Which Reykjavik hostel has the best happy hour?

KEX Hostel — €7/pint Borg, Einstök and Ölgerðin from 16:00-19:00 in the ground-floor gastropub where locals actually drink. Live music nights extend the deal into early evening.

What's the typical Reykjavik happy hour price?

€7-9 per pint vs €11-13 regular. Some bars go as low as €5 (BSÍ cafeteria pre-tour crowd) or as high as €10 (higher-end craft bars).

Can I pre-game from Vínbúðin on a Sunday in Reykjavik?

No — all Vínbúðin state liquor stores are closed on Sundays. Stock up Saturday before 14:00, or pay hostel bar prices. 10-11 corner shops sell only 2.25 % low-alcohol beer.

Are hostel happy hours cheaper than bar happy hours in Reykjavik?

KEX and Loft price match the cheapest Laugavegur happy hour bars (€7/pint). You're not saving money drinking at the hostel versus walking five minutes; you're saving time and the walk.

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Reykjavik Happy HourRanked guide

Best Reykjavik Hostels for Happy Hour Drinks

A pint in Reykjavik costs €11-13 at regular price. Happy hour — between roughly 16:00 and 20:00 — drops that to €7-9. Five of our shortlist hostels make happy hour the central part of the evening: KEX runs a 7€/pint happy hour at the gastropub, Loft's rooftop has 16:00-19:00 craft drafts with Esja views, Dalur's on-site bar does 16:00-19:00 at €7, Gardur books guests to the BSÍ cafeteria for €5 pints pre-tour, and Nordic hands out the Appy Hour app printout at reception. If you're in Iceland on a budget, finding happy hour is not optional — it's €4 in savings per drink, times three or four drinks per night.

◉ Ranking · 5 picks

01Nordic Hostel€52
02Loft - HI Eco Hostel€54
03Gardur Student Hostel€42
04Dalur - HI Eco Hostel€48
05KEX Hostel€50

§ 01 — Traveler's take

“A seven-day Reykjavik trip drinking three pints a night exclusively at happy hour (€7/pint): 7 × 3 × €7 = €147. Same trip drinking regular-price pints on Laugavegur: 7 × 3 × €13 = €273. The saving is €126 over a week — more than a Northern Lights tour. The five happy-hour-friendly hostels are all central enough (101 or 105) to walk between 2-3 happy hours in an evening: KEX to Kaldi Bar to Skúli Craft Bar is a 25-minute stroll, hitting three different €7-8 deals.”

§ 02 — The ranked list

Our Top 5 Picks

★ 9.31,150 reviews€52/night

Nordic Hostel

Nordic Hostel is Reykjavik's highest-rated hostel (9.3 from 1,150 reviews) and the one reviewers actually describe with the word 'Scandi' unironically — modern, minimalist, spotlessly clean. It sits on Snorrabraut on the 101/105 border, four minutes on foot from the Flybus Stop 11 pickup point that most guests care about more than any bar list.

9.3 overall from 1,150 reviews — Iceland's top-rated hostel, with staff 9.5, facilities 9.5, cleanliness 9.5 and comfort 9.5 all above the city average
Four-minute walk to Bus Stop 11 — the Flybus and Reykjavik Excursions airport shuttle pickup point, the single most useful fact for any Iceland traveller
Dorms with curtained bunks, reading lights, USB charging and lockers big enough for a 65L pack — the Scandi-design lobby is part of the atmosphere, not an add-on
Bus stops 11 and 12 within 4-12 min walk connect to the Blue Lagoon, the Golden Circle tour pickup and the BSÍ terminal for long-distance buses

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★ 8.51,819 reviews€54/night

Loft - HI Eco Hostel

Loft is the top-of-Laugavegur party hostel that's actually rated well (8.5 from 1,819 reviews). Rooftop bar with Esja-mountain views and weekly live music, shared kitchen big enough to cook a lamb stew, and the single most central address in 101 Reykjavik — at Bankastræti 7, the moment Laugavegur changes its name as it hits Parliament.

