National Museum of Iceland
National Museum of Iceland
4.5
Speciality & Gift ShopsArt MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
What makes a nation? The Museum's permanent exhibition, Making of a Nation - Heritage and History in Iceland, is intended to provide insight into the history of the Icelandic nation from Viking era to modern times. The exhibition is conceived as a journey through time: it begins with the ship in which medieval settlers crossed the ocean to their new home, it ends in a modern airport, the Icelanders' gateway to the world.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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$18.30
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  • Ričards Edijs
    Latvia430 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A place to see Iceland from different perspectives
    First, the museum has a lot to offer and see; the experience can be tiring. Thankfully, there is an audioguide included in the ticket price which is very helpful. Secondly, I would advise you to consider creating your own 'track' based on your preferences (e.g., culture, art, history, everyday life, etc.). There was a very interesting possibility to take a special queer-themed route through the exhibition which allowed me to see Iceland from yet another perspective. Highly recommended if you do not have much time to spend in Iceland, yet want to have a general understanding of the historic development.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written October 19, 2023
  • Archie K
    London, United Kingdom242 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative history of Iceland worth visiting
    Informative history of Iceland. Good chronological walk through the history and culture of Iceland with some interesting pieces on display including tools and weapons from the first settlers. Particularly enjoyed description of iron ore extraction and conversion to ignots. Work th going but like so much in Iceland it’s quite expensive!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written December 6, 2023
  • Poppenlander
    275 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    For the History Buffs
    The permanent exhibit at the National Museum of Iceland covers the original settling of the country and the subsequent history. Unlike many countries on the planet, Iceland was not colonized by European settlers; there were no indigenous peoples here. Instead, folks of Norwegian and Anglo-Saxon descent traveled across the sea in the eighth or ninth century and decided to set up a home in this isolated land. The museum has artifacts from the earliest centuries, including materials from the longboats, tools, housing materials, and more. The exhibit then walks you through the history of the country, century by century. Probably the most interesting part of the history deals with the coming of Christianity and how this religion grew and was syncretized with other so-called pagan faiths. The modern era material is perhaps less compelling, although a few items on the countries involvement in WWII and the "cod wars" with the UK provide some amusement. By the time I got to this section, probably 90 minutes in to my tour, my brain had turned off. History buffs will likely love this. I found it good, and well curated, but perhaps a little too detailed to be truly fascinating for the average person.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 25, 2023
  • breakthecageUK
    Bristol, United Kingdom20 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    National Museum of Iceland visit
    A nicely laid out museum about a 20 minute walk from the centre of Reykjavík. It costs about £20 per person to get in, and this seems to be a fairly standard rate for all the museums we visited. There are lockers downstairs to leave your daysack in (if like us you have one). The displays are great but do focus a lot on the Christian influences in Iceland. There is a small section as you enter the main display area which are more ‘Viking era’, and this includes the fantastic Eyrarland Statue which may represent Thor. I also really enjoyed seeing the rebuilt wooden house that was in use until the 1950s. There is a cafe downstairs and the shop had some interesting books and souvenirs. Worth a visit but don’t expect a lot of Viking era displays. Note - one of the reasons for visiting Iceland was having read the Sagas and Prose Edda et al. So I do have a bias.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 7, 2024
  • LizJD81
    34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating national history museum
    Fascinating museum documenting the history of Iceland's colonisation and life in Iceland through the post medieval and modern periods. The exhibits are laid out in chronological order starting on the second floor and moving up to the third. We had a coffee/pastry/chess break between the second and third floors (there is a cafe on the ground floor with the gift shop). There was a fair amount of Viking era archaeological artefacts and info, including a couple of burials, then a large amount of early Christian artefacts, fabrics and manuscripts. The top floor continued from around the 16th century into the modern era, with some fascinating magical/ritual objects and reconstructions of a house and a whaling boat. There is a free audio guide and a pdf which are highly recommended for additional information, but every exhibit is described in English as well as Icelandic.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 10, 2024
  • sammy
    Rome, Italy11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Really interesting museum
    I didn’t know what to expect from this museum and it doesn’t look much from the outside, but I was pleasantly surprised! Lots of interesting information about how Icelanders used to live and settlers. The temporary photo exhibition was great. The artifacts from the past were interesting and the replica bath house.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 20, 2024
  • jayfi303
    Cambridge, United Kingdom16 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great museum!
    We chose to visit here rather than some of the other museums in Reykjavik mainly based on cost. We are so pleased we did. This museum is well presented and gives a comprehensive history of the country with lots of information to read and exhibits to look at. There were plenty interactive displays and several aimed at younger visitors. The staff were all friendly and welcoming. We had a drink and cake at the cafe, which was reasonably priced. In terms of price, children under 17 are free, and students less than half adult price. We really enjoyed our visit and would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Reykjavik.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 22, 2024
  • Lainie L
    New York City, New York478 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A fascinating look at how Iceland began!
