Here is a list of the top apps I recommend for your trip to Iceland. Apps can help you get around, give you extra knowledge, and make your life quite a bit easier. Want to park your rental car? No, problem, there’s an app for that. Check the weather? There is an app for that too. There are also apps for all outdoor art in Reykjavík, a book walking tour and an app for the city’s happy hours.
The official Icelandic weather app = Veður
The Icelandic weather is notoriously fickle. We often joke about it changing every five minutes, and sometimes it is true. However, even if that isn’t true all the time, the weather forecast does change regularly, so it is important to keep tabs on the weather. It is hard to plan a few days ahead and expect a certain kind of weather. So, the first app on the list is the weather app from the Icelandic Met Office.
The official app for Icelandic emergency service = 112
When in an emergency, you can call 112 (the Icelandic equivalent of 999 and 911) or use the app. 112 Iceland app is designed to speed information transfer in case of emergency but is also useful for anyone who might have difficulty in calling for assistance or in describing the situation because of the situation they are in or have difficulty communicating verbally for some other reason.
Safe Travel – The ICE-SAR App
If you travel into the Icelandic wilderness, we highly recommend you use the safe travel app the ICE-SAR has developed. In it, you can put in your travel plans and give ICE-SAR access to your location. If something happens, they will have an easier time finding you. We are sure nothing will happen, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. Iceland can be dangerous, and the highlands have claimed many lives.
ICE-SAR Safe Travel
Google Maps
Most people probably have this app (or an equivalent) on their phone, but Google maps is an essential app in Iceland. We may be a small nation, but we have many streets. Our road signs are all in Icelandic, so you might need extra help getting around the country.
- For Android
Appy Hour – Every happy hour in Reykjavik in your pocket.
Firstly, we want to recommend you make use of the duty-free allowance when you arrive in Iceland. Alcohol is costly in the country. But if you’re going to explore the Icelandic bars, we recommend using the happy hours. Not that long ago, there were no happy hours in Iceland. Then the financial crisis happened, and bars realised that if they wanted people to drink at their establishment, they would need to do something about the prices. There is, of course, no need to invent the wheel all over again, so they decided on happy hours. Most bars have one; they’re not all at the same time and not all as long. So, Reykjavik Grapevine had the brilliant idea of making an app. And here it is, Appy hour – caters to all your happy hour needs! If you don’t know where to go, we recommend you check out our Reykjavik Beer & Booze tour!
Please note, it is not updated very frequently.
Wapp – The Walking App
The Walking App shows you many enjoyable walking and hiking trails with interesting pop-up facts, stories and photos from the area. The trails are of great variety, and the experience is meaningful and full of joy. It’s not just about reaching the end but about enjoying the overall experience on the way. Try our new variety of trails in Iceland equipped with the important safety measure of always knowing your location as the route progresses.
Strætó – The Official Bus System App
Maybe you don’t have a rental car and spend your days doing coach tours and walking tours in Reykjavik. However, the Icelandic public bus system is good for such a small country. We recommend you use it to get between the sprawling capital area. Maybe you want to go to Hellisgerði in Hafnarfjörður to try and see the elves? Or perhaps you just want to go to IKEA or the Mosfellsbær Swimming Pool. Those places are far too far away for a walk, so a bus would be ideal. The easiest way to buy a ticket is with the Klappið app. Soon Strætó will be offering contactless payments in the bus though.
For extra convenience, we recommend you get the Reykjavik City Card. It gives you access to many museums, swimming pools, and Reykjavik’s bus system!
EasyPark and Parka.is – For all your car parking needs!
However, if you have a rental car, you will have to park it somewhere. It is generally relatively easy to pay for parking, but it is even easier if you use EasyPark or Parka.is.
Icelandic Coupons
You might have heard it; Iceland is an expensive country. But there’s a way around it; coupons! Oh yes, we have coupons. You will have to pay a small fee to get them, but you will get great discounts!
Northern Light Forecast & Alerts
For a bit of extra info for hunting for the Northern Lights. But you can just as well use the Icelandic Met App.
The Reykjavik Art Walk
Reykjavik Art Museum developed the Reykjavik Art Walk app. It is entirely free of charge. You can access information on Reykjavik’s artworks, get images, read texts, listen to audio guides, and play art games. The app uses your GPS function to guide you to the nearest public art location. It then contextualises the pieces to get the full story behind the art.
The Reykjavik Culture Walk
The Reykjavik Culture Walk is a free app which leads you on a literature walk around Reykjavik. It is made by the Reykjavik UNESCO City of Literature and the Reykjavik City Library. The app offers guided literature walks in five languages: Icelandic, English, French, German and Spanish.
IN ENGLISH
- Crime Walk is dedicated to the works of Arnaldur Indriðason
- Queer Literature
- Halldór Laxness, Nobel Laureate
- Literary Reykjavík
- The Settlement of Reykjavík
IN FRENCH
- La colonisation de Reykjavík
- Reykjavík Snapshots – Walk by Visiting Artist Pierre Guerry
IN SPANISH
- Novela Negra de Reykjavík
- Introducción a la literatura Islandesa
IN GERMAN
- Islandische Literatur
IN ICELANDIC
- Slóðir Halldórs Laxness í miðbæ Reykjavíkur (Nobel Laureate Halldór Laxness)
- Söguslóðir verka Braga Ólafssonar í Vesturbænum (Works of Bragi Ólafsson)
- Glæpasagnaganga í miðbænum (Crime Fiction Walk)
- Kennileitin í Kvosinni (Downtown Landmarks)
- Landnámið í Reykjavík (The Settlement of Reykjavík)
- Borgarmyndir – Reykjavík Snapshots by Visiting Artist Pierre Guerry
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