Save Big on Iceland Tours With These Iceland Money-Saving Tips and Hacks

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Our Iceland money-saving tips will help you stop overspending on Iceland tours, activities, and airport transfers! Planning a trip to Iceland is so (so) exciting, but let’s be honest— expenses can add up quickly! Luckily, we’ve found some fantastic ways to save money on our Iceland vacation while booking bus transfers, tours, and activities. 

By following these Iceland money-saving tips, you can make the most of your adventure without spending unnecessarily or going over budget.

To maximize your savings, you’re going to need (4) essential tools:

• Currency Converter: Ensure you’re getting the best prices by comparing costs in local currency (ISK) and your home currency.
• Viator or GetYourGuide: These platforms allow you to compare tour prices and book activities with reviews from other travelers.
• Cashback Monitor: This tool helps you find out which booking site is offering the best cash back rewards for your purchases.
• Rakuten: By using Rakuten, you can earn cash back on your bookings from various retailers, including those for tours and experiences.

Whether you’re visiting Iceland on a budget, looking for cheap travel Iceland tips, or enjoying the best travel deals, we’re dishing out how to save money in Iceland effortlessly.

While this is our fourth trip to Iceland and we have lots of experience under our belt. So much has changed that we are approaching Iceland travel planning with fresh eyes and an open mind.

After some time away, we are thrilled to rediscover this country’s beauty. Each visit brings new opportunities to explore hidden gems and revisit some of our favorite destinations, like the South Coast of Iceland!

1. Currency Matters: Save with ISK

First, when you’re booking experiences online, always check if paying in local currency (ISK) is less expensive than using your home currency.

Being smart with currency exchange can save you a significant amount of money and ensure you’re getting the best deal without much effort.

For instance, while booking our Sky Lagoon experience, we noticed paying in ISK saved us $25 USD. That’s a significant chunk of change we could use for a round of drinks in Iceland.

It’s a great feeling to know that we’re making smart choices and saving money for other experiences.

So, definitely keep an eye on those conversions!

However, one important money tip here is to book with a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

I opted for the Capital One Venture Card for this reason—plus, it offers unlimited 2x miles on every purchase. This means I can earn rewards while enjoying my trip, and later on, I can use those points to erase the cost of the purchase. Talk about a win-win!

2. Comparing Tour Prices

When booking group tours in Iceland, Viator and GetYourGuide are popular sites where you can discover, find reviews, and book local tours, activities, and experiences.

Start by comparing prices for activities on Viator and GetYourGuide. See which site has the best rates and offers. But don’t stop there!

3. Maximize Savings by Earning Cash Back

Head over to Cashback Monitor to figure out which site offers the best cash back rewards. For example, we found that Rakuten offered a whopping 10% cash back when booking through Viator.

Compare that to GetYourGuide’s 2% and Tripadvisor’s 4%, and it’s a no-brainer.

So, we booked all our exciting Iceland tours through Viator using our Rakuten link, maximizing our savings!

Here’s how it works:

Rakuten is a cash back platform that allows you to earn cash back on online purchases from a wide range of retailers.

Step 1: Create a free Rakuten account.

Step 2: Before making a purchase, log into your Rakuten account and click on the retailer you want to shop from.

Rakuten partners with thousands of companies and offers different cash-back percentages for each.

Step 3. Once you make your purchase through Rakuten’s link, a percentage of that purchase will be credited back to your Rakuten account as cash back.

Step 4. Rakuten typically pays out cash back quarterly, either via a physical check or PayPal.

You can learn more about Rakuten and sign up for Rakuten here!

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If you’re curious, here are the Iceland tours and transfers we booked:

• Iceland South Coast Full-Day Tour
• Sky Lagoon with Transfers from Reykjavik
• Airport Express from Reykjavik Hotels to Airport
• Airport Express from the Airport to Reykjavik Hotels

3. Viator Rewards Program

Speaking of Viator, they’ve introduced a new “Viator Rewards Program” where you can earn credits for future tours.

We are super excited about this because we plan to use those credits for our return bus transfer from our hotel in the city center to Keflavik International Airport.

Earning while spending? Yes, please!

Final Thoughts: Stack Savings Through Credit Card Points, Cash Back, and Rewards

Now, let’s talk strategy.

All of these tips not only help you save money on your Iceland trip but also stack up to create a treasure trove of rewards for future travel. You’re essentially layering your savings:

1. Credit Card Points: Earn points while spending without worrying about foreign transaction fees.

2. Rakuten Cash Back: Get rewarded for booking your activities by clicking the Rakuten link first.

3. Viator Reward Points: Use the reward points you earn for future tours to explore even more of Iceland and beyond!

By utilizing all these strategies together, you’ll save money in Iceland and set the stage for more fabulous adventures down the road.

Planning your dream trip to Iceland can be both magical and budget-friendly.

By being smart about currency exchange, comparing tour prices, and taking advantage of credit card rewards and cash back opportunities, you can keep your trip affordable (and enjoyable) without completely blowing your Iceland budget.

Now, go out there, book those experiences, and create beautiful memories!

Looking for more Iceland travel planning tips and Iceland advice?

Read Next: Is Iceland Expensive? Our Iceland Trip Cost Breakdown

Read Next: How To Visit Iceland On a Budget

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