Free Lionesses guide to Reykjavík – April 2026

Next month the Lionesses will be heading to Reykjavík to take on Iceland as they continue their World Cup qualifying campaign and our Free Lionesses team have pulled together a handy guide to the game for those making the trip.

Kick-off is 5.30pm BST (4.30pm local time) at Laugardalsvöllur Stadium in the Icelandic capital on Saturday 18th April.

Free Lionesses will be running a pre-match meet up. Details will be confirmed in due course – so please keep an eye on our social media for more details.

Thanks to Thora Stewart, Samantha Marshall and Claire Broomhead for compiling the information in this guide.

Ticketing

Tickets are available for the match via the Icelandic FA who have set aside a 1,400-capacity dedicated England section in the ground. Prices start at 4,990 ISK for adults (£31), and 2,495 ISK for concessions (£16). There is a cap of six tickets per order.

• Iceland vs England: Buy tickets here.

If you have any issues with the ticketing page, questions can be directed to the Icelandic FA.

Reykjavík – an intro to the Icelandic capital

Reykjavík is Europe’s most northerly capital city and situated just outside the Arctic Circle.

April is a variable month for weather in Reykjavík – it could be raining or snowing or even sunny. It’s highly recommended to check the weather forecast before you travel – pack accordingly.

English is widely spoken across Iceland.

Getting to the stadium

Address: Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, Laugardalur, 104 Reykjavík.

From Reykjavík BSI Bus Terminal (Vatnsmýrarvegur 10, 101 Reykjavík) you can catch Bus 1 or Bus 3 heading towards Laugardalur. The bus will take you directly to Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, and the journey will take about 30 minutes.

If coming from elsewhere in the city, the nearest bus stops to Laugardalsvöllur Stadium would be Laugardalshöll (lines 2, 5, 15 or 17) or Laugardalslaug (line 14).

Reykjavík’s bus operator has a map of bus routes available to download here.

Getting around Reykjavík

Flybus is the most common transport link from Keflavik International Airport into Reykjavík city centre – tickets start from 3,999 ISK to the bus terminal but you can opt for hotel drop-off for an extra fee.

Straeto is the company for local buses, visit their website to check timetables, plan routes and buy tickets. You can also use Straeto to get from Keflavik Airport into the city but it is slower than the Flybus service.

All Straeto buses take contactless payment.

Hopp also offers e-scooters for hire throughout the city. Charges are 115 ISK for the setup fee, then 39 ISK per minute thereafter.

Eating and drinking

Our contributors have picked out their favourite restaurants, below, which should cater to most dietary requirements.

City centre:

• Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (The City’s Best Hotdog) -Tryggvagata 1, 101 Reykjavík
• Tres Locos (Mexican) – Hafnarstraeti 4, 101 Reykjavík. +354 454 033
• Íslenski barinn (The Icelandic Bar) – Very central, not too expensive, quite a lot of traditional Icelandic options
• Café Loki – Right next to Hallgrímskirkja, not too expensive, lots of traditional Icelandic options
• Svarta kaffið – Central restaurant famous for its soup served in bread:
• The Fish Company – Highly regarded option in central Reykjavík, amazing seafood
• Apótek Restaurant – A more upmarket option in central Reykjavík, fantastic cocktail menu and excellent food
• Reykjavik Roasters – Several central locations, most people agree some of the best coffee in Iceland
• Babalú – Independent café in central Reykjavík, described as “quirky and fun” with good food and coffee
• Plantan – Vegan café in central Reykjavík
• Tivoli – a new bistro
• OTO – for fancier, modern fine dining.

There are also multiple food courts in downtown Reykjavik that should cater to most supporters’ needs:

• Hafnartorg Gallery
• Posthus Foodhall
• Hlemmur Food Hall

Food and drink nearer the stadium:

• Kaffi Laugalækur – Café/restaurant not too far from Laugardalsvöllur stadium
• Borg29 – A food court 10-15 minutes walk from Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, quite a few options
• Te & Kaffi – Biggest Icelandic coffee chain. One branch is located a five minute walk from Laugardalsvöllur Stadium.

