How Much Does it Cost to Travel Iceland For 3 Days?

Iceland is a land of extremes. Extremely incredible scenery and landscapes on one hand, and extremely high prices on the other. Iceland is the most expensive destination I’ve been to in years! That being said, I planned well in advance and used my best budget-savvy tricks to keep costs as low as possible.

I wanted to give an accurate account of how much money I actually spent in Iceland. I was there for 4 days (one of which was just flying out in the morning) and 3 nights, and rented a car for 3 days. The biggest expenses were booked and paid for in advance, as opposed to being my daily costs. Some of my expenses (like meals out, car rental, gas, and airport parking) were shared with another person, which also helped decrease costs. To make things easy, I’ve listed everything in both pounds (GBP) and dollars (USD). Here’s a look at what I spent!

Day 1:

Entry to Hallgrimskirkja Tower: 1000 ISK // £6 // $8

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Entry to Iceland Phallological Museum: 1700 ISK // £11 // $14

Beer and bar snacks—puffin (shared between two): 2110 ISK // £13 // $17

Beer and bar snacks—fermented shark (hákarl) (shared between two): 1625 ISK // £10 // $13

Hot Dog: 580 ISK // £4 // $5

Total: 7015 ISK // £44 // $57

Day 2:

Grocery store shop (shared between two): 363.50 ISK // £2.50 // $3

Total: 363.50 ISK // £2.50 // $3

Day 3:

Gas (shared between two): 2500 ISK // £16 // $21

Entrance to Kerid Crater: 400 ISK // £2.50 // $3.50

Souvenirs: 465 ISK // £3 // $4

Parking at Thingvellir National Park (shared between two): 375 ISK // £2.50 // $3

Food (shared between two): 1439 ISK // £9 // $12

Total: 5179 ISK // £33 // $43.50

Day 4:

Gas (shared between two): 2886 ISK // £18.50 // $24

Food at the airport: 990 ISK // £6.50 // $8

Total: 3876 ISK // £25 // $32

What about my major expenses—flights and accommodation? How much did they cost?

Round-trip flights from Manchester to Reykjavik: £127 // $165

Parking at Manchester Airport (shared between two): £20 // $26

Hotel for one night in Reykjavik: FREE thanks to points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred! (Sign up for one here!)

One night in a 6-bed dorm at a hostel in Vik: £36.50 // $47.50

Hotel for one night outside Reykjavik (heavily discounted with points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred, look for options on Booking.com): £12 // $15.50

Car Rental for 3 days, including insurance (shared between two): £46 // $60

Extra car insurance for sand/ash damage (shared between two, purchased at the airport): £21 // $27

Interested in a breakdown by category? Here’s how much I spent on accommodation, transportation, food/drink, sightseeing, and miscellaneous costs!

Accommodation: £48.50 // $63

Transportation: £248.50 // $323

Food/Drink: £45 // $58

Sightseeing: £22 // $28.50

Miscellaneous: £3 // $4

There’s no trying to deny it: Iceland is a very expensive destination. I planned very far in advance and used every trick up my sleeve to reduce costs on this trip specifically because I knew it would be expensive. Months ago, I started saving up my credit card points to be able to get two nights’ accommodation nearly free, which made a HUGE difference to the cost of this trip. I brought loads of food and snacks with me. While I spent a lot of money on trying weird foods like puffin and fermented shark on Day 1, I spent very little on food for the rest of the trip.

The biggest draw to Iceland is probably its scenery. And the best thing is that most sights outside Reykjavik are completely free! Admiring stunning landscapes is free—sometimes there may just be a parking fee in order to do so. I also traveled with someone else (Mr. Away With Maja!), which meant that my transportation costs like car rental and gas were split in half. I would have spent a lot more had I have gone solo.

There are lots of ways to cut costs for a trip to Iceland. Your regular budget-savvy tips like booking alternative accommodation like hostels or Airbnbs, cooking your own meals, and enjoying free activities will go far in Iceland.

Despite the cost though, I do want to be clear: Iceland is absolutely worth the money! The country is incredible and like something out of another world. While it is expensive, I would happily pay the high costs to experience this country again!