Reykjavik City Card 72 hour

A museum marathon, powered by one card. This 72-hour pass is a smart way to tour Reykjavik with free museum admissions and discounts built in, so you can plan by interest instead of ticket prices. I like that you can activate it when it suits your days, then lean on the included public transit to link the sights.

The main catch is setup. You must swap your digital voucher for a hard copy card, and redemption points can have limited hours, which can slow down your first museum day if you time it wrong.

Key things to know before you go

• 72-hour flexibility: activate for a 3-day window and pace your pace.
• Buses are part of the deal: you can hop around town without playing ticket math all day.
• Ferries count too: the pass includes a ferry ride, a big help for island time.
• Thermal pools are included: you get entry to multiple geothermal pools, not just one.
• A lot of museum variety: national history, big-name art, photography, maritime, and design-ish culture spaces.
• You need the physical card: show it for bus entry and museum access after redeeming.

Price and value: what $71.77 really buys

At $71.77 per person for a 72-hour card, you are buying three things at once: admissions, transit, and geothermal pool time. In Reykjavik, that combo matters, because many top stops are paid entry and the city spreads out more than it looks on a map. If you plan even a few museums plus a couple of pool visits, the value can tip fast in your favor.

The card also includes entry to the main family-friendly option (the family park and zoo) and supports a classic Reykjavik rhythm: indoor museums in the windier hours, then soak breaks when the weather shifts. It is not a single-purpose pass. It is built for stacking experiences without constantly deciding whether something is worth the extra cost.

The other value lever is convenience. Public buses are included, so you can base your sightseeing on what interests you most, not on whether a specific attraction is walkable from your hotel.

How to use your City Card without losing time

You will need to redeem the pass. The data you get when booking is a digital voucher, and you must swap it for the Reykjavik City Card itself. That physical card is what you show for bus boarding and to access included museums and attractions.

Practical tip: plan your first day so you can redeem early enough. One of the most common regrets with this kind of pass is not the card itself, it is arriving at the first museum and realizing you still need the hard copy. If your schedule is tight on Day 1, build in a buffer for redemption.

For getting around, use the bus network smartly. The bus system is usable and easy to navigate with phone maps, and some places are faster by foot once you get your bearings. The card makes it easy to mix both, buses for long hops, walking for the charm factor and quick museum-to-cafe transitions.

The museum hit list: Reykjavik history, art, and photography days

This is the strongest part of the card. If you like museums, you can fill multiple days with real variety, not just one or two repeats.

National Museum of Iceland: the story behind the island

Plan on about 2 hours. This is where you get the cultural context that makes other stops click. You will see objects that frame Icelandic cultural history, with a viewpoint that stretches from the past through the present and into what comes next. If you are the type who likes to understand what you are looking at, this is the place to start.

Small drawback: it is a lot of information in a museum format. If you want light and quick, you might feel tempted to cut your time short. But even a focused 90 minutes helps.

National Gallery of Iceland (Listasafn Íslands): big art names, Icelandic focus

Give it about 2 hours. The core strength is 19th and 20th century Icelandic art, and the gallery also brings in international artists. The museum holds major works by Icelandic artists and has examples tied to artists like Pablo Picasso and Edward Munch, among others listed in the card details.

What I like about this stop: it is not only Icelandic-only. You get the local story, plus a broader art-world context. That makes your Iceland art scenes feel less isolated.

Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhus: contemporary art in an old harbour warehouse

About 2 hours. The building is part of the experience, a warehouse in the oldest harbour area. Inside, you get a progressive contemporary exhibition program across multiple galleries. There is also a connection to Erró, a key figure in pop art noted in the card description.

If you are museum fatigue-prone, this might be a good pause, because it tends to feel more like current culture than deep historical documentation.

Ásmundur Sveinsson house-museum (Reykjavik Art Museum – Asmundarsafn)

Plan about 40 minutes. You are stepping into the world of sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson, with the famous white dome structure and sculptures around the garden. Inside, the architecture itself is described as a work of art, inspired by vernacular Mediterranean forms.

This is the kind of stop that rewards a slower pace. If you have a tight schedule, pick a smaller chunk of rooms and gardens, then move on rather than rushing.

