How to get to Thingvellir from Reykjavik

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The most normal thing to do if you travel to Iceland is to land in its capital and take some excursions in Reykjavik to get to know the area in a unique way. But do you know how to get to Thingvellir from Reykjavík?

Thingvellir National Park is 27 mil. (45 km) from the capital and is one of the main attractions of Iceland. Where nature and history go hand in hand. Today we tell you how to get there from Reykjavik, are you ready?

Get there with tours

The most comfortable and complete option is to take 1 day tour, with transport included, to see Thingvellir National Park. For example, with the Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavík you will go by minibus (it has wifi) to the park and visit Gullfoss and Geysir Waterfalls.

Also if you want to add more adrenaline to your adventure, you can do the Golden Circle tour and snorkel in Silfra. You will swim in the waters of the most incredible fissure in the world (131 ft deep) and discover the best corners of the place.

Drive to Thingvellir National Park

If you’re more of a free spirit and you’re all about being independent, renting a car is a great way to get to Thingvellir from Reykjavík.

Once you start your road trip (Reykjavik- Thingvellir), in just under an hour you will reach your final destination. You should follow route 1 north until you reach route 36 at Mosfellsbaer.

Then drive through the town of Mosfellsbaer, take the first exit on the right at the traffic circle onto road 36. You can go through the west entrance, arriving from this road and you go straight to Parking Lot 1.

On the other hand, during May and September road 435 is open, which means you can take another, slightly different route to get to the park. Don’t worry, we’ll give you the directions:

First take Road 1 towards Hveragerdi/Selfoss (south) and then take Road 431 and 435 (Nesjavallaleid). The views along the way are breathtaking, with the Hengill volcano and Lake Thingvallavatn close by.

On the way down the mountain, turn left onto Road 360 (Grafningsvegur), an 7 mi (11km) road along the lakeshore. Then turn right onto Road 36 for about 5 mi (8 km). At the end you’ll reach the Thingvellir National Park visitor center.

Whenever you are going to take the roads in Iceland, we recommend you to check the road conditions before driving, be aware of the weather.

Arriving by bus to Thingvellir from Reykjavik

In case you still don’t know how to get to Thingvellir from Reykjavík, you should know that making the whole journey by public transport is impossible. The only option you have is to take a bus and then a car or cab.

The bus ride takes just over half an hour and will cost you between 4 USD – 7 USD. Departure is at Nordica station in Reykjavík and the final destination is Reykjavegur / Reykjabyggð.

At this place where the bus drops you off is where you should take a cab or car to the park. You will do 20 mi by cab and the price is about 120 USD. So the total journey takes 1 hour and 10 mins.

Now you know how to get to Thingvellir from Reykjavik, so … no excuses! Surely some of the activities in the park will surprise you and will be a unique experience. In the end, which option to get to Thingvellir do you choose?