Sleep area · Reykjavík
Downtown 101
First-timers: a hotel near Laugavegur with a 24h desk; the church, the harbour and the shops are a walk in any weather.
Rules in force · 10Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…In winter, ice and snow make suitcases hard to wheel
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Nordic countries ↗Decide light or dark before anything else: summer trips (June–August) and aurora trips (September–March in the Arctic) need different countries, clothes and bases.
- Nordic countries ↗Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the Faroes sell stronger alcohol only in state shops with short hours; buy before evening and before Sundays and holidays.
- Iceland ↗Iceland is not in the EU but is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources.
- Iceland ↗Driving off marked roads is illegal and fined heavily; F-roads into the highlands open only in summer and require a 4x4.
- Iceland ↗Check the road authority's conditions map and the Met Office forecast every morning, and leave a travel plan on SafeTravel for hikes and remote drives.
- Capital Region Iceland ↗Check the road-condition and weather services before any drive out of the city; winter storms close roads.
- Reykjavík ↗In winter, ice and snow make suitcases hard to wheel: large suitcases go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Reykjavík ↗Check the Icelandic Met Office and the road-condition service on the day; storm warnings can close roads, the tower and tours.
More
Map of this area
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Whether your first night works, and which stay fits
Is this the right area for me?
- Good fit
- First-timer
- Night owl
- Late arrival
- Depends
- Family
- Business
- Look elsewhere
- Light sleeper
- Budget
Why, traveler by traveler
- First-timerGood fitHallgrímskirkja, Harpa, the pond and Austurvöllur are within 15 minutes on foot.
- FamilyDependsCentral but noisy; apartments help.
- Night owlGood fitBars and restaurants are a short walk in any direction.
- Light sleeperLook elsewhereFriday and Saturday night noise on Laugavegur; ask for a back room.
- BudgetLook elsewhereExpensive, but hostels and guesthouses exist.
- BusinessDepends24-hour desks · quiet 2/5 · bags and transfers 4/5. (combined from several scores)
- Late arrivalGood fit24-hour desks are common; ask for a night code.
First night
From Car to the hotel door: 20 m (66 ft), flat surface. Desks around here are typically staffed 24h. 28-inch bags: easy. Morning to Laugavegur & Austurvöllur: 3–6 min.From Car to the hotel door: 66 ft (20 m), flat surface. Desks around here are typically staffed 24h. 28-inch bags: easy. Morning to Laugavegur & Austurvöllur: 3–6 min.
Take Pre-booked transfer or taxi to the door at 22:50. Bed by ~00:09 (+1) (p90).Take Pre-booked transfer or taxi to the door at 10:50 PM. Bed by ~12:09 AM (+1) (p90).
Open the arrival contract →Take Pre-booked transfer or taxi to the door at 22:20. Bed by ~23:39 (p90).Take Pre-booked transfer or taxi to the door at 10:20 PM. Bed by ~11:39 PM (p90).
Open the arrival contract →Your first-night card
First night in Downtown 101, Reykjavík
- Area
- Downtown 101 (Miðborg), Reykjavík
- Get off at
- Car to the hotel door, then about 20 m on foot (2–4 min)
- Taxi drop-off
- door
- Desk
- typically staffed around the clock
- Morning route
- Car to the hotel door · 0–0 min
Check the hotel’s own confirmation for its address and hours; this card covers the area, not one property.
One hotel or two? Compare one base with moving between areas, using the travel times already on your trip.
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Lock the area first. Hotel search links appear only after you decide where the pillow is — so no listing can pull you into the wrong area.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Arriving late, bags and steps, the walk at night, and who it suits
Arriving late
- Reception
- Desks here are typically staffed 24h. Hotels with a 24h desk; confirm night check-in before you fly.
