Viking World, Keflavík: the ship next to the airport
Five minutes from Keflavík Airport, Viking World holds the Íslendingur, a full-size replica of the Gokstad ship that crossed the Atlantic in 2000. You can board it. It is the natural first or last stop on an Iceland trip and pairs with the Hafnarfjörður festival in June.
Why go
The Íslendingur is an exact copy of the Gokstad ship, built by Icelandic shipwright Gunnar Marel Eggertsson, who then sailed it across the Atlantic to New York in 2000 to mark a thousand years since Leif Eiriksson reached North America. It now stands in a glass hall on the shore at Njarðvík, and unlike the originals in Oslo you can walk on board. Around it are exhibitions on the Norse settlement of Iceland, the North Atlantic voyages and Norse mythology, and a small farm with Icelandic animals in summer.
What to expect
A modern, compact museum built around one great object. An hour is enough; ninety minutes with children. The ship is the point, and standing on deck gives a better sense of what these vessels were than any glass case.
When to go
Any time; it is indoors. Combine with the Hafnarfjörður Viking Festival in mid-June if your dates allow, since Hafnarfjörður is on the road between the airport and Reykjavík.
Practical
Admission around 2,000 to 2,500 ISK for adults in recent years, with reductions for children and seniors; check the site. Cards everywhere. Opening hours have varied by season, so confirm before an early or late visit.
Getting there
Five to ten minutes by car or taxi from Keflavík International Airport, in Reykjanesbær. About 40 minutes from Reykjavík. Airport buses do not stop here, so it suits a hire car or a taxi on the way in or out.
Combine with
The Hafnarfjörður Viking Festival in June. The Settlement Exhibition in downtown Reykjavík, built around an excavated tenth-century longhouse. The Blue Lagoon is twenty minutes away for anyone who wants both in one afternoon.
Related events
Sources
Last updated 2026-09-06. Prices and opening hours change; check the venue before you go. Back to Plan your trip or the festival calendar.