Things to Do in Reykjavík

About: The Hallgrímskirkja Church is one of the most notable places to visit in Iceland Reykjavik. Enjoy the immersive building that offers a blend of beauty, history, and magnificent architecture. Located in the heart of the city, the Hallgrímskirkja Church dominates Reykjavik's skyline.

The iconic church was built as an homage to the Icelandic poet, Hallgrímur Pétursson. It seems omnipresent from anywhere in Reykjavik. The 25-ton pipe organ is a majestic piece to see. Don’t miss the chance to visit the unique white-concrete statue when you are here. Look for the elevator to climb up 74 meters to the turret to get a splendid view of the city.

Location: Hallgrímstorg 1, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.

Price: $8 entree fee (adults).

Timing: 9 AM to 5 PM (Winter) & 9 AM to 9 PM (Summer).

Best Time to Visit: June to August.

Plan your visit to Downtown Reykjavik to feel the ambiance of a small town filled with wonky little houses and comfy restaurants. The place is home to stand-alone boutiques selling exquisite items like Icelandic wool clothing and volcanic rock pottery. Don’t miss the palatable servings from the exotic eateries here.

Go for a walk through the evening to feel the ocean breeze at the waterfront walkway. The fine art and architecture will just cheer you up. As it gets dusky, hurry up for the solfar sculpture to see the most exuberant sunsets you will ever see in Iceland.

Location: Centre, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.

Price: $100-$251 per day per person.

Timing: 10 AM to 8 PM.

Harpa is a one-stop cultural and social center in the middle of the city. The concert hall is a tantalizing destination for riveted travelers and has enticed over 10 million guests since its inception in 2011. The concert hall displays an artistic honeycomb exterior that is a delight to the eyes.

It serves dualistic purposes for the visitors, extraordinary in the daylight, and changing windows with rainbow colors mesmerizes the nighttime explorers too. Explore a range of options of Nordic design, flowers, and other eminent gift items at the Harpa shops when you are here.

Location: Harpan, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.

Price: $5

Timing: 8 AM to 12 AM.

When it comes to finding the prominent places to visit in Iceland Reykjavik, thermal pools are the best pick for you. Walk through the city to find the best geothermal pool for yourself.  The city of Reykjavik has 17 thermal pools around the city filled with natural geothermal water springs.

These pools are community socializing spots and offer a natural healing therapy for the body, mind, and soul. Immerse yourself into the soaking custom of bathing into thermal pools. The open community pools form an inevitable part of the Icelandic culture and offer exceptional healing qualities. Go for the Blue Lagoon trip to take back an enthralling pool experience for your home.

Location: Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland

Price: $41 per person

Timing: 6 AM to 11 PM

It is a great stop for curious globetrotters willing to learn more about the early settlers of Iceland. The exhibition walks tourists through an excavated farmhouse dating back to 871 AD. Take the interactive display tour and artifact cases to gain more insights into the Viking settlement life.

Digital interactive displays help you see the primitive Icelandic life and instill a note of appreciation for the Viking influences. The preserved artifacts will serve you with enough evidence to delve deeper into the Vikings' story. The Settlement Exhibition is located at the Adalstraeti 16. It rests near the Viking longhouse archaeological site. 

Location: Aðalstræti 16, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.

Price: $15 per person.

Timing: 9 AM to 6 PM.

The majestic aura of Mount Esja Makes it one of the most beautiful places in Reykjavik that you could ever find during your Iceland trip. Mountain Esja is the crown jewel in Reykjavik’s skyline and is known for offering a hiking turf for both locals and tourists alike.

For tourists, Esja is a natural workout station, with acute slopes testing your strength in every step, and its majestic views making it all worthwhile. The flat-topped 914 meters high mountain is 6.21 miles from the capital city of Reykjavik. The mountain hike is for both casual and pro hikers. However, limit yourself to going above the Steinn point. As beyond this point, it is a choice limited to experienced climbers and hikers only.

Location: Þverfellshorn ranges, Iceland.

Price: $282 entree fee.

Timing: 6 AM to 5 PM.

Perlan or ‘The Pearl’ is a landmark display of a museum and rotating glass dome in the capital city of Reykjavik. Perlan has been a multi-utility center with a viewing platform, sassy restaurant & cafe, and a newly turned educational site flaunting countless exhibitions and displays.

