Reykjavik, Iceland, Cruise Departure Port Guide

Most of the big cruise ships pulling into Reykjavik tie up at Skarfabakki in Sundahöfn, home to the newly opened Vör terminal, about 4km east of downtown. Smaller ships, luxury lines and expedition vessels usually dock at the Old Harbour instead, a short walk from the centre. Neither spot drops you right in town, so sort your transport plan before you’re standing on the gangway wondering what to do next.

Reykjavik Cruise Port at a Glance

Reykjavik cruises tend to fall into two camps: a stop on a longer North Atlantic itinerary, or a turnaround sailing that starts or finishes right here in the city, what the industry calls a turnaround port, meaning passengers get on and off here rather than the ship just calling in for the day. It’s the busiest cruise port in Iceland by a distance, and most routes touring Iceland’s ports loop back through it eventually. Cruises to Reykjavik often pair the country with Greenland, Norway, Scotland or the Faroe Islands, and cruises from Reykjavik run the same routes the other way round.

Think of Reykjavik as Iceland’s answer to Vancouver as Alaska’s departure port, doing double duty as a homeport where cruises begin and end, and as a stop on longer itineraries passing through. For the bigger picture of how it fits alongside Iceland’s other ports, our Iceland Cruise Ship Ports Guide covers the country port by port.

Skarfabakki Cruise Terminal: Reykjavik’s Main Docking Point

Skarfabakki is the quay itself, tucked into the Sundahöfn district on the shores of Viðeyjarsund, with Skarfabakki 312 marked out as the main cruise berth. Vör is the new passenger terminal building sitting on that same quay, over 5,000 square metres of it, which welcomed its first passengers this spring after a public naming competition pulled in more than 6,000 entries from across the country.

Think of it like Heathrow and one of its terminals. Skarfabakki’s the airport, Vör’s the terminal building inside it. Cruise lines and booking documents might list your berth under either name, but they both mean the same spot.

Vör also brought two high voltage shore power connections online, on top of the lower voltage ones already at Miðbakki and Faxagarður in the Old Harbour, so more ships can now plug into the grid instead of running their generators all day.

Reykjavik Cruise Port Map

Reykjavik’s cruise berths are scattered across a few different areas, so it helps to see them laid out before you plan your day.

• Skarfabakki and Vör, the main terminal in Sundahöfn, about 4km east of downtown
• The Old Harbour, right in the centre, home to Miðbakki and the smaller Faxagarður berth beside Harpa concert hall
• Korngarður, also in Sundahöfn near Skarfabakki, brought into use as needed
• Hafnarfjörður, a separate Viking heritage town about 12km south of the centre, used occasionally

Comparing Reykjavik’s Cruise Terminals

All of these berths fall under Faxaflóahafnir, the Reykjavík Port Authority, but which one your ship gets depends on its size and whatever’s arranged for that particular sailing, not some fixed rule.

If smaller ships tied up at the Old Harbour appeal more than a full size resort ship, let us find the right polar expedition cruise for you.

Getting Into Town from Skarfabakki

For a few seasons, Faxaflóahafnir ran a free shuttle bus between Skarfabakki and Harpa concert hall while the Vör terminal was being built. That courtesy shuttle has now stopped, confirmed directly by the port authority, since the building work it was tied to is done.

This catches out plenty of passengers still going by older advice they found online. The fix is simple: check whether your cruise line has sorted its own transfer through a local agent such as Reykjavík Cruise Service, GAC Iceland or Eimskip Cruise Services, since it’s now handled ship by ship rather than by the port itself. If nothing’s laid on, you’ve got a few solid options instead.

• A pre-booked private transfer
• A licensed taxi from Hreyfill or BSR, pre-booked or hailed on arrival
• Strætó bus route 16, Reykjavik’s public bus network, which stops near the terminal and runs into the city, with the main hub at Hlemmur Square
• An e-scooter through the Hopp app
• Walking, though at 4km and 45 to 60 minutes along the shoreline this is possible rather than pleasant

Taxis in Reykjavik are metered but not price regulated, so fares shift a bit between companies, and a short hop from Skarfabakki into the centre costs more than the distance really justifies. Heading onward to BSÍ Bus Terminal? There’s no direct route from the port, so you’ll need Strætó route 16 up to Rúgbrauðsgerðin, then switch to route 5 or 15 to reach Gamla Hringbraut near the terminal.

Keflavík Airport Transfers

Keflavík International Airport sits around 50km from the cruise port, roughly 45 to 50 minutes by road depending on traffic, or about 1 hour 30 minutes by bus. There’s no dedicated cruise shuttle covering this route, so you’re on your own for the transfer.

Most passengers book a private transfer or taxi, and several providers cover pickups and drop offs at all of Reykjavik’s cruise berths, including Skarfabakki, Korngarður, Miðbakki and Faxagarður, so get this booked ahead if you’re flying in or out on the same day as your cruise.