Most central hostel address in Reykjavik — Bankastræti 7, the exact top of Laugavegur where it meets the pedestrianised shopping street and the Parliament building
Rooftop bar open late with 360° views of Esja mountain and the Old Harbour — locals come up here for the sunset, not just guests
Weekly live acoustic sessions on Thursday and Friday nights — Icelandic indie acts, free for guests, €10 for the public, one of the city's underrated scenes
8.5 rating from 1,819 reviews — the most reviewed hostel in our Reykjavik set, which means this score is earned across thousands of real stays

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★ 8.41,298 reviews€42/night

Gardur Student Hostel

Gardur is the seasonal summer hostel on the University of Iceland campus — an actual student residence that converts into a budget hostel from June to August. 8.4 from 1,298 reviews, €42 dorm beds (the cheapest 8.0+ rated pick in 101), and an 8-minute walk to the BSÍ bus terminal where every Golden Circle and South Coast tour departs.

Cheapest 8.0+ rated hostel bed in 101 Reykjavik — €42 dorm in July beats Loft by €12/night and KEX by €10
Eight-minute walk to BSÍ main bus terminal — where every Gray Line, Reykjavik Excursions, and Sterna Golden Circle tour departs
Next door to the National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn) — the underrated winter-afternoon museum with €13 entry, most backpackers miss it
Summer-only: mid-June to late August, closed September-May (the building reverts to student housing) — book 3-4 months ahead for July/August

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★ 8.22,626 reviews€48/night

Dalur - HI Eco Hostel

Dalur (formerly Reykjavik City Hostel) is the most-reviewed hostel in the city — 8.2 from 2,626 reviews, set next to Iceland's biggest geothermal pool and the family-activity park in Laugardalur. Bikes to rent, campsite next door, and a proper restaurant-bar on site. 15 min bus to Laugavegur, 12 min to Bus Stop 11 for Flybus.

Next door to Laugardalslaug — the biggest geothermal pool in Reykjavik (€11 entry, open until 22:00), a 3-minute walk from reception
2,626 reviews at 8.2 — the most-reviewed hostel in our Reykjavik set, which means this score is statistically bulletproof
On-site bar and restaurant with breakfast buffet (€13) — the only hostel in our Reykjavik set with a proper sit-down breakfast
Bike rental on site (€20/day), plus the Laugardalur Family Park and Reykjavik Zoo a 5-minute walk — the family-friendliest hostel in town

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★ 8.14,198 reviews€50/night

KEX Hostel

KEX is Iceland's most famous hostel — a converted biscuit factory on the waterfront with a gastropub-restaurant that Rough Guides and Lonely Planet both feature, 4,198 reviews at 8.1, and a design aesthetic every other hostel in town has tried to copy. Live music three nights a week, proper brunch until 14:00, and the Esja mountain and Harpa concert hall framed in every window.

4,198 reviews at 8.1 — the most-reviewed hostel in Iceland, an aggregate that cannot be faked or gamed
On-site gastropub-restaurant serves brunch until 14:00 (locals' favourite), dinner mains €18-28, and live music three nights a week
Waterfront location on Skúlagata — every north-facing dorm has a view of Esja mountain across the bay, sunsets over Harpa
Converted 1930s biscuit factory (hence the name — 'kex' is Icelandic for biscuit) with polished-concrete-and-steel interior every designer hostel in Europe has copied

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§ 03 — Tips

Tips for Choosing a Hostel with Happy Hour in Reykjavik

Tip Nº 01

Download the Appy Hour app (free iOS and Android) before you land — it lists every Reykjavik bar's happy hour window and price, updated daily

Tip Nº 02

Kaldi Bar at Laugavegur 20b runs the longest happy hour (16:00-19:00) with Kaldi brewery's own lager at €8 — the pour is full pint, not a small measure

Tip Nº 03

Vínbúðin (state liquor stores — Austurstræti, Heiðrún, Skipholt) close 18:00 weekdays, 14:00 Saturdays, closed Sundays — stock up early if you want hostel-kitchen pre-drinks

Tip Nº 04

Icelandic craft beers (Borg Úlfur IPA, Einstök White Ale, Ölvisholt Lava) at hostel happy hour are typically €1-2 more than generic lagers — worth it for the first pint, not the fourth

§ 04 — Other vibes