Iceland
Reykjavik
A pocket-sized capital with a big-city scene, hot pools on every corner and the Golden Circle on the doorstep.
The world's northernmost capital is a small, walkable city of painted tin-clad houses on a bay, with the basalt-column spire of Hallgrimskirkja standing over it all. It punches well above its size on music, design and nightlife, and its geothermal swimming pools are the heart of daily life. Most visitors use it as the base for Iceland's southwest: the Golden Circle, the south coast waterfalls and northern lights tours in the dark months all run from here.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Icelandic
Currency
ISK
Timezone
UTC
Why you'll love Reykjavik
Hallgrimskirkja the concrete church modelled on basalt columns, with a tower view over coloured rooftops, the bay and Mount Esja
Pool culture geothermal public pools and hot pots in every neighbourhood, where locals soak and talk year round
The base for everything Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and the south coast waterfalls are all day trips away
Small city, big scene live music, design shops and a late weekend bar crawl along Laugavegur
Best time to visit
May-Sep
Roads open · 10-15° days
64.147° N, 21.943° W
UTC · Atlantic/Reykjavik
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Weather & when to go to Reykjavik
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best May-Sep
Northern lights prime Oct-Mar
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Conditions Jan-Mar Cold, aurora · Apr Cool · May Roads open · Jun Midnight sun · Jul Warmest month · Aug Puffins · Sep Autumn, aurora · Oct Wettest, aurora · Nov Cold, aurora · Dec Dark, aurora
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Reykjavik
No month is off-limits. May to September brings the mildest weather and long light, with near-endless daylight around midsummer. From October to April the days shorten hard and wind and snow can close roads on day trips, but that dark half of the year is the northern lights season, and the steaming pools are at their best in the cold.
Top things to do in Reykjavik
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Hallgrimskirkja - ride up the church tower
culture arts 👍 PopularThe city's landmark church, designed by Gudjon Samuelsson to echo basalt columns and finished in the 1980s, has a plain white interior and a huge pipe organ. Take the lift up the tower for the best view in town, with the statue of Leif Erikson out front.
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Harpa - the glass concert hall on the harbour
culture arts nightlife music 👍 PopularHome to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Harpa's facade of geometric glass panels was designed with Olafur Eliasson and lights up after dark. Walk through the foyers for the harbour views even without a ticket, or catch a concert or show.
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Laugardalslaug and Vesturbaejarlaug - soak like a local
culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedThe city's public geothermal pools are where Reykjavik socialises: outdoor lanes, hot pots at different temperatures and cold tubs. Laugardalslaug is the biggest; Vesturbaejarlaug is the neighbourhood favourite. Showering without a swimsuit before you get in is the firm rule.
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Old Harbour - whale watching and puffin boats
nature wildlife 👍 PopularBoats leave the Old Harbour into Faxafloi bay to look for minke whales, dolphins and porpoises, and in summer short trips circle the offshore islets where Atlantic puffins nest.
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Northern lights - aurora hunting from the capital
nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedIceland sits under the auroral oval, and on clear, dark nights between autumn and spring the lights can show even from the city edge at Grotta lighthouse. Tours drive out beyond the light pollution and chase the gaps in the cloud, which is the real deciding factor.
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Reykjavik 871 +/-2 - the Settlement Exhibition
historyBeneath the street at Adalstraeti, the excavated remains of a Viking-age longhouse sit on a layer of volcanic ash dated to around 871, the earliest evidence of settlement in the city, with a well-done exhibition around them.
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National Museum of Iceland - the country's story
history culture artsThe best single overview of Icelandic history, from settlement-era finds and medieval church carvings, including the Valthjofsstadur door, to the modern republic.
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Sun Voyager and the Saebraut shore walk
culture artsJon Gunnar Arnason's steel ship sculpture points out over the bay towards Mount Esja. It is a stop on the seafront path between Harpa and the eastern suburbs, best at sunset or under the aurora.
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Perlan - the dome on Oskjuhlid hill
nature wildlifeThe glass dome built over the city's hot-water tanks has a viewing deck all round and a nature exhibition on glaciers, volcanoes and the northern lights, including a man-made ice tunnel.
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Icelandic food - lamb soup, skyr and the famous hot dog
foodTry kjotsupa lamb soup, fresh fish and plokkfiskur, skyr, and a hot dog 'with everything' from the Baejarins Beztu Pylsur stand near the harbour. The brave can try fermented shark at the flea market or a traditional restaurant.
Best areas to stay in Reykjavik
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Midborg (downtown 101)
First-time visitors $$$Colourful streets, shops and nightlife
Explore hotels in Midborg (downtown 101) →
Old Harbour and Grandi
Couples and food lovers $$$Converted fish sheds by the water
Explore hotels in Old Harbour and Grandi →
Vesturbaer
Slow travellers $$Quiet residential west side
Explore hotels in Vesturbaer →
Laugardalur
Families and budget $Green valley of pools and parks
Explore hotels in Laugardalur →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Reykjavik
Getting to & around Reykjavik
Getting there
Fly into Keflavik International, about 45 min by airport bus or car to the city
Flight
Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
Keflavik sits on the Reykjanes peninsula southwest of the city. Airport buses meet flights and reach Reykjavik's central bus terminal in about 45 minutes, with connections to hotels; many visitors pick up a hire car at the airport instead.
