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The village of Vík í Mýrdal under snow, with its red-roofed church on the slope, the black beach, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks and the cliffs of Reynisfjall behind

Where to stay in Iceland

Photo: Ykliu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Iceland

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About Iceland

Keflavík airport is 50 km from Reykjavík, Vík is 186 km along the south coast and Akureyri 381 km to the north. In Iceland the base sets the length of every driving day.

Iceland. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airports
Keflavík (KEF), 50 km from Reykjavík. Akureyri has its own airport, about 4 km from the town by road. Source
Lodging tax
ISK 800 per unit per night in hotels, guesthouses and licensed apartments, ISK 400 on camp sites, since 1 January 2025. A unit is a room, or a whole apartment rented as one. Source
Homestays
A homestay registered with the District Commissioner may be rented for at most 90 nights and ISK 2,000,000 a calendar year in total, and its registration number must appear in all marketing and on booking sites. Source
Parking in Reykjavík
Four zones: P1 ISK 660 an hour for up to 3 hours, P2 and P4 ISK 240, P3 ISK 240 then ISK 70 after 2 hours. P1 and P2 charge 09:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 21:00 at weekends. Source
Entry rules
Iceland is in the Schengen area and uses the EU Entry/Exit System, fully operational since 10 April 2026. A short stay is up to 90 days in any 180, counted across the countries using the system. Source
Monthly stays
The lodging tax is written for places rented generally for less than a month, and a homestay may be rented for at most 90 nights a year. Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay. Source
Emergency number
112, also by text, web chat and the 112 Iceland app; if a call fails, +354 599 0112. Source

Areas of Iceland

Coloured roofs of central Reykjavík seen from the Hallgrímskirkja tower on a sunny day, with the old harbour, a docked ship and Mount Esja across the bay
Photo: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Reykjavík

The capital, with the old harbour and the coloured roofs of the old town around Hallgrímskirkja. It suits a first trip and a day trip round the Golden Circle, with Keflavík airport 50 km away.

Keflavík airport
about 50 km
Þingvellir
about 50 km

Car and parking

Central Reykjavík has four paid zones: P1 costs ISK 660 an hour for up to 3 hours, P2 and P4 ISK 240 an hour, and P3 ISK 240 for the first 2 hours, then ISK 70. P1 and P2 charge from 09:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 21:00 at weekends; pay at a meter or in an app such as EasyPark or Parka. Unpaid parking costs ISK 4,500.

Aerial view of Hella on the Ytri-Rangá river, with the road bridge in the foreground and the town and flat farmland behind
Photo: Steinninn, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The south coast: Vík and Hella

Villages on Route 1 for the waterfalls, the black beaches and the glaciers of the south: Hella on the Ytri-Rangá, about 94 km from Reykjavík, and Vík, 186 km away, with Reynisfjara 11 km from the village. Guesthouses, hotels and cottages, for a south coast trip that does not drive back to Reykjavík every night.

Reykjavík, from Vík
about 186 km
Reykjavík, from Hella
about 94 km
Reynisfjara, from Vík
about 11 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Vík or Hella was found as of September 2026. The weather decides the driving days here: check the road conditions at umferdin.is or on the road phone line 1777, and the Met Office alerts at vedur.is, before setting out.

Aerial view of Selfoss beside the Ölfusá river, with the town church in front, the suspension bridge on the left and the town centre behind
Photo: Steinninn, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Golden Circle towns

Selfoss on the Ölfusá, about 59 km from Reykjavík, and Laugarvatn and Flúðir further inland: bases for Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, and for the start of the south coast. The Golden Circle loop from Reykjavík and back is about 230 km.

Reykjavík, from Selfoss
about 59 km
Keflavík airport, from Selfoss
about 98 km
Reykjavík, from Laugarvatn
about 78 km

Car and parking

Parking at Þingvellir costs ISK 1,000 per car for the day; cameras read the plate, and payment is at the machines or online. No official parking source for the towns themselves was found as of September 2026.

Akureyri seen across the calm water of Eyjafjörður, the town reflected below snow-streaked mountains, with trees in the foreground
Photographed in 2018. Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Akureyri and the north

The town of the north on Eyjafjörður, with its own airport about 4 km away and services all year. It suits a trip around the north and a month away from the capital; Keflavík is about 426 km by road.

Akureyri airport
about 4 km
Reykjavík
about 381 km

Car and parking

Akureyri charges two zones in and around the centre, P1 at ISK 225 an hour and P2 at ISK 113, from 10:00 to 16:00 on weekdays, with a 2-hour limit on some streets; pay with EasyPark, Parka, the town's app or at the three meters in the centre. The Vaðlaheiði tunnel near the town costs ISK 2,216 for a car, paid online within 24 hours.

Aerial view of the town of Grundarfjörður on its bay, with the harbour in the middle and the peaked Kirkjufell mountain on the left
Photographed in 2018. Photo: Chr Grundo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Snæfellsnes

The peninsula north-west of Reykjavík, with Kirkjufell above Grundarfjörður and the harbour town of Stykkishólmur. Small hotels and guesthouses, for a slower loop of the peninsula than a day trip allows.

Reykjavík, from Stykkishólmur
about 173 km
Reykjavík, from Grundarfjörður
about 178 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Snæfellsnes was found as of September 2026. Stykkishólmur is about 173 km and Grundarfjörður about 178 km by road from Reykjavík.

Guides

Questions

Is there a tourist tax in Iceland?

Yes, the lodging tax: ISK 800 per unit per night in hotels, guesthouses and licensed apartments, where a unit is a room or a whole apartment rented as one, and ISK 400 on camp sites, since 1 January 2025. A registered homestay within its limits charges none.

How far is Keflavík airport from Reykjavík?

50 km by the road administration's figure. From Keflavík it is about 98 km by road to Selfoss and about 227 km to Vík.

How can a guest check that a homestay in Iceland is registered?

A registered homestay receives a registration number from the District Commissioner, and that number must be used in all marketing and on online booking sites. The property may be rented for at most 90 nights and ISK 2,000,000 a calendar year.

Where can a rental car park in central Reykjavík?

In four paid zones: P1 costs ISK 660 an hour for up to 3 hours, P2 and P4 ISK 240 an hour, and P3 ISK 240 for the first 2 hours, then ISK 70. P1 and P2 charge until 21:00, from 10:00 at weekends. Pay at a meter or in an app.