Fees, Passenger Numbers and When Ships Call

Faxaflóahafnir now applies a daily infrastructure fee to every cruise passenger arriving in Reykjavik, since last year, so factor that in if you’re comparing shore time against an independent day out. It goes towards harbour upgrades, including the new Vör terminal.

Reykjavik’s popularity keeps climbing. According to Ferðamálastofa, the Icelandic Tourist Board, around 322,000 cruise passengers arrived at the Port of Reykjavík last year, the highest total on record, so expect the harbour and the Old Harbour footpaths to feel properly busy on peak days.

The season runs roughly May to September, with July and August the busiest months for both port calls and passengers joining a cruise here. A handful of ships squeeze in during April and October, and a few expedition vessels even turn up in winter. If you’re piecing together a full loop of the island rather than a single call, our Iceland Circumnavigation Cruise Guide covers what a round the island itinerary actually involves.

When more than one ship is in port at once, expect the Old Harbour and Skarfabakki bus stops to be busier, taxis harder to grab in a hurry, and popular excursions like the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon to sell out faster, so book ahead where you can.

Making the Most of a Short Port Day

Most port days in Reykjavik run 8 to 12 hours, enough to combine a big landscape excursion with a short walk around town, but not really both properly. If you’ve got fewer than 9 hours ashore, skip the full Golden Circle and pair whale watching with a self-guided city walk instead.

Outside the city

• The Golden Circle links Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly pull apart and where Iceland’s parliament, the Alþingi, was founded in 930 AD, with the Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall
• A Blue Lagoon visit takes roughly 45 minutes’ drive each way, plus around 2 hours soaking in the geothermal water

In the city

• Whale watching departs from the Old Harbour, runs around 3 hours, and turns up humpback whales, dolphins and porpoises in Faxaflói Bay, best between May and September. If whales are the main draw, our Husavik Cruise Ship Ports Guide covers Iceland’s other well known whale watching port further north
• Hallgrímskirkja church is a 10 to 20 minute walk from the Old Harbour, with free entry to the church itself and a paid ticket for the tower view

Whichever you go for, comfortable footwear earns its keep on Reykjavik’s slopes and cobbles. A decent pair of walking shoes makes the climb up to Hallgrímskirkja, or the trudge back from the Old Harbour, a lot less of a slog.

A Few Things You Should Know

Iceland is about as cashless as it gets. Most shops, cafés and excursion operators expect a card, and some don’t even have a till for cash, so there’s not much point changing money before you land.

Weather turns fast here, even in summer, and a Golden Circle or whale watching trip will happily rain on you at the coast while it’s bone dry back in town. A proper waterproof rain jacket earns its keep far more than an umbrella, which the wind will turn inside out within minutes.

Common Questions

Is Skarfabakki the same as Vör?

Yes. Skarfabakki is the quay, Vör is the passenger terminal building sitting on it. Both names point to the same cruise berth, so don’t worry if your documents use one or the other.

Do any cruise ships dock right in central Reykjavik?

Smaller ships, luxury lines and expedition vessels often use Miðbakki or Faxagarður in the Old Harbour, both within about 1km of downtown. Larger ships get sent out to Skarfabakki, roughly 4km away.

Is there still a free shuttle from the cruise port?

No. The free Faxaflóahafnir shuttle between Skarfabakki and Harpa ran during construction of the Vör terminal and has since stopped. Any shuttle now depends on what your cruise line arranges through its local agent.

How far is the cruise port from Keflavík Airport?

About 50km, which takes roughly 45 to 50 minutes by road or around 1 hour 30 minutes by bus. There’s no dedicated cruise shuttle, so get a private transfer or taxi booked in advance.

Can I walk from Skarfabakki into town?

Technically yes, along the shoreline, but it takes 45 to 60 minutes each way and there’s not much to look at. A taxi, bus or e-scooter is the more sensible call.

Do I need cash in Reykjavik?

Barely. Iceland runs on cards almost everywhere, including small excursion operators. Carrying cash just in case is rarely worth the bother.

What’s the best excursion with a short port day?

If you’ve got fewer than 9 hours ashore, whale watching from the Old Harbour combined with a self-guided walk to Hallgrímskirkja fits comfortably, without the long drive the Golden Circle demands.

Is there a fee added to cruise passengers in Reykjavik?

Yes, Faxaflóahafnir charges a daily infrastructure fee per cruise passenger, brought in to help fund harbour upgrades including the new Vör terminal.

Which terminal will my ship use, Skarfabakki or Korngarður?

That’s decided by the port authority for each individual sailing rather than fixed by cruise line, so check your cruise documents or the line’s shore excursion desk closer to the date.

Why Trust About2Cruise

This guide has been pieced together from published sources including Faxaflóahafnir, the Icelandic Tourist Board and cruise line transfer providers, cross-checked rather than lifted from a single brochure. We haven’t sailed into Skarfabakki ourselves, so where the record is unclear, such as live shuttle arrangements or exactly which berth a given ship will use, we’ve said so rather than guessed. You can read more about how we put our port guides together on our about us page.