Iceland cruise port: Reykjavik in a day

Facts checked October 2026 against operator sources. Prices and times change, the booking page wins.

Iceland is the summer counterpart to the Mediterranean on the Southampton programme: round trips of twelve to fourteen nights that sail north past Orkney or the Faroes, call at Reykjavik and usually one or two of the smaller northern ports such as Akureyri or Ísafjörður, and come back by way of Norway or Ireland. The lines that run them change by season, but Cunard, P&O, Fred. Olsen and Ambassador have all offered Iceland from Southampton, typically between June and August when the days are longest and the interior roads are open.

The port and the way into Reykjavik

Large ships berth at Skarfabakki in the Sundahöfn harbour, east of the city, about five kilometres from the old town; the smaller ships can tie up at Miðbakki in the old harbour, a few minutes on foot from the centre. From Skarfabakki the lines run a shuttle into town and taxis wait on the quay. Reykjavik itself is compact: Hallgrímskirkja, the harbour front with Harpa concert hall, and the lake by the city hall fit into a morning on foot.

A port day: what fits

Option	Time	Notes
Reykjavik on foot	3-4 h	Hallgrímskirkja tower, harbour, Harpa, Laugavegur shopping street
Golden Circle by coach	6-8 h	Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss; the classic ship excursion, tight on a short call
Blue Lagoon	4-5 h with transfer	Book a timed entry in advance; it sells out on cruise days
Golden Circle by hire car	7-8 h	Only on long calls; return time is the risk, not the driving

The honest advice on a single port day is to leave the car at home: the ship will not wait, and the Golden Circle by coach builds the timing in. A hire car makes sense in the other case, when Iceland is not a port call but a stay.

Adding a week in Iceland before or after the cruise

A growing number of passengers fly one way: Keflavík to join or leave a ship, with a few days on the island either side. Iceland is a driving country. The Ring Road circles the island in about 1,330 kilometres, the south coast waterfalls, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and the Snæfellsnes peninsula are all a day's drive from Reykjavik, and buses outside the capital are sparse. Cars are collected at Keflavík airport, 50 kilometres from the city, and the choice matters more than in most countries: gravel protection, a 4x4 for the mountain F-roads, which are closed outside summer, and honest pricing of the extras. An independent ranking of the best car rental in Iceland compares the companies at Keflavík and in Reykjavik on exactly those points, insurance, deposits and which cars are allowed on F-roads, and is the place to start before booking.

Practical notes

Iceland uses the króna but cards are accepted everywhere, including for the smallest purchases. Summer weather on a port day can be anything from 8 to 18 degrees with rain and wind in the same hour: layers and a waterproof beat a heavy coat. Driving is on the right, speed limits are low and enforced by camera, and sheep on the road are a real hazard in the north. Keep the ship's port agent number and the all-aboard time written down.