Reykjavik City Card 24-hour

Ice-cold weather makes this card useful.

The Reykjavík City Card is a practical way to squeeze in a lot in just 24 hours, without locking you into a tour schedule. I like the variety: art, photography, history, and Icelandic culture plus public pools and the zoo. The main drawback to plan for is simple: you need to choose well, because museums often run shorter daily hours, and the card only pays off if you actually hit multiple included stops.

The card also works best when you treat it like a tool, not a promise. You’ll get rides on the local Straeto bus network, and many major city-area museums are included—so you can hop between neighborhoods fast and stay warm. My advice: don’t assume the bus will magically solve every distance. In particular, reaching the Videy Island ferry terminal can be tricky depending on where the service docks and which local route you take.

Key things to know before you go

• 24-hour flexibility: no fixed route, so you can design your own museum-and-pool day
• Straeto bus fares included: helpful for longer hops, but walking is often faster downtown
• Art + history balance: from 19th/20th-century art to Reykjavík settlement archaeology
• Hot pools are a big value piece: sundlaugar are central to the Reykjavík experience
• Videy Island is included, but get serious about timing: pier access matters

What the Reykjavík City Card actually buys you

For $47.88 per person, the Reykjavík City Card (24-hour) is built around one idea: you should be able to see the best of Reykjavík fast. The pass combines admission to a set of museums and sights with access to Reykjavík’s heated public thermal pools, plus bus fares on Straeto.

This matters more than it sounds. Reykjavík is compact, but Iceland weather can slow you down. When it’s windy, icy, or rainy, you’ll want indoor time—and that’s exactly where this card shines. It also avoids the common problem of “tour bus days,” where you’re stuck following a route that doesn’t match your interests.

A small practical point: your booking confirmation is a voucher, and you’ll need to swap it for a physical City Card to use it at venues. The pick-up window is listed as Monday–Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM (provider hours given through the listed date range). So if your trip includes evenings early in the week, plan to pick up on time.

Price and value: when $47.88 feels like a win

The City Card works out best when you stack value. You generally get the biggest payoff when you combine:

• multiple museum admissions in one day, and
• at least one thermal pool (ideally more than one if your day is packed), and
• one “big” extra like the zoo or the Videy Island ferry.

Even with no math presented here, the pattern from real-world use is clear: if you only visit one small stop, the pass can feel overpriced. If you hit a handful of included venues—especially a museum plus a pool—it starts to feel like a steal.

Also, don’t forget the hidden cost you avoid: Reykjavík entry fees can add up quickly, and short winter days make paid downtime painful. The card gives you freedom to plan around what’s open and what you can reach without sprinting.

How to plan your 24 hours without ending up rushed

The card gives you options across the Reykjavík Capital Area, but in practice you’ll still want a smart “cluster plan.” Many included museums sit downtown or in nearby neighborhoods. If you spread yourself too far, bus time can eat your schedule, and you’ll end up doing more transit than sightseeing.

Here’s the planning approach I recommend:

1) Start with one “anchor” museum (an indoor hit).

2) Add one or two more nearby museums that match your style (art, photography, history).

3) Build in one thermal pool slot for warmth and reset time.

4) Keep one optional wildcard at the end, so you can adjust if something has a timed exhibition or you misjudge travel time.

I’d also treat buses as help, not a crutch. You’ll be using public transit, and bus drivers may not be English-speaking. It’s usually manageable, but having your destination address and a map open helps.

Museum power move: National Gallery, Hafnarhús, and art museums by the parks

If you want the card to feel worth it, pick an art track. It’s the easiest way to get high value indoors, especially on a cold day.

National Gallery of Iceland (Listasafn Íslands)

This is a major museum for Icelandic art, with the emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. What makes it great for a short trip is the range: it includes a strong core of Icelandic works, plus international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Edward Munch, Karel Appel, Hans Hartung, Victor Vasarely, Richard Serra, and Richard Tuttle.

Plan on about one hour. You’ll get a good overview without needing to read every label. If your day is tight, this museum can function as your “big anchor” so you don’t feel like you must rush through everything else.

Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhus (Hafnarhús)

Hafnarhús is housed in an old harbour warehouse, in the city’s oldest dock area. The building itself is part of the experience: erected in the 1930s, it was once one of the largest buildings in Iceland.

Inside, you’ll find a contemporary exhibition program across multiple galleries, with the added draw of works by Erró, a major figure in international pop art. Two hours is a comfortable window here if you want to move at a relaxed pace and still see the key rooms.

