’s true that compared with a classic road trip, there are a few differences:

• it’s generally more expensive to go through the agencies than to hire a car
• you need to plan a bit in advance for the excursions so there’s still space
• without a car, less room for the unexpected, but you don’t have to bother driving in a country where it’s difficult

Discovering the Golden Circle from Reykjavik

So first, to answer the question, no, there’s no public bus that visits the Golden Circle. It’s super simple, many agencies do the majority of the sites, it’s a classic circuit that takes a day. The only snag is that with an agency you can’t do the lovely Bruarfoss hike. But you’ve got the essentials:

• Classic tour of the Golden Circle, with the Kerid
  • info and booking
• Tour of the Golden Circle with, on top, a dip in the heated pool of the Secret Lagoon
  • info and booking
• Tour of the Golden Circle with a snowmobile !
  • info and booking
• and the safe bet: the Golden Circle with a moment of relaxation at the Blue Lagoon !
  • info and booking

Discovering Iceland’s South Coast from Reykjavik

Here we’ll find a load of interesting options. As we’ve seen, there really is a lot to see on Iceland’s south coast, but the only bus that goes there is really just for show.

So, from Reykjavik, we’ve got options over one or several days, short or long days, because the south coast is huge! it goes all the way to Vestrahorn but generally the agencies stop at Jokulsarlon.

But the nice thing is that they sometimes offer activities like a glacier, an ice cave, on top of visiting the main tourist spots. Anyway, let me show you all this, it’s interesting!

• the classic south coast tour: the Reynisfjara beaches at Vik, the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, the Sólheimajökull glacier
  • info and booking
• the south coast of Iceland with the waterfalls, the black sand beaches of Vik, but also with a glacier hike !
  • info and booking
• go further with the Jokulsarlon lagoon and Diamond Beach! You’ll also pass by the Seljalandsfoss waterfalls and the black sand beaches of Vik
  • info and booking
• finally, on top of the south coast must-sees like Vik and the waterfalls, visit the ice cave of Katla!
  • info and booking

Discovering Snaefellsnes from Reykjavik

Right, if you’ve read me before, you know that the Snaefellsnes peninsula is my favourite place in Iceland, because it’s a concentrate of everything you can find in the country. Volcanoes, craters absolutely everywhere, a big ice cap with Snaefellsjokull (which Jules Verne considered the entrance to the centre of the Earth), black sand beaches and lovely hikes. It really is the perfect place!

And that’s just as well! Because even though there’s no bus that goes round it, you can absolutely visit the peninsula in a day from Reykjavik and see the main spots. That said, it shouldn’t be enough for you, so you’ll want to come back and stay longer — I’d rather warn you!

• the classic tour of the peninsula, doing the loop and passing by the main points of interest (the beaches, churches, Kirkjufell…) over one day
  • info and booking
• discovering the peninsula with, as a bonus, a visit to the lava cave at Vatnshellir
  • info and booking
• something more surprising with snorkelling in the Silfra fissure
  • info and booking

Going to the thermal baths (Blue Lagoon and more) from Reykjavik

Hey, after all that you deserve a reward, don’t you? Lounging for a few hours in warm water amid crazy landscapes, fancy it? Then the Blue Lagoon, the Sky Lagoon or the Secret Lagoon are made for you!

• Blue Lagoon
  • Entry with bus
• Sky Lagoon
  • Entry with bus
• Secret Lagoon
  • Entry with transport

Visiting the north from Akureyri and Myvatn with agencies

A bit like in Reykjavik, we’ve got the chance to do loads of great outings from Akureyri to discover the north of Iceland. And honestly, it’s worth it! So if you don’t want to stay only in Reykjavik and fan out from there, you can also do a few days in Akureyri and discover the monumental waterfalls, the Myvatn region and see the whales.

So basically, from Akureyri, here’s what I can advise you to do:

• See the whales, obviously! This region, between Akureyri and Husavik, is the best in the country for spotting them
  • info and booking
• Visiting the essentials of Myvatn: the lake, the craters, Godafoss, the Hverir geothermal area and Dimmu Borgir park. Dense and interesting!
  • info and booking
• A unique visit to the Godafoss waterfall, one of the country’s iconic waterfalls
  • info and booking
• A different outing with the Hverir area, the Godafoss and Dettifoss waterfalls, but also the strange Ásbyrgi canyon!
  • info and booking

What can you see and do from Vik i Myrdal?

