Iceland is a country where money flows like water. We talk in detail about prices in 2021 and give advice on how not to spend your annual salary on a trip and get the most out of your trip.
Iceland has become a super popular destination. This is not surprising: the incredible northern landscapes attract travelers from all over the world. However, it is not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most expensive countries in Northern Europe, so many tourists hesitate to visit there. We will tell you what are the prices for holidays in Iceland in 2021 and how you can save on your trip.
Exchange rate: 10 ISK (ISK) ≈ 6 RUB.
Airfare
Ticket prices are indicated in both directions per person.
The tourist season in Iceland is summer monthswhen the air warms up to +15 ... + 17 ° С and it rarely gets warmer. In 2021, at the height of the season, one ticket to Reykjavik costs from 34 thousand rubles. You can save money if you fly in the second half Augustwhen prices are lower - 26-30 thousand.
In autumn there is a sharp decline in the flow of tourists, and prices are also going down. Already in september it will be possible to take a direct flight from Moscow for only 24 thousand rubles. And for almost the same price - 26 thousand rubles - from St. Petersburg, but with one change. Return tickets also cost about 26 thousand rubles. And if you're lucky, you can have time to buy a ticket for 8-9 thousand rubles one way.
Don't forget about insurance! Submit it on Sravn.Ru or Cherehapa services. The cost of the policy is from 350 rubles per week.
Advice:
- If you want to save money, fly through or from cities in Northern Europe and the Baltics. It is also inexpensive to fly through Poland (eg Gdansk).
- Some European cities are more profitable to get to by bus. For example, a bus ticket from St. Petersburg to Helsinki costs about 1000 rubles.
- You can get to Iceland inexpensively with low-cost airlines. Buy tickets in advance (two months in advance). For example, one of the low-cost airlines in Europe is the Hungarian WizzAir. The flight of this a / c from Riga to Reykjavik in September costs from 8 thousand one way. Plus, there are discounts for WizzAir club card holders - you can save up to 800 rubles.
Housing Prices in Iceland - 2021
The choice of accommodation in the country is wide - from a tent in a camping and a real mobile home to a hotel with several stars. Housing in Iceland is quite expensive, but this cost item can be reduced. Below are the current prices for 2021 and give tips on how to save money.
Hostels
The largest category is the small hostels without stars. The price per bed starts from 45 € per person per day. If you track prices ahead of time, you can find cheaper ones. Interestingly, these prices are relevant for both low and high seasons.
What do you get for this money? You will live in a common room that can accommodate 6 to 16 people. Sometimes the number is mixed - for men and women. Amenities on the floor. The interiors in hostels are minimalistic in a northern way, but everything you need is in the rooms. Icelandic hostels have an unspoken tradition of leaving extra food in the shared kitchen, so you can diversify your diet and share with others at the same time.
Hotels
There are not many hotels of 1 * and 2 * level in Iceland. In Reykjavik and other cities, the price per night starts from 90 €. Almost all hotels are located in picturesque places (and it is difficult to find other places in this country). In addition to excellent service, many hotels offer airport transfers and issue room keys based on the number of guests. Even the most modest rooms are equipped with a hairdryer, refrigerator and small stove.
Hotels 3 * are slightly more expensive than 1 * and 2 * - from 90-100 € per night, but the price already includes breakfast. At the 3 * level, modern technologies begin, for example, an automated reception desk for self-check-in and check-out of guests.
Rooms and apartments
Prices for private accommodation in Iceland in 2021 are slightly lower than for hotels. Make sure to book a few months before the trip, then it will be difficult to find good accommodation even at an average price. Here are the minimum prices:
- a room in an apartment costs from 25-30 € per day,
- whole apartment - from 65 €;
- an apartment near Reykjavik costs at least 150-200 € per night.
Advice. If you are looking for accommodation through Airbnb, you can save money like this: book for 1-2 nights at the price of the site, and then agree with the owner to extend the lease. Most likely, the following nights will cost you less (at least, without taxes on cleaning and site commissions), and you will pay the owner on the spot. This technique is suitable for any country.
Campsites
Perhaps the most common type of accommodation for tourists in Iceland is camping. They are very different. Price per day - from 10 to 30 euros. It is influenced by the location (near the capital or in the provinces) and the availability of amenities - for example, a shower and a full kitchen. Charging phones and equipment, washing and hot showers may be included in the price, or may be paid additionally. The toilet is free everywhere.
What a trick there is here: you report the number of residents, and they write it on your tent, but they never check. You pay for three, but you live for four.
If you are going to live only in a campsite - purchase a campsite card. It costs about 100 € and gives the right to stay in more than 40 campsites throughout the country (in fact, there are more).