Sitting on top of the Öskjuhlíð hill and forests, the site is on the top of six water tanks that store 24 million liters of Reykjavik's hot water. The Glacier Exhibition of Iceland is a fresh display of a 100-meter long ice tunnel where visitors experience the past, present, and future of Iceland’s mighty glaciers. 

Location: Öskjuhlíð hills, Perlan.

Price: $536 (adults) & $296 (children between 6-16).

Timing: 9 AM to 7 PM.

Fun, mesmerizing, and full of surprises, this living museum walks you on a journey of time. Arbaer Open-Air Museum is a small village outside the city. It takes over an hour from Reykjavik to reach but is worth visiting. You can find the old houses at the museum and understand the lifestyle of the old Reykjavik.

Don’t miss the Arbaer turf farm, the only existing turf farm in the capital city. Enjoy the history of Reykjavik preserved in more than 20 restored historical old homes. The museum is open all year round to take guided tours in it.

Location: 4, 110, Kistuhylur, Reykjavík, Iceland.

Price: $13 (adults).

Timing: 10 AM to 5 PM.

The Sun Voyager (Sólfarið) is a large steel carving of a ship, definitely worth a visit for voyagers. It is the most touristic display where flocks of people come together to see the sun reflection in the steel model. Located on the Sæbraut road, the seaside model of central Reykjavik displays a perfect blend of art and nature.

The stunning display offers a great photo opportunity with the sea all over and mountains at the back. The monument displays, “the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress, and freedom.” Include Sun Voyager in your bucket list of places to go in Reykjavik.

Location: Sæbraut, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.

Price: $12 (entree fee).

Timing: 4 PM to 7 PM.

The Old Harbour area will give you a glimpse of Icelandic culture as this part of the city offers amazing sights of bays and Mount Esja. Here, you can enjoy the eclectic views of the ocean from any of the water-faced restaurants, the boats, the gusto of a working harbor, and the aura of the sea.

This cosmopolitan area is a hub of sumptuous seafood bistros, fancy design boutiques, souvenirs, and coffee shops, and all these factors make it one of the most beautiful places in Reykjavik. In the Old Harbour Area, you can enjoy pre-dinner drinks and meals trailed by the whale and birdwatching tours. It is quite easy to reach the Old Harbour area within a few minutes of walking from the city center. 

Location: Geirsgata 5c, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.

Price: $26 - $50 per person.

Timing: 8 AM to 9 PM.

An island where art, history, and nature fuse together to finally present the visitor with a peaceful surrounding.The island offers a blend of esthetic views, historical remains, and modern art pieces all within a small vicinity from each other.

The Videy island sits off the coast of Reykjavik with beautiful artworks and intrinsic natural beauty. Due to its smaller size, the island is easy to explore on foot and by bike. You can even take a short boat ride to enter another dimension of peace and joy. The place is an exotic destination for photographers and artists to explore the abundance of wildlife and vegetation.

Location: Videy, Iceland.

Price: $35 - $50 (entree fee).

Timing: 8 AM to 6 PM.

Bruarfoss is one of the most beautiful places in Reykjavik due to the serenity which surrounds it. Bruarfoss, is named after the stone archway that crisscrossed the river once and this waterfall is famed for radiating an oceanic blue color.

In fact, it is celebrated as “Iceland’s Bluest Waterfall.” To get here, you have to cover a round-trip hike of 7 km (4.4 miles) towards the west of Iceland, which is over an hour’s journey from east of Reykjavik. The hike offers an array of smaller waterfalls on display, however the Bruarfoss is clearly the big show here.

Location: Brekkuskógur, Road 355, Iceland, Reykjavik.

Price: $50 per person.

Timing: 9 AM to 4 PM.

Grotta Lighthouse is a nature reserve on the top of the Seltjarnarnes Peninsula. The place offers a great place to take a casual walk and move out from the hustle and bustle of Reykjavik city. Quite popular for the amazing Northern Lights, make sure to catch hold of the glimpses of it.

The spot is home to a variety of bird species, making it an ideal place for birdwatching. Grotta Lighthouse is on the outskirts of Reykjavik city and is a prime sightseeing location. Access the lighthouse during low tides, as it is hard to reach the spot during high tides. 

Location: Grótta Island Lighthouse, Iceland, Seltjarnarnes, Iceland.

Price: $4 (bus ticket).

Timing: 6 PM to 12 AM.