Would 3 days in Reykjavik be worth it in the winter?
Posted by XL_Jockstrap@reddit | Shoestring | View on Reddit | 42 comments
I've found some $350 flights from Chicago to Iceland, but sadly my PTO and money are being eaten up by my wedding. So I'm thinking about doing a solo 3 day trip to Reykjavik, staying in a cheap hostel and planning to stick to the area near the capital. Also planning not to rent a car, and take buses.
Would this trip be worth it? Would it be a waste?
I've previously traveled to Oslo for 3 days and I enjoyed the Scandinavian vibes a lot. I didn't leave the city at all and still had a blast. I don't mind the darkness either.
Bright_Student_5599@reddit
I’d pack food. Basics are bloody expensive. Eating out is shockingly expensive. I’m not joking here! Otherwise three days would be fantastically atmospheric. Don’t bother with northern lights tours. Scam of sorts
Ok_Lavishness7669@reddit
You can do a golden circle bus tour.
YinzerInEurope@reddit
This is exactly how Iceland gets people to visit. Icelandair has all these really cheap flights, but Iceland itself is really expensive. Be prepared for that.
BS-75_actual@reddit
If you haven't seen the Aurora Borealis it's sometimes visible in Reykjavik and the 11-year solar cycle peak was October last year. If you don't get to see the Aurora it's still a pretty cool place to visit; that's why I'm heading there this November.
Nomeismytomb@reddit
Iceland is incredibly expensive. I would go when you have more money so you enjoy it. I stayed at an Airbnb right next to the church and it was awesome. Having a car was super helpful for in the city but also driving up the west coast and the south coast. If you go to Iceland you should go when they have culture night in august because the museums are free and there is lots of free live music and activities.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
Driving in winter is arctic winds and no shoulder.
daveisrising@reddit
Yes I did this a few years ago when WOW air was around. I got the cheapest rental car and did not take the extra insurance for volcanoes because we wouldn't be covering too much off road distance. Stop at a grocery store because eating out is expensive. We survived a few days on canned fish. beans, and crackers.
I can not speak to doing it on busses though.
You can see some pretty great sights just driving a day from the airport on the southern road. If you drive to black sand beach theres a million nice stops including Skógafoss.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
Driving in winter is arctic driving conditions with no shoulder.
BubbhaJebus@reddit
I was there in April. It was between 2 and 8 degrees C. If you can handle freezing cold, you can do this. There are tours to falls, geysers, and areas where the continents meet (e.g., Golden Circle tours).
Reykjavik is small and walkable.
XL_Jockstrap@reddit (OP)
I live in Chicago, so the bitter cold is tolerable. Maybe I might look into the cheapest golden circle tour.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
Chicago doesn't get cold anymore.
WambritaWings@reddit
2 to 8 degrees C is literally not freezing!
But yeah, for people who aren't used to the cold, it would be miserable.
BubbhaJebus@reddit
OP was asking about visiting in the winter, when it would be much colder than April.
Kilometres-Davis@reddit
Not much, actually, just a few degrees colder.
KaiserSozes-brother@reddit
Reykjavik is a small town by most standards 100,000 people, with a small downtown. The interesting stuff is out in the countryside, waterfalls, geysers, winter wonderland & long dark nights with a chance for the northern lights.
You need a car to make this a great trip and I would stay in a darker area overnight.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
140k.
brihere@reddit
Disagree. You definitely do not need a carved in winter. Lots of bus trips! Three days is perfect to see the highlights. Stay at the big hostel in town to meet people. They have a nice restaurant , bar and usually music.
YouFoldInTheCheese9@reddit
Agreed. Reykjavik is fine to pass through, but should not be the main destination. The good stuff is elsewhere.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
No.
InterestingFactor825@reddit
Check out how much daylight you have when traveling there. It's also very expensive so it's a difficult place to do on a budget.
liisto@reddit
iceland not even for 50
In-with-the-new@reddit
Spent a week in January. It was well worth it! Day bus trip Golden Circle. Museum of Iceland is great as well as a couple art museums. Whale watching boat, thrift shops are great place to pick up cheaper Icelandic sweaters. Blue Lagoon is a joke. Don’t fall for it.