Very honestly, coming to Vik i Myrdal without a car isn’t ideal. Indeed, you’re in a magnificent spot with loads of tourist sites, each more beautiful than the last, but… they’re not accessible without a car. That is, in Vik itself, you’ve got the black sand beach, you’ve got the basalt columns, but that’s all you can do on foot.

And in Vik you won’t find an agency to take you around the surroundings, so you can’t go to Dyrholaey for example.

If you want to see the glaciers, it’s only by going for a hike on them. And even then, some have you meet directly at the glacier! And that’s a real shame!

So in the end, what you can do from Vik is visit the Katla ice cave, they pick you up in town. But it’s unfortunately the only visit of the surroundings from the village. It’s a shame, it would help really develop the region and be less dependent on Reykjavik!

The east and the northwest, areas that are hard to reach without a car

Finally, I’m being a bit mean, we saw that you could reach the Westfjords and the east of the country by plane via the Isafjordur and Egilsstadir airports. Except that, once there, what do you do without a car? There’s almost no transport, there’s no agency, no excursion.

For example you have no way to get to Studlagil without a car. And that’s a real shame, it’s one of the most beautiful spots!

Still, these are the wildest places, the hardest to reach, the least touristy. Mind you, I’m not saying it’s not worth it — quite the opposite! I had a blast out there, but there’s a real end-of-the-world feel, there aren’t really any iconic sites even though there are plenty of wow spots.

Example itinerary to visit most of Iceland without a car

Example 5-day itinerary around Reykjavik without a car

Here’s the proof that you can enjoy Iceland even if you don’t drive!

To come from the airport, you can get your bus ticket with Flybus which takes you straight to the town centre.

DAY 1 – Discovering Reykjavik

The city is nice, not mind-blowing with monuments everywhere but very pleasant, with pretty neighbourhoods and street art all over. You can notably discover it via a guided tour to find the loveliest spots!

DAY 2 – A tour of the Golden Circle

It’s essential if it’s your first visit to Iceland. It’s basically a great introduction to what Iceland is. Big waterfalls, historic and natural sites, and land that steams everywhere!

• discover the Golden Circle

DAY 3 – Seeing the whales

To avoid doing too many excursions at once, I suggest going to see the whales from Reykjavik harbour. It’s a day that’ll do you good!

• See the whales in Reykjavik

DAY 4 – A tour of the South Coast

Another big must-do outing to discover some of Iceland’s most beautiful sites. Go and see the black sand beaches around Vik, the most beautiful waterfalls like Skogafoss. And you can also go further, all the way to Jokulsarlon!

• Discover the most beautiful sites on the south coast
• Discover the south coast all the way to Jokulsarlon

But since you’re not there long, my advice would be to do the south coast tour with the glacier hike!

DAY 5 – Enjoying the Blue Lagoon

It’s nearly the end! So it’s the right time to go to the Blue Lagoon (or the Sky Lagoon), treat yourself, come out with brand-new skin. Well OK, and have a cocktail in the pool! Yes it’s touristy, but it’s so good!

• Discover the Blue Lagoon
• Visit the Sky Lagoon

ACCOMMODATION – Where to sleep in Reykjavik

For this trip, you obviously need to sleep in Reykjavik the whole time. I’ve written a full article on accommodation in Reykjavik, but to sum up I recommend:

• Guesthouse: Erik the Red, a safe bet that’s not too (too) expensive
• Quality hotel: Exeter Hotel, it’s very good without being luxurious
• Really nice hotel: Hotel Reykjavik Saga, the top of the top but almost reasonable (I said ‘almost’!)

4 excellent places to stay in Reykjavik

Example one-week itinerary between Reykjavik and Akureyri without a car

So here I’m suggesting a one-week itinerary between Reykjavik and Akureyri, you’re really going to get an eyeful (and come back wrecked, I should point out!)

To come from Keflavik airport to the town centre, your bus ticket with Flybus as we saw above.

