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    Things to do in Reykjavik Iceland

    June 27, 2019 by Jana Leave a Comment

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    This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

    If you are traveling to Europe, consider a stopover in Reykjavik Iceland. Here is a list of things to do and how to spend 24hrs or a couple days in this nordic city.

    Links on this page are affiliate links, which means I might receive a small commission from your purchase from Amazon or other retailers.

    If you are flying anywhere in Europe, it’s worth your while to check if your chosen airline offers stopovers anywhere else. We recently flew to Ireland for a family vacation and had two stopovers in Iceland.

    Mom and toddler near welcome sign in Keflavik Airport Iceland

    The first stopover was a short one of a little less than 24hrs, but allowed us to see a lot of Reykjavik. The second was a longer – 5 days – and allowed us to drive further and see the raw beauty of Iceland.

    If your stopover is short, Reykjavik is your best option. It has a population of less than 130,000 and it’s small enough to explore the highlights in a day.

    What to see in Reykjavik Iceland

    The first four attractions are free and located within walking distance from each other. If you are renting a car, park at the church for free and make your way to the other places by foot.

    Sun Voyager

    Sun voyager sculpture sitting on the bay of Reykjavik Iceland. The sun voyager is a metal sculpture that resembles a viking boat.

    A beautiful metal sculpture that sits at the bay in Reykjavik as an ode to its Viking sea faring heritage.

    Hallgrimskirkja

    The modern church in the center of Reykjavik. It's white and super tall. Its architecture is really unique

    An iconic building in the center of Reykjavik, it can be seen towering over the town. It’s modern architecture is something out of a sci-fi book and the inside of the church is minimalist and white.

    Inside Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavik. The ceiling is all white with vaults and huge columns

    Harpa Concert Hall

    The inside of the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik Iceland. The ceiling is mirrored and geometric and the windows are built in a honeycomb pattern creating a multi dimensional structure.

    The coolest piece of architecture I’ve seen in a while, the Harpa Concert Hall is open 24hrs and houses several art venues, shopping stores, a movie theater and a restaurant/bar. If you have more time, check out the comedy shows presented in English.

    Harpa Concert Hall from outside with sailing boats parked in front of it.

    Reykjavik Bay and Harbor

    A yellow lighthouse with a man fishing at the Reykjavik harbor in Iceland

    Walk along the bay, specially if you are visiting during the summer when the sun sets for many hours and bathes the city in golden light way beyond 9pm. Right behind Harpa, you can watch the boats leaving and entering the harbor and people fishing from the cute yellow lighthouses.

    Perlan Museum

    A toddler walking through the Perlan Museum ice cave

    A very cool museum that shows the geology of Iceland, it has an upper deck in which you can see Reykjavik and Hallgrimskirkja. You can’t miss the high tech room in which you can use your hands to open information on the wall in front of you and the ice caves right on site.

    The view of Reykjavik from the top of the Perlan Museum

    Where to Eat in Reykjavik Iceland

    Iceland is a very expensive place to visit and food prices can seem outrageous at times. These places had reasonable prices and great food.

    Hlemmur Mathöll

    Several guests enjoying their meals at Hlemmur Mathöll, in Reykjavik Iceland

    This food hall houses several small restaurants consider street food. But don’t let it fool you. The food is really good, the seating is communal and the prices are the best we’ve found in Iceland.

    A big bowl of vietnamese pho soup

    We had amazing Vietnamese food here for under $20 euros each. Don’t forget to try a cinnamon roll from the bakery as well. It was divine and I may even say it was the best I’ve ever had!

    SKÝ

    Fish with vegetables salad and couscous from SKY Restaurant and Bar in Reykjavik Iceland

    The restaurant and bar on the rooftop of the Center Hotel is right across the Harpa Concert Hall. It has amazing views of the harbor and on Saturday nights you can enjoy live music for free. Order the fish of the day. Prices range from $20-45 euros per dish.

    City Park Hotel

    When staying for just 24hrs in any city, it’s always convenient to dine where you are staying. At City Park Hotel (highly recommend it), an all-you-can-eat buffet costs $32 euros per person. You get a $4 euros discount if you stay at the hotel. It might seem expensive, but for Iceland it is actually a good deal.

    It includes: soups, salads, two different types of meat (pork and lamb), lasagna, roasted vegetables, potatoes, breads and desserts. A 3-course meal for the price of a main dish at dinner in a regular restaurant in Iceland (yes, it is expensive!).

    Transportation in Iceland

    For a short stay, I recommend that you stay in a hotel that offers free shuttles to and from the airport.

    Buses are available to do the transfer and you can book it during your flight (if flying Icelandair).

    If you are older than 25 years old, and traveling with more than one person, it’s more cost effective to rent a car instead.

    An important tip for family travelers: make sure you book with a car rental company that is on site in the airport.

    We rented cars with two agencies outside the airport – one offered a van shuttle that picked us up and the other required us to take a bus to the rental office.

    With a car seat and 3 bags to carry, the shuttle was a lot more convenient. Both options added at least 45 mins to our trip due to the volume of people also renting a car and having to process paperwork.

    Where to Stay in Reykjavik

    Keflavik is the nearest town to the airport so if you have a very early flight I’d recommend staying there.

    From there you can arrange transportation to Reykjavik, which is located 40 minutes from the airport.

    If you rent a car for the day, you have more options and staying in Reykjavik can break up the driving between your flights.

    Reykjavik Airbnb

    The best place we stayed in Reykjavik was this amazing apartment. It was located centrally and close to a grocery store and the Hlemmur Mathöll. It had everything we needed and more, including a playground for the little one and a large balcony in which he could run around.

    If you have not yet signed up for Airbnb, you can use this link to get U$40 off your first stay and U$15 towards an experience and I will get U$30 off my next stay. Win- win!

    City Park Hotel

    The City Park Hotel is located a little further from the center of Reykjavik (but still close). However, it has large, clean rooms and super friendly staff. We arrived at noon, and they allowed us to do a super early check-in for free. The all you can eat buffet was also phenomenal! I am still dreaming of their brown bread.

    Center Hotel

    There are a few Center Hotels in Reykjavik. The one we stayed in was right across the Harpa Concert Hall and the location was excellent! We also enjoyed the Sky restaurant and bar and the generous breakfast buffet offered.

    There were some things we didn’t enjoy about this property. The rooms were much smaller and the other guests kept slamming the doors at all hours of the night. As family travelers now, we really value space for the little one to run around and silence at bedtime.

    However, if you want to be within walking distance to the attractions I mentioned above, this hotel provides excellent location for one night.

    For other hotels in Reykjavik click on the map below.



    Booking.com

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    The sun Voyager sculpture on the bay of Reykjavik Iceland and the Harpa Concert Hall

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    This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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