How to Travel Around Iceland Without a Car

Exploring Iceland without renting a car is not only possible but often a more relaxing and practical way to travel—especially if you’re unfamiliar with rugged landscapes or winter driving conditions.

Many travelers worry they’ll miss out on Iceland’s incredible natural wonders without a car. Whether it’s the famous Golden Circle, the untouched beauty of the Westfjords, or hiking trails in the dramatic Highlands, Iceland’s tourism infrastructure ensures you won’t miss a thing.

Traveling from Keflavik Airport does not require having a car. In fact, by booking well-organized day tours, multi-day vacation packages, efficient airport transfers, and reliable public buses, you can experience the country’s most stunning sights stress-free—no driving required!

But how exactly is Iceland non-driver-friendly? Can you explore the country’s best attractions without blowing your budget?

This guide will provide you with everything you need to confidently explore Iceland without a car. From solo travelers and families to those seeking a laid-back escape, you’ll find stress-free options that let you fully immerse yourself in the beauty of Iceland. 

Read on and discover how easy it is to plan your adventure. No car, no worries!

Advantages of Traveling in Iceland Without a Car

There are many reasons travelers choose not to rent a car in Iceland. Some may not have a driver’s license, while others feel uneasy about driving on unfamiliar roads or navigating Iceland’s right-hand traffic. 

For many, the thought of tackling winter conditions—icy roads, strong winds, and limited daylight—can be daunting. And for others, it’s simply about enjoying a stress-free vacation without the pressures of driving, navigating, or worrying about fuel stops.

Surprisingly, exploring Iceland without a rental car has several advantages that can make your trip more enjoyable, relaxed, and budget-friendly. From stress-free sightseeing to cost savings and guided experiences, here’s why skipping the car rental can actually enhance your Iceland adventure:

1. Stress-Free Exploration

Driving in a foreign country, especially one with unpredictable weather and challenging roads, can be overwhelming. Opting for guided tours or public transport allows you to sit back, relax, and fully enjoy the breathtaking scenery. No need to worry about navigating unfamiliar routes or fuel stops—just focus on the experience.

2. Access to Local Expertise

When you join day tours or multi-day packages, you gain the benefit of expert guides who share fascinating stories, hidden gems, and insider tips you might otherwise miss. Guides also know the best spots for photography, the safest routes, and the ideal times to visit attractions, making your experience richer and more rewarding.

3. Cost Savings

Renting a car, especially a four-wheel drive suitable for Iceland’s rugged terrain, can be expensive when you factor in fuel, insurance, and parking fees. By using organized tours, public buses, or shared airport transfers, you can often save money, especially if you’re traveling solo or on a budget.

4. Flexibility and Accessibility

Iceland’s well-developed tourism infrastructure caters to all types of travelers. Public buses connect major regions, while domestic flights can take you to far-flung destinations like the Westfjords or Akureyri. You can customize your trip with excursions, making it as flexible as you need.

5. Environmentally Friendly Options

Car-free travel helps minimize your carbon footprint. Shared buses, tours, and flights are more eco-conscious alternatives to driving solo, allowing you to explore Iceland responsibly.

6. Better Enjoyment of the Journey

Without the pressures of navigation, weather concerns, and long hours behind the wheel, you can immerse yourself in Iceland’s beauty. Whether spotting the Northern Lights, hiking in the Highlands, or soaking in geothermal pools, car-free travel lets you focus on what truly matters, creating unforgettable memories.

Vacation Packages in Iceland

Those planning a holiday to Iceland who do not wish to or cannot drive have an excellent opportunity in vacation packages. By booking one of these, everything about your trip will be arranged for you prior to arrival, such as your accommodation, airport transfers, and tours. In the majority of these packages, you will also have a driver/guide escorting you from location to location each day.

As such, vacation packages allow you to fully unwind on your holiday, confident that your journey ahead has been thoroughly planned and you have nothing to worry about other than enjoying yourself. These come in a wide variety of forms to suit groups of all budgets, sizes, and interests.

Those taking a short holiday in winter, for example, could look into this six-day package that will introduce them to the northern lights, Golden Circle, South Coast, and crystal blue ice caves.

Those seeking to enjoy the trip on a shoestring can opt for affordable accommodation and focus on sightseeing. At the same time, those with more to spend could choose comfort or quality hotels and add on additional excursions such as horse riding, snorkeling, snowmobiling, and whale-watching.

This package is largely conducted from Reykjavik, but many options take you further afield.

This twelve-day summer package will take you all around the Ring Road and Snaefellsnes peninsula, with loads of time at some incredible locations such as the Eastfjords and Lake Myvatn.

If you want to see as much as possible but don’t have as long a trip, consider this week-long summer package in Iceland around the south, east, and north.

