Reykjavik as a base: how many days you need before heading out on the Ring Road

The short answer: two or three days is enough

If your total trip is around 8-12 days, the sensible choice is to spend 2 full days in Reykjavik before heading out on the Ring Road (Route 1, which circles Iceland). If you’re tighter on time, a day and a half can work. If your trip is longer (14 days or more) or you arrive with severe jet lag from the Americas, 3 days is not excessive: the third day absorbs the Golden Circle without having to get up at the crack of dawn.

This range matches what most travellers do when they land at Keflavík, rent a car and plan to drive the full loop of the island. It is enough time to acclimatise, sort out food shopping (key if you want to avoid overspending on the route), see the essentials of the capital and fit in an inland excursion without breaking the rhythm of the trip.

Why Reykjavik works as a base and not just an arrival point

Reykjavik concentrates things you won’t find again anywhere else on the Ring Road: cheap supermarkets (Bónus, Krónan), N1 petrol stations open without interruption, technical clothing shops, pharmacies and garages. It is the only real city in the country — barely 140,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area — and it functions as an essential logistics hub. Founded by Norwegian settlers in the 9th century and the capital since 1786, it remains small, walkable and relatively cheap to get around on foot compared with the rest of the country.

On top of this there is a network of day trips that leave from the capital and return there to sleep: the Golden Circle, the Reykjanes Peninsula, the South Coast as far as Vík. You can get a feel for driving in Iceland without yet committing to long stages.

Quick facts: Reykjavik as a base

Item	Value
Recommended days before the Ring Road	2-3
Flight from Madrid/Barcelona	4-4.5 h direct
Arrival airport	Keflavík (KEF), 50 km away
Transfer KEF–centre (Flybus)	approx. €35-40 one way
Night in a central hotel	€150-250 in summer
Meal at a mid-range restaurant	€25-40 per dish
Best season to start the route	June to early September

What to do with 2 days in Reykjavik before setting off

Day 1: acclimatisation and the centre

If you arrive in the morning from Europe, don’t try to drive that same day. Jet lag is moderate (1-2 hours’ difference with Spain), but the exhaustion of the flight does weigh on you. Leave the car for the next day and walk around the centre.

The essentials, taken calmly: Hallgrímskirkja (tower with lift, roughly €7-8), a stroll along Laugavegur — the main shopping street — and the area around the Harpa, the concert hall by the old harbour. At the Old Harbour you can eat lobster soup at Sægreifinn (the "sea baron") for €15-18, one of the few places where value for money still makes sense.

In the afternoon, a dip in a municipal public pool: Sundhöllin or Vesturbæjarlaug cost around 1,330 ISK (about €9) and are a genuine local experience, not a tourist attraction. Forget the Blue Lagoon on this day: it’s on the way to the airport, not the Ring Road.

Day 2: the Golden Circle in your own car

Pick up the rental car in the morning and do the Golden Circle on your own. It’s a circuit of about 230-250 km that includes Þingvellir (national park where the Viking Alþingi assembled, free park entry, parking 1,000 ISK), the geysers of Haukadalur (Strokkur erupts every 6-10 minutes) and the Gullfoss waterfall. It takes 7-8 hours, with unhurried stops.

Returning to sleep in Reykjavik lets you set off tomorrow rested and with the car already tested. If you want to add something, the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir (about €25-30) is on the way and is more honest than the Blue Lagoon.

Optional day 3: shopping, Reykjanes or the Blue Lagoon

The third day works as a buffer. Two concrete options:

• A big shop at Bónus (the supermarket with the pink pig): bread, cold cuts, fruit, beer for the car’s cool box. You’ll save between €40 and €60 a day compared with always eating out.
• Reykjanes Peninsula: recent lava fields (eruptions in 2021-2024 around Fagradalsfjall), lighthouses and the fishing village of Grindavík. It lies between Reykjavik and the airport, so some leave it for the end of the trip. If you do it now, it takes pressure off the return.

When 2-3 days is NOT enough

There are two cases where it’s worth stretching the base to 4 days:

1. You arrive from North America or Latin America with 5-6 hours of jet lag. The first day you’ll literally spend in bed.
2. You travel in winter (November-March) and want to chase the northern lights. Reykjavik has too much light pollution, but it serves as a base for night trips to Þingvellir if the forecast is poor in remote areas.