DAY 1 – Discovering Reykjavik

The city is nice, not mind-blowing with monuments everywhere but very pleasant, with pretty neighbourhoods and street art all over. You can notably discover it via a guided tour to find the loveliest spots!

DAY 2 – A tour of the Golden Circle

It’s essential if it’s your first visit to Iceland. It’s basically a great introduction to what Iceland is. Big waterfalls, historic and natural sites, and land that steams everywhere!

• discover the Golden Circle

DAY 3 – A tour of the South Coast or Snaefellsnes

Another big must-do outing to discover some of Iceland’s most beautiful sites. Go and see the black sand beaches around Vik, the most beautiful waterfalls like Skogafoss. And you can also go further, all the way to Jokulsarlon!

• Discover the most beautiful sites on the south coast
• Discover the south coast all the way to Jokulsarlon
• The tour of the Snaefellsnes peninsula

But since you’re not there long, my advice would be to do the south coast tour with the glacier hike!

DAY 4 – Head to Akureyri

Leave early, by plane (there are several flights a day with Icelandair), to arrive late morning, early afternoon in Akureyri. There, as you must be a bit tired, I suggest going to the Forest Lagoon, which is like the Blue Lagoon, but in Akureyri!

• discover the Forest Lagoon

DAY 5 – Seeing the whales in the best spot

Because yes, as I told you, the north of Iceland is the best place to see cetaceans! What’s more, there are far fewer people than in Reykjavik. And you can also take a little wander round the town, which is pleasant, notably some remains of an old village. You’ll notice the red lights with the little hearts.

• See the whales in Akureyri

DAY 6 – Discovering Myvatn and the waterfalls

Today, you’re off to discover the Myvatn region (the midge lake!) really pretty but above all surrounded by impressive craters, an area with geological formations each stranger than the last, a great geothermal area, Hverir, and waterfalls like Godafoss. Anyway, you certainly won’t get bored!

• Discover the Myvatn region

DAY 7 – Return to Reykjavik

Come back to Reykjavik in the morning, so you have time in the afternoon to enjoy the city. Since you’ve already done loads of things, I suggest the Perlan Museum, the biggest and most interesting museum in Iceland! With a real ice cave, northern lights notably

• Discover the Perlan Museum

ACCOMMODATION – Where to sleep in Reykjavik and Akureyri

• Reykjavik – Guesthouse: Erik the Red
• Reykjavik – Quality hotel: Exeter Hotel
• Reykjavik – Really nice hotel: Hotel Reykjavik Saga
• Akureyri – Hotel Akureyri or Kea Hotel (both are very good)

FAQ: your questions about Iceland without a car

Can you really visit Iceland without a car?

Yes, but only part of the country. Without a car, you can happily discover the southwest by fanning out from Reykjavik (Golden Circle, south coast, Snaefellsnes, thermal baths) and the north from Akureyri, all thanks to the agencies that take care of everything. On the other hand, public buses are too infrequent to explore freely, and entire regions like the Westfjords or the east remain almost inaccessible. Let’s say that without a car, you’ll see the best of the big classics, but not wild Iceland.

Is it better to take the bus or go through the agencies?

Without hesitation, the agencies. The long-distance bus network often offers just one service a day (and only 4 times a week on the south coast since the 2026 reform), with no accommodation near the sites: you stay stuck for 24 hours at each stop. The excursions, on the other hand, take you to see the main points of interest in a day and bring you back to Reykjavik in the evening. It’s a bit more expensive than the bus, but infinitely more efficient and less stressful.

Can you visit Iceland without a car in winter?

Yes, and that’s actually where ‘without a car’ really comes into its own! In winter, forget the bus completely: the long-distance lines are heavily reduced, dependent on weather that closes roads overnight, the days are ultra short and the highlands are closed. Honestly, it’s making life difficult for nothing. The right approach is to base yourself in Reykjavik and do everything by excursion: the south coast, the Golden Circle, chasing the northern lights, and above all the ice caves that can only be visited at this time of year. In winter, not driving is almost an advantage, and the agencies do all the work for you.

What’s more, since the weather is tricky in winter, don’t set off on your own. The agencies cancel when it’s too difficult, and there’s a reason for that.

