Top Things to Do in Reykjavik, Iceland

The jumping off point for any Iceland trip is typically Reykjavik. Because it’s the closest city to the international airport, most travelers end up spending at least a day in Reykjavik. Others spend their whole trip with Reykjavik as their home base or spend their whole time there! Here are the top things to do in Reykjavik no matter whether your time there is short or long, this list will help you decide what to do on your adventure!

QUICK INFO FOR REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY: Many people don’t realize that you have about an hour commute into Reykjavik after landing. It’s a beautiful drive into the city, though. If you take the bus, sit on the right side into town, left side back to the airport.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A DOMESTIC AIRPORT IN REYKJAVIK: I had no idea that there was a small airport in Reykjavik as well. Which is why we took the bus all the way out to Keflavik for our flight to the Faroe Islands, then had to come all the way back into town to the tiny airport that was walking distance from our hostel, but almost $200 to get to because of our mistake. (Yes, that mistake brought me to tears.)
IT’S EXPENSIVE: I know, I know… You’ve heard this before, but it’s smack-you-in-the-face-expensive! Transportation, food, accommodation, gas… it’s all so expensive! Luckily, many of the sites are very affordable or free to help make up for it.
THE WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK, BUT IT IS A BIT STINKY: The water in Reykjavik smells super sulphuric, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t safe to drink. The tap water in Iceland is actually some of the cleanest in the world. Just hold your nose to get over that stink first.
THE CITY IS EXCEPTIONALLY WALKABLE: If you’re staying in Reykjavik for a long time, you won’t need to keep your rental the whole time because you can simply walk all over the city. Even in the winter, we walked everywhere because it was just so convenient. Luckily, the city is also super beautiful!

WHERE TO STAY IN REYKJAVIK

REYKJAVIK VILLAGE HOSTEL: This hostel is clean, comfortable and great for people traveling on the budget. Their twin rooms with shared bathroom start as low as $52/night. It’s a really great location! BOOK NOW
GALTAFELL GUESTHOUSE: Prices starting at $132/night, without any discounts, you can have a private room + bathroom in this renovated home. We stayed here on my first visit and it was perfectly cozy and a great location. We wanted to stay here on the second stay but it was booked. There are cheaper options with a shared bathroom. BOOK NOW

TOP THINGS TO DO IN REYKJAVIK

CLIMB THE TOWER OF HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA

Hallgrímskirkja is the dominating building in the “skyline” of Reykjavik. This Lutheran church caps off the end of one of the main streets in Iceland’s capital. It’s a beautiful piece of architecture. The beautiful facade was designed to look like the basalt columns that you can see throughout the landscape in Iceland. There is a large clocktower that you can climb that looks out over the colorful buildings below and surrounding bay and mountains. It’s well-worth a visit. It’s free to enter the church, but there is a small fee (just over $7) to climb the tower.

WANDER THE CITY IN SEARCH OF STREET ART

Public art is one of the greatest gifts artists have given to citizens of this earth. You can find some absolutely incredible and even inspiring works of art on the walls of buildings in Reykjavik. We saw dozens of beautiful works of street art in Reykjavik and enjoyed collecting fun photos of + with these gorgeous works of art. It’s a beautiful way to spend a day getting to know Reykjavik.

MARVEL IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF HARPA MUSIC HALL

Harpa Music Hall is located on the bay and is one of the most unique pieces of architecture I’ve ever seen. The shape is very modern and angular, but there’s more to it than just that. The walls are made up of glass that looks a bit like a honeycomb – inside and out. This is a place you can marvel at as a building all on its own. However, it would be so much fun to see a show here.

ICELANDIC PHALLOLOGICAL MUSEUM

This is absolutely the most unique museum I’ve ever visited. This is a museum of penises. In fact, it houses a penis from every mammal that dwells in Iceland, including a human penis. It’s a museum that is all at once scientific, kitschy, humorous and will leave you speaking in a wide array of penis-puns. It’s absolutely one-of-a-kind and, honestly, I’m glad I went.

ENJOY THE NIGHTLIFE AT LEAST ONCE

Everyone talks about how wild and crazy the bar scene is in Reykjavik. I first heard about it on Anthony Bourdain’s series no reservations. On my first visit with my mom, we skipped having a night out. Matt and I also strayed from going out to keep our budget in check, but one night we went out with all the girls from our AirBNB and it was so much fun. We went to the super-touristy Lebowski Bar. It was all-at-once wonderful and terrible. There were bachelor parties, wheels of shots and even a small dance floor in the back. We drank beers and white Russians and danced until the wee hours in the morning. It was a lot of fun, and I’m really glad we experienced it at least once.

