How to get to Iceland: airports, flights and border crossings

Keflavík (KEF) sits on the Reykjanes peninsula, about 50 km southwest of central Reykjavík. It is the airport international carriers use, and the only one you can arrive at from outside Iceland. The terminal is small and quick to cross, but allow time in winter: Keflavík is exposed to wind and snow, and delays are common from November to March.

Reykjavík city airport (RKV) is a short hop from the city centre and serves domestic routes — Akureyri, Ísafjörður, Egilsstaðir and the Westman Islands. If your plan includes the north or the Westfjords, an internal flight can save a long drive, but you still arrive in the country through KEF.

Akureyri has a small airport; treat it as a domestic destination rather than an arrival point.

Iceland sits between Europe and North America, so flight times are short from both. From the UK and Ireland it is a short-haul hop; from the US east coast it is comparable to a domestic transcontinental flight; from the west coast it is a long haul. Fares swing hard with season — late June to August and the northern lights window from September to March are the priciest, while November and early February are often the cheapest.

Play the stopover. Carriers sell Iceland as a free or cheap stop between Europe and North America, which lets you break a long trip into two shorter legs.

There is no land border and no rail link. Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic, so the only non-air options are ferry or cruise.

Smyril Line runs a vehicle and passenger ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to Seyðisfjörður on the east coast, with a stop in the Faroe Islands. The crossing takes roughly two days and runs seasonally; it is the way to bring your own car without shipping it. Check the 2026 timetable and booking window early — summer sailings fill.

Cruise ships call at Reykjavík, Akureyri, Ísafjörður and Seyðisfjörður in summer. You clear immigration at the port. Cruise arrivals are day visits, not a way to see the interior, so plan a separate land trip if you want the highlands or the Ring Road.

Iceland is in the Schengen area. Many passports, including US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Irish, normally allow visa-free short tourist stays, but rules and the EU's entry/exit system change — confirm current requirements with the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration before you book. Other nationalities should check the visa page.

At KEF you clear passport control on arrival, then collect bags and walk into the arrivals hall. Coaches to Reykjavík run on a schedule tied to flights; the trip is about 45 minutes to the BSÍ terminal, with hotel drop-offs on some services. If you are picking up a hire car, the rental desks are at the terminal and most companies have vehicles on site or a short shuttle away. A taxi is the fastest option but the most expensive.

If you land late or early, a night near Keflavík or in Reykjavík before driving is the safer plan — jet lag plus a dark, icy road is a bad combination in winter.

Book flights early for June to August and for the northern lights months. Shoulder-season fares in late September, October and April are usually the best value.

Weather is the real variable. Keflavík and the Reykjanes peninsula get strong wind and snow, and winter delays can push an arrival by hours. Build a buffer day before any fixed tour or domestic connection.

If you are connecting to a domestic flight to Akureyri, Ísafjörður or Egilsstaðir, note that these leave from RKV in the city, not from KEF. Allow at least three hours between a KEF arrival and an RKV departure, more in winter.

Travel insurance is worth arranging before you fly, especially if you plan to drive in winter or hike in the highlands.