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Day hikes from Reykjavik, w/o a car

Posted by on

I’m curious what you think about day hikes to access without a car from Reykjavik. I will be based in Reykjavik on a 3-Night layover mid Sept and spend my first full day on South Coast Tour with Troll. Im hesistant to book a second 12-14 hour tour bc I don’t want to feel I’m spending a lot of my days sitting in a vehicle. Are there nice day hikes - clearly marked for visitors - to be reached by bus within 60-90 minutes? How common is hitchhiking or car share options ?

I see Landmannalaugar is quite beloved, and that is over a 4-hour bus trip from Reykjavik, which I think is too far. I do drive but don’t own/use a car often and just feel antsy about renting one for a day.

I am fit and familiär with hiking in Catskills, NY the most.

Thank you!

Posted by
2468 posts

You really need a car to access hikes. Otherwise book a tour, but maybe aim for one that is specifically for hiking. The biggest question is when is this trip? Hitchhiking is not common nor is car share. Knowing when the trip is I can help more.

Posted by
1124 posts

Personally, I would cancel your tour and rent a car. Iceland is so easy to drive around and the tours are so expensive that it’s about the same price as a car.

Posted by
8 posts

Thank you, Snohimish. I am looking to day hike on Sept 12 and/or Sept 13. I’ll be ready with rain gear and hiking shoes.

Posted by
507 posts

Mt. Esja has some nice hiking trails and it's close to Reykjavik. https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/jorunnsg/mt-esja-hiking-and-outdoor-area

I did a couple hours' hiking around here when I was staying in Mosfellsbaer in 2021. There are two, possibly more, well maintained trails that start from here. I only had a few hours so I didn't do a ton of exploring but there were a lot of people hiking here and I enjoyed what I saw.

Search Google Maps for Esjurætur - Hiking Center. Not knowing where you're staying in Reykjavik, I clicked on a random hotel near downtown to see if public transit would get me out there, and it looks like there's a bus stop about a 25 minute walk from the hiking center. Total trip time will be over an hour.

Posted by
2991 posts

I came across this site when doing research for my upcoming trip:

https://visitreykjavik.is/day-nature

I’m not sure about serious hiking, but there might be some good options for some walks.

I also plan to book the South Coast Tour with Troll and am hesitant to book one of the longer ones. The other tours do seem too long.

Other options I have from Reykjavik are a Ferry to Videy Island and a puffin and whale watching tour.

Please let me know if you come up with anything.

Posted by
507 posts

I have done the ferry to Videy. It's a nice little trip. It's flat, and there are trails that criss-cross the island and you could spend a few hours exploring. When I was there in 2021 there was a little cafe on the island where you could get lunch.

Posted by
8 posts

Thank you Kayla and all who have responded with some ideas and feedback! Researching now. :)

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