Suggestion on what to do in Reykjavik, Iceland for the day??

This will be our first time going to Reykjavik, Iceland.

I was wondering what is their not to miss seeing in Reykjavik??

and what would you recommend doing here for the day?? :confused:

Any ideas / suggestions or tips are welcome

PS: We are thinking we might go out to the "Blue Lagoon", has anyone got any tips to get out there?

How long will you be there? The allure of Iceland is not Reykjavik, which is a perfectly nice small city, but the country side. I'd look for Golden Circle tours, or the "Into the Volcano" tour, or if you have time, a tour of the south coast. The Blue Lagoon is nice, but touristy. Folks are often divided on whether it is "worth it" for your short time there.

We rented a car. Roads are in great shape, well-marked, and easy to navigate with a map or GPS.

Definitely leave the city. Blue Lagoon is great, if you're into a BIG SPA experience (we are).

With only one day in Reykjavik, I would not spend it there. I agree you should get out of the city; Iceland is not about the towns but about the stunning natural beauty. If you have the time, my first choice would be a South Coast tour; we did this just last week, and it was one of the most amazing days we’ve ever spent. The Golden Circle, which we did the next day, paled in comparison. (Still worth doing if you don’t have time for the South Coast.)

If you are not renting your own car, I would highly recommend GeoIceland.

I agree, leave the city. We didn't do the South Coast, because it was further away, a lot of travelling for one day they said. We did do the Golden Circle, and loved it. When we got back we had a stroll through Reykjavik. Take a small company, we used GeoIceland. Next day we had half a day, and visited Krysuvik, a big beautiful lake (one of the deepest), the Blue Lagoon on the outside, some cliffs and some other places with another company, Back to Iceland. Enjoy it, for us it is one of the favorite places we have been. :-)

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Spent 3 days in Iceland earlier this year and did both the Golden Circle and the South Coast on separate days. Both DW and I agree, in itself a rare occurrence, that for a single day we would recommend the Golden Circle. Less driving and interesting history. Look for one of the smaller tour groups.

Another vote for the Golden Circle as it should fit comfortably into your time in port.

If not booking a shorex, think about skipping lunch to have more time watching the geysers. You will be mesmerised. Great fun.

This is (I think) the spot where tours have lunch as we saw several coaches arriving and leaving, but we were on a private tour and most had brought a snack off the ship.

We did the Golden Circle tour with Iceland Guided Tours and it was great. No lunch included but there was plenty of opportunity to get something at the many stops. 8 people on a 16 seater bus so not waiting for people on big coaches. When the tour was over the driver asked if we would like a quick tour of Reykyavik, a great bonus and he dropped us for photos near the big church. Would really recommend this company.

+1 on the Golden Circle if the port time is not past 5 or 6. The South Coast is even better but takes a long day to really enjoy. The Blue Lagoon is very touristy but fun but not if you have only one day. If you get a quick look at the city and the big church on your way back, even better.

We spent a week in Iceland on our own in 2005 and 4 days there in 2016 as part of a transatlantic cruise. If I only had one day, I would definitely do the Golden Circle tour. (Although we rented a car in 2005, we used GeoIceland in 2016 for one-day revisit of the Golden Circle. Crowds have dramatically increased in the last ten years, but those scenic wonders are still well worth seeing. I can't imagine missing those in favor of a big tourist trap like the Blue Lagoon.

PS GeoIceland did a great job and does not insist on money up front which gives you options if the weather is really bad.

Is the "Golden Circle tour" a ships tour?? or a tour a tour company run??

If so who runs it? does only one company "Iceland Guided Tours" run it? or do other do it as well?

It is the most known tour from Iceland, and you can book that with a ships tour but also with independent tours. You wil go to Thingvellir National Parc, Gullfoss waterfalls and Geysir.

Majesty of the Seas 2010 (Bahama's)

Carnival Magic 2011 (Mediterranean)

Rotterdam HAL, 2012 (Norway)

Brilliance of the Seas 2015 (Norway, Faroer, Iceland)

Rhapsody of the Seas 2016 (Mediterranean)

Oasis of the Seas 2018 (Caribbean)

Brilliance of the Seas 2019 (Baltic)

The Golden Circle is a string of locations including geothermal areas, waterfalls, and an area where tectonic plates meet and the site of Europe's first congress (don't quote me on that - my European history is a bit dusty.) It is popular tourist plan for those coming from Reykjavik.

Look on TripAdvisor for tour companies. There are many, from big bus to private, that can do the Golden Circle, or the south coast, etc. The Blue Lagoon can be booked directly from their website, including transportation from Reykjavik. Some tours also include the BL, however.

