Reykjavik is stunning, exotic and hopefully on your “countries I want to visit” list. Read the guide, choose your favorites and start planning your trip to this dream destination.
Places to visit
- Perlan: This Reykjavik landmark is a stunning piece of architecture and also sports a rotating restaurant where you can take in 360 degree views while you dine.
- Lagavegur Shopping Street: The main strip in the downtown where you can check out the shops, restaurants and cafes.
- Hallgrímur’s Church: Said to be the most photographed site in the city, this church is also the tallest building, able to be seen from all over the city.
- Reykjavik Flea Market: Located by the harbor on the weekends, this market hosts some of the city’s most interesting fair. Try local delicacies and buy yourself a hand knitted sweater.
- City Hall: This building is worth a visit just for the architecture alone-it’s built into a pond!
Nature
Hólavallagarður Cemetery: It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Iceland and is surrounded by gardens. You will need to walk through a birch tree forest to get there, making it a nice spot to take in the natural scenery.
Whale Watching: Iceland is a fantastic place to go whale watching because you are almost guaranteed to see at least one splendid giant. Nordic Visitor tours offer a variety of day trips that last for three hours and are priced starting at 9.000 kroner. Visitors commonly get to see Orcas, Minke and Humpback whales. They often also see Dolphins, Porpoises and Puffins.
Hiking: Wild Iceland is a tour company offering both multi day and half day hiking trips outside of Reykjavik. Each of the trail options is unique but sights range from hot springs, volcanoes and glaciers to geo-thermal pools and a national park.
The Golden Circle: A tour of the golden circle allows visitors to see an array of Iceland’s natural sites. Reykjavik Excursions runs tours around this route for 9,500 kroner for adults, 4,750 for ages 12-15 and free for children under 11. This tour includes famous sites such as the Strokkur Geyser, Thingvellir National Park and the Friðheimar greenhouse.
Experience
The Blue Lagoon: This famous geothermal spa is about a 40 minute drive outside of Reykjavik. Its popularity comes from its surrounding scenery and fantastic facilities which include waterfalls, steam baths and therapeutic mud. It costs the equivalent of 35 Euro to get in and does offer student discounts. Visitors can choose to join a group tour such as Iceland Excursions, or go on their own. If you want to skip the tours, you can either rent a car, take a bus directly from Reykjavik or take a taxi which is the more expensive option.
The Northern Lights: Visitors are most likely to see this spectacular event from September to October and February to March. It could take anywhere from 8 PM until 3 AM for them to make their appearance. Travelers can book a Northern Lights tour with companies such as Reykjavik Excursions. The tour lasts about three hours and costs 6,400 kroner for adults, 3,200 for ages 12-15 and children 11 and under are free.
Unusual
- Street Art Tour: Interesting graffiti art has been popping up all over this quirky city. You can hunt for these rebellious works of art yourself in the downtown area as a unique way to see the city. Check out the area between Laugavegur and Hverfisgata for the best views.
- Sculpture Park: Behind the Einar Jonsson Museum is Sculpture Park that many visitors don’t realize is there. It’s full of bronze statues and it’s free.
- Runtur: Join this bar crawl with the locals on Laugavegur street. It starts around midnight on weekends and is known to go until 5 AM.
Learn
- Take a cooking class: Learn to cook traditional Icelandic cuisine at Salt Eldhus . Make a 3 to 4 course meal and then enjoy it when you finish.
- Take a knitting course: Learn to knit the traditional Icelandic way, get a history lesson while you do it and finish off the 3 hour course with a warm bowl of soup at Café Flóra Laugardal.
Food
Iceland is known for having some interesting dishes. Some traditional foods include Hangikjot which is essentially smoked lamb, salted fish and fish jerky called Hardfiskur. Kjotsupa is another famous dish made up of meats and vegetables in a soup and Icelandic hot dogs with all of the toppings are considered delicious by most. Check out Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, an authentic hot dog stand by the harbor. Another popular restaurant to pay a visit to is DILL, serving Nordic cuisine using local ingredients.
Nightlife
The nightlife in Reykjavik is known to be outstanding. Ölstofa Kormáks og Skjaldar is one of the most popular bars in the town as it brews one of its own beers and is decorated in a true Icelandic theme. If you are looking for a night filled with house music oozing DJ booths, make a visit to Kaffibarinn club for a real party.
Sleep
Reykjavik has a small selection of cheap hostels and guesthouses for those on a budget. Gistiheimili Hjálpræðishersins guest house has dorms for as low as 2,200 kroner a night. Middle range hotels run for about 10,000 to 30,00 kroner a night and top of line hotels start at 40,000 kroner per night. Air BnB is utilized in Reykjavik if you are looking for a more unique and potentially cheaper accommodation. If you are really trying to stick to a budget or just want to meet local people, you could sign up for Couchsurfing.org and stay with people for free!
Transportation
Although a car will be necessary for solo trips beyond the city, one is not needed when traveling around the main tourist areas. The downtown area is convenient for walking and safe for bicycling. Taxis are the most expensive way to get around town and should be avoided unless coming home from a night out. The bus system is also a convenient choice and a one way ticket will cost 350 kroner.