Many vacation packages also tailor themselves to niche interests. Fans of Game of Thrones, for example, will love this eight-day package, designed to bring you to the locations where many of the most dramatic scenes of the series were filmed.

Photography lovers, meanwhile, will find a range of tours designed to help build their portfolio, whether they want to focus on the midnight sun, winter landscapes, or highlands.

Some vacation packages even involve a day spent exploring a magnificent village in Greenland, as well as a wealth of sites in the land of fire and ice.

Guided Day Tours and Multi-Day Tours in Iceland

Once you have arrived in Reykjavik and explored its fascinating local culture and history, you’ll no doubt want to get out into nature. While, of course, you could take city buses to nearby sites such as Mount Esjan to the north and the Blue Mountains to the east, day tours and multi-day tours greatly extend the scope of your potential adventures.

Day Tours from Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the perfect base for exploring Iceland's most iconic sights through day tours. Many of these tours include pick-up and drop-off near your accommodation, making them incredibly convenient and stress-free.

One of the most popular day tours is the Golden Circle, a route that takes you to some of Iceland’s most famous natural wonders. This includes Thingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet; the Geysir geothermal area, home to the active Strokkur geyser; and the majestic Gullfoss waterfall.

Another favorite is a visit to the Blue Lagoon on a shuttle bus from Reykjavik, where you can soak in warm, mineral-rich geothermal waters surrounded by a striking volcanic landscape. The Blue Lagoon offers the ultimate relaxation experience and is a must-see for travelers to Iceland.

For those seeking dramatic landscapes, the South Coast day tour provides unforgettable views of Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, the diamond beach, and views of glaciers and volcanoes. This journey captures the raw beauty of Iceland's southern shores.

Adventure enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy with day trips like snorkeling in Silfra, horse riding, glacier hiking, snowmobiling, and lava caving. These activities run year-round and cater to both beginners and experienced participants.

In the winter months, northern lights tours departing from Reykjavik are a top choice. These evening excursions are led by expert guides who know the best locations to find the auroras and often help capture them on camera. Even in summer, Reykjavik offers unique experiences like the Inside the Volcano tour, where you can descend into a dormant magma chamber for an extraordinary perspective of Iceland's volcanic geology.

For those who prefer to stay in the city, Reykjavik itself offers great day tours. Whale and puffin watching tours depart directly from the harbor, while bike tours or renting an electronic scooter provide a fun and eco-friendly way to explore the city’s highlights.

Multi-Day Tours

For travelers looking to venture further into Iceland’s stunning landscapes, multi-day tours provide the perfect opportunity to explore beyond what day trips can offer. These tours allow you to immerse yourself in the country’s remote beauty and see some of its most awe-inspiring locations.

This two-day ice cave tour, for example, will allow you to see far more sites of the South Coast than those who head out in a day. This region is somewhat of a microcosm of Iceland, with volcanoes, glaciers, black sand beaches, and diverse waterfalls, culminating in the iconic Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon.

One of the most popular options is the 8-day winter package, which takes you around Iceland’s entire Ring Road. This tour includes visits to incredible natural wonders such as glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches, and volcanic landscapes. In winter, it also offers the chance to witness the Northern Lights, making it an unforgettable adventure for those seeking to experience Iceland’s unique winter charm.

For those with less time, the 3-day South Coast adventure is a fantastic choice. This tour takes you to the South Coast, a region that showcases a microcosm of Iceland’s diverse landscapes. Highlights include the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, with its floating icebergs, and the spectacular ice caves, a seasonal marvel available only in winter.

The 2-day ice cave tour is another excellent option, offering a shorter but equally immersive experience. This tour focuses on exploring the South Coast’s most iconic sites, including glacier caves, black sand beaches, and the stunning glacier lagoon.

Multi-day tours like these are ideal for travelers who want to cover more ground and enjoy Iceland’s remote regions without needing to rent a car. They offer a deeper connection to the land and a chance to see sites that might be out of reach on a single-day trip.

For hiking enthusiasts, the Laugavegur hiking trail is a popular multi-day trekking route. Starting in the geothermal wonderland of Landmannalaugar and ending in the lush valley of Thorsmork, this hike provides an unmatched experience of Iceland’s wilderness.

Alternatively, flights from Reykjavik to Akureyri or Isafjordur open up even more possibilities for multi-day tours. From these locations, you can explore the untouched beauty of regions like Hornstrandir, known for its arctic fox population and dramatic cliffs. You can see the arctic fox up close on this 3-day tour.

Multi-day tours are an excellent way to delve deeper into Iceland’s wonders, offering both adventure and convenience for travelers eager to experience the full scope of the country’s beauty.