TAKE TO THE SEA + GO WHALE WATCHING

Whale watching is a wonderful activity for animal lovers. There are over 20 species of whale cruising these waters including orcas, humpbacks, blues and minkes as well as dolphins. Just know, the time of year will dictate which species you’ll potentially be able to see, but you can go whale watching from Reykjavik!

WARM UP SIPPING COFFEE, COCOA OR TEA IN A CAFE

I’m a major fan of cafe culture… Being a coffee addict may have something to do with that. However, there’s something about having coffee with a community of fellow caffeine-addicts that adds to the experience. Plus, there’s something about having your morning fix that someone else prepared that just makes it taste better. Because Iceland, even in the summer, is pretty chilly, ducking into a cafe, no matter the time of day, is just so cozy. Matt isn’t a coffee lover, but does love cocoa, and he enjoyed sipping it in our local fave: Cafe Babalu.

VISIT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

The national museum holds artifacts and information to help you get a feel for what has made Iceland what it is today. Although it isn’t a super cheap museum to visit at about $15 for an adult, it does house over 2,000 artifacts. So, if you’re a museum-lover you’ll get your money’s worth.

CHECK OUT THE COLORFUL BUILDINGS LINING THE STREETS

I’m one of those facade lovers. Not only does Reykjavik have some bright and pastel colored buildings, but these building are also covered with the aforementioned street art. The streets are so charming, you’ll love window-shopping and strolling past one pink building on to the next yellow one, etc.

TAKE A FREE WALKING TOUR

Free walking tours are great options in any city, and luckily Reykjavik offers them as well! This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the history of the city in addition to some local insight into where to eat and hang out.

CHILL WITH LOCALS AT AUSTURVÖLLUR

This local park/square sits in front of the House of Parliament and it’s a wonderful place to just soak in the local atmosphere. Although locals frequent it as much in the winter, in the summer, you’ll find locals on benches reading a book or sipping coffee. It’s a sweet, simple pleasure to soak up the sun in this square.

WALK TO THE SUN VOYAGER

This is a now-famous sculpture that sits on the waterfront of Iceland. It’s designed to be an ode to the sun, and is in the form of a dreamboat. It is said to symbolize the promise of dreams, of undiscovered land and freedom. This piece of art has to be one of the most photographed sculptures as we saw people lined up to take their photos the last time we were in Reykjavik. It’s a peaceful place to take in the sounds of the sea in addition to checking out the work of art too.

SAGA MUSEUM

The Saga Museum actually used to be part of the National Museum. Now it’s separate and near the waterfront, but it’s an interesting museum with diorama-like exhibits of the viking settlement. It’s quite interesting, but it is a little bit pricy at just under $18 per person for an adult. If you’re a history-lover, this is for you!

IF YOU EAT MEAT, EAT A HOT DOG

I know this sounds so odd, but they are so freaking tasty. You can find them at a famous Bæjarins Betzy Pylsur hot dogs stands or even from a gas station. They are typically served with ketchup, brown mustard, fried onion, raw onion and remoulade. I skipped the raw onion, but dang it was tasty. These hot dogs are mostly lamb based, but in true hot dog form, they also include beef and port.

WINTER ACTIVITY: ATTEMPT TO PEEP THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

I say attempt because my first visit to Iceland was focused around hoping to see the Northern Lights. However, what we found was even more amazing. Especially since we learned that it has to be the “perfect storm” of circumstances to get to see the Northern Lights. We saw them from the plane, but didn’t get to watch them dance from the ground. If you’re lucky enough to be there when it’s possible to see them, make the effort! You can even book a tour from Reykjavik to do this!

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST NEAR REYKJAVIK

The wonderful thing about Reykjavik is that it’s a jumping off point for so many other potential adventures! You can get to these activities via rental car or even day tours. These are some of the most accessible adventures you can have in one day.

BLUE LAGOON GEOTHERMAL POOL: This is no secret spot, by any means. However, if you love spa experiences, this is a fun one. The soak here was so much fun and the water isn’t so hot that you can’t spend a long time in here. Add the masks to the package and it’s the height of luxury. You can even get a transfer to and from here from Reykjavik – no rental car needed.

SNÆFELLSNES PENINSULA DAY TRIP: This is the peninsula that holds one of the most famous landscapes in all of Iceland: Kirkjufell + Kirkjufellsfoss. The waterfall that sits in front of the mountain that looks like a wizard hat. There are many other gorgeous natural sites on this peninsula as well!

SOUTH COAST DAY TRIP: The South Coast of Iceland is where you’ll find a whole slew of stunning and famous things: Skogafoss, Vik + the Black Sand Beaches, Sólheimajökull Glacier, Seljavallalaug Hot Spring and more!

GOLDEN CIRCLE DAY TRIP: This is one of the most famous tours you can take, whether it’s self-guided or with a company. But on the Golden Circle you can see waterfalls, geysers and so much more!

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