You can charge the equipment for free in public places: for example, in cafes or libraries.
Unusual housing
Unusual accommodation options are popular in Iceland, sometimes cheaper than hostels and hotels. Look for them on Airbnb - select the "unique accommodations" filter.
House on wheels. In Iceland, campervans or mobile homes are very popular. Renting such a car costs from 150 € per day. When booking for a week, it will be much cheaper, and for a shorter period of time it is pointless to take a camper: you need to travel around Iceland, and you will definitely not sit on the spot.
The camper has a stove, refrigerator, sleeping places for adults and children, and sometimes even a shower and toilet, but such options are more expensive - about 200 € per day.
Farm houses. An unusual option for lovers of unity with nature and those who travel by car and are not afraid to stay away from big cities. The pleasure is not cheap, but one of the most original. The cost of a day's stay starts from 50 € per night. The environment on the farms is usually not rich, but extremely atmospheric, plus this is a chance to live with the locals (you live right in the owner's house) and get the most vivid impressions. There are many farmhouse options available on Airbnb.
Dome house - a small round structure with a very light construction. They are located far from civilization and are designed for 2-3 families. The domed houses have all the amenities: toilet and shower, kitchen and several bedrooms. The cost of the night starts from 100 € per day, but this option must be booked at least two months in advance, otherwise the price will be 2-3 times higher.
Transport prices
Iceland is a country with a well-developed air connection, so it is convenient and inexpensive to use domestic flights. The most popular airlines are Air Iceland and Eagleair. A flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri by Air Iceland costs from 70 €, and the flight will take no more than an hour. For comparison, a bus ride on this route will cost 150 € (about 19 thousand kroons), and it takes about 8 hours to travel. Track sales on the airlines website.
Taxi from the airport to the city center costs from 16 thousand kroons, around the city - about 2000 kroons. You can order a taxi in advance using the KiwiTaxi service - a car will be waiting for you upon arrival.
Rent a Car
If you decide to rent a car on your holiday in Iceland in 2021, this is also worth considering in advance. From mid-June to mid-August, prices soar 2-3 times, and car rental is no exception. If at the beginning of June renting a car for a week will cost about 350 €, then in July and August you will pay 500 € and more.
A passenger car is quite suitable for traveling around the country, but, in addition to asphalt roads, unpaved roads are often found here. Because of this, many tourists prefer to rent an SUV. Its price is much higher: from 70 to 100 € per day and more.
The price of gasoline in Iceland in 2021 is CZK 230 per liter. Refuel outside the city and you will save 10-15%.
Can I hitchhike?
Yes. Iceland is a country where hitchhiking is rather calm, but outside big cities, cars are rare and you can wait on the highway for several hours.
Iceland Food Prices - 2021
Meals while on holiday in Iceland in 2021 is also a large expense item, because prices in the country are high. According to the reviews of tourists, if you eat in a cafe, you can keep within 3000 kroons per day (about 25 €). Dine on fast food - 1000 CZK, a simple lunch costs from 2500 CZK (for example, hot soup, potatoes and a drink), about the same cost for a pizza with coffee.
A cup of cappuccino costs CZK 500 or less (€ 4), and a bottle of beer costs between 500 and 1000 (depending on whether you get a local drink or a regular one from the supermarket). A bottle of wine costs an average of 2000 CZK.
Food prices in Iceland in 2021:
- liter of milk - 135 CZK;
- white bread - 300 CZK;
- rice packaging - 370 CZK;
- liter of juice - from 300 CZK;
- a kilogram of apples or oranges - 270 CZK;
- a kilogram of bananas - 400 CZK;
- egg packaging - from 500 CZK;
- a kilogram of cheese - from 1800 CZK;
- chicken fillet - 3000 CZK;
- toothpaste - from 330 CZK;
- shampoo - 200 CZK.
It is possible to keep within 2000-2500 kroons per day for two.
It is better to buy groceries not every day, but immediately for a week in advance: large packages of food are always cheaper than those by weight. Without exception, all tourists recommend Bonus supermarkets, but they are only available in big cities. In some villages there is only a liquor store, but no grocery.
The most effective way to save money on a trip to Iceland is to bring food with you from Russia (unless you are flying a low-cost airline, of course). And most tourists do just that. Moreover, you will still have your plane tickets with your luggage - most of them carry a tent, sleeping bag and other equipment, so as not to rent it on the spot. At the same time, they take with them cereals, stew, pasta and significantly save on meals. Every campsite and every guest house always has a kitchen, and in the supermarket you can buy a gas burner and a disposable grill.
Prices for excursions and entertainment
Look for interesting excursions on the Tripster website. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Iceland is a country rich in natural beauty. Of course, there are temples and museums here, but most of the tourists are not going for this.
