From Keflavík Airport (KEF) to Reykjavik it is about 50 km and 45 minutes by road, and there are four ways to do it: the public bus, the Flybus, a taxi or a pre-booked transfer. On 6 October 2026 the Flybus cost 3,999 ISK per adult to the BSÍ bus terminal (about €29), the fixed-price taxi 22,500 ISK per car (about €164) and the private transfer from the provider Kiwitaxi started at $162 per vehicle (about €144): alone or as a couple, the bus is cheapest; from three or four travellers, with a lot of luggage, or on a very early or very late landing, a fixed price per car makes sense. The first trap: the bus is paid per person, the taxi and the transfer per car, and the transfer must be booked at least 16 hours ahead.
The key numbers at a glance
Figures checked on 6 October 2026 on the pages named; they move with the date, the season and the vehicle: a snapshot, not a price list. Conversions at the day’s rate (€1 ≈ 137 ISK, $1 ≈ 122 ISK).
- Journey: about 50 km, 45 to 50 minutes by road; between landing and the arrivals exit the airport allows 30 to 45 minutes, up to an hour at peak times.
- Flybus: 3,999 ISK (about €29) per person to the BSÍ terminal, 5,299 ISK (about €39) with hotel drop-off.
- Taxi: fixed price of 22,500 ISK (about €164) per car for 1 to 4 people, plus a 490 ISK fee; the airport itself says “approximately 25,000 ISK”.
- Pre-booked transfer (Kiwitaxi): from $162 (about €144) per vehicle, from $113 to the Blue Lagoon.
- Trap no. 1: the bus is paid per person, the taxi and transfer per car: do the sums before you compare.
The prices side by side
| Option | Price (6 Oct 2026) | Charged | Time | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public bus Strætó 55 | 2,400 ISK (≈ €17.50) | per person | longer than Flybus (third-party site: 75–80 min) | Fixed timetable, unrelated to your flight; check where your departure ends |
| Flybus to BSÍ | 3,999 ISK (≈ €29) | per person | ≈ 45 min | Two 23 kg bags included; the terminus is the bus terminal, not your hotel |
| Flybus with hotel drop-off | 5,299 ISK (≈ €39) | per person | 60–90 min (third-party site, April 2026) | You change to a smaller bus at BSÍ, then it tours the hotels |
| Taxi from the rank | ≈ 25,000 ISK (≈ €182) per the airport | per car | ≈ 45 min | Metered: ask for a price estimate before you get in |
| Fixed-price taxi (Hreyfill, online) | 22,500 ISK (≈ €164) + 490 ISK fee | per car, 1–4 people | ≈ 45 min | 29,250 ISK for 5–8 people; price known in advance |
| Pre-booked transfer (Kiwitaxi) | from $162 (≈ 19,700 ISK, ≈ €144) | per vehicle | ≈ 45 min | Starting price of the cheapest class; 90 minutes of waiting included |
Three cases. One person: 2,400 ISK (Strætó) or 3,999 ISK (Flybus); a taxi or transfer costs five to six times the Flybus. Two people: 7,998 ISK (about €58) by Flybus, 10,598 ISK (about €77) with hotel drop-off; a transfer from $162 (about 19,700 ISK) costs 1.9 to 2.5 times as much, and the provider itself writes that it can cost up to five times the bus for two travellers. Four people: 4 × 5,299 = 21,196 ISK (about €154) by Flybus with hotel drop-off, before an automatic group discount whose amount the page does not give; fixed-price taxi 22,990 ISK, transfer from about 19,700 ISK. Here comfort decides, and with four suitcases a party of four needs a bigger class than Comfort (4 seats, 3 bags), at a price above the starting price. To place this item in a whole trip, see our one-week Iceland budget.
Full guide: Where to Stay in Iceland on the Ring Road: When to Book
Flybus: the standard option, and its limit
For first-time visitors the bus is the standard choice, according to the airport. The Flybus leaves right outside the arrivals exit, 40 minutes after each landing and more often at rush hour, calls at Kópavogur, Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður, and ends at the BSÍ bus terminal. Tickets from Keflavík are fully flexible on the day of arrival and valid for the next departure: a late flight does not cost you a ticket. Cancellations more than 24 hours before departure are refunded, later ones are not. Two bags up to 23 kg are included.
To reach your accommodation you need the hotel option: a change to a smaller bus at BSÍ, 60 to 90 minutes in all according to Iceland Highlights (April 2026). The limit is very early flights: the timetable on 6 October 2026 showed the first departure from BSÍ at 04:00 (hotel pickup from 03:30), arriving at the airport at 04:45. With the 2.5 hours before departure that the airport recommends, that only covers flights from about 07:15 (our own calculation; the airport’s first-visit page says at least 2 hours, which would mean about 06:45). In winter the weather can also disrupt the service: see Iceland in winter or summer.
Bus 55 and the Airport Direct question
The Strætó 55 public bus is the cheapest: 2,400 ISK for an adult to Reykjavik, 1,800 ISK to Hafnarfjörður; free up to age 11. The stop is on the arrivals side, in the “Bus B” area. A third-party site (icelandbusmap.com) gives about 75 to 80 minutes and says some departures end in Hafnarfjörður; that is not official, so check straeto.is. As for Airport Direct, airportdirect.is redirected permanently to flybus.is on 6 October 2026; with no current price list under that name, we quote no figures.
