Reykjavik / The verdict
Is the Reykjavik City Card worth it?
Worth it on a day of paid museums and a pool, a waste on a day of wandering: at official prices, three museums plus a pool cost 10,450 ISK as singles against 6,100 ISK for the 24-hour card, while one museum plus a pool is only 4,800 ISK.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Reykjavik story
Reykjavik is the smallest-feeling capital in Europe: colorful tin-roofed houses, the rocket-church silhouette of Hallgrimskirkja, the Harpa concert hall on the waterfront, and a 101 downtown you can cross on foot in twenty minutes. It works as a base camp rather than a museum city, and the famous Iceland is mostly outside it, which the city itself seems to know.
The verdict in 30 seconds
It depends
Worth it on a day of paid museums and a pool, a waste on a day of wandering: at official prices, three museums plus a pool cost 10,450 ISK as singles against 6,100 ISK for the 24-hour card, while one museum plus a pool is only 4,800 ISK.
Go if
- You plan three paid museums in one day: the National Museum, the Settlement Exhibition and the Reykjavik Art Museum cost 8,950 ISK as singles.
- You will use the city pools: a single adult entry is 1,500 ISK and all eight are included.
- You have no car and expect many bus rides: a Straeto city fare is 690 ISK and the card covers capital area buses.
Skip if
- Your plan is mostly walking the center: two repeat visitors in the log skipped the card because the free and cheap sights on foot did not make it pay.
- You will visit one museum and one pool: that is 4,800 ISK as singles, under the 6,100 ISK 24-hour card.
- You need the airport bus: route 55 to Keflavik Airport is not covered.
Does the pass pay for itself?
The pass costs kr 6100 (official price, checked Oct 2026) and includes: Free entry to 17 museums and attractions, including the National Museum, the Reykjavik Art Museum sites, the Settlement Exhibition, the Maritime Museum and the Family Park and Zoo, Free entry to 8 geothermal pools, Free unlimited Straeto buses in the capital area, but not route 55 to Keflavik Airport, A Videy ferry ride, Discounts on selected tours, attractions and restaurants, Children under 18 get free museum entry with any adult card.
| Plan | Cost without the pass | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| One packed museum day: National Museum of Iceland, adult, Reykjavik Art Museum, adult, Settlement Exhibition, adult, One geothermal pool entry, adult | kr 10450 | Go |
| One day of buses, a pool, Videy and a museum: Four Straeto city single fares, adult, One geothermal pool entry, adult, Videy ferry return, adult, National Museum of Iceland, adult | kr 10060 | Go |
| A lazy pool and ferry day: Two geothermal pool entries, adult, Videy ferry return, adult | kr 5500 | Skip |
What it costs
- Reykjavik City Card, 24 hours, adult: kr 6100 (48 hours costs 8,500 ISK and 72 hours 10,500 ISK; the clock starts when you write the start time on the card). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- National Museum of Iceland, adult: kr 3300 (Main museum in Reykjavik). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Reykjavik Art Museum, adult, Hafnarhus, Kjarvalsstadir and Asmundarsafn: kr 2550. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Settlement Exhibition, adult: kr 3100 (Listed under Adalstraeti; prices valid for 2026). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Geothermal pool single entry, adult: kr 1500. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Straeto city single fare, adult: kr 690. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Videy ferry return, adult: kr 2500. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Family Park and Zoo, adult: kr 2800. Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 1 traveler reports (Mar 2025 to Mar 2025) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- One forum poster who took the 48-hour card for a two-day trip, with two museums, the zoo, a city pool and many bus rides, said it seemed worth it, though they had not added up the exact cost.
What people complain about
- Two repeat visitors in the same forum thread said they never bought the card because it did not seem to pay, and one of them pointed to the free or cheap things to do on foot instead.
How to do it right
- Buy the card on the Visit Reykjavik website; a voucher arrives by email, which you exchange for a physical card at one of eight collection points, including the Elding ticket office, open until 9 PM.
- Write the start date and time on the back of the card before your first visit or bus ride: a 24-hour card activated at 11:00 runs until 11:00 the next day.
- Show the card at museums and pools, and to bus drivers; you need the physical card on the bus.
- Add up your paid stops before buying: three museums plus a pool come to 10,450 ISK as singles, one museum plus a pool to 4,800 ISK.
- Plan the airport separately: route 55 to Keflavik Airport is not covered.
The trap to avoid
Route 55 to Keflavik Airport is not covered, so the airport leg costs extra. The clock also starts when you write the start time on the card, not when you buy it, so activate it at your first museum or bus ride.
Why this verdict
The card is easy to judge with a calculator. The official page lists 6,100 ISK for 24 hours, 8,500 ISK for 48 hours and 10,500 ISK for 72 hours, checked 2026-10-07, with entry to 17 museums and attractions, eight geothermal pools and unlimited Straeto buses in the capital area. At the venues’ own 2026 prices, the National Museum is 3,300 ISK, the Settlement Exhibition 3,100 ISK, the Reykjavik Art Museum 2,550 ISK and a pool 1,500 ISK. Those four stops cost 10,450 ISK as singles, well above the 24-hour card.
The log is thin, one forum thread with three replies, and it splits. One poster took the 48-hour card for a two-day trip with two museums, the zoo, a city pool and many bus rides and said it seemed worth it, though they had not added up the cost. Two repeat visitors said they never bought it because it did not seem to pay, and one listed what Reykjavik offers on foot: the waterfront walk, a free walking tour, street art and cafes, mostly free or cheap. The numbers fit both views. The card rewards a plan built on paid admissions and loses on a plan built on wandering.
One museum plus a pool is 4,800 ISK as singles, under the 24-hour price, so a slow day with a single paid stop is cheaper without the card. Children under 18 get free museum entry with any adult card, but the museums’ own price lists show under-18s free anyway, so families gain little from the card on the museum side.
Timing and tickets
You buy online, receive a voucher by email and exchange it for the physical card at one of eight collection points; the Elding ticket office is open until 9 PM. Write the start date and time on the back before your first visit or bus ride. A 24-hour card activated at 11:00 runs until 11:00 the next day. You need the physical card on the bus, and route 55 to Keflavik Airport is not covered.
When to pay as you go
If you plan one museum and a lot of walking, buy singles. Buy the card when you can name three paid museums, or two museums, a pool and a few bus rides, inside the same 24 hours.
Book or check times
Reykjavik City Card official pageNational Museum visiting infoCity pool prices
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Questions
How much does the Reykjavik City Card cost?
The official page lists 6,100 ISK for 24 hours, 8,500 ISK for 48 hours and 10,500 ISK for 72 hours, checked 2026-10-07. The countdown starts when you activate it, not when you buy it.
What is included in the Reykjavik City Card?
Free entry to 17 museums and attractions, eight geothermal pools, unlimited Straeto buses in the capital area and a Videy ferry ride, plus discounts on selected tours, attractions and restaurants.
Does the city card cover the airport bus?
No. The official page says it does not include bus route 55 to Keflavik Airport.
When does the 24-hour card break even?
At official 2026 prices, the National Museum (3,300 ISK), the Settlement Exhibition (3,100 ISK) and the Reykjavik Art Museum (2,550 ISK) already total 8,950 ISK, above the 6,100 ISK card. One museum plus a pool does not reach it.
Do kids need a Reykjavik City Card?
The official page says children under 18 get free museum entry with any adult card. The museums' own price lists also show under-18s free, so a child rarely needs a card of their own.
Can you activate the card on a different day than you buy it?
Yes. You exchange the emailed voucher for a physical card at a collection point, and the validity clock starts only when you write the start date and time on it.
Pack for it
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