Reykjavik Excursions

What It Is and Where It Operates

Reykjavik Excursions, founded in 1968 as Kynnisferðir, describes itself as "one of Iceland's leading tour and transport operators." It runs its own day tours, airport transfers and city buses with its own coach fleet, guides and drivers, and its site also sells activities and admissions such as glacier hikes, snorkeling, ziplines and hot springs. The about page says it "serves thousands of travellers each year, with operations based at BSÍ Bus Terminal in Reykjavík and Keflavík International Airport," and it has run Flybus, the scheduled bus between Reykjavík and Keflavík airport, since 1979. Tours depart from Reykjavik into Iceland's major destinations: the Golden Circle, the South Coast, the Highlands, the Blue Lagoon area, and various glacier and ice cave locations. The company operates what it describes as "one of the largest and most modern coach fleets in the country" and holds licenses as both a tour operator and travel agent. Since 2022 it has been part of Icelandia, which the about page describes as "a collective of well-established Icelandic travel companies that includes Icelandic Mountain Guides, Gray Line Iceland, Dive.is, and Flybus." The site does not say which of the activities it sells are run by its own staff and which by sister companies or partners.

The Tours and Activities Range

The site lists tours grouped by type and destination. The Golden Circle & Friðheimar Greenhouse is listed at 8,074 ISK, and South Coast Wonders with Reykjaböð Hot Springs at 11,049 ISK. Glacier hikes include the Blue Ice Experience, a 3.5-hour Skaftafell Glacier Hike, and the Glacier Exploration, a 5.5-hour Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike. Helicopter and scenic flight options appear under "Helicopter & Sightseeing Flights" in the tour menu. Snorkeling in Silfra is sold as a Meet on Location tour departing from Þingvellir National Park, where travelers arrange their own transport. The site also lists Lava Tunnel admissions, hot springs tours (including new Reykjaböð Hot Springs tours and passes), volcano tours ("Inside the Volcano" and "Volcano Valley ATV Tour"), and Northern Lights tours. Private tours are prominently featured: the site states "Private Tours" as a category and offers customization for groups. Multi-day expeditions are available; the homepage shows "Multi-Day Tours" as a category option. Super Jeep tours have their own menu section, and ATV tours near Reykjavík include the Hengill Geothermal ATV Tour (1.5 hours) and the Volcano Valley ATV Tour (2.5 hours). The company also offers city tours including "Reykjavik City Tours" and a "Hop On Hop Off" bus service. Airport transfers and Highland Bus transport are available separately. Other listings include Golden Circle & Glacier Snowmobiling at 25,499 ISK, Volcanic Wonders, Grindavík & the Blue Lagoon at 23,999 ISK, the Mega Zipline, snowmobiling on Langjökull, and 2026 Solar Eclipse Tours.

How Tours Work and What to Expect on the Day

The site explains that day tours departing from Reykjavik typically kick off from the BSI Bus Terminal. Walking from downtown Reykjavik takes "between 10 and 20 minutes" according to the site, which asks guests to arrive at BSI at least 15 minutes before departure. The city has 15 designated Tour Bus Stops downtown, plus direct doorstep pick-ups at certain hotels, and pick-up changes can be made by phone at least 2 hours before the tour. The company offers pickup service from Reykjavik for a small additional fee; the site notes that pickup does not always mean doorstep pickup due to city traffic restrictions, but instead uses designated bus stops. Skarfabakki, located by Reykjavik's harbor, "serves as a central pickup hub for many guided day trips and airport transfers." Pickup times typically happen "up to 30 minutes earlier" than the listed departure time to collect passengers from various locations. The site states "We recommend arriving at your pickup spot 30 minutes before the listed departure time" and notes buses arrive "within that 30-minute window." At Skarfabakki, vehicles are "clearly marked with the Reykjavik Excursions logo." For tours meeting on location (where travelers provide their own transport), departures are listed from sites such as Þingvellir National Park and the Mýrdalsjökull base camp. The site says the company has "Professional guides with deep local knowledge and a passion for sharing Iceland's stories" and "Experienced drivers trained to operate safely in Iceland's demanding weather and road conditions." The site header advertises "Certified and experienced guides." The about page says Reykjavik Excursions was the first Icelandic tour operator to receive ISO 14001 environmental certification, holds Vakinn certification for quality and environmental management, runs electric buses, and has Wi-Fi and USB charging on selected coaches; the site header also advertises "Carbon Neutral Tours" and a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award. For guests with accessibility needs, the site states: "We also work continuously to improve accessibility across our services, with selected vehicles designed to accommodate passengers with reduced mobility, ensuring that more travellers can experience Iceland safely and comfortably."

Booking, Payment and Cancellation Terms

Visitors can book tours directly on the site using the search and booking interface. The site states there is a "My Cart" shopping cart system. Support is available; at Skarfabakki there is a Tour Sales Kiosk for help with bookings and last-minute tickets, with a QR code for online booking when it is unattended, and the site has a live map for tracking buses in real time. For travelers already booked, the site states if a bus has not arrived after 20 minutes, they can "feel free to contact support at +354 599 0000." Private tours, group options, and customized travel solutions are available; the site lists "Tailor Made for Groups" as an offering and mentions "Coach Hire in Iceland" and "Rent a Car" as transport options. Prices are shown in ISK, with EUR, USD and GBP in the currency selector. The header promises "Easy booking & cancellation," and the footer links to a separate Cancellation Policy and Terms and Conditions, but the tour and information pages themselves do not state the refund window. The about page lists day tours, tailor-made tours for groups, seasonal self-drive programs and City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off buses among its services.

What the Site Does Not State and Who This Suits

The site does not publish group size limits for any tour or a minimum party size, and the cancellation window sits on a separate policy page rather than on the tours. It does not state which languages guides use; the site itself is in English and Icelandic. The site does not publish a fixed itinerary breakdown for every tour; tour pages show category and title but do not always detail every stop. Exact durations appear in some tour names, such as the 3.5-hour and 5.5-hour glacier hikes, but not in all. The site does not state a deposit requirement or payment schedule details. Reykjavik Excursions suits travelers visiting Iceland who want convenient departures from the city, families interested in diverse activities from city tours to glacier hikes, and visitors seeking professional guides for signature experiences like Golden Circle or snorkeling in Silfra. It works well for those arriving at Keflavik who need airport transfers. Its range of departures, from short ATV rides near Reykjavík to full-day South Coast trips, suits travelers stringing several days of activities together from a Reykjavík base. It is less suited to those who need detailed accessibility information beyond the site's note that selected vehicles take passengers with reduced mobility, or to travelers who want to know in advance which company will guide a given activity.