Taxi: always there, but expensive
According to the airport, taxis wait day and night outside arrivals, may not refuse a fare and must accept cards. The airport advises checking the price list before you get in, asking for an estimate and taking a receipt (complaints: samgongur@isavia.is). For the centre it quotes about 25,000 ISK.
To know the price in advance, the Hreyfill taxi cooperative sells a fixed price online: 22,500 ISK for 1 to 4 people, 29,250 ISK for 5 to 8, plus a 490 ISK fee (price list valid since 18 March 2026). In principle that is the same offer as a private transfer: one car, one price, a driver holding a sign with your name. Compare the two before you pay.
The pre-booked transfer: what the provider’s page shows
On the route pages of the provider Kiwitaxi, the starting prices read on 6 October 2026 are per vehicle: airport–Reykjavik from $162 (55 km, about 45 minutes), Reykjavik–airport from $128, airport–Blue Lagoon from $113 (25 km, about 30 minutes), Blue Lagoon–Reykjavik from $184. The starting price is for the cheapest class; the final price appears before you confirm.
According to the page, the price is fixed in advance, with no meter and no seasonal surcharge, and normally depends neither on the weekend nor on the time of day (it may rise on major holidays or at big events); only a stop or detour, extra waiting or another class costs more. The waiting included is 1 hour 30 minutes after the scheduled arrival time (the airport page says “from when your flight lands”; we go by the stricter wording in the help pages). The driver waits after passport control and baggage claim, holding a sign with your name.
There are 14 classes: Micro (3 seats, 2 bags), Economy and Comfort (4 and 3), Minivan (4 and 4), Minibus (7 and 7), up to 19 seats. On the airport–Reykjavik route page the cheapest class listed was Comfort (4 seats, 3 bags) at the $162 starting price; Micro and Economy were not listed there. Child seats cost extra and must be booked, otherwise the driver may refuse the ride; standard luggage means up to 158 cm in total (length + width + height), and oversize items go in the comment field.
Deadlines: 16 hours ahead for standard classes, 24 hours for Premium classes and minibuses of 10 seats or more. Cancellation is free up to 16 or 24 hours before pickup according to the route page (the airport page says 24 hours for everyone: plan for the longer period), with refunds in 5 to 7 banking days. Payment is, depending on the route, online, a small deposit with the balance in cash, or cash only. Route, class and total price can be checked before you pay: see the transfer from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavik.
How reliable is the provider?
On 6 October 2026 Kiwitaxi stood at 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 1,089 reviews (226 of them in the last twelve months): 78% five stars, but also 16% one star. The provider replies to 97% of negative reviews, usually within a week. Reviewers praise simple booking, polite drivers and clean vehicles; the complaints concern late or missing drivers, last-minute cancellations and hard-to-reach contacts at busy airports. The reviews cover all its destinations, not just Iceland.
The risk comes down with the checks at the end of this guide. The main one: do not take another taxi without contacting the provider, as it may affect your refund.
The Blue Lagoon on the way
According to the airport, the Blue Lagoon is about 23 km from the terminal, 20 minutes by car, and about 50 km from Reykjavik. Bathing there on arrival or departure day needs no detour. Entry must be pre-booked (“Pre-booking is essential” on bluelagoon.com), from 11,990 ISK (about €87).
The regular Flybus does not stop there; the lagoon runs its own shuttles (Destination Blue Lagoon), which the airport suggests booking with your entry. By private transfer it takes two journeys: airport–lagoon from $113 and lagoon–Reykjavik from $184, from $297 in all (about €264); the 1 hour 30 minutes of waiting applies only at the airport, and the second journey is a separate booking. Large bags go to the left-luggage in the lagoon car park (the airport quotes 1,000 to 2,000 ISK per bag, and elsewhere on the same page 1,000 to 1,500); the airport also has lockers, around 2,000 to 3,000 ISK per 24 hours. On arrival day it advises at least 60 to 90 minutes between landing and your slot, up to 2 hours at peak times; on departure day it expects you at the airport 2.5 hours before an international flight, and the shuttle back from the lagoon takes 30 to 45 minutes. The lagoon has been evacuated and closed several times since 2021 because of volcanic activity: check bluelagoon.com beforehand. For other soaks, see Iceland’s hot springs beyond the Blue Lagoon.
Who should choose what?
The Flybus suits one or two travellers with no flight before about 07:15, if the BSÍ terminal or a hotel drop-off is enough. A fixed price per car (fixed-price taxi or transfer) suits three or four people, child seats, skis or lots of luggage, or a flight before about 07:15. No transfer at all if you are renting a car anyway: the rental desks are in the arrivals hall. Campervan or 4x4? Our comparison helps you decide; compare rental cars in Iceland is worth it for the Ring Road or the Golden Circle.
Full guide: Car Rental in Iceland: Prices, Insurance and F-Roads
Before you pay: the checks
- Pricing: per person or per vehicle? Work out the total for the whole party.
- Flight and time: flight number with letters and digits, pickup = scheduled landing.
- Vehicle: count people and suitcases, book the child seat, flag oversize items in the comment.
- Deadlines: book at least 16 hours ahead; treat 24 hours as the safe limit for free cancellation.
- Extras: stops, waiting and a change of class cost more; ask before you confirm.
- Voucher and phone: save the voucher offline, note the driver’s number, take no other taxi without telling the provider.
The return (from $128 on the provider’s page) can be checked on the same page: see the transfer to Keflavík Airport.