Kjarvalsstaðir: Nordic modernism plus a star artist

Budget about 1 hour. This museum centers on Jóhannes S. Kjarval, with paintings and sculptures focused on modern art masters. One practical highlight is the building design: floor-to-ceiling windows look out toward Klambratún Park.

A drawback you might notice: modern art museum layouts can be wide and spread out. If you prefer tight, single-room exhibits, you may want to time-box it.

Reykjavik Museum of Photography: Iceland through a camera lens

Plan about 40 minutes. Exhibitions focus on Icelandic photography, along with works from foreign photographers, and they frame photography in artistic, social, and cultural context.

Why it fits a City Card trip: you can pair it with other art museums nearby so the whole day feels coherent, not like random stops.

Culture House: Points of View across major Icelandic collections

Give it about 2 hours. The permanent exhibition, Points of View, is described as a journey through the visual world of Iceland. What makes it practical is that it shows collections connected to six major Icelandic cultural institutions, with artworks and museum objects grouped thematically.

If you want variety without hopping too many separate buildings, this is a strong anchor.

Aðalstræti 10 (part of Reykjavík City Museum): quick but specific

About 30 minutes. This is listed as a museum and exhibition space tied to Reykjavík City Museum’s network of locations. It is a good filler stop when you have a mid-day gap or want one more look into Reykjavik’s museum scene.

Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum: one sculptor, a lot to notice

Plan about 50 minutes. Dedicated to Icelandic sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson, it is described as being founded by his widow, Birgitta Spur, converting his studio at Laugarnes into an exhibition space. If sculpture is your thing, this is the type of museum that makes a city-card day feel curated.

Maritime, settlement, and open-air Iceland in one card

These stops add grounding. They shift you from art and galleries toward place and everyday life.

Reykjavik Maritime Museum: fisheries history in the right setting

About 1 hour. The Fish and folk exhibit covers 150 years of fisheries history from row boats to bigger vessels, told through the perspective of Reykjavík’s fishing port. The setting helps, since the building once housed a fish factory.

Practical angle: this museum pairs well with a harbour day. Even if you skip the maritime theme at other museums, this one gives you a clear mental map.

The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavik 871±2): early Reykjavík, close to the ground

About 40 minutes. This one is focused, and that is a plus. It is based on scholars theories about what heritage sites in central Reykjavík can tell about first settlers, with emphasis on remains of a hall inhabited from 930 to 1000. The description mentions turf remnants and the hall as one of the oldest man-made structures found in Iceland so far.

If you like archaeology and the feeling of reading the city beneath your feet, this is a satisfying stop.

Árbær Open Air Museum: a whole relocated farm town

About 2 hours. This open-air museum has more than 20 buildings forming a town square, village, and farm, with many buildings relocated from central Reykjavik. It gives you a sense of how life was organized when the farm was established into the 20th century.

Small drawback: it is easier to enjoy when you slow down and walk the grounds. If your weather is harsh, you may want to check conditions and keep time flexible.

Island time, zoo breaks, and natural science stops

This is where your City Card day can feel less museum-heavy.

Videy Island: birds and modern art, reached by ferry

About 2 hours, with a ferry ride included. Viðey is described as unspoiled nature with birdlife and modern art works. It also holds a unique place in Icelandic history, though the card details focus more on the natural and art side for your visit.

Plan your timing around daylight. This works best when you can enjoy views, not just rush the sights.

Reykjavik Family park and Zoo: more animals than you expect

About 2 hours. The card highlights that it is not just farm animals. You will find Icelandic farm animals, wildlife mammals, plus a small exhibition of reptiles, amphibians, and insects. The description notes playgrounds are open in summer and weekends in winter if weather permits.

If you are an adult who likes low-pressure outdoors time, you might still enjoy it. If you want high drama zoo experiences, keep expectations realistic based on the description.

Natural History Museum of Kopavogur: geology plus Icelandic wildlife

About 1 hour. The museum splits into geological and zoological sections. The geological part focuses on Iceland’s formation and major rocks and minerals. The zoological part focuses mostly on Icelandic birds, mammals, fish, and invertebrates. Guidance is available if you request it, and it is free.

This is a nice counterbalance to art-heavy days. It also works well as a shorter indoor break when weather turns.