Airport Transfers Without Rental Car in Iceland

Keflavik International Airport, the main point of arrival for the vast majority of travelers to Iceland, is not located in the capital city. It's, in fact, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) away. Getting between the two, however, does not require a rental car.

Airport transfer buses run between the destinations every half-hour or hour, depending on flights, and many of these have additional services that will drop you off as close to your hotel as possible.

It is possible to get a direct bus to the capital and back to the airport. However, those seeking to maximize every opportunity in Iceland should consider stopping off the Blue Lagoon en route. Available on your outward and return journeys, these buses will allow you to spend as long as you like at one of Iceland’s most famous sites.

The Blue Lagoon, after all, is a spectacular place due to the unique color of its water, its healing qualities, and its abundance of therapies. Not to mention its incredible location amongst the lava landscapes of the Reykjanes peninsula.

Please note, however, that these transfers do not include entry into the lagoon, which must be booked well in advance due to its ever-increasing popularity.

• See also: The Ultimate Guide to the Blue Lagoon

While these buses are comfortable, affordable, regular, and efficient, they can involve a little bit of queuing and waiting, and you will likely have to change bus once in Reykjavik if you want to be taken straight to your hotel. Those who wish to travel more directly and in more luxury can instead elect to book a private driver.

Such an option also provides you with the chance to speak with a local at the very beginning of your holiday, who can offer you some tips and tricks on how to make the most of your time in Iceland. They may also be able to point out some sites en route and tell you about the nature and history.

Those on a very tight budget could alternatively elect to take city buses between the two locations, although this will likely take at least two hours from door to door and is not preferable for those with heavy luggage.

The Bus System in Iceland

The bus system in Iceland is a reliable and cost-effective way to travel, particularly for those who don’t plan to rent a car. Operated by Straeto, the national bus company, the network primarily connects Reykjavik to other towns and regions across the country, as well as providing a robust public transport system within the capital.

Within Reykjavik and its suburbs, Straeto operates a fleet of modern, yellow buses that run on a regular schedule that covers the city center, suburbs, and key locations like shopping malls, schools, and cultural sites. Buses run frequently during the day, though services are less frequent in the evenings and on weekends.

These buses are an affordable and convenient way to get around the city. Tickets can be purchased through the Straeto app (Klappid), with cash (exact change required), or using prepaid bus cards. The Reykjavik City Card is an affordable way to explore the city, offering free unlimited bus travel within the Capital Area (excluding airport bus #55) and free entry to Reykjavik’s museums, galleries, and swimming pools.

For travelers looking to explore outside Reykjavik, regional Straeto buses connect the capital to towns and villages throughout Iceland. These routes are less frequent and usually require careful planning.

Popular routes include connections to Akureyri, Selfoss, Hveragerdi, and Borgarnes. Please note that some routes, particularly those in remote areas, operate only in the summer months. Tickets for longer journeys should be booked in advance through the Straeto website or app.

The bus system in Iceland is reliable but has its limitations. Many of the country’s top attractions, like the Golden Circle and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, are not directly accessible by bus. Regional routes often run only once or twice a day, and remote areas like the Highlands are not served at all.

To make the most of public buses, download the Straeto app for schedules and tickets, plan ahead for infrequent regional routes, and dress warmly for Iceland’s unpredictable weather. While buses are a budget-friendly option in Reykjavik, exploring remote areas may require combining public transport with tours or rental cars.

Hitchhiking in Iceland

The most affordable way in which you can travel to and from the major sites in Iceland is by hitchhiking along the main roads. The country has a culture where hitchhiking is very common and considered safe, although it should only be done in summer.

Not only will waiting an indeterminate amount of time in freezing conditions in winter pose a significant risk to your safety, but you also endanger drivers who should not be pulling up on the snowy banks of an icy road.

Considering the long, dark nights of Iceland in this season, you also have only a few hours in which you’ll be visible to be picked up, and you could get into serious problems should you be stuck out in the evening.

Though Iceland is considered one of the safest countries for hitchhiking, there are, of course, inherent risks all visitors must consider. It should go without saying that hitchhiking is only recommended during the day in the countryside, not in Reykjavik after a night out, which, despite its low crime rates, is still a capital city where incidents can occur.

• See also: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Iceland

Coming to Iceland without the ability or will to drive does not need to impede your holiday. By utilizing day tours, vacation packages, bus passports, and an array of other options, you will find that you can explore just as much of the country’s incredible nature as those who have a car.

Iceland’s infrastructure and tourism industry are there to cater to your needs, allowing you a stress-free holiday where you do not need to worry about reaching Iceland’s unbelievable sites yourself.

Have you traveled to Iceland without a car? How did you get around? Do you have any recommendations for non-drivers? Let us know in the comments below!