One practical note: if a specific exhibit isn’t on when you arrive, you might feel like you paid for access but not for the exact show you hoped for. It’s not a reason to skip—just a reason to keep your expectations flexible.

Kjarvalsstaðir and Asmundarsafn: modern art with Reykjavík views

If you like art museums with a sense of place, these two are excellent add-ons.

• Kjarvalsstaðir focuses on the works of Jóhannes S. Kjarval. The setting is a win: the building features floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto Klambratún Park. Plan about an hour.
• Asmundarsafn (Ásmundur Sveinsson) is striking from the outside too: the sculptor designed the building, including the white dome and the surrounding sculpture garden. It also includes an interior design inspired by vernacular Mediterranean architecture, so you get a “building-as-art” feeling. Plan about an hour.

These museums are the kind of stops where a short visit still feels complete, even if you’re not trying to see every last work.

History and culture stops that work even when you’re tired

When you’re cold and your feet are done, history museums are a great fit. They’re indoor, meaningful, and usually easy to scan in one pass.

National Museum of Iceland

This one is free with the card and covers cultural history across past, present, and future. It’s a good choice when you want context for why Reykjavík feels the way it does.

It’s listed as about one hour. If you’re the type who likes to understand before you explore, start here (or pair it with the nearby settlement stuff below).

The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2)

This is a standout if you want the deepest sense of place in a short time. The exhibition is based on scholars’ theories about what heritage sites around central Reykjavík can tell us about early settlement life. You’ll focus on an excavated hall from the Settlement Age, inhabited from 930–1000, plus turf pieces and wall remnants built shortly before 871.

It’s listed at about one hour, and it’s the kind of stop that feels like you’re stepping closer to the roots of the city. Even if you don’t get through every object in detail, the big story lands fast.

The Culture House and Reykjavík City Museum at Aðalstræti 10

If you want a slightly different format than traditional gallery rooms, these help.

• The Culture House has a permanent exhibition called Points of View, showing collections from six major Icelandic cultural institutions. Artworks are displayed thematically with museum objects and archival materials like books and maps. Plan around one hour.
• Aðalstræti 10 is an exhibition space that’s part of Reykjavík City Museum (one museum in five places). Expect a shorter 30-minute visit.

These are good “in-between” stops that keep your day from feeling like nonstop serious museums.

Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum

This one is centered on the Icelandic sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson and the collection tied to his studio. The museum was founded in 1984 by his widow, Birgitta Spur, and it uses the artist’s former studio at Laugarnes as the exhibition space.

If you like modern sculpture, it’s a satisfying one-hour stop with a clear focus.

Maritime and open-air farm history: a change of pace

Not every included stop is strictly indoors. Reykjavík’s maritime story and the open-air farm museum are a refreshing break from galleries.

Reykjavik Maritime Museum

This museum tells the history of Icelandic fisheries through Fish & folk – 150 years of fisheries, framed through Reykjavík as the biggest fishing port. The setting adds weight: the building once housed a flourishing fish factory.

The content is listed as about one hour. If you want a practical connection between Iceland’s food culture and the country’s economy, this stop hits.

Árbær Open Air Museum

Árbær is where you’ll go when you want to feel everyday life rather than just learn dates. It’s an open-air museum that started in 1957, based on an established farm that ran into the 20th century. You’ll find more than 20 buildings forming a town square, village, and farm—many relocated from central Reykjavík.

Plan around three hours. That’s the only big “time commitment” stop on the card, so I’d place it when you’re not trying to fit in half a dozen quick museum visits.

Photography and modern museums: choose your mood

Photography can be the perfect short stop because you can move through at your own pace. It also gives Reykjavík a more personal lens than traditional history displays.

Reykjavik Museum of Photography

This museum covers both Icelandic photography and works from foreign photographers, with exhibitions presented in artistic, social, and cultural context. It can be a strong use of your time if you like visual storytelling.

It’s listed as about one hour. One real-world caution from how people experience this card: timing matters. If you arrive when a specific exhibit isn’t open yet, you can waste time climbing stairs. For that reason, I’d check opening times for this museum day-of if you’re working with a tight 24-hour window.

Gerðarsafn (Gerdarsafn), Natural History Museum of Kopavogur, and modern variety

If you’re a “mix it up” visitor, you’ve got options outside downtown:

• Gerðarsafn in Kópavogur is modern and contemporary, with temporary exhibitions featuring Icelandic and international artists. It’s also notable for being the only Icelandic museum built in honor of a female artist.
• Natural History Museum of Kopavogur is split into geology and zoology, focusing on Iceland’s formation and major rock/mineral types, plus Icelandic birds, mammals, fish, and invertebrates.