Flight
Reykjavik City Airport
Domestic flights from Akureyri, Egilsstadir and Isafjordur land at the small airport just south of downtown
Cruise
Skarfabakki
Large cruise ships dock at Sundahofn on the east side of the city, smaller ones in the Old Harbour
Drive
Reykjavik is the start and end of the Ring Road (Route 1); from the car ferry at Seydisfjordur in the far east it is a long two-day drive
Getting around
Walking
Downtown, the harbour and Hallgrimskirkja are all within a short walk of each other
Free
Straeto bus
Yellow city buses cover the suburbs, Laugardalur and the pools; services thin out in the evenings and on Sundays
TBC
Hire car
Not needed in town, but the easiest way to do day trips; in winter check road and weather warnings before setting out
TBC
Taxi
Metered and reliable, but among the most expensive in Europe
TBC
Day trips from Reykjavik
Golden Circle
Full dayRift valley, geyser, waterfall
Iceland's classic loop: Thingvellir, where the Althing met and the continental plates pull apart, the Strokkur geyser erupting every few minutes at Geysir, and the two-tier Gullfoss waterfall. Many add the Kerid crater or a geothermal bath on the way.
Getting there
car | tour
About 6-8 hr round loop by car or tour
South Coast to Vik
Full dayWaterfalls and black sand
Walk behind Seljalandsfoss, climb beside Skogafoss, then reach the basalt columns and black sand of Reynisfjara near Vik. Stay well back from the water there: sneaker waves are dangerous.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2.5 hr each way by car or tour
Reykjanes Peninsula
Full dayLava fields and geothermal
Steaming vents at Seltun and Gunnuhver, the lake at Kleifarvatn and the bridge between continents. Eruptions since 2021 have repeatedly closed roads and sites around Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon, so check official Icelandic sources first.
Getting there
car | tour
About 45 min-1 hr by car or tour
Snaefellsnes Peninsula
1-2 daysGlacier and coastal villages
Often called Iceland in miniature: the glacier-capped Snaefellsjokull volcano, the much-photographed Kirkjufell peak, and the sea cliffs and arches around Arnarstapi and Hellnar. A long day, better with a night.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2.5 hr by car or tour
Reykjadalur
Half dayHot river hike
A steaming valley above the greenhouse town of Hveragerdi, where a warm stream is fed by hot springs. Hike up through the fumaroles and bathe in the river itself.
Getting there
car | walk | tour
About 45 min by car to Hveragerdi, then an hour's walk up the valley
A little history of Reykjavik
Tradition names Ingolfur Arnarson as Iceland's first permanent settler, landing here around 874 and calling the bay Reykjavik, 'smoky bay', after the steam rising from its hot springs. Excavations under the old centre have found a longhouse dated to about the same time. For centuries it stayed a farm, and the town really began in the 1750s when Skuli Magnusson set up woollen workshops here; it received a trading charter in 1786.
Reykjavik became the seat of the restored Althing in 1845 and the capital as Iceland moved from Danish rule to sovereignty in 1918 and full independence in 1944. British and then American forces occupied it during the Second World War, building the airport that still sits near the centre. Postwar growth, fishing wealth and later tourism turned a small port into a modern capital, and in 1986 Hofdi House hosted the Reagan-Gorbachev summit.
Ingolfur Arnarson settles at the bay, by tradition Iceland's first permanent settler
Skuli Magnusson founds woollen workshops, the beginning of the town
Reykjavik receives its trading charter
The Althing is re-established in Reykjavik
Iceland becomes a sovereign kingdom in union with Denmark, with Reykjavik as capital
British forces occupy the city; the wartime airfield is built
The Republic of Iceland is proclaimed at Thingvellir
Reagan and Gorbachev meet at Hofdi House; Hallgrimskirkja is completed
Harpa concert hall opens on the harbour
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+354
FAQs about Reykjavik
▸ When is the best time to visit Reykjavik?
May to September has the mildest weather and very long days, which makes it the easiest time for day trips and driving. October to April is colder, darker and windier, with storms that can close roads, but it is the northern lights season and the time for snowy landscapes and steaming hot pots.
▸ Can you see the northern lights from Reykjavik?
Yes, on strong, clear nights between autumn and spring, especially from darker spots like Grotta lighthouse at the tip of the city. Your odds improve by getting away from the city lights, which is what the tours do. Cloud cover is the real obstacle, so allow several nights.
▸ Is Reykjavik expensive?
Yes, it is one of the most expensive cities in Europe, especially for eating out, alcohol and tours. Supermarkets, the public pools and the excellent free tap water help keep costs down, and many sights in town cost nothing to see.
▸ Do I need a car in Reykjavik?
Not in the city itself, which is compact and walkable. For the Golden Circle and the south coast a hire car gives the most freedom, while tours pick up from downtown hotels. In winter, drive only if you are comfortable with ice, wind and short daylight, and check road and weather warnings daily.
▸ Do the Reykjanes volcanic eruptions affect a trip to Reykjavik?
Since 2021 a series of eruptions has struck the Reykjanes peninsula southwest of the city. They have at times closed roads, the town of Grindavik and nearby attractions. Conditions change quickly, so check official Icelandic safety and road information before planning anything on the peninsula.
More in Iceland
Akureyri
Iceland's northern capital, a fjord-head town with whales in the water and Myvatn an hour away.
✓ best Jun-AugEast Fjords (Egilsstadir)
The quiet end of the Ring Road: deep fjords, small fishing villages and Iceland's only wild reindeer, with a fraction of the south coast's traffic.
✓ best Jun-AugWestfjords (Isafjordur)
Iceland without the coach tours: fjord after empty fjord, Dynjandi, puffin cliffs and a reserve with no roads at all.
✓ best Jul-Aug