    The museum is a 11 minute walk from the Settlement Exhibition. Like all the museums in Iceland, this is a small museum comprising of two floors that sheds light on the history of Iceland; how it began, the original settlers, paganism, the rise and fall of Christianity, how the country became predominantly Lutheran, and the modern Iceland as we know it now. It was informative, interesting, and history fans will enjoy this, as I did. I didn't know much about Iceland but after visiting the museum, I know LOTS! There are some great artifacts on display, especially the religious objects. The price of admission is fair (for Iceland) and a good place to while away an hour or two.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written March 30, 2024
  • AK8397
    Ontario, Canada1,018 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    History before your eyes
    This museum presents a comprehensive summary of the history of Iceland. There are lots of artifacts, displays, explanations and recreations for you to enjoy. If you are into this type of educational, historical museum, then this is the place for you. Very high quality, but a bit dry. If you want something better for kids and interactive entertainment, the Perlan museum has more.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 29, 2024
  • Julie Tait
    Brisbane, Australia45 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Must Do in Reykjavik
    We visited the National Museum of Iceland. The museum displays objects that provide insight into Icelandic cultural history. The National Museum of Iceland was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 6, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,979 reviews
Excellent
2,057
Very good
1,471
Average
380
Poor
61
Terrible
10

Malgorzata
12,085 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019
Very interesting. It's not a huge museum but it's great. It is museum that houses a number of fascinating artifacts from the country's history. The narrative of Iceland is played out through two floors of chronological advancing pieces. Great exhibition, nicely curated with a a very complete collection. Great artifacts. When Iwas there it wasn't very crowded.Very nice and helpful staff. Great cafe and shop too. This museum is a great way to spend a few hours just outside of the main tourism streets of Reykjavik.
Written March 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steviefull
Kidderminster, UK2,040 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
We arrived here without booking a tour and in hindsight a guided tour would have given us a much better insight into the displays. Saying that we still had a good couple of hours here exploring the exhibits, with each area showing different modern ages of Iceland from 800's up to the 2000's.

With a low entry fee for Iceland of around £12.00 for an adult, it is well worth a visit if you are spending more than a couple of days here and a good way to spend two hours. I still preferred the more interactive displays of Perlan, but if you can do both it is worth it.
Written September 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JillG411
London, UK84 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
The museum is well appointed with lockers for th elarge amount of outerwear you will inevitably have when visiting Icland and clean toilets. Then it is upstairs to a chronological exploration of how Iceland came into being. Did you know Iceland was under Danish rule for over 300 years or that Iceland only got full independance in 1944? Amazing! I am sure you will have interesting facts that stick in your head too. There are headphones at various points which play people talking about their lives- a great way to bring history alive. The artefacts were interesting and I was able to draw comparisons with Shetland way of life- turf houses and knitting etc. Later artefacts were very European so it was fascinating.
If you like History and want to get a handle on Icelandic history and culture, then this is a great visit. My husband and I were there for three hours.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annando36
Warrington, UK89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This is an amazing museum. I'm not one for museums but this one had laid out all the information in such an engaging way that it was hard not to be impressed. There was so much information and the exhibits were extremely well displayed. We spent a good 2 and a half hours here. There were free lockers on the basement floor which meant we didn't have to carry coats and bags around with us. Highly recommended and great for children
Written February 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AEC
77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
I spent over 3 hours in this wonderful museum where the entire history of Iceland is well documented. Because of the corona virus pandemic there were only a few people there which was a bonus for me as I had time to read everything and spend time looking at the artifacts. I would happily go back again. The staff were first class particularly the male attendant at the entrance who was very knowledgeable about the museum. The cafe in the building is excellent and the staff very helpful. It is a "must see" for anyone visiting Iceland
Written March 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trevor F
Camberley, UK38 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Great museum to visit as it gives a comprehensive view of Iceland's history over the past 1,000 plus years.
Museum is well laid out with audio guides to help you better understand the exhibits and their relevance.
We spent about 3-hours soaking up the atmosphere and came out much smarter then when we entered!
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SROVirginia
Leesburg, VA377 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Well-laid-out and comprehensive history of Iceland with artifacts from early settlements through the Middle Ages and up to the late 20th Century. Spacious facility. Clear signage in Icelandic and English, explaining the Viking era, the arrival of Christianity, Iceland's various European overlords, etc. Avid history buffs should purchase the annual pass for multiple visits. Easy walk from the harbor/hotel area of downtown. Definitely worth your time.
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trav_LN_now
Crystal Lake, IL512 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We loved the National Museum of Iceland. It was so well laid out and flowed beautifully. It really gave you a solid history of Iceland's story from beginning to present day. We aren't necessarily people who always need to hit the museums when we travel, but we were glad we made time for this one. Free parking.
Written March 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Weism
New Jersey237 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Although the museum had some interesting presentation, the overall lack of a curatorial order and structure made the whole experience feel rather confusing with the sense that a great deal was missing or left unsaid. It felt scattershot in the presentation. Quite pricey for this quality of experience. Too bad.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Annelies B
Antwerp Province, Belgium203 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
I visited this museum also a couple of years ago, and was stunned again by the extensiveness of the information and topics. Certainly the first rooms took me a large amount of time, to soak in all the information and watch the many videos. This museum is absolutely worth the visit!
Written September 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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National Museum of Iceland - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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