The natural history stop is built for one-hour visits, and staff guidance is free if requested (ideally reserved in advance for groups, but it’s available).

Thermal pools and zoo: the fun payoff for using the card

This card is not just for museums. The thermal pools are one of the best reasons to buy, because they’re distinctly Reykjavík and they also solve the “what do I do in the cold?” problem.

Reykjavik’s public thermal pools (sundlaugar)

The card includes access to multiple pools, and the experience varies by venue: steam baths, saunas, hot tubs, and jacuzzis are standard across the included options.

Some specific pool notes from the included stops:

• Grafarvogslaug: steam bath, sauna, hot tubs, jacuzzis (listed at about two hours)
• Arbaejarlaug swimming pool: also includes a broad set of amenities
• Laugardalslaug and others around the city: plan for about two hours for a relaxed soak
• Breiðholtslaug: listed as free with the card
• Dalslaug: listed as free; it opened December 11, 2021
• Klébergslaug: a smaller outdoor pool near Mount Esja, listed as free; includes a kiddie water slide plus steam bath, gym, and hot tubs
• Sundhollin and Vesturbaejarlaug: both included

My practical advice: treat pool time as part of your schedule, not an optional extra. If your day is packed, a pool visit gives you a planned break where you warm up and reset.

Reykjavik Family Park and Zoo

This zoo stop is included too, and it’s more than people expect. You’ll find Icelandic farm animals plus mammals from Iceland’s wildlife, plus a small exhibition of reptiles, amphibians, and insects. It’s also family-oriented year-round: playground elements in summer, and weekend availability in winter weather permitting.

It’s listed at about two hours. If you’re visiting in winter with limited daylight, plan your zoo stop carefully so you’re not caught when outdoor sections are inconvenient.

Videy Island ferry: included, but don’t ignore the pier problem

Videy Island is a nature break with history and art. The card includes the ferry out to Videy Island, and you’ll find birdlife plus modern art works on the island.

The key caution is transportation logistics. Public bus coverage is included on Straeto, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll reach the exact ferry terminal you need at the time you’re traveling. In winter, the ferry terminal can be a specific pier (Skarfabakki Pier is one example tied to real-world experience), and that’s where the pass may not cut your costs the way you expect.

If Videy Island is a priority, I’d plan backward from your ferry time and confirm how you’ll get to the pier. Build in buffer time, and keep a backup plan in case bus routing doesn’t line up with your exact departure.

Getting around Reykjavik with Straeto: walk first for downtown

The City Card includes public bus fares, which can help if you want to hop between neighborhoods without adding extra expense. But Reykjavík is compact enough that walking often beats waiting for buses, especially for shorter downtown legs.

Here’s what works well in real life:

• Walk between clusters of sights when weather is manageable.
• Use buses for the longer gaps, especially when you’re carrying time-sensitive plans.
• Keep your destination addresses handy, because bus drivers may not speak English fluently, and transfers can be confusing if you rely on verbal directions.

If you’re the type who likes to map your day by neighborhood rather than by opening hours, you’ll likely get more out of this card.

Should you book the Reykjavík City Card 24-hour?

I think this card is a smart buy if you’re trying to pack in multiple museums plus at least one pool within a day, and you’ll genuinely use the included transport and sights instead of just saving the card for later.

Skip it, or at least reconsider, if:

• you only plan to visit one museum,
• you’re traveling at a time when outdoor spots like the zoo feel impractical, or
• you’re counting on buses to solve ferry-pier logistics without checking how you’ll actually get there.

If you like art, history, and the Reykjavík ritual of soaking in geothermal pools, this card can feel like the keys to the city—fast, warm, and focused on the stops that make Reykjavík memorable.

FAQ

What’s included with the Reykjavík City Card 24-hour?

The card includes admission to the zoo and family park, admission to several museums, public bus fares in Reykjavík, and access to several thermal pools.

Do I need to swap my voucher before I can use the card?

Yes. Your digital voucher needs to be exchanged for a physical City Card before you can use it at participating museums and pools.

Which bus system is covered with the card?

The card covers public bus fares on Straeto in Reykjavík.

Are thermal pools included, and are they all the same?

Several Reykjavík public thermal pools are included, and they generally offer steam baths, saunas, hot tubs, and jacuzzis. Some pools are listed as free with the card, and pools differ by size and setup.

Is the ferry to Videy Island included?

Yes, the card includes admission for the ferry ride to Videy Island.

What are the opening hours for exchanging or using the card?

The provided opening hours for the experience are Monday–Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM (with the listed overall date range).