Conversely, if your total trip is only 6-7 days, two nights in Reykjavik is too much: do one night on arrival, start the Ring Road and keep another night in the capital for the end (or for before the flight).

Accommodation: where to sleep on these days

The centre (101 Reykjavík area) is the most expensive but the most practical if you don’t have a car on the first day. Reasonable alternatives:

• Centre (Laugavegur, Hlemmur): mid-range hotels €180-250, hostels with a private room €100-140.
• Hlemmur / Rauðarárstígur: a 10-minute walk from the centre, prices about 20-30% lower.
• Near BSÍ (bus station): useful if you arrive with Flybus and haven’t picked up the car yet.

Avoid staying in Kópavogur or Hafnarfjörður unless you already have a car: you save little and waste time getting around.

Common mistakes before setting off on the Ring Road

• Booking the Blue Lagoon on arrival: it costs €70-100, it’s on the way to KEF and is usually the worst moment to enjoy it (you’re tired). Better to leave it for the day of your return flight.
• Not checking the rental car calmly: photograph dents, test the 4×4 if you’ve hired one, ask about gravel and sand & ash insurance. In Iceland it’s not paranoia.
• Trusting that there will be large supermarkets along the route: outside the capital area and Akureyri, Bónus stores are scarce. Stock up now.
• Underestimating petrol: it’s around €2.20-2.50 a litre. Fill up whenever you can at N1 or Olís.
• Wanting to fit Snæfellsnes in as a day trip from Reykjavik: it can be done, but it’s 10-11 effective hours of driving. Better to include it as the first stage of the Ring Road.

Realistic budget for 2-3 days in Reykjavik

For two people, not counting flights or the rental car:

Item	2 days	3 days
Accommodation (mid-range hotel)	€300-500	€450-750
Meals	€160-220	€240-330
Urban transport / parking	€20-40	€30-60
Admissions (pool, Hallgrímskirkja)	€25-35	€25-50
Golden Circle trip (own car)	€80-110 petrol	€80-110
Approximate total	€585-905	€825-1,300

If you have other Nordic destinations in mind, you may find it helpful to compare approaches with Stockholm or Copenhagen for a first visit to Scandinavia: Reykjavik plays in a different price league, quite a bit higher.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do the Golden Circle without sleeping in Reykjavik?

Yes, but you lose flexibility. If your plan is the Ring Road clockwise, you can fit Þingvellir–Geysir–Gullfoss in as the first day of the route and sleep in Selfoss or Hvolsvöllur. It’s valid if you have little total time.

Is it worth renting a car just for the Ring Road or also in Reykjavik?

Reykjavik is covered on foot and by city bus (Strætó, about €3.50 a ticket). Pick up the car on day 2, when you’re going to use it. You save a night of parking (€15-25) and avoid driving tired on arrival day.

What if I arrive at Keflavík in the early hours?

There are Flybus services on all flights. Arrange early check-in with your hotel or book the night before so you can go straight in. Many central accommodations allow this for an extra €30-50.

Is the Blue Lagoon worth it before the Ring Road?

Not especially. You’ll see thermal waters all over the island (Mývatn Nature Baths, Secret Lagoon, Hvammsvík) at half the price and with fewer people. If you want to do it, fit it in on the day of your return flight: it’s 20 minutes from the airport.

Are two days in Reykjavik boring?

It depends on your pace. The city is small and one long afternoon covers the centre. What fills the second day is the Golden Circle or Reykjanes, not more walking along Laugavegur. If you hate cities, do one night and start the route.

And if I travel in winter?

In winter the full Ring Road is risky because of road closures. Reykjavik as a base plus radial day trips (South Coast, Golden Circle, Snæfellsnes on separate days) makes more sense than attempting the full loop. In that case, yes: 4-5 nights in the capital.

Final recommendation

Book 2 nights in central Reykjavik on arrival and, if the total trip exceeds 10 days, add a third night to absorb the Golden Circle without stress. Leave the Blue Lagoon and the Reykjanes Peninsula for the return, use the second day to test the car on a short route, and do a proper shop at Bónus before setting off. With that you reach Route 1 rested, stocked up and with a realistic idea of how driving in Iceland works.

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