How much does a trip to Iceland without a car cost?

The budget depends mainly on the excursions, which are your main expense. Reckon on roughly €70 to €160 per day trip (Golden Circle, south coast, whales…), around €140 and up per night in Reykjavik, thirty-odd euros for the Flybus from the airport, and about €80 for the domestic flight to Akureyri. In the end, over a week, it’s not necessarily cheaper than a hire car shared between several people, but you gain in comfort and you don’t have to worry about anything.

How many days do you need to visit Iceland without a car?

I’d advise at least 5 days staying based in Reykjavik, enough to string together the Golden Circle, the south coast, a whale outing and a thermal bath without rushing. With a week, you can add a few days in Akureyri (going there by plane) to discover the north and the Myvatn region. Beyond that, without a car, you’ll start going round in circles, because the other regions aren’t served.

Do the excursions pick you up at your hotel?

Most often, yes, and that’s precisely what makes travelling without a car so practical. Most agencies offer a pick-up at your hotel or a nearby meeting point in Reykjavik. Just remember to check, when booking, that your accommodation is indeed within the pick-up zone: if not, you’ll be given a central stop to go to, usually a few minutes’ walk away.

Do you need to book the excursions in advance?

Yes, especially in high season. The most popular outings (south coast, ice caves, whales) fill up quickly in summer and over the Christmas holidays. Booking a few days ahead guarantees you a place and often a better price. It’s actually one of the few downsides of travelling without a car: you have a little less room for the unexpected than on a road trip, where you decide at the last minute.

Which regions are impossible to visit without a car?

In practice, anything outside the Reykjavik–south coast–Akureyri triangle becomes very complicated. The Westfjords and the east of the country have almost no buses or agencies: even going there by plane, you’re stuck once you’re there. A telling example: impossible to reach the magnificent Vestrahorn, yet just a stone’s throw from Höfn airport, without your own vehicle. These wilder regions have to be earned, and unfortunately you need a car to enjoy them.

In conclusion

There you go, now you know everything! Well, I hope so! So it’s not necessarily essential to hire a car to visit Iceland, but I admit it helps quite a bit. It is, however, perfectly possible to visit the main spots, notably around Reykjavik by going through the agencies, because you’ve seen that the buses really weren’t much help!

So there are two main bases for visiting when you don’t have a car. You can fan out around Reykjavik, that is the south coast, the Golden Circle or Snaefellsnes, but that’s also the case from Akureyri if you want to go there by plane or bus.

So I’d say the car is:

• useless if you stay around Reykjavik
• essential if you want to do a road trip and not be with the crowds
• not necessary if you don’t drive (there, not much choice I’d say!)

By the way, I didn’t mention it but if you’re in Iceland at the right time of year, there are northern lights agencies that depart from Reykjavik too, to let you enjoy this spectacle, because it’s not easy in Reykjavik itself.

Practical links for Visiting Iceland

• Plan your trip to Iceland: discover all the information you need to prepare your trip to Iceland
• What to do in Reykjavik: here’s everything you need to know about the very lovely Icelandic capital
• Where to sleep in Reykjavik: because accommodation can be expensive, here are a few recommendations
• How to visit the Golden Circle: the places to see, the transport, the practical info, I’ll tell you everything!
• Visiting Iceland via the ring road: a road that goes all the way round the island and passes through the most beautiful spots, tempting isn’t it!
• Travelling to Vik i Myrdal: the essential stop on Iceland’s south coast!
• All the most beautiful spots to see on Iceland’s south coast: waterfalls, black sand beaches, lost planes, and much more!
• The interactive map of Iceland: a map with all the most beautiful spots, the accommodation, the activities
• The free PDF guide to Iceland: your essential companion for travelling in Iceland
• Who to hire a car from in Iceland: tips to watch out for the traps
• The best activities to do in Iceland: snowmobiling, climbing a glacier, seeing an ice cave… and so much more!
• The most beautiful spots in Iceland: there are many, it was hard to make a selection, but here are the ones you must see

To make life and trip planning easier, I’ve created an interactive map of Iceland. It includes:

• the must-see spots
• the waterfalls, hikes, thermal baths…
• the activities
• the accommodation
• in short, everything you need!