Things to do in Reykjavik – attractions and our best tips

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Many people travel to Iceland for the nature – and miss out on how much fun there is to discover in Reykjavik. The small capital offers colorful neighborhoods, fantastic food, strange experiences and an unexpectedly intense nightlife. We show you our favorites.

Our best tips about Reykjavik

I (Helena) have a very special relationship with Iceland. When I was 17, I lived here for a whole year as an exchange student, learned Icelandic and attended Icelandic high school. Since then, I have returned many times, and Peter and I have discovered Reykjavik together on several different trips. Here we have collected the places and experiences that we ourselves like best.

1. Hallgrímskirkja – see Reykjavik from above

Towering over Reykjavik, Hallgrímskirkja is one of the buildings you’re almost guaranteed to notice during a visit to the city. The church is impressive from the outside, but for us the real experience is taking the elevator up the tower.

From here you get a fantastic view of Reykjavik's colorful houses, the sea and the mountains in the background. We have been here several times and actually find the view much more memorable than the church room itself.

2. Solfard – Reykjavik’s sculpture by the sea

Solfárd stands right on the water and is one of Reykjavik's most photographed landmarks. The shiny steel sculpture resembles a Viking ship, but was actually created as a tribute to the sun, symbolizing hope, freedom and the desire to explore.

We especially like the location. Here Reykjavik meets the sea, and when the weather is clear you can see the mountains rising on the other side of the water. Solfärd is also located along the promenade, so it's easy to combine your visit with a walk further towards the Harpa concert hall.

3. Harpa – Reykjavik’s spectacular concert hall

Harpa is one of Reykjavik's most striking modern buildings, located right on the waterfront. It is above all the glass facade that makes it special - the light, sky and sea are reflected in the geometric glass sections, causing the building to change character depending on the weather and time of day.

We think Harpa is worth a visit even if you're not going to a concert. Here you can take a closer look at the architecture and at the same time get nice views of the harbor and the water. In addition, Harpa is perfectly located along the promenade between Solfärd and the old harbor.

READ MORE: Reykjavik sights - self-guided city tour

4. The Old Port – boats, restaurants and marine life

The old harbor is one of the parts of Reykjavik that we like to walk around. Here, fishing boats and excursion boats mix with restaurants, cafes and colorful houses, and the area still feels more like a real harbor than a made-up tourist attraction.

This is also where many of Reykjavik's whale watching tours depart from. We have both had lunch down by the harbor and taken the boat from here to the island of Viðey – so for us it is an area where Reykjavik truly meets the sea.

5. Perlan – discover Iceland’s nature in the middle of Reykjavik

The Pearl is the large dome-shaped building located on a hill just outside central Reykjavik. Today it houses the experience museum Wonders of Iceland, where you can get up close to things like glaciers, volcanoes, the Northern Lights and Iceland's special nature – without leaving the city.

I (Helena) first got to know Perlan back in 1992, when I lived in Iceland for a year as a 17-year-old exchange student. Back then, the place looked completely different than it does today, and it was primarily the restaurant and the view that attracted me. Since then, Perlan has developed into one of Reykjavik's major visitor attractions, but the view of the city and the surrounding landscape is still a reason in itself to go here.

6. Discover Reykjavik as a foodie city

Reykjavik is a small capital, but the food scene is surprisingly diverse. You can eat everything from Icelandic lamb and seafood to modern tasting menus – and there are plenty of restaurants, bars and cafés within walking distance in the city centre.

We really opened our eyes to Reykjavik as a food city when we were here during Food and Fun food festival. Over a few intense days, we ate our way through specially composed menus with Icelandic ingredients – including cod, lamb, crayfish and much more unexpected parts of the animals.

That trip also ended with one of our most unexpected Reykjavik experiences. In connection with the festival, we were invited to the presidential residence Bessastaðir, where we met the then president of Iceland, Guðni Jóhannesson, and his wife, Eliza Reid. Not exactly what we had expected when we went to Reykjavik to eat good food!

7. Swim like an Icelander in Reykjavik

We like Laugavegur best when the day turns to night. Reykjavik is small, so restaurants and bars are close together and it’s easy to continue the evening on foot. During our trip to Food and Fun, we had more than one late night here – Reykjavik may be a small capital, but when the nightlife kicks in, it feels much bigger.

If you want to get a little closer to everyday Reykjavik, we think you should try a regular Icelandic indoor swimming pool. Here, the experience is less about turquoise water and spectacular lava fields and more about doing just as the locals do.

Swimming outdoors in warm water isn't just something you do at exclusive spas in Iceland - it's part of everyday life. All around Reykjavik, there are geothermally heated swimming pools where Icelanders swim, socialize and sink into warm waters. hot pot, even when it's cold and muggy outside.

Tips: Bring your swimsuit and be prepared for the Icelandic swimming culture – you shower thoroughly without swimwear before entering the pools. It is a natural part of the hygiene routines at Icelandic swimming pools.

8. Laugavegur – stroll along Reykjavik's busiest street

Laugavegur is the street you're almost guaranteed to end up on sooner or later in Reykjavik. Shops, cafes, restaurants and bars are clustered here, and together with the side streets around it, it's one of the best areas to just stroll around and get a feel for the city.

9. Tjörnin – stroll through old Reykjavik

Right in the center of Reykjavik is Tjörnin, the small lake that almost feels like a quiet living room in the middle of the city. Around the water are colorful houses, the city hall, churches and older neighborhoods, and this is a nice place to walk around when you want to get away from the busier shopping streets for a while.

When we walked here on a cold March morning, there were significantly more swans and other birds than people around the lake. It may not be Reykjavik's most spectacular attraction – but that's exactly why we like Tjörnin. It gives you a sense of the small capital and how close everything is.

