Reykjavik City Card 24-hour

One card, most of Reykjavik.

This 24-hour City Card is a smart way to stack major sights fast, with free museum entry, city-bus access, and multiple geothermal pools. You can build your own route instead of following a strict timetable.

I especially like the sheer mix of options, from the National Gallery’s Icelandic masters to the Settlement Exhibition that traces the earliest Reykjavík life. The card also makes it easy to warm up outdoors, thanks to included admissions at several public sundlaugar (swimming pools) and even the zoo and family park. The main drawback is practical, the included bus rides can be less helpful than walking in some areas, and winter ferry logistics may force you to use a taxi.

Key things to know before you buy

• Fast value for packed days: museums plus pools plus bus fares in one ticket
• A choose-your-own route: no strict itinerary, so you can follow weather and energy
• Lots of variety: art, history, photography, maritime culture, open-air past, and nature on Viðey
• Straeto public buses included: helps you hop between neighborhoods when walking gets long
• Pools are part of the plan: hot tubs, steam baths, saunas, and jacuzzis make a great break
• Videy ferry can be a snag in winter: the bus may not line up with the pier you need

Price and what you really get for $47.88

At $47.88 per person for a 24-hour card, the value comes from stacking. You are not just buying one attraction. You are buying access to a wide set of museums and exhibitions, plus public transportation in Reykjavík, plus geothermal pool time, plus a ferry outing to Viðey Island.

What makes it work for many people is that Reykjavík attractions tend to be concentrated, and a day can be cold, windy, or rainy. If you plan to do more than one museum stop and at least one pool, this card usually stops feeling like an add-on and starts feeling like the main ticket.

Museum day, Reykjavik style: art, photo, and design

If you like museums, you will probably feel at home with this card. The lineup is unusually spread out across art forms, not just one museum with a theme.

Start with the National Gallery of Iceland (Listasafn Íslands). It focuses heavily on 19th and 20th century Icelandic art, but also includes international names like Pablo Picasso, Edward Munch, Karel Appel, Hans Hartung, and Richard Serra. Plan for around an hour. You can do it fast, but if you enjoy art history, you’ll likely want to linger.

Next, head to Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhus in the old harbour warehouse. The setting is part of the story, and the exhibition program runs through contemporary art across multiple galleries. Hafnarhús also includes notable work by Erró, a major figure in the pop art world. This is a good choice when you want modern art in a building that feels like it belongs to the harbour era.

For a culture-and-time reset, go to the National Museum of Iceland. It’s labeled as free with the card, and it’s one of the clearest ways to understand Iceland as a people and a society. Expect about an hour.

If you want photography, the Reykjavik Museum of Photography covers Icelandic and foreign photography, with both historical and contemporary work. This is the stop I would treat like a timing puzzle. One practical tip from real-world use is that this museum may open later than you expect, so check the day’s opening hours before you build your route.

For a different kind of art experience, try the Culture House with its permanent exhibition Points of View, which brings together items from six major Icelandic cultural institutions. You can look at artworks next to archival materials like books and maps, which makes it easier to see how visual culture ties into the broader story.

Also worth carving out time for:

• Reykjavik Art Museum Kjarvalsstaðir, focused on works by Jóhannes S. Kjarval, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Klambratún Park.
• Reykjavik Art Museum – Asmundarsafn, designed around sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson’s dome building and garden sculptures, with a design inspired by Mediterranean vernacular architecture.
• Gerdarsafn (Gerðarsafn) in Kópavogur, a modern and contemporary art museum that emphasizes temporary exhibitions and includes a collection, plus a nod to the fact it is built in honor of a female artist.
• Aðalstræti 10, part of the Reykjavík City Museum, with a shorter visit window on the card.
• Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum, centered on the sculptor’s works in a former studio setup, founded by the artist’s widow, Birgitta Spur.

This is a great mix for a short stay because you can bounce between painting, sculpture, photography, and museum-style cultural displays without needing to plan multiple separate tickets.

History and sea: Settlement Exhibition and the Maritime Museum

Two stops are especially strong if you want Iceland to feel more than scenery.

First is the Settlement Exhibition – Reykjavik 871±2. You’re looking at the settlement of Reykjavík using archaeological remains from central Reykjavík, with a special focus on a hall excavated in 2001 that was inhabited from 930 to 1000. This is hands-on history, and the key point is that you are seeing how evidence was used to understand early life. Plan for about an hour.

Then visit the Reykjavik Maritime Museum, in a former fish factory building. The exhibition Fish and folk looks at 150 years of fisheries, moving from rowing boats to larger fishing vessels from the late 19th century into the 21st century. Reykjavík’s position as the biggest fishing port is built into the way the museum tells the story. If you care about how people earned a living, this one connects the dots fast.

One practical note: many museums trend toward afternoon closing hours. So if you’re trying to do multiple museum stops in one day, aim to start early and leave a buffer for travel between neighborhoods.

Open-air past at Árbær, plus nature art on Viðey

To balance indoor museums, throw in at least one outdoor site.

The Árbær Open Air Museum is one of the easiest ways to feel daily life in Iceland over time. Árbær was an established farm well into the 20th century, and the museum opened there in 1957. Now you get more than 20 buildings forming a town square, village, and farm, with many structures relocated from central Reykjavík. It’s a slower-feeling stop, and you should plan around 3 hours if you want to wander.

For island air and birdlife, include Viðey Island. The card coverage gives you admission tied to the island’s modern art presence alongside its natural setting. You’ll want roughly 3 hours to allow for the ferry time and the walking.

