Reykjavik has the beauty of the cities of the North. Traditional buildings with colourful rooftops in a relatively hazy atmosphere. The Icelandic capital is relatively small. Therefore, you don’t need more than 3 days there. Of course it always depends on what you like to do when you visit a new place. Here is the list with the 10 best things to do when in Reykjavik.
Hallgrimskirkja Church
One of the city’s most-known landmarks, the church of Hallgrímur. It’s located in the heart of Reykjavik and is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Reykjavik. At 74.5 metres high, it’s visible throughout the city, so don’t worry, you won’t miss it. This church is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. It’s named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674). After 41 years of construction it opened its doors to the public in 1986.
You can visit it most days. The best part is that it’s also used as an observation tower with a 360 degrees view to the city. It costs about 5 euros to get to the top of the church and enjoy the view.
The Sun Voyager
It’s a beautiful minimal sculpture. A creation by Jon Gunnar Arnason on the Saebraut road by the sea, close to the Harpa Concert Hall. Sun Voyager is described as a dreamboat, or an ode to the Sun. The artist intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom.
The Harpa Concert Hall
Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011. Its architecture is very unique as it features a distinctive coloured glass facade meant to represent the basalt landscape of Iceland. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The building was originally part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn area dubbed World Trade Center Reykjavík. It was partially abandoned when the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis took hold. A visit inside the building is worth it and free!
Old Harbour
We loved that place! It was very quiet there as it was very cold and rainy that day but the many colourful cafes and restaurants were still beautiful. From the old harbour there is stunning view across the bay to Mount Esja. The majority of marine activities, such as whale watching and puffin tours start from there. So you might be interested to go and check them out. The colourful Old Harbour was built between the years 1913 and 1917. It’s fast becoming a new boom area, well deserved I must say. The Viking Maritime Museum is located there. We didn’t have the chance to visit it but if you do let us know what you thought. The Old Harbour is worth the visit and one of the best things to do in Reykjavik.
Cafes / Restaurants + Hot Dogs
I have a thing with bakeries and I always search for the best bakeries wherever we go. In Reykjavik there are so many nice places to eat, but be prepared to pay relatively high. You might have heard already, Iceland is expensive, very expensive.
In terms of bakeries we visited Braud & Co, it’s a bakery chain and they have really nice goodies. We got cinnamon rolls and croissants from there that were just got out of the oven!
We had brunch at Sandholt in the city centre. A big range of pastries, desserts, sandwiches, toasts and a list of classic brunch dishes. A very lovely place to relax and enjoy a good brunch and coffee before you start exploring.
KK had an espresso takeaway at Stofan cafe. It wasn’t anything special but I am mentioning it here for two reasons. First, the interior design which was traditional. Second, the book club that they have and while we were there they were discussing a book.
In terms of restaurants, there is a long list you can choose from. Judging from their exterior, I really liked a couple along the Bankastraeti – Laugavegur street. However, we didn’t want to starve for the next 10 days we were in Iceland. Therefore, we skipped them and we had 2 or 3 times lunch/ dinner at Icelandic Street food. Below is the photo of the shellfish soup we had many times. It’s a very relaxed place with young staff (it’s name says it all). You can taste there some of the traditional Icelandic dishes in a decent price. You can get a refill and free dessert – my paradise!
We also had ramen in Ramen Momo. It was a decent ramen soup but we do have high standards in ramen after living in London.
We wouldn’t leave Reykjavik without KK trying the popular Icelandic Hot Dog. He had a couple from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. It’s nearby the old harbour by a square where local kids were skateboarding. I was not up for a hot dog then but he really enjoyed them!
Street Art
There is beautiful graffiti art on the streets that adds colour to the grey days in Reykjavik. Wander around in the city streets and you will find some great art pieces.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is not located in the city but at its suburbs and it is for sure one of the best things to do in Reykjavik. We visited Blue Lagoon after we had completed our full road trip. This was a great choice as we enjoyed it to the maximum. After 10 intense days of driving and exploring Iceland we finally relaxed.
The fee was 142 euros for the 2 of us and we had booked our slot since February to make sure that everything would go according to our plan. Do you know more or less the day you’d like to visit? Then I suggest you book it well in advance to make sure there is availability. The entrance fee included a free drink from the bar inside the swimming area, as well as a face mask.
It’s super relaxing there. No matter how cold it is on the outside the water is so hot that you will want to just stand outside, yes in the cold, to just breathe. A fun experience to enjoy the geothermal power of that land and take some nice photos.
Tjornin Lake
A beautiful, peaceful lake to have a walk around if you have free time. There are many important buildings around it like the National Art Gallery and the City Hall.
Nightlife
Although it was getting dark at around 10pm when we visited Iceland, the locals wouldn’t wait until then to start drinking. There are many night bars where you can enjoy a drink and get to meet locals.
Souvenirs
Food is not the only expensive thing in Iceland. The souvenirs are expensive too. Iceland is not the destination where you will get souvenirs for all friends and family, so don’t promise them any souvenirs. There are many nice souvenir places near the church or the main streets and there is also the Kolaportid flea market where you can find cheaper souvenirs after bargain.
These were the 10 best things to do in Reykjavik according to our visit and taste. There are for sure many more places to visit and things to do in Reykjavik but as always we like leaving something off our list for next time. Some of them would be to visit a couple of the many museums – we didn’t visit any – take a ferry to Viðey island, hike mount Esja and Puffa hill. All these are our reason to visit Iceland again.
Tips & Advice when visiting Reykjavik
I’m sure I’ve said that many times, but Reykjavik is expensive. So if you plan to visit many museums and attractions then pick up a Reykjavik City Card. It starts from about 26 euros for a day. With that card, you have free access to many museums, all swimming pools in the city, the ferry to Videy island is free and there are many more free entrances and discounts to attractions and even to restaurants and cafes. Check more here.
Back to my first point, Iceland is expensive and if you are one of the lucky ones you can afford eating out all the time, well done you! If you are more like us, buying supplies from the supermarket helped us stay within the budget. KK enjoyed my homemade sandwiches for breakfast and dinner!
Although Reykjavik is a beautiful city, Iceland’s countryside has to offer much more. You don’t have enough days to do the full circle of Iceland? Don’t worry the Golden Circle tour is super exciting too. It’s about 230 kilometres and you will see amazing landscapes and geysirs. Read more about the Golden Circle here.
Here you will find more tips about visiting Iceland. Where we stayed, what season we visited, what clothes and equipment we had with us.