Keflavík Airport to Reykjavík: Taxi, Bus or Private Transfer

Published 9 September 2026 · by Iceland Shuttles

Keflavík International Airport is not in Reykjavík. It sits on the Reykjanes peninsula about 50 km southwest of the city, and the drive takes around 50 minutes on Route 41. There is no train. Every traveller makes the same choice on landing: the scheduled bus, a private transfer, a taxi, or a rental car. This guide covers what each one actually involves: where it leaves you, what happens if your flight is late, and how the price works. You can decide before you land rather than in the arrivals hall.

The four options at a glance

1. The scheduled airport bus (Flybus)

The airport bus is the default for a reason: it is the cheapest way for one person to reach the city, it runs after every arriving flight, and you can buy a seat at the desk when you land. The coach leaves from directly outside the terminal and takes around 45 minutes to BSÍ bus terminal on the edge of central Reykjavík, with stops on the way in at Hafnarfjörður, Garðabær and Kópavogur.

The part first-time visitors miss is that BSÍ is a terminal, not a hotel. From there you either walk (fine for the nearest central hotels), take a taxi, or pay for the operator’s onward hotel shuttle, which adds a transfer and typically half an hour. Departures are fixed to the timetable, so if your flight lands late you simply catch the next one, and the operator sets its own per-passenger luggage allowance. For current fares, timetables and the exact stop list, check the operator directly. They change, and a number printed here would be wrong within the year.

Choose it if: you are travelling alone or as a couple, carrying what you can lift onto a coach, and staying somewhere central.

2. A private transfer

A private transfer is a car and driver booked to your flight. This is what we do, so judge what follows against the table above. Your driver tracks the flight, meets you inside the arrivals hall with a sign, and drives straight to your accommodation. If you land late, the pickup moves with you and the waiting time is included; nobody is standing at a rank hoping a car is free at 01:00.

The price is for the whole vehicle, a Volkswagen Caravelle seating up to 8 with luggage, not per seat. For one person it costs more than the bus. From about three people, once you count the bus tickets plus the onward hotel leg, the private car is usually the cheaper option per head. Our Keflavík-to-Reykjavík transfer is 20,500 kr. per vehicle at the time of writing; the route page shows the cost per person at each group size.

Choose it if: there are three or more of you, you land late or very early, you have a pram, skis or a lot of bags, or you want the arrival to be the easy part of the trip.

3. A taxi from the rank

Taxis wait outside arrivals and need no booking. They are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the time of day, with higher night and weekend tariffs, so there is no fixed price to compare in advance. The drive is the same 45–50 minutes, door to door. After a late-night arrival the rank can be thin, and you may wait.

Choose it if: plans changed and you did not book anything, there are one to three of you, and you would rather pay for door-to-door than work out the bus.

4. A rental car

The rental desks are in the arrivals hall and the car parks are a short walk away. Route 41 is a good dual carriageway most of the way, but it crosses open lava country and is exposed to wind; in winter it is driven on studded or winter tyres and can close in a storm. Parking in central Reykjavík is paid and in short supply. A car makes sense only if you are leaving the city. For a stay in Reykjavík itself, most people find it an expensive way to park.

Choose it if: the capital is a stop, not the destination.

Which one should you take?

• Solo, backpack, central hotel: the bus, then walk.
• Couple, two suitcases, hotel outside the centre: the bus plus its hotel shuttle, or a private transfer if you would rather not change vehicles.
• Family or group of three to eight: a private transfer; do the per-head sum.
• Landing after midnight or before 06:00: whatever waits for you: a booked private transfer, or a taxi if the rank has cars.
• Heading straight past Reykjavík to the countryside: a rental car.
• Blue Lagoon on arrival day: a transfer from the airport to the lagoon and on to the city. It is 24 km from the airport but 49 km from Reykjavík, so doing it now saves a round trip later.

Arriving late at night

Keflavík has a wave of late-evening and small-hours arrivals from North America, and this is where the options separate. The bus timetable follows the flights, so there will be a coach, but the onward hotel leg adds time when you least want it. The taxi rank empties as each flight’s passengers clear it. A pre-booked private transfer is the one option that is already waiting when you walk through the doors, at whatever hour the aircraft actually lands.

The road itself

Leaving the airport you join Route 41, Reykjanesbraut, across the lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula. About 20 minutes in, the turn-off for Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon branches south. The road then passes the aluminium smelter at Straumsvík and enters the capital area through Hafnarfjörður, Garðabær and Kópavogur before reaching Reykjavík proper, which is why the bus stops in each of those towns on the way in. On a clear day the mountain across the bay is Esja; on a clear night in winter this stretch is also where you may first see the northern lights.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Keflavík Airport from Reykjavík?

About 50 km by road, almost all of it on Route 41 (Reykjanesbraut). The drive takes around 45–50 minutes in normal conditions; allow longer in winter weather or at the morning rush into the city.

Is there a train from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavík?

No. Iceland has no passenger railway. The choices are a scheduled bus, a private transfer, a taxi or a rental car.

Can I stop at the Blue Lagoon on the way from the airport?

Yes, and it is the most efficient time to go. The lagoon is about 24 km from the airport, roughly 25 minutes, but around 49 km from Reykjavík. Book a timed entry at bluelagoon.com first, then a transfer from the airport to the lagoon and on to the city.

Do I need to book airport transport in advance?

The bus and a taxi can be bought on arrival. A private transfer must be booked ahead, because the driver is assigned to your flight and is tracking it before you land.

What is the cheapest way from Keflavík to Reykjavík?

For one person, the scheduled bus. For three or more travelling together, a private vehicle is often cheaper per head, because its price covers the whole car rather than each seat. Divide the vehicle price by your group size to compare.

What about getting back to the airport for a departure?

Every option runs in reverse. For a departure, a private transfer or taxi collects you from your accommodation; the bus leaves from BSÍ terminal or its named stops, so allow time to reach the stop first. Aim to be at the airport 2½ hours before an international flight.