- If you land late
- Call or message the hotel with your landing time; ask for the bell or door code
Luggage and steps
- Big cases
- easy
- From the stop
- 20 m (66 ft) from Car to the hotel door66 ft (20 m) from Car to the hotel door
- Taxi drop-off
- door
- Surface
- flat
- Steps
- No steps
At night
- Lighting on the walk in
- ok
Desk and extras
- Package forwarding
- Not accepted
Who it suits
- MixedFamily · Central but noisy; apartments help.
- NoLight sleeper · Friday and Saturday night noise on Laugavegur; ask for a back room.
- YesLate arrival · 24-hour desks are common; ask for a night code.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this area is, the stations and sights near it, and where to eat
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Prices, comparisons, checks before you book, and the small print
Times to sights and the airport
How far is everything
- Hallgrímskirkja9–13 minwalk
- Harpa≈ 6 minwalk · est.
- Sundhöllin (Reykjavík swimming pool)Walk east then up Barónsstígur11–15 minwalk
- Sólfar (Sun Voyager)Walk east along the shore path11–15 minwalk
- Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)≈ 9 minwalk · est.
- Keflavík International Airport (KEF)from the arrivals curb50–75 min
≈ est.: straight line from the area center ×1.3 for streets; walk at 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h) under about 1.9 km (1.2 mi)1.2 mi (2 km), otherwise a ride with 8 min to find it. Other rows are routed times from our city graph.
Airport to this area
Keflavík International Airport (KEF)
- Landing to curb (immigration, bags)45–107 min
- 1.Pre-booked transfer or taxi to the doorISK 25,000(≈ US$250)50–75 min
- Curb to bed50–75 min
First service 00:00, last 30:00 (check the live timetable).
Landing after 22:00
- Flybus coach to the city (timed to flights; hours unverified) · until 22:30 · 55–80 min · about ISK 4,500(≈ US$40)
- Last resort: Sleep at a hotel in Keflavík near the airport
- Winter storms and ice can delay the coach and the road; check the road and weather warnings before you leave the terminal.
- Pre-book a transfer or coach for late arrivals and message the hotel with your flight number.
- Do not hitchhike or accept rides from people who approach you in the hall; use the coach, the rank or a booked car.
Compare areas and find a stay
Compare with another area
- Price
- ISK 30,000–65,000 (≈ US$250–550) per room per night (mid-range); more in summerISK 30,000–60,000 (≈ US$250–500) per room per night (mid-range)
- Quiet at night
- 2/54/5
- Main noise
- Friday and Saturday night noise on Laugavegur; ask for a back room.Quieter than Laugavegur at night.
- Night safety
- okok
- Walk to sights
- Laugavegur & Austurvöllur 3–6 min · Hallgrímskirkja & Skólavörðustígur 9–13 min · Harpa & Old Harbour 8–12 min · Sólfar & Hverfisgata 6–10 minHarpa & Old Harbour 3–6 min · Laugavegur & Austurvöllur 9–13 min
- Suits
- First visits, walking to everything, café and bar nightsWhale-watching, quiet evenings, Harpa concerts
- Skip if
- You are a light sleeper on weekendsYou want cafés and bars at the door
- Airport
- Keflavík International Airport: 50–75 min after the kerbKeflavík International Airport: 50–75 min after the kerb
Commute to my trip
Prices, stay types and scores
What a room costs
Typical nightly rates by room type across the city, the band this area mostly sells, and the months when rates jump.
This area: ISK 30,000–65,000 (≈ US$250–550) per room per night (mid-range); more in summer
- Hostel dorm bedISK 6,500–12,000(≈ US$55)per bed
- Budget doubleISK 22,000(≈ US$180)per room
- Mid-range doublemost common hereISK 38,000(≈ US$350)per room
- Upper-range doubleISK 70,000(≈ US$600)per room
- Family room or apartmentISK 30,000–90,000(≈ US$250)per unit
Rates by month
- Janmid
- Febmid
- Marmid
- Aprmid
- Maymid
- Junpeak
- Julpeak
- Augpeak
- Sepmid
- Octmid
- Novlow
- Decpeak
Peak rates: Jun · Jul · Aug (Reykjavík Pride, Reykjavík Marathon) · Dec · book about 3 months ahead for those months.
