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Need a car at Keflavík?

Compare cars at KEFFlybus to Reykjavík
Colourful rooftops of downtown Reykjavík looking down Skólavörðustígur toward the harbour

Photo: Linguaddict / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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KEF arrival · first night in 101

First-night hotels after Keflavík

Land at Keflavík, then hold a cancellable first-night room in 101 or by the harbour. Most rates let you change dates once the Flybus and the car are settled.

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Most trips start at Keflavík (KEF). Unless the flight is after midnight with a dawn car pickup, the first night is Reykjavík — Flybus or the hire car into 101, harbour or Laugavegur, not a room on the airport strip. Stay downtown and you walk to Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa and the restaurants you will actually go to. Golden Circle coaches and aurora hunts already pick up there.

Compare hotels and apartments in one search — guesthouses on the hill, design hotels by the harbour, and quieter stays a short bus ride out. Summer weekends and New Year book out. Free cancellation on most rates lets you hold a room while flights settle.

Why book this

  • First night after KEF

    Land, clear arrivals, then Flybus or the hire car into town. A cancellable 101 or harbour room is the usual first night — you are on tour pickup lists in the morning and you eat in the city, not at the runway.

  • Stay in 101 if you can

    Downtown means you walk home after dinner and you are on the pickup lists for almost every day tour. Laugavegur and the streets around Skólavörðustígur are the usual sweet spot.

  • Harbour and Harpa

    Newer hotels with water views, close to the concert hall and the whale-watching dock. A little further from the main bar stretch, much closer to the sea.

  • Free cancellation on most stays

    Hold a cancellable rate, then tighten the dates once your flights and Blue Lagoon slot are in. Always read the deadline on the room you pick.

What’s included

  • Hotels, guesthouses and apartments across Reykjavík
  • Filters for free cancellation, breakfast and guest rating
  • Map view so you can see 101 versus the suburbs
  • Pay the property or the platform — never us. We never take your card.

Before you go

Do not default to a Keflavík Airport hotel

Airport hotels make sense for a 06:00 departure or a midnight landing with a car pickup at dawn. For every other trip, sleep in Reykjavík. The airport strip is a town of 20,000 with a runway, not a neighbourhood.

Parking vs walking

If you are hiring a car for the whole stay, check that the hotel has a space — downtown parking is paid and tight. If the car is only for day trips, a 101 hotel without parking is often the better trade.

Northern Lights from the city

You can sometimes see a strong aurora from the harbour or Öskjuhlíð, but the reliable plan is a guided hunt with hotel pickup. Book the room in town, book the tour for a dark night, keep a spare evening for the retry.

Frequently asked questions

Where should a first-timer stay in Reykjavík?

Downtown 101 — around Laugavegur, Skólavörðustígur or the harbour. You will spend the evenings on foot, and almost every tour bus already stops there. Hlemmur and Laugardalur are the fallback if 101 is sold out.

Is it better to stay near the airport?

Only if your flight times make a city transfer silly. Otherwise you will eat worse, see less, and still need a transfer for every tour. Sleep in Reykjavík.

When do Reykjavík hotels sell out?

June–August weekends, New Year, and any night a large cruise ship or concert is in. Book summer stays as soon as flights are firm. Winter weekdays are easier and often cheaper.

Can I cancel if my flights change?

Most of the rates we surface on Trip.com are free-cancellation until a stated deadline. Filter for that. Non-refundable is cheaper and only worth it when you are sure.

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