Drinking in Iceland

Drinking in Iceland is expensive. There's no getting around that. Alcohol is sold in only three kinds of places: bars and restaurants, the state liquor stores, and the airport duty-free shop. Knowing how those three work is most of the battle. Here's how to enjoy Reykjavik's nightlife without spending your whole budget on it.

The basics

• The legal drinking age is 20. The state stores check ID to enforce it, and breweries and many bars do too, so carry your passport or driver's license.
• You can't buy full-strength beer or wine in supermarkets or gas stations.
• Full-strength beer has only been legal since 1 March 1989. The story is in Brewery Tour in Reykjavik.

Make the duty-free your first stop

Keflavík Airport has a duty-free store for arriving passengers, and Icelanders stock up there on the way home. Some prices from its web shop (as of 2026):

• Reyka vodka, 1 liter: from 5,990 ISK
• Gull Lite, 12 x 33 cl cans: 2,990 ISK
• Víking Gylltur, 12 x 50 cl cans: 4,390 ISK

There's a limit. Each adult can bring in 6 "units" of alcohol, and the duty-free site has a calculator. A few examples of how the units count:

• 12 x 50 cl cans of beer = 2 units
• a 75 cl bottle of wine = 1 unit
• a 1 liter bottle of spirits over 22% = 4 units

So a liter of vodka plus a 12-pack of large beers uses your whole allowance. Plan your mix before you land.

The airport sits on the Reykjanes peninsula, which had nine eruptions near Grindavík between December 2023 and August 2025, and the Icelandic Met Office says magma is still building up. If you plan to stop anywhere on the peninsula on the way into town, check safetravel.is first. Getting from Reykjavik to Keflavik covers the transfer.

Buy the rest at Vínbúðin

Vínbúðin is the state-owned liquor store and the only shop in the country allowed to sell alcohol at retail. Its store list runs to about 50 locations nationwide, including a dozen in the capital area. The one nearest most visitors is at Austurstræti 10a, downtown.

• Standard capital-area hours are Monday to Thursday 11:00 to 18:00, Friday 11:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 11:00 to 18:00.
• A few bigger stores (Álfrún in Hafnarfjörður, Dalvegur in Kópavogur and Skeifan in Reykjavik) stay open until 20:00 on weekdays.
• The standard hours run Monday to Saturday, so buy on Saturday if you want something for Sunday.
• Hours outside the capital vary, so check the store list before a road trip.

Store prices are well below bar prices, which is why most locals have a drink or two at home before going out.

Prep for the runtur

The runtur is the all-night weekend bar crawl through downtown Reykjavik. To get through it without blowing your budget, have a few drinks where you're staying and don't head out before 23:00, when things actually start. Sip slowly, or alternate drinks with water. Plenty of locals nurse one or two drinks all night, and nobody expects you to buy rounds.

Use happy hours

Many bars run happy hours in the late afternoon and early evening. At Kaldi Bar on Laugavegur it's 16:00 to 19:00, with 12 beers on tap. Kaffibarinn also runs one. Ask at the bar, since times change.

Drink local

Everything that isn't made in Iceland arrives by ship or plane, and you pay for that. Icelandic beer is usually the cheapest thing on the list. Look for Gull and Víking from the big breweries, and craft beers from Kaldi, Borg and Ölvisholt. The local spirit is brennivín, a type of akvavit. Imported beer, wine and spirits generally cost more. What to Drink in Iceland has more on what to order.

FAQ

Can I buy alcohol on Sunday?

Not at the capital-area Vínbúðin stores, whose standard hours run Monday to Saturday. Bars and restaurants are your only option then.

Is duty-free worth it?

Yes, if you'll drink during your trip. Twelve large Víking cans for 4,390 ISK is a good deal compared with bar prices. Just stay within the 6-unit allowance.

Photo by: dibaer, ulfur