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7 Essential Apps for Iceland in 2023

Last Updated September 9, 2021 William Tang

You are here: Home » Travel Gear & Tech » 7 Essential Apps for Iceland in 2023

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Iceland is going to deliver on being one of the best road trips in your life and thanks to the little computer in our pockets, it’s easier than ever. As you’re planning out your adventure, here are the essential apps for Iceland that you’ll want on your smartphone ahead of time.

In this list, we’ll be covering the handiest apps to help track the northern lights, fastest routes, hiking trails, cheap places to eat, and a ton more.

Read more about Iceland

  • Best Icelandic souvenirs to buy
  • Top reasons to go to Iceland right now
  • 6 day Iceland itinerary
  • 5 budget Reykjavik hotels

Where to rent a car in Iceland

  • Don’t worry, we have you covered. Learn the ins and outs of where and how to rent a car in Iceland and make sure to pay attention to the coupon codes to help you save a lot of money.

Here's what we're covering:

  • Top 7 Apps for Iceland
    • #1 Vedur
    • #2 My Aurora Forecast
    • #3 Gaia GPS
    • #4 Reykjavik Appy Hour
    • #5 Parka
    • #6 Straeto
    • #7 Waze
  • Best Web Apps for Iceland
    • Vegagerðin (Road.is)
    • SafeTravel.is
    • Gasvaktin
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Top 7 Apps for Iceland

best apps for iceland on the road

Back in the day, all you had were paper maps, printouts, Lonely Planet, and tourist office brochures to help you get around and plan your trip. With the smartphone, travel is so much easier with information at your finger tips.

You can answer any question you want in an instant and get access to what you need to know about Iceland in an instant.

The below are a breakdown of the best apps for Iceland that’ll make your life a lot easier.

#1 Vedur

vedur weather app for iceland

Without a doubt, this is a must-have app for Iceland that you need on your phone because of how unpredictable the weather is.

As we covered in the what to wear to Iceland packing list, things can change from a bright sunny day to hurricane-like winds and rain. The old Icelandic saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Iceland, just wait five minutes”, rings true in most cases which is why you want to make sure you pack for almost all seasons.

Having a singular source of truth when it comes to weather will give you confidence for how to plan the day and what you might be heading into. Veður is an Iceland weather app run by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (Veðurstofa Íslands) so we’re talking about the most accurate data on the island’s weather conditions.

Why you need it: If you want the most accurate weather conditions, this is the source. Get the real-time updates on the forecast so you can be ready for what lies ahead.

What’s the best way to use this app?: As a free app, you should include this in your Iceland trip bundle of apps. You should rely on this versus your smartphone’s default weather app. Look ahead to the locations you’re driving to each day and see what to expect as it may be different from where you are.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Real-time weather that include hourly forecasts, precipitation, wind, detailed descriptions, and meteorological charts.
  • Easy to read map that covers the entire island and allows you to see a snapshot of what the weather is for the next 8 hours.
  • Set app alerts to keep you updated on weather warnings, emergencies and other notices based on your location.
  • Weather forecasts geolocated to your GPS position.

Tips: The notifications don’t always come through so make sure to check the app for notices. Also, it’s not clear on the app but when you search for specific cities/towns, you can add them to your home screen by going into the settings option. Lastly, heads up that you can’t change the app to display Fahrenheit.

Price: Free

iOS
Android

#2 My Aurora Forecast

One of the most memorable things you’ll see in Iceland are the Northern Lights aka the Aurora Borealis. While a large part of seeing this incredibly show in the sky is luck and timing, you’ll want to give yourself the best chance to predict and plan for it.

On the browser, Vedur’s aurora forecast is very good but you’ll want an app like My Aurora Forecast that’s more optimized for your smartphone and has a few other nifty features like alerts, an interactive map that makes it clear, and geo-located recommendations of what percentage you have of seeing the Northern Lights.

For those that don’t know, the Northern Lights have two main requirements – dark/clear skies and auroral activity (Kp). You need both in favourable conditions or else you won’t see anything.

Auroral activity or Kp is a simple index from 0 to 9 that indicates the geomagnetic activity. Normally you’re looking for A Kp of 3 or higher to see a dynamic Northern Lights.

What this app does is take into consideration these factors and generates a probability of seeing the Northern Lights which is incredibly helpful.

Why you need it: Find out what your chances are to see the Northern Lights in Iceland on any given day.