It is the most known tour from Iceland, and you can book that with a ships tour but also with independent tours. You wil go to Thingvellir National Parc, Gullfoss waterfalls and Geysir.

 

Our 2016 GeoIceland's tour not only included these attractions, but added Faxi Falls, on the Tungufljor River. These falls are gorgeous and much less crowded than those at Gullfoss. Faxi Falls was something we had totally overlooked back in 2005.

Kiwi Cruiser, a lot depends on the dates you are visiting and how much time you have in port. Please let us know this info so we can help you better. I just came back from my third trip to Iceland. The first was a day and a half in port in Oct, and both other trips were multi-day trips on land. Unless you really don't want to drive, the best method is to rent a car as this allows you the flexibility to use your time best. Your second choice is to book an excursion through a local company. There is really very little public transportation in Iceland and taxis are horribly expensive - neither of those is an option.

The Golden Circle is a road trip in the shape of a loop, so you can drive it without wasting time re-tracing your steps. You start out and end up near Reykjavik, and the entire route can be driven comfortably in about five or six hours. The road is excellent, drivers are polite and you get a taste of many unique Iceland sights - waterfalls, a geyser, horse meadows, distant glaciers, volcanic shapes and landforms. If you only have a day this is your best bet, either by car or tour.

The south coast is amazingly beautiful, but it takes at least four hours driving and you will want to stop many times to sightsee. Part of that time is re-tracing your route, as this is not a circle and there is only one road there and back. If you are travelling in summer when the days are long, this is a lovely route.

The Blue Lagoon is famous and very, very expensive. It costs about $70 a person, so it is not worth the cost unless you love warm geothermal water and want to spend several hours there. It is very pretty with turquoise water, but although people call it a spa, it's not what I think of as a spa - there is only one huge pool of one temperature, and any treatments cost over and above the basic admission. It is also always crowded, and you must book well in advance of your trip - you cannot just walk up. If you want to experience geothermal waters like Icelanders do, go to a public pool for about $10 a person, and enjoy many different heated tubs as well as swimming lanes etc. There are nine public pools in Reykjavik, but there are also pools in most small towns and hamlets. Google maps shows them.

No matter what you choose, Iceland is gorgeous, so get out there and enjoy it! Wear warm clothes even in summer, and bring a good waterproof coat. The weather changes every few minutes, and you won't escape the cold rain!

 

No matter what you choose, Iceland is gorgeous, so get out there and enjoy it! Wear warm clothes even in summer, and bring a good waterproof coat. The weather changes every few minutes, and you won't escape the cold rain!

Great advice. In addition, I strongly recommend wearing waterproof shoes, as well as having a pair of rain pants available for when they will be needed (and they will). We had sideways sleet a couple of weeks ago!

Correction: I see that what I wrote about the south coast drive is confusing. To clarify, the drive is about four hours each way, for a total of about eight hours.

Depending on the time of year you go it may be possible to take a small boat trip to an island where you can see puffins. We really enjoyed that during our time in Reykjavik, but we were there for several days before a driving holiday around the island.

Try to eat local fish and chips. They use halibut and it is delicious! Or try Arctic char, another delicious fish.

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I will be on a cruise next July/August that has several stops in Iceland, and finishes in Reykjavik. I hope to do the South Coast area from the ship, and once we get to Reykjavik we only have one full day, due to flight schedules. I am thinking of going to the Blue Lagoon with the Spa Retreat package. It is ridiculously expensive but sounds like something I would really enjoy. There looks to be a bus to get there and back? Any recommendations as to the best way to get to and from the Blue Lagoon?

BL does have it's own transportation that you book on their website. If you don't have a rental car that's the best/cheapest way to do this.

Taxi would be more direct and at your own timing, but very expensive.

BL does have it's own transportation that you book on their website. If you don't have a rental car that's the best/cheapest way to do this.

 

 

Taxi would be more direct and at your own timing, but very expensive.

Ah yes, thank you! The BL transportation seems to be the best way for us.

We've done both the Golden Circle and the South coast (on different cruises).  While I enjoyed the latter, I think the Golden Circle has more to offer and more variety of scenery.  Gullfoss was amazing!  Lots of Icelandic ponies to see along this route, too.  And, if you like lamb as I do, a great place to have some for lunch, usually as lamb stew.  On both these tours we ate at cafeterias which were quite good and not too expensive.  Enjoy!

Both blue Lagoon and Golde Circle will be nice! ☺ 

We tour Iceland on a land tour a couple of years back and enjoy our visit! 

We have shared our experience with our readers. 

You might want to refer to our itinerary for reference! 

Happy travelling. 

This past May we did an amazing private tour with some from our rollcall and used 

"Your Day Tours" and couldn't recommend them more completely...a wonderful full day tour.