Important winter logistics tip: the ferry connection can be harder than you expect when sidewalks freeze and timetables tighten. In winter, the included bus may not reach the pier you need for the Viðey ferry, such as Skarfabakki Pier in December. If that happens, you might end up using a taxi, and getting to the correct terminal can take extra effort. My advice is simple: before you commit to the day, confirm the pier location for the ferry time you want.

Stretch beyond central Reykjavík: Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður

Reykjavík’s capital area museums can feel scattered, but the City Card helps you stitch together a route.

In Kópavogur, you can hit:

• Gerdarsafn for modern and contemporary exhibitions
• Natural History Museum of Kópavogur, split between geology and zoology. The geological side focuses on Iceland’s formation and rock and mineral types. The zoology side focuses on Icelandic birds, mammals, fish, and invertebrates (with a few exceptions). You can request free guidance, and the staff says they adapt it to your interest, age, and language.

In Hafnarfjörður, the card includes:

• Hafnarborg, the Culture and Fine Art Center, for about a 30-minute stop
• Hafnarfjörður Museum, spread across several buildings and focused on regional history

These side-area museums are perfect if you want variety without buying separate tickets. They also work well when you want a quieter, less central feel.

Thermal pools are the secret weapon: plan your sundlaugar circuit

If the weather is gray, Reykjavík pools are your reward. The City Card gives you access to several public thermal pools, heated with geothermal water. Expect steam baths, saunas, hot tubs, and jacuzzis.

Start with Grafarvogslaug, about a 2-hour visit slot, with safety training emphasized for staff and guests. Next do Árbæjarlaug, also listed for about 2 hours.

Then consider the big classics:

• Laugardalslaug (2 hours)
• Breiðholtslaug (free with card, 2 hours) with indoor/outdoor pools plus slides and a sauna
• Dalslaug (free with card, 2 minutes on the card, which usually means plan it as a quick stop rather than a long soak, and it opened in December 2021)
• Íþróttamiðstöðin á Klébergi – Klébergslaug (free with card, about 1 hour), a smaller, more intimate outdoor option near Mount Esja
• Sundhollin Public Baths (2 hours)
• Vesturbaejarlaug (2 hours)

My practical approach is to schedule pools in between museum blocks. A pool resets your body, and it also helps you avoid the classic mistake of doing three museums back-to-back and then running out of energy before the evening.

Zoo and family park: what to expect

If you want something lighter than museums, include Reykjavik Family park and Zoo. It is not just small farm animals. The card description says you can find Icelandic farm animals, mammals from Iceland’s wildlife, plus a small exhibition of reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

Plan on about 2 hours. It is a good choice when you want daylight time to stretch legs, especially if you are traveling with kids or just want something less “ticketed” feeling.

Straeto buses and when to walk instead

The card covers public bus fares in the Reykjavík City Area, and it specifically points you toward Straeto bus travel.

Here is the reality check I would plan for: buses can be useful, but they may not be the best tool for every hop. In practice, bus stops that are easiest to use can end up clustered closer to downtown, and schedules can feel less convenient than walking, especially when you are moving between a museum and a pool or a museum and a pier.

So I recommend a hybrid mindset:

• Use buses when it clearly saves you from a long, slippery walk
• Use walking when the route is straightforward and the sidewalks look manageable
• Treat any ferry plan as a logistics check, because bus reach to the correct pier can be a problem in winter

A realistic way to use all this in one tight window

You can do this card in different ways, but here’s a practical structure I’d follow when time is tight.

Morning: art or history. Start with the National Gallery of Iceland or jump into Hafnarhus. If you prefer story-driven museums, start with the Settlement Exhibition.

Early afternoon: switch to another museum lane. Pair Reykjavik Museum of Photography with Kjarvalsstaðir or Asmundarsafn, depending on the day’s opening times.

Mid to late afternoon: either hit Arbaer Open Air Museum if you want outdoors, or go straight to the pools so you stay warm and comfortable.

Evening: if you want island air, plan for Viðey Island, but treat it as a separate logistics step. In winter, you may need to plan around the ferry pier access and not assume the bus can take you exactly where you need.

This approach also helps you avoid a common problem with Reykjavík museum timing: many museum hours can feel tight, and you do not want to race across town just to catch the last hour.

Should you book the Reykjavik City Card 24-hour?

I’d book it if your trip has one clear pattern: you want multiple museums plus at least one thermal pool, and you are okay building your day around opening hours. The card is strongest when you treat it like a flexible entrance pass rather than a guaranteed transport solution.

I would hesitate if you are expecting seamless bus coverage to every out-of-town stop, or if your main goal is specifically the Viðey ferry at a time where pier access could be awkward in winter. In those cases, you might end up spending extra time or money on taxis, which reduces the feel-good value.

If you want a short, warm, efficient Reykjavík day with real variety, this card is often a smart move. Plan your museums first, put pools in the middle, and confirm ferry pier logistics early, and you’ll get the best version of what the card is built for.

FAQ

What does the Reykjavik City Card 24-hour include?

It includes admission to the zoo and family park, admission to several museums, public bus access in the Reykjavík City Area, admission to several thermal pools, and admission tied to the ferry out to Viðey Island.

Do I need to swap a voucher for the City Card?

Yes. You will need to swap your digital voucher for the City Card.

Can I use this card on hop-on hop-off buses?

No. It covers the public bus transportation system in Reykjavík, not a hop-on hop-off style bus.

Are any museums or pools listed as free with the card?

Yes. The National Museum of Iceland is listed as free with the card, and Hafnarborg and Hafnarfjörður Museum are also listed as free. Several thermal pools are marked free too, including Breiðholtslaug, Dalslaug, and Klébergslaug.

What are the opening hours for the City Card?

From 01/15/2022 to 12/10/2026, it is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed.

Is there free cancellation?

Yes, free cancellation is available. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience start time for a full refund.