For inexpensive lunches, you can also buy food from Bonus or Kronan supermarkets to make your own.

If breakfast isn’t included in your hotel, local bakeries are a great option for buying pastries for a relatively inexpensive breakfast too.

Contributors favourite bars

• Kiki Queer Bar – Laugavegur 22, 101 Reykjavík. (Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings – the only queer bar in Reykjavík). Check out their Facebook page.
• Prikið – open seven days a week, cafe by day, bar by night – 12 Bankastraeti, 101 Reykjavík
• Kaldi Bar – Laugavegur 20b, 101 Reykjavik – situated on the central shopping street
• Kramber – located in downtown Reykjavík

Iceland – things to see and do

Blue Lagoon (Norðurljósavegur 9, 240 Grindavík) – experience one of the most famous tourist attractions in Iceland, the geothermal pools of the Blue Lagoon. Entry costs from 14,000 ISK for the basic adult ticket and pre-booking is essential. You can also buy a combined Blue Lagoon-Flybus ticket and visit on the way to/from Keflavík airport.

Sky Lagoon (Vesturvör 44, 200 Kópavogur) – situated on the edge Reykjavík city centre, this geothermal spa is also a popular tourist attraction and is a good alternative for Blue Lagoon for those without a car/not wanting to do a big detour out of town as it is accessible by Straeto buses. Entry costs from 15,990 ISK for adults.

The public swimming pools in Reykjavik are great and much cheaper than the Spas, with hot tubs and a range of facilities:

• Laugardalslaug (close to the stadium)
• Sundhöllin (downtown)

Hallgrímskirkja (Hallgrímstorg 1, 101 Reykjavík) – Iconic Lutheran church with a hugely impressive organ that is the tallest building in Reykjavík. Free entry to the church, or 1,500 ISK (adults) to go up the tower, where in fine weather you get panoramic views across the city and nearby mountains.

If you’re in Iceland for a few days and want to spend a day outside the city, then the ‘must do’ experience would be always the ‘Golden Circle’, a 190 mile loop from Reykjavík into southern Iceland and comprises Thingvellir National Park (original home of the oldest Parliament in the world), Gullfoss waterfall, and the geothermal area of Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur.

You could either hire a car to visit these sites (in which case we’d recommend including the waterfalls Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss) or join a bus tour. Tour places can be booked via – Reykjavík Excursions or Gray Line Tours.

If you have just a few hours to spare, whale watching boat trips from Reykjavík harbour are also available, taking between two to three-and-a-half hours. Boat trips can be booked through – Special Tours or Elding.

Hidden Gems

For a low-budget alternative to Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon, you could visit one of the city centre swimming pools – for example, Laugardalslaug next door to the football stadium has hot tubs, cold tub as well as a 50m pool (adult ticket 1,430 ISK).

If anyone loves their Christmas gifts and decorations, there is a year round shop in Reykjavík – The Little Christmas Shop (Litla Jólabúðin) is at Laugavegur 8, 101 Reykjavík, and sells traditional Christmas tree decorations as well as items based around the traditional Icelandic thirteen Yule lads and their mother Grýla.

Emergency Info

Emergency Numbers:

112 – General emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
444 1000 – Local police
1700 – Doctor on call
533 2300 – Pharmacy

British Embassy Reykjavík:

Address: Laufásvegur 31, 101 Reykjavík
To call them in an emergency or send an online enquiry use the contact form: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/iceland/british-embassy-reykjavik

The accident and emergency unit for accidents, acute illness, poisoning and rape is located in Landspítali University Hospital, Fossvogur, telephone 543 2000.

Free Lionesses

For more info on what the Free Lionesses team are up to and social meets taking place around the fixture, follow them on social media – via Twitter (now called X) or Instagram