Reykjavik Travel Guide
Weather, best time to visit, and the best food, culture, nature and activities.
Typical prices
- Budget mealISK 2,200≈ $17.54
- Mid-range mealISK 6,500≈ $51.82
- CappuccinoISK 650≈ $5.18
- Domestic beerISK 1,400≈ $11.16
- Taxi (per km)ISK 350≈ $2.79
- Public transport ticketISK 630≈ $5.02
- Museum entryISK 2,500≈ $19.93
- Mid-range hotel (night)ISK 28,000≈ $223.23
Food & Drink
- Dill RestaurantNew Nordic · $$$$
A Michelin-starred restaurant championing New Nordic cuisine with foraged and fermented Icelandic ingredients.
- Sægreifinn (Sea Baron)Seafood · $$
A harbourside shack famous for its lobster soup and skewers of fresh fish grilled to order.
- Bæjarins Beztu PylsurStreet food · $
Reykjavik's iconic hot dog stand by the harbour, said to have been visited by Bill Clinton, serving the classic Icelandic lamb hot dog.
- Matur og DrykkurIcelandic · $$$
A restaurant reviving old Icelandic recipes like fish stew and skyr desserts in a converted fish-processing building.
- Grillmarkaðurinn (The Grill Market)Icelandic · $$$$
A stylish restaurant near Laugavegur serving Icelandic meats and seafood grilled over lava rock and birchwood.
- Kaffibarinn
A small, famously lively bar on Bergstaðastræti partly owned by Blur's Damon Albarn, a long-time favorite for late-night Reykjavik.
- Kex Hostel Bar
A bar in a converted biscuit factory known for live music and a relaxed, industrial-chic setting.
Culture & History
- National Museum of Iceland
Traces Icelandic history from Viking settlement to modern day, including Viking Age artifacts and a carved wooden church door.
- Reykjavik Art Museum (Hafnarhús)
Housed in a former harbour warehouse, with a permanent collection of works by Icelandic artist Erró.
- Perlan
A museum on a hill above the city with an indoor ice cave exhibit and a planetarium show on the Northern Lights.
- Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavik 871±2)
A museum built around an excavated Viking longhouse discovered beneath the city centre.
- Bíó Paradís
Reykjavik's independent arthouse cinema showing Icelandic and international films with original subtitles.
- Secret Solstice
A summer music festival held during the near-24-hour daylight of the summer solstice, featuring international and Icelandic acts.
- Reykjavik Culture Night (Menningarnótt)
A city-wide festival with open studios, concerts, and a fireworks finale over the harbour.
Nature & Outdoors
- Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach
A small artificial geothermal beach where heated water meets the cold sea, with hot tubs on the sand.
- Gullfoss
A dramatic two-tiered waterfall on the Golden Circle route, plunging into a rugged canyon.
- Seljalandsfoss
A tall waterfall on the south coast known for a path that lets visitors walk behind the falling water.
- Mount Esja
A popular hiking mountain visible across the bay from downtown Reykjavik, with trails suited to a half-day hike.
Active & Fun
- World Class Laugar
A large fitness club in Laugardalur with pools, weights, and classes, one of Reykjavik's biggest gym chains.
- Laugardalslaug
Reykjavik's largest geothermal pool complex, with outdoor hot tubs, a large pool, and waterslides.
- Sundhöllin
Reykjavik's oldest public swimming pool, a beautifully restored Art Deco building in the city centre with rooftop hot tubs.