Christmas opening hours in Reykjavik
. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Is everything closed? Fret not, here's our guide to when, what and if it's open.
Swimming pools
As melting away in hot water under when it’s cold outside is a favourite hobby of many an Icelander, holiday closing of swimming pools is minimum. In Reykjavik all swimming pools will be open until noon on 24. December. Vesturbæjarlaug, Árbæjarlaug and Laugardalslaug swimming pools will all open from 12-18 on 26. December, for those with a Christmas swim tradition.
Most swimming pools are open to from 8:00 or 9:00 until noon on New Year’s Eve. All of them are closed on 1. January except Laugardalslaug, which is open from 12-18
A visit to a swimming pool is popular in Iceland, even in the freezing cold winter. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Ernir Eyjólfsson
Public Transportation
Public transportation, Strætó, is limited over the holidays. Some of the regular buses do not drive on holidays, others are limited in the time they drive. Further information on the website of Strætó.
The bus transport Strætó runs on limited hours on holidays. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Ómar Óskarsson
Super markets
Supermarkets in Iceland limit their opening hours over the holidays, on 24, and 31. December shops close early and most of them are closed on 25. December and 1. January. Here you can see the opening hours of the biggest supermarket chains in Iceland.
Krónan stores will all be open 9-15 on 24. December and 9-16 on 31. December. All their stores are closed on 25. December and 1. January. All of them are closed on 26. December except stores Breiðholti, Grafarholt, Hamraborg, Hvaleyrarbraut, Nóatún, Vallakór in the greater Reykjavik area, and Krónan in the Westman Islands.
Bónus stores are open 10-14 on 24. December, closed on 25-26. December, open 10-15 on 31. December and closed on January 1.
Nettó is open from 10-13 on 24. December (stores at Grandi and Mjódd in Reykjavik are open 24/7, so they have no opening hours but still close at 13:00). On 26. December Nettó stores in the Reykjavik area open at 10:00, in other parts of the country they are closed on that day. On 31. December the stores are open from 10-15, all the Nettó stores close for 1. January, but open at 10:00 on 2. January.
Hagkaup is open on 24. December from 10-14 in Kringlan, Smáralind, Holtagarðar, (the Reykjavik area) and Njarðvík, Borgarnes, Selfoss. From 8-16 in Akureyri and the 24/7 stores, Skeifan, Spöngin, Eiðistorg and Garðabær in Reykjavik area close at 16:00 as well. The stores are all closed on 25. The 24/7 stores open at 10:00 on 26. December and the store in Akureyri is open from 11-24 on the same day.
On 31. December the 24/7 stores close at 18:00, others at 15:00. On 1. January the 24/7 stores and the one in Akureyri open at 12:00, others are closed.
mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