What’s the best way to use it?: This will help you plan your evening and whether you want to drive to a specific location or walk outside your hotel at night to see if you can catch them. Future forecasts are also useful to guide you how you might want to adapt your itinerary to fit your own viewings or to book a Northern Lights excursion. As a free app and one that works anywhere in the world, this one might be worth keeping even after your trip to Iceland.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Interactive map indicating probability of seeing the Aurora.
  • When in Iceland, they have a cloud cover tab that shows you where pockets of clear skies are.
  • Handy forecast summary that shows viewing probability, cloud coverage, realistic kP in the next hour, upcoming days, and long term forecast.
  • Set up alerts to let you know if there’s a high chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Tips: If you download this app in your home country, the app will geolocate you to your home address which isn’t that helpful. Tap on the “KP Index” number in the purple banner on the home screen to force a custom location (i.e. Reykjavik) to help with your Iceland trip planning.

Alternative app: Another popular app is Aurora Forecast which is similar but just designed a little differently. Their dashboard I find is easier to understand and they have a better map feature. That said, I find that some of the numbers used in the app are a bit too detailed and scientific for the casual viewer to digest. They also force you to get their pro plan if you want the alerts feature.

Price: Free

iOS
Android

Read next: What to wear in Iceland

#3 Gaia GPS

Image via Flickr by Omar Smith

If you’re looking to do any sort of hiking trail in Iceland, you absolutely need an app for Iceland that not only has incredibly detailed trail routes, but is also one that works offline.

Our go-to Iceland hiking app is Gaia GPS. While I know that many people are fans of AllTrails but in comparing the two, I find that Gaia has a better user interface, has way better tracking, and has reliable maps. The problem with AllTrails is that you have to browse through bad maps and it can be quite buggy.

Price wise, the free plan with Gaia provides a lot of features on its own, I encourage you to check out their “Premium Member” tier which is free for the first year and $39.99 afterwards.

The top hiking trail in Iceland is Landmannalaugar Loop but there are plenty of other ones that range from easy, moderate, and difficult.

Why you need it: You can’t find detailed hiking trail maps with your conventional Google Maps. Gaia GPS, is the go-to map app for all hikers so you’ll never get lost ever again.

What’s the best way to use it?: If you’re doing a multi-day backpacking trip, you will want to plan your route, stops, detours, and campsites with this. You’ll be able to import and export your maps.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features (Premium): 

  • Offline maps
  • Route planning
  • Import/export
  • Live recording of your hike
  • Works with iPad and Apple Watch
  • Searchable hiking trail database that come from the Gaia community – aggregates public track information with user generated hikes

Tips: Gaia GPS can be an overwhelming app if you’re using it for the first time. I recommend that you test the app locally before your trip to Iceland so you become familiar with all of the features. The app can also be a drain on your phone’s battery so make sure to pack with you a power bank.

Alternative app: The second most popular hiking app is AllTrails but there’s actually a great hiking app for Iceland called Wapp. This is an app that will help visitors embrace the Icelandic outdoors. In the app, you’ll find a number of trails, works offline, and has fun facts, stories and photos that show up during the hike to act as your personal guide. The only trouble is that you have to pay for each hiking trail you want to do, and they haven’t updated the app since 2019.

Price: Free plan available. Premium is $39.99 USD/year but with this promotion, the first year is free.

iOS
Android

#4 Reykjavik Appy Hour

The capital of Reykjavik is where you’ll find all of the nightlife in Iceland. As you might’ve heard of, quenching your thirst can become expensive because of the insanely high alcohol tax. This is where the app, Appy Hour comes in.

In this Iceland app you’ll have access to all the Happy Hour spots including their hours, prices, and reviews. This is the kind of information which is near impossible to find on your own so it’s definitely worth downloading.

Why you need it: After a day exploring Reykjavik, you’ll want to find the best Happy Hour discounts to save you a good amount of money.

What’s the best way to use it?: This is the kind of app for Iceland where you pull it open as you’re walking through the city and feeling like taking a break. Pull this open to find out which restaurants near you have happy hour and go.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Sorting based on price or distance from you.
  • Filters by default, the restaurants that have an active Happy Hour.
  • Displays the special prices for beer and glass of wine.
  • Integrated map within the app.
  • Includes reviews by the app developers with helpful tips.

Price: Free

iOS
Android

#5 Parka

reykjavik iceland parking ticket
Don’t get a parking ticket (Image via Flickr by jkbrooks85)

The traditional way of paying for parking is to go to a kiosk or parking machine. As a matter of convenience, many countries are offering the ability to pay for spots with a mobile app. Parka is an Icelandic app that allows you to quickly pay through your phone.

