Must-see attractions in Reykjavík

  • National Museum interior.

    National Museum

    Reykjavík

    Artefacts from settlement to the modern age fill the creative display spaces of Iceland's superb National Museum. Exhibits give an excellent overview of…

  • Settlement Exhibition

    Reykjavík

    This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era…

  • REYKJAVIK ART MUSEUM  THE HARBOUR BUILDING EXTERIOR SOUTH ELEVATION

    Reykjavík Art Museum

    Reykjavík

    The excellent Reykjavík Art Museum is split over three superbly curated sites: the large, modern, downtown Hafnarhús, focusing on contemporary art;…

  • Town houses, Reykjavik

    Old Harbour

    Reykjavík

    Largely a service harbour until recently, the Old Harbour and the neighbouring Grandi area have blossomed into tourist hot spots, with key art galleries,…

  • x-default

    Tjörnin

    Reykjavík

    The placid lake at the centre of the city is sometimes locally called the Pond. It echoes with the honks and squawks of more than 40 species of visiting…

  • Iceland: Tjörnin in Reykjavik

    Old Reykjavík

    Reykjavík

    With a series of sights and interesting historic buildings, the area dubbed Old Reykjavík is the heart of the capital, and the focal point of many…

  • Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús

    Reykjavík

    Reykjavík Art Museum's Hafnarhús is a marvellously restored warehouse converted into a soaring steel-and-concrete exhibition space. Though the well…

  • x-default

    Laugardalur

    Reykjavík

    Laugardalur encompasses a verdant stretch of land 4km east of the city centre. It was once the main source of Reykjavík’s hot-water supply: it translates…

  • Reykjavík Art Museum – Ásmundarsafn

    Reykjavík

    There’s something immensely playful about the vast collection of sculptures by Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893–1982) housed in the studio and museum he designed …

  • Kling & Bang

    Reykjavík

    This perennially cutting-edge artist-run exhibition space is a favourite with locals, and now has an expanded gallery in the renovated Marshall House in…

  • Omnom Chocolate

    Reykjavík

    Reserve ahead for a tour (2pm Monday to Friday) at this full-service chocolate factory, where you'll see how cocoa beans are transformed into high-end,…

  • i8

    Reykjavík

    Displays works by some of the country’s top modern artists, many of whom show overseas as well.

  • Midnight sun with birds

    Seltjarnarnes

    Reykjavík

    Seltjarnarnes, 5km west of central Reykjavík, is a coastal area that feels a world away. The offshore island of Grótta boasts a red-and-white lighthouse…

  • Alþingi, the parliament in Iceland

    Alþingi

    Reykjavík

    Iceland’s first parliament, the Alþingi, was created at Þingvellir in AD 930. After losing independence in the 13th century, the country gradually won…

  • Ingibjörg H. Bjarnason statue

    Ingibjörg H Bjarnason Statue

    Reykjavík

    Two things set the statue of Ingibjörg H Bjarnason apart from other monuments in the area: it depicts a historical female figure and it is not made by…

  • x-default

    Þúfa

    Reykjavík

    Þúfa (th-oo-fha), meaning the Tussock, was created by artist Ólöf Nordal in 2013. The 8m-tall grassy mound was constructed out of 4500 tons of gravel and…

  • Reykjavík Zoo and Family Park

    Reykjavík Zoo & Family Park

    Reykjavík

    Sunny days see happy local families flocking to this children's park in Laugardalur. Don’t expect lions and tigers; think seals, foxes and farm animals in…

  • Nordic House

    Nordic House

    Reykjavík

    This cultural centre fosters connections between Iceland and its Nordic neighbours with a rich program of events, a library, exhibition space and bistro.

  • Perlan

    Reykjavík

    Perlan's mirrored dome, designed by Ingimundur Sveinsson, covers huge geothermal-water tanks some 2km from the city centre. Inside, the Wonders of Iceland…

  • Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum

    Reykjavík

    Sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson (1908–82) used this peaceful seafront building as a studio. Now it showcases his varied, powerful work: portrait busts,…

  • Stúdíó Ólafur Elíasson

    Reykjavík

    Internationally acclaimed Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson was responsible for the Harpa concert hall's iconic honeycomb glass-and-steel facade…

  • Reykjavík Maritime Museum

    Reykjavík

    The crucial role fishing plays in Iceland's economy is celebrated through the imaginative displays in this former fish-freezing plant. The new exhibition…

  • Saga Museum

    Reykjavík

    The endearingly bloodthirsty Saga Museum is where Icelandic history is brought to life by eerie silicon models and a multi-language soundtrack featuring…

  • Gröndalshús

    Reykjavík

    The small, red former home of writer, illustrator and naturalist Benedikt Gröndal beautifully evokes turn-of-the-century Reykjavic life. Gröndal lived…

  • Austurvöllur

    Reykjavík

    Grassy Austurvöllur was once part of first-settler Ingólfur Arnarson’s hay fields. Today it’s a favourite spot for cafe lounging or lunchtime picnics and…

  • Whales of Iceland

    Reykjavík

    Ever strolled beneath a blue whale? This museum houses full-sized models of the 23 species of whale found off Iceland's coast. The largest museum of this…

  • Árbær Open Air Museum

    Reykjavík

    Around 20 quaint old buildings have been transported from their original sites to open-air Árbæjarsafn. Alongside 19th-century homes are a turf-roofed…

  • Hljómskálagarður Park

    Reykjavík

    Hljómskálagarður Park sits on Tjörnin's southeast corner and has a section dedicated to sculptures by five Icelandic women: Gunnfríður Jónsdóttir (1889…

  • Reykjavík Botanic Gardens

    Reykjavík

    More than 5000 varieties of subarctic plants fill the city's botanic gardens, delivering a wealth of colourful seasonal flowers and plenty of birdlife,…

  • Dómkirkja

    Reykjavík

    Iceland’s main cathedral, Dómkirkja is a modest affair, but it played a vital role in the country’s conversion to Lutheranism. The current building (built…

  • Ráðhús

    Reykjavík

    Reykjavík’s waterside Ráðhús is a beautifully positioned postmodern construction of concrete stilts, tinted windows and mossy walls rising from Tjörnin…

  • Volcano House

    Reykjavík

    This modern theatre with a hands-on lava exhibit in the foyer screens a 55-minute pair of films in English (hourly) about the Vestmannaeyjar volcanoes and…

  • Reykjavík Museum of Photography

    Reykjavík

    This gallery room, high above Reykjavík City Library, is well worth a visit for its top-notch exhibitions of regional photographers. If you take the lift…

  • Nýló

    Reykjavík

    This dynamic centre for emerging and established contemporary artists, live music and other performances has a new space in the renovated Marshall House…

  • Aurora Reykjavík

    Reykjavík

    Learn about the classical tales explaining the Northern Lights, and the scientific explanation, then watch a 35-minute surround-sound panoramic high…

  • Jón Sigurðsson Statue

    Reykjavík

    The statue in the centre of Austurvöllur park is of Jón Sigurðsson, who led the campaign for Icelandic independence.

  • Skúli Magnússon Statue

    Reykjavík

    This statue represents Skúli Magnússon, the ‘Father of Reykjavík’, who organised the city's early industry.

  • Unversity of Iceland

    University of Iceland

    Reykjavík

    You'll spot the University of Iceland just south of the city centre, near the National Museum.

  • Landakotskirkja

    Reykjavík

    This working Catholic church was built in 1929 in the Gothic style on a hillock overlooking central Reykjavík. On Saturday the sermon of the 6pm service…