Gerdarsafn Kopavogur Art Museum: modern and contemporary in a female-artist framed setting

About 1 hour. Gerðarsafn is described as progressive, with temporary exhibitions and works by Icelandic and international contemporary artists, plus the collection. The museum is noted as the only Icelandic museum built in honor of a female artist, a detail that can shape how you read the space.

If you like contemporary art but want your museum day to stay flexible, this is a good pick.

Pools strategy: geothermal time that makes Iceland feel real

The City Card includes admission to multiple geothermal pools, plus saunas, hot tubs, and jacuzzis based on the pool descriptions. One of the most loved parts of this pass is that you can treat pool time as normal, not special, which makes your whole trip feel more restorative.

Here are the pools listed as covered options, each with steam baths, saunas, hot tubs, and jacuzzis described:

Grafarvogslaug

About 2 hours included.

Sundhollin Public Baths

About 2 hours included.

Arbaejarlaug swimming pool

About 2 hours included.

Íþróttamiðstöðin á Klébergi – Klébergslaug

About 2 hours, listed as free entry with the card.

Breiðholtslaug

About 2 hours, listed as free entry.

Dalslaug

About 2 hours, listed as free entry.

Vesturbaejarlaug

About 2 hours included.

Laugardalslaug

About 2 hours included.

How to use this wisely: pick one pool after a longer museum block, then switch pools on a different day if you like variety. If you only have energy for one, choose based on location from where you are that day, then commit and enjoy.

Hafnarfjörður add-on stops: art and town history outside central Reykjavik

Your card also opens doors beyond central Reykjavik, so you can spend a half day exploring a neighboring town vibe.

Hafnarborg: the Hafnarfjordur Centre of Culture and Fine Art

Listed as free entry. It presents 8 to 10 art exhibitions each year, covering significant works from Icelandic art history through experimental contemporary art.

Hafnarfjordur Museum

Also listed as free entry. It covers the history of Hafnarfjörður in several buildings around the town center.

This pair is great if you want your trip to feel like more than just central city blocks. It also gives you a break from the intense museum schedule without fully dropping culture time.

A simple 3-day way to plan your card days

To get the most from the pass, think in blocks.

Day 1: start with a history anchor (National Museum of Iceland), then hit an art museum (National Gallery of Iceland). Finish with either a pool or a late photography stop if the weather supports it.

Day 2: go contemporary and modern (Hafnarhus, Ásmundarsafn, and Kjarvalsstaðir if you still have energy). If you want a change of pace, swap one museum for the Settlement Exhibition and add Árbær Open Air Museum later, when you can walk more.

Day 3: choose your island and outdoors time (Videy Island by ferry). If you still want indoor variety, plug in Reykjavik Museum of Photography or Natural History Museum of Kopavogur, then end with a pool that matches your last-day energy.

If you like to walk, you can also connect stops on foot, but keep buses in your back pocket when distances feel longer than you expected.

Should you book the Reykjavik City Card 72 hour?

Book it if you plan to visit multiple museums, want included geothermal pool access, and are comfortable building days around indoor stops and short outings. The card shines when you stack admissions plus transit, especially on a 2 to 3 day rhythm.

Skip it if your trip is mostly outdoors, mostly short sighting walks, or you only want one paid museum plus a single pool. In that case, the savings may not feel worth the effort of redeeming a hard copy and timing your first use correctly.

If you do buy it, treat redemption like a must-do, not an afterthought. Once you have the card in hand, the day flows much easier.

FAQ

What is included with the Reykjavik City Card 72 hour?

It includes fees and taxes, public bus rides, a ferry ride, admission to museums, admission to thermal pools, and admission to the family park and zoo.

How long is the card valid, and can I choose when it starts?

It is valid for 72 hours, and you can choose when you want to activate it.

Do I need to swap my digital voucher before using it?

Yes. You will need to swap your digital voucher for the Reykjavik City Card.

Can I use it on public buses and included ferries?

Yes. Public bus is included, and a ferry ride is included as part of what the card covers.

What is the cancellation policy?

Free cancellation is available. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.

Is the experience offered in English, and do I need any fitness level?

It is offered in English, and travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level.