Parka allows you to pay for parking throughout Reykjavik, Icelandic national parks, and the new Volcano Fagradalsfjall. They also have access to campsites throughout Iceland that are suitable for tents and campervans.

When it comes to apps in Iceland, this one is really simple to use. All you need to enter is your Iceland rental car license plate and a credit card. Select the area that you want to park, start the meter, end the meter when you leave, and that’s it!

Something that’s helpful is that it has a clear map of the different parking zones within Reykjavik. This is something you’ll want to know because each zone (P1-P4) has a different rate.

Why you need it: Parking in Reykjavik and other parts of Iceland that Parka works in can be confusing. This app allows you to pay from your phone and prevents you from having to deal with any parking machine.

What’s the best way to use it?: Once you’ve parked at a designated spot that Parka works in, simply pull out the app, start your parking meter, and when you’re done, you hit the “pay” button and that is when they will charge your credit card.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Pay for parking in Iceland, Icelandic national parks, the Fagradalsfjall volcano, and a few other spots in Iceland.
  • Set reminder alarms.
  • Pay for campsites through the app.

Tips: Once you hit the green “Park” button, you’re be starting the parking meter so when you’re playing around with the app. To find out what the prices are, there’s a circular “i” button. Tap this to see the hourly rate. You can also set hourly reminders in the app (off by default). Note that the app will not warn you that you’re trying to pay when free parking is in effect.

Free parking in Reykjavik: Parking is free in P1, P2, and P3 zones after 6PM, and P4 zones after 4PM. P4 is free on Saturdays. All zones are free on Sunday. The only exception are the multi-storey car parks that have a fee at all times.

Alternative app: There’s another app called EasyPark that will allow you to pay your meter remotely through their app (iOS and Android).

FAQ:

  • Is American Express accepted?: Yes, Amex works.
  • How does the exchange rate work?: The app will charge in ISK and your redit card will handle the conversion.
  • Is there free parking for eco-friendly vehicles?: In the past these were any cars that were less than 5L/100km but this rule has now changed to electric vehicles only so for most visitors, this will not apply.

Price: App is free but parking is the local rate (app does not add extra fees).

iOS
Android

#6 Straeto

straeto public bus in reykjavik
Image via Flickr by BeyondDC

The public transport authority for the Greater Reykjavik area and Icelandic public transportation is Strætó bs., and this is a must-have app for anyone that’s planning on taking the public bus.

In Iceland, there aren’t any kiosks that sell tickets near bus stops and on the bus, you have to pay the exact fare by cash (they don’t provide change). Since we’ve always recommended that you rely in credit cards according to our travel guide within the 8 day Iceland itinerary, the smarter way to go is to use their app to pay for fare and also plan your trip.

Why you need it: This is the easiest way to pay for bus fare in Iceland. This works for buses in the capital and also those that go around the island.

What’s the best way to use it?: Set up the app beforehand at home by connecting it with your credit card and when you need it, pay for the necessary fare. The app is also useful to check live maps and timetables.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Live map of bus locations
  • Bus timetables
  • Pay for bus fare

Tips: There have been many people reporting that their international credit cards have not worked with the app so I highly recommend that test connecting yours before you actually need to use the app.

Price: App is free but it will charge your credit card according to the fare purchased.

iOS
Android

#7 Waze

driving ring road in iceland with waze app

Iceland is very much a road trip type of destination which means you’ll be driving a ton whether it’s around Southern Iceland, Snaefellsnes, or the Golden Circle. Thanks to your smartphone, you won’t need to rely on your car rental’s GPS unit.

The best GPS app for Iceland is Waze and for those that have used it in your own city, it also works incredibly well in Iceland.

You have to remember that Waze is owned by Google so you get the benefit of Google Maps data but you also get the added functionality of the community of Waze users marking things like police traps, pot holes, closures, detours, and other hazards.

Why you need it: This is an excellent map app for the roads of Iceland where speed cameras and police traps are highlighted.

What’s the best way to use it?: You can either use this as a primary navigation app or use this in conjunction with Google Maps.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Navigation
  • Live reports from other drivers

Tips: There are a large group of users that use Waze in and around Reykjavik so you can expect good reporting near there but the further you go, the less chances of marked reports so don’t assume that all police traps are marked.

Alternative app: Google Maps still reigns supreme in many ways and I like it for its trip planning capabilities such as being able to save maps offline and being able to save pins to your account. That said, Waze is still my favourite for navigation while driving.

