1.5 hr off road Buggy Adventure with Pickup from Reykjavik

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works

★ 4.9(107 reviews)

GetYourGuide

1.5 hr off road Buggy Adventure with Pickup from Reykjavik

• Pickup from your hotel
• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 2.5 hours

from $196

Check availability

A Two-and-a-Half-Hour Ride from Reykjavik into the Highlands

This is a short, guided buggy tour that starts in Reykjavik and heads straight into the rugged terrain around the city. The catalogue lists it as 1.5 hours of driving, but with pickup, safety briefing, and the return leg, you should plan for about 2.5 hours from when the driver collects you until you are back at your hotel. Hotel pickup is included, so you do not need to find your own way to a meeting point. The tour runs in English, with a guide leading the way. It is built for visitors who want a taste of off-road driving without committing to a full day out. You sit in the buggy yourself, follow the guide’s machine, and cover ground that a regular car cannot reach. The route takes in the lava fields and hills on the city’s edge, with views back over Reykjavik and, on clear days, out toward the mountains. This is not a sightseeing bus tour. It is an active, dusty, hands-on hour and a half, and you will feel the difference.

Photographs from Safari Quads - Reykjavik's listing. They show the tour, not necessarily your day.

What the Price Covers and What Costs Extra

The entry price is from 201 USD. That figure is the starting point, and it buys you the buggy, the guide, the safety gear, and the hotel pickup in Reykjavik. The operator states clearly that food is not part of the deal, so bring your own snacks if you think you will want them. There are no official fees added on the day for any of the places the tour visits. Neither admission nor parking is charged at the stops along the route, so the price you see is effectively what you pay for the driving itself. The operator offers free cancellation, though no deadline is given for when you must cancel to qualify. What you will not find on this tour is any meal stop or a chance to buy lunch, so treat it as a self-contained activity rather than a half-day with catering. The price range in this category runs from 147 to 758 USD, and at 201 USD this tour sits among the cheaper options in its group, which makes it a reasonable entry point if you are weighing up whether a buggy tour is worth your time.

What a 4.9 Score with 107 Reviews Actually Tells You

The rating stands at 4.9 out of 5, which is high, but the number behind it matters more than the score itself. With 107 reviews, this is not a tiny sample. It is one of the most-reviewed tours in its category, ranking third out of 27 buggy and ATV listings by how many people have taken the time to rate it. That breadth of feedback means the score is not a fluke from a handful of enthusiastic customers. It reflects a consistent experience across more than a hundred separate trips. In a category where many listings have only a few dozen reviews, this one has a solid base of opinion behind it. The rank of third by review count, rather than by score, suggests that it is a well-established operation that people actually book and then bother to rate. A 4.9 with this many votes is a stronger signal than the same score with ten reviews. You can take the rating seriously, but it is worth remembering that it covers the whole experience, from pickup to drop-off, and not just the driving itself.

When the Season Matters for a Short Ride

Reykjavik’s temperatures stay mild all year, with highs ranging from 3 degrees in January to 15 degrees in July. The lows hover around freezing in winter and climb to about 9 degrees in summer. For a tour that lasts only 2.5 hours, the season changes what you wear more than whether the tour runs. In the winter months, from November through February, you will be riding in temperatures just above or below freezing. The buggy has no cabin, so the wind chill is real, and you will want proper layers, a hat, and gloves. The short duration works in your favour here: you are out in the cold for a limited stretch, not a full day. In summer, from June to August, the highs reach 13 to 15 degrees, which is still cool by most standards, but the long daylight hours mean you can book a ride late in the evening and still have full visibility. Spring and autumn sit in between, with highs from 4 to 11 degrees. The time of day matters less than the season. A morning ride in July will be comfortable, while the same slot in January will be a cold, bracing experience. The tour’s length means you can fit it around other plans without worrying about losing a whole day to weather.

What Happens When You Get Going

The tour starts with the hotel pickup in Reykjavik. You are driven to the operator’s base, where you get your safety briefing and are fitted into the buggy. The guide leads the group out of the city and onto the off-road tracks. The terrain is what you came for: uneven lava fields, gravel paths, and slopes that a normal car would struggle with. The buggies are designed for this, with sturdy suspension and knobbly tyres, so you can take the bumps without worrying about the vehicle. The guide sets the pace and keeps the group together. There are no staffed facilities at the stops along the way, so do not expect a visitor centre or a cafe when you pause to take in the view. The tour operates regardless of light rain, but if the weather turns severe, the guide may adjust the route or turn back early. That is standard practice for safety on these tracks. You will get dusty, possibly muddy, and you should dress accordingly. The whole thing, from pickup to return, runs about 2.5 hours, and you are dropped back at your hotel when it is done.

Who Should Book This Buggy Tour

This tour suits travellers who want to drive, not just ride. If you are comfortable taking the wheel of a buggy and following a guide over rough ground, this is a good fit. It is also a solid choice for anyone short on time who still wants to see the landscape beyond Reykjavik’s streets. The 2.5-hour format means you can slot it into a morning or afternoon without sacrificing the rest of your day. It is not for anyone who expects a smooth, paved-road experience or who wants to cover a lot of ground. The tour stays close to the city, so it does not reach the dramatic south coast or the glacier lagoons. If you want a longer day out, the comparable option is the From Reykjavik: South Coast, Plane Wreck, and Beach ATV Tour, which runs for 10 hours and costs from 293 USD. That tour takes you much further afield and pairs the buggy ride with the famous plane wreck on the black sand beach. If you are after the full-day experience with more varied sights, that is the alternative to consider. If you just want a quick, well-reviewed taste of off-road driving with a reliable operator, this shorter tour delivers exactly that.

★★★★★

GetYourGuide

1.5 hr off road Buggy Adventure with Pickup from Reykjavik

★ 4.9 · 107 reviews

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the partner catalogue as exported in August 2026.

from $196

Check availabilityFree cancellation