10. Discover Reykjavik's street art and colorful houses

Reykjavik is a city where it pays to look in all directions. Between the low, colorful houses, large murals, small works of art and unexpected details appear on the walls of houses – sometimes in the middle of shops and homes.

We think this is part of the charm of discovering Reykjavik on foot. You don't really need a map or a special street art tour. Turn off the main streets, go into some side streets and let the city surprise you. That's often where we find the environments we like best.

11. Visit perhaps the world's strangest museum

In Reykjavik there is a museum that is difficult to compare with anything else. Icelandic Phallological Museum has built up a collection of hundreds of penises and penis parts from various mammals – from small land animals to seals and enormous whales. Humans are also represented.

We've visited many strange museums over the years, but this one is still high on the list. The objects themselves may not always be that fascinating to look at, but the history behind the collection and the people who created it make the visit much more enjoyable than we expected.

The collection began in the 1970s when founder Sigurður Hjartarson was given a bull penis by a colleague. Then a few puppy penises appeared – and from there it seems to have simply gone off the rails in the best possible way.

12. Experience the Golden Circle from Reykjavik

The Golden Circle is the classic day trip from Reykjavik and an easy way to experience much of what makes Iceland so special in a single day. You can join one of the many organized tours from Reykjavik or discover the route on your own with a rental car.

The three big stops are Þingvellir National Park, the mighty Gullfoss waterfall and the geothermal area where Strokkur regularly causes the ground to explode in a column of water. We have visited all three and think that the combination makes the Golden Circle perfect for those who have Reykjavik as a base but want to get their first big dose of Icelandic nature.

READ MORE: Þingvellir National Park | Gullfoss | Strokkur and Geysir

13. Swim in the Blue Lagoon

Sinking into the warm turquoise water while the cool Icelandic air blows across your face is still a special experience. The Blue Lagoon has become one of Iceland's biggest tourist attractions, but despite all the visitors, we think it's worth experiencing at least once.

I (Helena) first swam here back in 1992, when the Blue Lagoon was a much simpler facility than it is today. Peter and I have since returned several times and seen how the place has developed into a large geothermal spa with a swim-up bar, saunas, treatments, restaurants and a hotel. Much has changed – but the feeling of lying in the warm water in the middle of the barren lava field is still there.

Tips: Book in advance and always check the latest information before visiting. The Blue Lagoon is located on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Keflavik Airport and can therefore also be a good place to visit on your way to or from your flight.

READ MORE: Blue Lagoon in Iceland - lovely geothermal spa

14. Take the ferry to the island of Viðey

Just a short boat ride from Reykjavik is Viðey, a small island that feels much further from the capital than it actually is. Here, nature, Icelandic history and modern art come together, and you can walk along the paths with the sea, mountains and Reykjavik as a backdrop.

We took the boat out to Viðey during one of our trips and were captivated by the contrast with the city. Here, among other things, there are old historical environments and Imagine Peace Tower, Yoko Ono's light artwork in memory of John Lennon. When the pillar of light is lit during parts of the year, it stretches straight up into the Icelandic night sky.

READ MORE: Excursion to the island of Viðey in Iceland - 1000 years of history

15. Ride an Icelandic horse in the Icelandic landscape

Riding an Icelandic horse over lava fields, between mountains and through a landscape where smoke comes out of the ground is an experience that feels very Icelandic. There are riding tours at different levels, so you don't have to be an experienced rider to try it.

We took a full-day trip from Hveragerði to the geothermal valley of Reykjadalur – and got a lot more Iceland than we had ordered. It was freezing cold, it started to snow and as we sat with our cold sandwiches we actually wondered if we had paid to freeze to death. On the way back we had the wind at our backs and were finally able to enjoy the horses, the mountains, the hot springs and the steam rising from the ground.

It wasn't the idyllic horseback riding trip we had imagined. It was Iceland for real.

READ MORE: Horse riding in Iceland - experiences with an Icelandic horse

16. Go whale watching from Reykjavik

Reykjavik is a good starting point for whale watching. Several boat tours depart directly from the old harbor, making it easy to combine a few hours at sea with sightseeing and restaurant visits in the city.

On the tours you may have a chance to see minke whales, humpback whales, porpoises and white-beaked dolphins, but of course these are wild animals and there are never any guarantees. The boat trip itself is also part of the experience, with views back towards Reykjavik, the mountains and the Icelandic coast.

Tips: Dress warmer than you think you need. Even when the weather feels comfortable inside Reykjavik, it can be significantly colder and windier out at sea.

Good areas to stay in Reykjavik

Reykjavik is a relatively small capital city and many of the sights in the city center are within walking distance of each other. Which area is best for you therefore depends mainly on whether you want to live in the middle of restaurants and city life or a little quieter a bit outside the center.

City center and Laugavegur – close to everything

For a first trip to Reykjavik, the city center is an easy choice. Around Laugavegur and the surrounding neighborhoods, there are plenty of restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops, while you can walk to many of the city's attractions.

This is the area we would choose if location is more important than getting as much hotel for the money as possible.

Old Reykjavik – charming and central

The neighborhood closer to the old harbor and the older parts of the city is a good fit if you want a quieter and more charming location but still be able to walk to most things. From here you are close to both the harbor, the city center and several restaurants.

It's also a good area if you're planning boat trips or whale watching, as many tours depart from the old harbor.

Outside the city center – often quieter and more value for money

It's also a good idea to stay a bit outside the most central part of Reykjavik. You'll be further from restaurants and nightlife, but in return you can find quieter accommodation and sometimes better prices.

When we were in Reykjavik during Food and Fun we stayed at Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, about 15-20 minutes walk from the center. We had a good stay and were particularly pleased with the breakfast. The location worked out fine for us, even though we had to use our legs a little more.