Cruises from Reykjavik 2026-2027

About Cruising from Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the northern terminus of the cruise world — the city from which the Viking sagas departed and the point from which modern ships reach the most extreme latitudes in commercial ocean cruising. Silversea's Arctic voyages to Svalbard, Greenland's Scoresby Sound, and the Northwest Passage all have Reykjavik as their southern anchor. Viking Ocean, Celebrity, and Regent operate more accessible Northern Europe voyages that use Reykjavik as their westernmost port, combining Iceland with the Faroe Islands, Shetland, the Scottish Highlands, and the Norwegian fjords.

Keflavík International Airport (KEF) is 50 kilometres southwest of Reykjavik, connected to the city by the Flybus shuttle (45 minutes) and private taxis (40 minutes). Transatlantic service from the US and Canada is excellent — Icelandair operates direct routes from Boston, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, and multiple Canadian cities, and the service is frequent enough that Iceland functions as a natural stopover hub for Europe. The airport is modern and efficient; the transfer to the city is the only logistics friction.

Iceland's landscape justifies the reputation the tourism industry has built around it, and the pre-cruise options are strong enough to warrant arriving three or four days before sailing. The Golden Circle — Þingvellir National Park (where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge visibly), the Geysir geothermal field, and Gullfoss waterfall — is a full day by rental car or organised tour. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula (the setting of Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth") is another full day and less trafficked than the Golden Circle. The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is 20 minutes from the airport and is worth the cost if you're arriving from a transatlantic flight — the silica-rich water is legitimately therapeutic.

Silversea's Arctic sailings that depart from or return to Reykjavik are in a different category from standard cruising. A voyage to Svalbard (Longyearbyen, at 78°N) covers the full range of Arctic wildlife: polar bears, walrus, arctic foxes, reindeer, and during June-July the midnight sun that never sets. These sailings are expensive and require genuine expedition context — the destination is not a backdrop for a Caribbean-style ship experience but the entire point of the voyage. Passengers who choose them are usually repeat cruisers who have done every mainstream itinerary and want something that feels earned.

Viking's Northern Europe circuits from Reykjavik are the more accessible product: 15 to 23 nights reaching Lerwick (Shetland), Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Belfast, Edinburgh, Bergen, and Tromsø. The Faroe Islands alone justify the length premium over a standard Norway fjords sailing — the landscape is unlike anything in mainland Europe.

Timing: June through August is the practical season for most Iceland sailings, when 24-hour daylight and manageable temperatures (10-15°C) make outdoor Iceland accessible. September sailings catch the first aurora borealis sightings of the autumn and are increasingly popular among passengers who've done the midnight sun and want the northern lights instead. The shoulder season in Iceland (April-May and September-October) is genuinely excellent and notably cheaper.