The transfer matters as much as the tour
Höfn without a car: buses and glacier-tour transfers
Höfn can be a car-free base for a town stay, but a glacier excursion usually starts somewhere else. The useful question is not whether the tour says “Höfn” in its address. It is whether you can reach the precise meeting point and get back afterward.
Jökulsárlón boat tours compared [2026] →
Updated
The short answer
Use the current Strætó route 52 for Reykjavík–Höfn planning, then arrange each excursion’s complete outward and return transport. A regional bus is not a sightseeing shuttle.
The bus number changed for 2026
Strætó’s network notice, effective 1 January 2026, assigns Reykjavík–Höfn to route 52. Route 51 now runs between Reykjavík and Selfoss. The route 52 page and countryside timetable index agree on the new number, so older guides referring to the Höfn bus as 51 need care.
The change notice describes four weekly trips, on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Treat that as the published network pattern, then use the planner for your actual date and direction, including holidays and service notices. Do not turn it into an assumption that a bus leaves every day.
Choose a town address for a town stay
Check the exact accommodation entrance and walking route to the bus stop. “Höfn” in a postal address can describe a property elsewhere in the region. Arriving without a car at an outlying guesthouse may create another paid transfer before you have even checked in.
Ask about luggage storage and late arrival before selecting a room. Build meals and local walking around the town itself, and check the final distance to each place you intend to visit. This makes the first afternoon useful even if you do not book an excursion.
A glacier booking may start at Hali or a lagoon
Glacier Adventure provides a clear example: its contact page places Hali about 66 km west of Höfn and says it does not offer pickup. A company address ending “781 Höfn” therefore does not mean a departure from Höfn town. Other operators have their own arrangements.
Before paying, obtain the map pin, reporting time and written pickup answer for the exact tour. If arranging a taxi or private transfer, quote the entire return journey, waiting time and luggage. A public-bus stop nearby does not prove a useful connection to your activity.
A worthwhile town day can stay local
The regional tourism body lists Gamlabúð as Höfn’s visitor centre. Check its current hours for advice and local orientation. You can also plan time around the harbour and a meal, allowing weather and the route from your accommodation to set the pace.
Glacier Adventure separately lists Glaciers of Höfn, an indoor exhibition at Heppa Restaurant, Heppuvegur 6. It describes a roughly 45–60-minute visit with VR, film and physical displays. Confirm opening and booking conditions; the town exhibition and the company’s Hali glacier departures are different locations.
Protect the return and the next travel day
Write down three times: when you must report for the activity, when it is expected to finish and the latest confirmed return transport. Ask who handles the transfer if weather cancels or reschedules the excursion. Tour cancellation and separately booked transport may have different conditions.
If the plan relies on a regional bus, compare its actual stop and departure with the tour’s reporting requirements before purchase. Leave space before a flight or long onward journey. A shorter local day is more practical than a glacier reservation you cannot reliably reach.
Jökulsárlón is a separate destination: confirm both directions of transport before booking a lagoon activity.
Glacier scenery in the Skaftafell region does not mean the tour departs from Höfn town.
Sources & last checked
Checked . Prices, access and transport can change; confirm with the linked official source before travelling.
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