AdAdministrative3164@reddit
All depends what you want to do! I think if you can squeeze out one more day to make it a 4 day trip, you will have a great time.
Radiant-Ad-8277@reddit
20 years ago (no smartphone /GPS) while driving at night from the airport to a downtown hotel I drove through the city without realizing it. I felt I had only reached the city borders when I understood I was already in the suburbs on the other side and only wilderness was ahead. It was that small. You can spend a day there exploring and maybe you could use the same hotel for 3 nights but you could rather rent a car and spend a day going east (geyser, blue lagoon, vik) then the last day going north (from the capital) to see the fjords.
Zoesthebest@reddit
I’ve literally done this trip. Do it. You won’t regret it. Do the golden circle tour, experience a winter landscape that’s unparalleled and try some fermented shark while you’re at it.
Jen0BIous@reddit
I had a buddy who visited icleland 15 years ago and moved there like 6 months later. Lived there until very recently. So take that for what it’s worth.
mahrog123@reddit
I could easily do 3 days in Reykjavik. Plenty to do.
Last time I was there was in February and it was considerably warmer than Minnesota.
psychgrad@reddit
Just so you know, the airport is like 45-60 mins from Reykjavik, and the bus is expensive. The Blue Lagoon is also 45-60 mins away from both the airport and Reykjavik in Grindavik.
Iceland air does cheap flights often, so I don’t think the price you found is a rare thing that FOMO will pressure you to buy.
My tip for Icelandair is to use their stop over program. You can fly on to Europe with Iceland as a layover and you can extend in the country 1-7 days to make it a two country trip.
indifferent-nomad@reddit
I did something similar in Reykjavik, never left downtown area. Definitely with it - fun people, cool vibes, nice bars. Everything is expensive though….like $15-$20 a beer expensive.
22220222223224@reddit
Really? Reykjavik is a pretty underwhelming destination. It is expensive, overrun with tourists, the food is nothing unique (unless you want to sample whale), the weather is terrible, it is small, it is pretty suburban. The entire point of traveling to Iceland is seeing its nature.
bobsaget112@reddit
I sort of disagree. I’m from a big US city and enjoy Reykjavik precisely for how quiet it is especially outside the city center. At least in the summer I enjoy going for some cool air, nice scenery, and quiet vibes. There’s some nice spas and Lagoons that are somewhat touristy but still pretty good. I do like the food too for the most part.
Anyway if I can find a cheap flight I think it’s a nice place to relax. But I totally agree that the best parts of Iceland are absolutely not in Reykjavik.
Immediate_Strike7720@reddit
Definitely worth it!
lefter12@reddit
My GF and I have been to Iceland a few times. Honestly you’ll be disappointed if you only stay in Reykjavik.
In 3 days you can still see a bit of the south coast, if you’re willing to have an aggressive itinerary.
coce8221@reddit
Dick museum
pidgeypenguinagain@reddit
Yes! Such good waffles!
coce8221@reddit
So creamy!
Paolito14@reddit
What airline?
clementynemurphy@reddit
Yes! I think it's worth it for a couple days!
Dramatic_Cream_2163@reddit
I stayed in a campground in Reykjavik and took busses everywhere and even managed to hitchhike once. I also brought camping food with me and only really bought hotdogs and skyr. It was a super fun trip!!! As others have said it is very cold there, I believe colder and less predictable than Oslo, and a much smaller city, so you will want to get out of town. I personally paid for a bus tour to the golden circle, then just didn’t get back on the tourbus and camped overnight in the intercontinental rift in Thingvellir. That’s when I had to hitchhike back. I treasure the memories and it was definitely worth the trip!
sonicpix88@reddit
I've been three times. It should be ok. And you could still get out to the lava flows if they're still flowing.
Sedixodap@reddit
In the summer I would have wanted longer, but three days for a winter trip felt just about right to me. It’s long enough to explore the city, soak in a hot spring, do a couple of the bus tours to nearby sights, and hopefully see the Aurora (although the shorter your visit the less likely the latter is).
KruxedOut@reddit
Yes. We love our weekend trips. Anytime of the year