Reykjavík Day Trip from the Trucks: Driving In, Parking & Back for Dinner

The whole point of staying in a converted expedition truck on the bank of the Hvítá is the quiet: river, birdsong, and no city hum. But you don’t have to give up a Reykjavík day to get it. From the truck site at Hvítárbakki in Borgarfjörður, the capital is a straightforward drive south, and you can be back before the countryside evening settles in. Here’s how to do it without wasting the day on logistics.

The Drive In

Head south on Route 1 (the Ring Road). The one piece that used to cost money — the Hvalfjörður tunnel under the fjord — has been toll-free since September 2018, so you drive straight through with nothing to pay. The tunnel is about 5.8 km long and shaves roughly 45 minutes off the old route around the fjord. From Hvítárbakki to central Reykjavík is roughly 60–75 km, which realistically means about an hour behind the wheel each way in normal conditions.

Leave after a relaxed breakfast — around 9 or 10am is plenty. The drive is scenic in both directions, and heading in mid-morning keeps you out of Reykjavík’s brief rush-hour crawl.

Where to Park

Central Reykjavík parking is paid and split into four zones, P1 to P4, with P1 (the old town and harbour core) the most expensive and time-limited. You can pay at the on-street meters, but it’s far easier to use a parking app — EasyPark, Parka, Verna and Síminn Pay all work in the city zones. You register your licence plate, pick the zone you’re parked in, and stop the timer when you leave, so you only pay for the time used.

If you’d rather park once and forget it, aim for one of the covered car parks near the harbour or the Hörpu area and walk from there. The centre is compact and flat enough to cross on foot in 15–20 minutes.

A Realistic Few Hours in Town

Don’t try to “do” Reykjavík in an afternoon. A good, unhurried loop from a central park-up:

• Getting there: Route 1 south through the Hvalfjörður tunnel (toll-free), about an hour from Hvítárbakki.
• Hallgrímskirkja — the landmark church on the hill; the tower gives a wide view over the coloured rooftops.
• Old town and harbour — walk down Skólavörðustígur and Laugavegur to the old harbour for boats, cafés and the coastline.
• One museum — pick a single one (maritime, settlement-era or art) rather than rushing several.
• A proper meal — a sit-down lunch or early dinner in the centre before you drive.
• What to bring: a rain shell, comfortable shoes, and your parking app set up before you arrive.
• Timing: aim to leave the city by mid-afternoon so you’re back at the river with light to spare.

Getting Back Before Dinner

The drive home is the same easy hour, and there’s no toll booth to slow you at the tunnel. Plan around the weather and the daylight rather than the clock — winter light is short, so leaving Reykjavík by around 3–4pm in the darker months keeps the drive comfortable. In summer you have far more room to linger. If you’d rather not drive at all, Strætó’s long-distance route 57 does connect Borgarnes and Reykjavík, but it runs only about once a day, so it suits a one-way trip more than a there-and-back city day.

Where to Stay

Basing your Reykjavík day trip at Hvítá Trucks gives you the best of both: the capital an easy hour down Route 1, and a genuinely quiet riverbank to come back to once the day-trippers have all driven the other way. After the city noise, the stillness on the Hvítá is the whole reward. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Steinninn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.