Price: Free

iOS
Android

Ultimate Iceland Travel Guide

Read the 8 day Iceland itinerary that is packed with information.

8 Day Iceland Itinerary

Best Web Apps for Iceland

You’ll notice that many other articles list apps that don’t exist anymore. The reason is because many companies realized that 1) maintaining apps is a lot of work and 2) web apps for the browser are capable of much of the same functionality.

As a result, here are a few web apps for Iceland that we didn’t want to leave out.

Vegagerðin (Road.is)

vegagerdin road.is app for iceland

This was one of the must-download apps but they’ve since revamped their website to work just as well as their app.

Run by the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, they have insane amounts of detail on all the major roadways in Iceland, integrating weather information, their live-feed of webcams, road work, and closures.

With the app converting to website-only, we’ve lost is the capability of calculating routes but all of the road information is still here.

What’s the best way to use it?: Prior to the trip and during your trip, it’s good practice to periodically check to see if there are any unforeseen changes in the road especially if you face poor weather. This is a great Iceland road guide.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Road conditions
  • Web cameras
  • Weather
  • Closures and roadwork announcements
  • Winter service
Road.is

SafeTravel.is

safetravel.is web app alerts and sms sign up

Similar to Vegagerdin, this is a website by another government body that is intended to make sure you’re aware of overall conditions in Iceland and to be travel safe.

Run by the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue, this was never an app but is just a really good resource for anyone going to Iceland.

Tied into weather and road conditions, they have a Iceland Conditions Map with a focus on major notices and warnings. Also, when you first open the site, it’ll immediately pop up their current alerts and warnings.

Two other important features of SafeTravel.is are the ability to sign up for SMS alerts so you get timely notices and you can also submit a travel plan with them. I’m not sure if this is necessary for everyone but I can see this being a really good idea if you’re doing any sort of backcountry hiking.

You can also rent a personal location beacon through them.

What’s the best way to use it?: Use this website for mostly your pre-trip prep. You can also use their weather and road conditions map while in Iceland.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Iceland safety information
  • Sign up for SMS alerts
  • Leave a travel plan
  • Rent a personal location bacon
  • Weather and road conditions
SafeTravel.is

Gasvaktin

gasvaktin iceland gas station price app

Are you a bargain hunter? A bargain hunter for gas that is? Well, there’s a web app for that.

Gasvaktin is an app for Iceland that simply keeps track of all gas prices in Iceland and delivers them on a map and sorts them either by distance from you or by who has the cheapest rate.

What’s the best way to use it?: If you’re in Reykjavik and need to fill up, you can pop in here to do a quick check of what the best fuel prices are and see if it make sense to detour to that station.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Features: 

  • Fuel prices at gas stations around Iceland
  • Sort by nearest or cheapest
  • Filter by petrol or diesel
Gasvaktin

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these apps for Iceland require cellular data to work?

Most of these apps do require data to function which means that you should look into getting a wifi hotspot like Skyroam or picking up a SIM card from Simmin to make sure you’re connected. The only exception is Gaia GPS which has an offline mode.

Can you download these apps outside of Iceland?

Yes, all of these apps can be downloaded from anywhere in the world.

Does Waze work in Iceland?

Yes, Waze is a great navigation app in Iceland and many locals use it as well so you’ll have all of the crowdsourced information as well.

Is there a travel guide app for Iceland?

Yes, there’s Iceland Road Guide and Iceland Travel by TripBucket but just note that they haven’t been updated in awhile.

What is the best app for the Northern Lights in Iceland?

The My Aurora Forecast is the best app for Iceland that gives you accurate probability on whether you’ll be able to see the Northern Lights.

What you should read next

  • Ultimate 8 Day Iceland Itinerary – An Iceland Road Trip Guide
  • Best World Map with Pins for Travellers at Home
  • 8 Day Iceland Road Trip Like No Other – Stories of the Road
  • Reasons To Go To Iceland
  • Top 12 Things You Absolutely Must Do In Iceland
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About William Tang

William is the Chief of Awesome at Going Awesome Places which is focused on off-the-beaten-path, outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring others to travel, writing detailed trip itineraries to help others plan their own trips, and providing helpful tips and tricks to guide readers to travel better. He is based in Toronto, Canada but you'll find him on the road more often than not. Make sure to learn more about William to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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author will tang going awesome places profile photoHey, my name is Will and I'm here to help you travel to some awesome places around the world and my home country of Canada by providing insanely detailed itineraries, travel guides, and packing lists.

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