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Reykjavik is Iceland’s hip capitol city. If you’re visiting Iceland you’ll likely be spending some time in Reykjavik no matter where you’re going. Reykjavik is small and the highlights can easily be explored in a day. It’s also a good spot to serve as a homebase for exploring other areas of Iceland, like the Golden Circle or the South Coast, via day trips. On my first trip to Iceand I stayed in Reykjavik the whole time, and took several day trips to other areas of Iceland!
I recommend dedicating a day or half day to exploring Reykjavik, and taking the rest of your trip to explore the rest of Iceland’s stunning sights!
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Planning an Iceland adventure? Check out my Reykjavik Travel Guide. And my 4 Days in Iceland and 5 days in Iceland itineraries!
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Where to Stay in Reykjavik
Hotel Reykjavik Saga
I stayed at the Hotel Reykjavik Saga on my most recent trip to Iceland and can not say enough good things about it! The hotel is basically brand new, located in a super convenient location downtown, the rooms were so cozy & the bed was so comfortable. The breakfast was amazing (seriously they had the best bread I’ve ever had haha)
I will definitely be staying here again on my next trip to Iceland
Apótek Hotel
Another great option in the perfect location in Reykjavik is Apótek Hotel. This hotel is stunning, right on one of Reykjavik’s main streets, is home to one of Reykjavik’s best restaurants & offers parking (for an additional cost) Parking can be a bit complex in Reykjavik, so this is a nice perk.
1 Day in Reykjavik Itinerary
Visit one of Reykjavik’s best coffee shops
Reykjavik (and Iceland generally) have a great cafe culture. Reykjavik is overflowing with cute cafes and coffee shops, and the coffee everywhere is SO good. My personal favorite is Reyjavik Roasters! Start your day here!
Head to the top of Hallgrímskirkja
Hallgrímskirkja is a large church that dominates the Reykjavik skyline. You are able to pay to take the elevator to the top for epic 360 views of Reykjavik and beyond. The colorful houses of downtown make for great aerial photos! It costs about $7 to go up!
Explore downtown Reykjavik
Reykjavik’s main downtown area consists of a few streets and can be easily explored in an afternoon or morning. Make sure to check out:
- Rainbow Street
- The Sun Voyager
- Main streets of: Laugavegur, Austurstræti & Hafnarstræti
Try some of the best ice cream in Reykjavik at Valdi’s while you’re exploring!
Check out the Perlan Museum
The Perlan museum offers interactive exhibits exploring Iceland’s unique landscapes like Ice caves, Northern Lights shows & Volcano shows. It also has a viewing deck with some of the best views of Reykjavik & a restaurant. Tickets can be found here.
Dip in the Sky Lagoon at Sunset
Visiting the Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik is an absolute must! The oceanside geothermal lagoon offers stunning panoramic ocean views as you soak in the relaxing water. It’s a great place to see the sunset, the northern lights, or just the Icelandic coastline. I highly recommmnd timing your visit with sunset, and then staying for a bit when it’s dark to try to glimpse the Northern Lights (Nov-Mar)
They also offer a 7 step “experience” that involves soaking in the lagoon, a cold plunge, a sauna (with the most stunning views) a cold fog mist shower, cleansing body scrub, a steam & a shower. This was a super cool, refreshing experience before heading back to soak in the lagoon and grab a drink from the swim up bar.
Cost & Tickets: Tickets start at about $80 and can be found here.
Getting There: busses run from downtown Reykjavik (it’s about 10 minutes from downtown) or you can get a taxi easily!
Dinner at one of Reykjavik’s Best Restaurants
I was surprised by how many great restaurant options Reyjavik had – from traditional Icelandic, to Italian, burgers and more. I put together a post for the 15 best restaurants in Reykjavik here! But my top recommendations are:
Icelandic
- Old Iceland
- Íslenski barinn
Casual/Bar Food
- Lemmy – the BEST fish & chips
- Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
- Grazie Trattoria – amazing Italian spot
- Steakhouse – upscale steakhouse spot that I enjoyed!
Experience Reykjavik’s Lively Nightlife
I didn’t realize Reykjavik would have so many options for nightlife, but the city is filled with pubs, bars, clubs and lounges! I was traveling solo so I opted to avoid the clubs on my trips to Iceland, but did visit some great bars with people I met. Some I would recommend
- Hús Máls og Menningar – this book store doubles as a lounge with a bar and live music late into the night, super fun spot!
- Lebwoski Bar – a classic, lively pub in downtown Reykjavik.
Getting to Reykjavik
You’ll need to fly to Iceland. Keflavík is the international airport located about 40 minutes from Reykjavik. This is the airport you’ll be flying into. There is a smaller airport right in Reykjavík, so don’t get confused! I met someone who took a cab thinking it would be cheap because he thought the airport was close to downtown, only to find out it cost $150!
From the airport there are bus transfers to get downtown. Tons of different companies run these busses. They’ll take you from the airport to the local bus station in Reykjavik closest to your hotel, and pick you up from the same bus stop to go back to the airport. You can compare different companies, but they cost mostly the same price & offer similar services.
It costs about $66 for a round trip ($3 one way) I compared prices here.
Planning an Iceland Adventure?
Use my other Iceland guides to help plan your dream trip!
