Viðey Island, Reykjavik: Ferry, Tickets & Planning Guide

Fast Answer: Is Viðey Island Worth a Trip From Reykjavik?

Viðey Island is worth the short ferry ride once downtown Reykjavik feels covered and open space sounds better than another queue. History readers get 13th-century monastery ruins and one of Iceland's oldest surviving houses. Art travelers get Yoko Ono's Imagine Peace Tower and Richard Serra's basalt-column installation, Áfangar, also translated as Milestones. Quiet-nature readers get shoreline trails and breeding seabirds with almost nobody else around once the ferry empties. Reykjavik's hidden gems guide makes a similar case for quieter picks around the city. The secret spots list agrees: Viðey stays uncrowded even in peak summer. Travelers who prefer staying downtown can check the off-the-beaten-path Reykjavik guide instead. The 12 Unique Things to Do in Reykjavik in 2026 (Beyond Hallgrímskirkja) list covers other low-traffic options too.

Getting There: Skarfabakki Pier vs. Old Harbour

Two piers serve Viðey, and picking the right one saves a taxi ride. Skarfabakki pier, at Sundahöfn, runs the ferry year-round and is the only option outside summer. The Old Harbour pier, Ægisgarður, operates in summer only and sits close to the Grandi harbourfront. Ferry is the only way onto the island; there is no bridge or causeway. Crossing time from either pier runs five to ten minutes, short enough that pier choice matters more for reaching the dock than for time on the water.

• Staying downtown or near Grandi in summer: use the Old Harbour pier at Ægisgarður.
• Visiting outside June through August, or staying near Sundahöfn: use Skarfabakki pier.
• Traveling in winter: Skarfabakki is the only working pier.

Viðey Ferry Schedule, Seasons, and Prices

Elding, the company running the Viðey ferry, publishes a schedule listed as valid until 31 March 2027, though seasonal windows can shift year to year, so confirm dates close to travel. Summer gives the widest access, with both piers running daily. Outside summer, only Skarfabakki operates, and just on weekends. Fares are quoted per person for a return trip, shown below alongside the schedule. Trips are reportedly free with the Reykjavik City Card, covered in more detail further down.

• Adult (18+) return: 2,500 ISK
• Child (7–17) return: 1,250 ISK
• Child (0–6): free, capped at three per adult
• Student, senior, or disabled return: 2,250 ISK

What to See and Do on Viðey Island

An Augustinian monastery was founded on Viðey in 1226, and 2026 marks its 800th anniversary. The heritage museum runs occasional guided walks tied to the anniversary as example seasonal programming, so check current listings rather than counting on a fixed date. Archaeological remains on the island date back to the early 10th century, among the oldest settlement-era evidence in the Reykjavik area. Viðey's last residents left in 1943, leaving a deserted village behind. Viðey Church and Viðeyjarstofa rank among Iceland's oldest surviving buildings. Viðeyjarstofa was built in the 1750s and now displays historical paintings, alongside a café serving lunch and light refreshments during ferry operating hours. Two marked trails start behind the building, and summer service has historically included horse rental; confirm current availability before planning around it. Yoko Ono's Imagine Peace Tower is Viðey's best-known landmark, built as a tribute to John Lennon. It lights up only on select evenings, historically clustered between early October and early December, plus the winter and spring equinoxes and Ono's February birthday. Confirm the current lighting calendar before planning a visit around it. On the island's west side, Richard Serra's basalt-column installation, Áfangar, pairs stone columns with the coastline. English-language sources also call it Milestones. Around 30 bird species breed on Viðey, including puffins, guillemots, and fulmars, along trails that wrap the shoreline. Over 150 plant species grow across its bogs and basalt slopes. Sources differ slightly on the island's exact size, putting it at roughly 0.6 to 0.7 square miles. Its high point sits about 105 feet above sea level. That scale keeps Viðey walkable in an afternoon without a fixed itinerary.

How Much Time to Budget for Viðey

No operator publishes a standard self-guided visit length for Viðey. The duration figures that do exist, such as 1.5 to 2 hours for a guided history walk, apply to specific scheduled events rather than a general visit. Pacing depends on how much of the island's trail network you cover. Use these benchmarks instead.

• Short visit (about 2 hours): church, monastery ruins, and Viðeyjarstofa
• Half day (3 to 4 hours): add the east-island trails and a café stop
• Full day (5-plus hours): add the Áfangar walk on the west island and time for birdwatching along the coast

Is the Reykjavik City Card Worth It for Viðey?

The Reykjavik City Card reportedly includes free Viðey ferry transfers, according to Visit Reykjavik. Card pricing changes, so confirm current rates directly with Visit Reykjavik before buying one. A standalone adult return ferry ticket costs 2,500 ISK. That's cheap enough that the card only pays off when it also covers pools, museums, or city buses in the same window. Buying a single ferry ticket is usually simpler and cheaper if Viðey is the only stop on the agenda. Families should also weigh the free-for-under-7 ferry policy against the card's own child pricing before deciding. Readers building a low-cost day around town can cross-check the math against the Free Things to Do in Reykjavik: 2026 Budget Guide guide first.

Best Time to Visit: Summer vs. Off-Season

Summer gives Viðey its widest access. Both piers run daily between June and August, and Viðeyjarstofa's café stays open through the season. Between 1 September and 14 May, only Skarfabakki operates, and just on Saturdays and Sundays, cutting out weekday access entirely. That trade-off matters most to travelers chasing quiet over convenience, since winter weekends still draw a crowd of their own. Shoulder-season visitors weighing crowd levels across the wider city can compare this against the Best Time to Visit Reykjavik Without Crowds: A 2026 Local Timing Guide guide. Viðey's quiet season tracks Reykjavik's broader off-peak months.

Mistakes to Avoid on a Viðey Day Trip

A few planning errors are easy to sidestep once the schedule is clear. Most come down to treating one part of Viðey's calendar as fixed when it's actually seasonal or event-specific.

• Booking an Old Harbour departure outside June through August: that pier is seasonal, not year-round.
• Treating Imagine Peace Tower lighting dates as standing hours: the tower lights up only on select evenings.
• Skipping a return-time check before the west-island walk: off-season Skarfabakki sailings run just three times a day.
• Assuming Viðeyjarstofa's café keeps separate hours: it follows the ferry schedule, not its own.
• Forgetting cash or a card for food: the island's only food option is that one café.

Pairing Viðey With the Rest of Your Reykjavik Trip

Viðey works well as a half-day add-on rather than a full day trip, freeing up time for other low-key Reykjavik outings. The 6 Best Day Trips From Reykjavik in 2026: Golden Circle to Snæfellsnes guide groups it with other quiet, coastal picks. Grotta Lighthouse is one option worth comparing it to. Nauthólsvík geothermal beach is another. Travelers weighing a longer excursion can compare Viðey against the Reykjanes Peninsula Day Trip: Self-Drive Route, Timing & Tour Options, which needs a full day and a rental car instead of a short ferry ride. For a meal before boarding, nearby options appear in the Reykjavik Local Food Guide: Where the City Actually Eats in 2026. Combining two or three of these low-key outings across a single Reykjavik stay spreads out the itinerary without adding driving time.