The visiting card of the country is Blue Lagoon... It is a geothermal lake with a unique mineral composition located on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The water here is sky-blue, and its temperature at any time of the year is +37 ... + 40 ° C.
Prices for entrance tickets to the Blue Lagoon depend on the season. Iceland is sold out during the summer months, and a visit to the lake costs 8000 CZK, or about 65 €. In autumn or spring, tickets are cheaper - about 5500 kroons, or 45 €. The lagoon is open all year round.
In addition, there are three options for visiting. The cheapest ticket includes a towel, mud mask and a drink. If you have your own towel, it will be a little cheaper. The premium package includes a bathrobe, slippers, wine and an algae mask - this increases the amount by about CZK 3,000. There is also a deluxe option - it includes a visit to the spa center and some treatments, as well as coffee and tea.
Blue lagoon in Iceland
If the entrance prices to the Blue Lagoon are high for you, there is an alternative option - Lake Myvatn in the north of Iceland near the village of Reykjahlid. Geothermal hot baths are much cheaper here (a ticket costs about 5,000 CZK per season), there are several times fewer tourists, and nearby is the Hverir district with mud springs. Children under 15 can visit the complex with their parents for free, and bath amenities can be rented. A towel costs CZK 850.
By the way, it was here that the series "Game of Thrones" was filmed.
Iceland sightseeing map
Golden ring - the very route from which to start your acquaintance with the stunning nature of Iceland. The route includes Thingveldir Park, where the Icelandic state began, visits to the geyser in the Høykadalur valley and the Gullfoss waterfall. The tour includes a local lunch, including the national lamb soup. An excursion at the agency costs 300 €, or 37,500 CZK.
IN Reykjavik stroll through the city's main attractions: Hallgrimskirkja Church, the world's oldest functioning parliament, the Althingi, a monument to the first woman parliamentarian. You can take a city tour: the walk includes an inspection of the city hall and the sculpture "The Sun Wanderer" on the embankment, a visit to the Hovdi house and the Harp concert hall. Also, the excursion includes several viewpoints. The cost of the walk is 200 €, or 2500 CZK.
Walking tour of Reykjavik
Go to south coast of Iceland and see the waterfalls, walk on glaciers and volcanic ash, take a dip in the thermal pool and walk on the black sand, and at the same time observe the dead ends. All this can be done on your own or you can take a guided tour - it costs 250 € per person.
Souvenir prices
What to bring from Iceland? There are many options, but the most important souvenir was and remains sheep wool sweaters... Lopapeisa, or sheep's wool, is a kind of symbol of Iceland, it is expensive, and in 2021 the price for a sweater can reach 200-400 €. Socks can be purchased for 25-30 €. It is better to buy woolen products in the Kolaportið market - according to tourists, the price here is somewhat lower. However, the market is open only on weekends.
Another classic gift option is cosmetics Blue Lagoon... It is produced using unique technologies in a medical laboratory right on the territory of the Blue Lagoon complex. It costs less in the Duty Free zone. The usual price is about 35-40 € for a small pack of scrub or cream.
Volcanic Lava Jewelry cost up to 15 €.
For the tourism-minded Icelandic guests, there is an option to buy quality equipment or equipment for yourself and your loved ones. There are a lot of shops with goods for outdoor activities in Iceland.
And also popular here licorice candy and souvenirs with puffins - seabirds living on the Icelandic coast. The choice of gifts with dead ends is huge: from postcards to full-fledged large figures.
What else to save on
In Iceland, it is not customary to leave a tip unless it is a fancy hotel or a very expensive restaurant.
You can change money in Iceland at train stations and airports (but the rate will be unprofitable). Better to walk to the ATM, they are located everywhere here.
Banks work from 9:00 to 16:00 on weekdays. Also, money is changed at the offices of The Change Group. There is almost always a commission in exchange offices and amounts to 2-5 €.
As for bank cards, Visa and MasterCard are accepted everywhere: in campsites, at gas stations, in cafes, so do not withdraw the entire amount and do not carry cash with you.
Good news for those wishing to apply for tax free. To issue a refund, you need a check for the amount of 6,000 CZK. You get it in the store along with the tax free coupon. The coupon, receipts and boarding passes must be presented at the counter in the departure area. Since the racks are owned by the bank, there will be transaction fees as well. Refunds are made in the currency of your choice: euros, dollars or kroons.
And finally: when ordering a cup of coffee, you pay only for the first portion, but you can ask for a refill for free (this is how you add a portion of boiling water to teapots).
Iceland is an unusual country with a rich history and fabulous views; it is an active, varied vacation in a hospitable and beautiful country.
