Reykjavik nightlife in Iceland

Iceland Nightlife

BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER – ICELAND DOES NOT LIKE TO DATE ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!

This means, although you can often find great bars, live music, stand up comedy through the week – most of it finishes around 12am – 1am and the bars in downtown Reykjavik will usually be dead through the week. If you want to party in Iceland, it’s better to save it for Friday and Saturday night when clubs like Austur are open until about 4:30am and B5 is open until about 5 or 6am.

Icelandic Beer

As well as the mysterious Black Death spirit, Iceland is also famous for it’s variety of delicious local beers and ales. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a hops connoisseur or even if you’re a wuss like me and you don’t like beer – give one of the Einstök ales a try, you might be pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes! 

My top recommendation to experience a variety of traditional Icelandic beers in the most fun way possible with expert friendly local guides is on the Wake Up Reykjavik Beer Tour!

Iceland Nightclub Dresscode

Although most of the normal bars are relatively casual and relaxed, if you plan on hitting the nightclubs in Iceland – dress sharp – the local Icelanders have good fashion sense and even though it might be -10°C/14°F outside with ice and snow on the pavement, they’re still dressed to impress with smart shoes, chinos and shirts or dresses. We advise not to wear your hiking gear and to take your bulky ski jacket off before you get to the door if you’re trying to get into a nightclub in Reykjavik, Iceland.

My Iceland nightlife recommendation

For the best chance of having an EPIC night out in Iceland, I highly recommend booking a bar crawl with Wake Up Reykjavik – their cool, fun, friendly and knowledgeable guides love to make sure you have a great night, taking you to the best bars in downtown Reykjavik, Iceland – giving you chance to enjoy some Icelandic traditional drinks and authentic treats along the way, ensuring you have a good laugh and learn a bit about the country and traditions as well as entry to Austur – Iceland’s best nightclub.

I’ve done this twice over the last couple of years – both REALLY good fun nights to remember, although the first time we drank too much which made remembering everything a challenge!