- Per room per night in króna, 2026 estimate; summer and winter-break weekends add 20–50%.
- Book the summer months and the aurora winter weekends early; rooms can sell out and prices double. Lead time: about 3 months ahead.
Not like home
- Accommodation tax is added per night. Booking-site prices may leave it out, like a US resort fee.
- Floors count from the ground floor (0 or E in the elevator): a European "first floor" is a US second floor.
- Air conditioning is not standard in older European hotels: check the listing for summer stays.
City-wide desk estimates, checked: 2026-09. Month levels come from our month ratings, not live prices; check the rate for your dates.
Night, noise and late arrival in full
Nights here: safety and noise
- Quiet
- Friday and Saturday night noise on Laugavegur; ask for a back room.
- Nightlife
- Bars and restaurants are a short walk in any direction.
- Street lighting
- ok
- Laugavegur and Austurstrætinight: okLoud on weekend nights; keep bags closed in crowded bars.
- Hallgrímskirkja and Skólavörðustígurnight: okIcy pavements in winter; wind at the church square.
- Old Harbour and Harpanight: okWind and waves on the piers; stay behind barriers in storms.
- Shore path and Sólfarnight: okDark stretches and ice; a headlamp helps in winter.
Late check-in, bags and drop-off
- Reception
- Desks here are typically staffed 24h. Hotels with a 24h desk; confirm night check-in before you fly.
- If you land late
- Call or message the hotel with your landing time; ask for the bell or door code.
- Taxi drop-off
- A car can reach the door.
- Dragging big cases
- Easy.
- Luggage storage
- Left-luggage at the BSÍ bus terminal; hotels hold bags after check-out.
- Check-out day
- Late flights: ask the hotel to hold bags and for a shower room; many do for a small fee.
Will you get in on time?
Use the local time. Times from 00:00 to 03:59 count as the night after check-in day.
Enter a time to see when you would reach the door.
Check before you book
Check before you book
Questions this area's data says are worth asking a hotel in Downtown 101 before you pay.
Ask the hotel before you book
Ticked items become a short message. Paste it into the booking site’s chat or an email; how fast and how clearly they answer is a signal too.
Search this area
- Booking.com ↗Map view: check the pin sits inside the area.
- Agoda ↗Strong in Asia; compare the final price with taxes.
- Hostelworld ↗City-wide dorm search; filter by the area on the map.
Plain search links, no commission. Results are live listings, not Voykit picks.
- Typical price per night
- ISK 30,000–65,000 (≈ US$250–550) per room per night (mid-range); more in summer
- Good for
- First visits, walking to everything, café and bar nights
- Avoid if
- You are a light sleeper on weekends
Also look for in this area
- A 24-hour staffed desk if you land late
- A back room away from Laugavegur
- Blackout curtains for the summer light
Area facts, cons and small print
Area facts
- Reception
- staffed 24h · forwarding not accepted
- Walk to clusters
- Laugavegur & Austurvöllur: 3–6 min · Hallgrímskirkja & Skólavörðustígur: 9–13 min · Harpa & Old Harbour: 8–12 min · Sólfar & Hverfisgata: 6–10 min
- Night lighting
- ok
- Taxi drop-off
- door
- Fits
- family · age70
- Lodging tax
- —
Cons
- Higher prices than the outer districts.
- Weekend nights are noisy around Laugavegur; ask for a room at the back.
Compare prices
- HotelsCompare hotel prices in Downtown 101 ↗Search results for this sleep area; check the exact street before you book.
- DataData eSIM for this trip →Voykit's eSIM desk: compatibility check and data sizing.
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Source: Price band
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
A band from $ to $$$$ set by us for the area, not a quote. Check live rates for your dates.
Source: Reception hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Typical desk hours from our research. Ask the hotel for your landing time.