Things to Do in Reykjavik, Iceland - Reykjavik Attractions
Things to Do in Reykjavik
Natural wonders abound in the Golden Circle. Relax at the Blue Lagoon, take a day trip to Gulfoss waterfall, or spot the Northern Lights on a nighttime excursion. For personalized recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
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Book these experiences for a close-up look at Reykjavik.
- fromper adult$125
Culinary Toursfromper adult$127
Private and Luxuryfromper adult$229
On the Waterfromper adult$99
On the Waterfromper adult$119
Half-day Toursfromper adult$122
Theater Showsfromper adult$47
Thermal Spas & Hot Springsfromper adult$130
Cavingfromper adult$57
Horseback Ridingfromper adult$129
Churches & Cathedrals
Landmark Lutheran church featuring a striking pipe organ and minimalist interior, with a bell tower providing panoramic city views and a serene, light-filled ambience.
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Speciality Museums
Admission tickets from $47
Interactive natural history exhibits, panoramic views from an observation deck, and a unique ice cave experience, alongside a planetarium show on the aurora borealis.
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Architectural Buildings
Modern architectural landmark with guided tours, scenic harbor views, and a unique gift shop. Features colorful glass panels and a play area for children.
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Monuments & Statues
Points of Interest & Landmarks
Vibrant pedestrian street lined with colorful buildings, local art, and a mix of traditional and arty shops. Ideal for leisurely strolls, window shopping, and cultural immersion.
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Speciality Museums
Museum with a well-preserved Viking longhouse and early settler artifacts, showcasing interactive displays and a narrative of local history through immersive exhibits.
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Interactive exhibition with a focus on the Northern Lights, featuring informative displays, a cinema, VR experiences, and a photo center. Complimentary hot drinks available.
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Sports Complexes
Warm outdoor pools and hot tubs provide a relaxing atmosphere for family-friendly swimming and soaking, with an Olympic-sized option for avid swimmers and a steam room for unwinding.
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Speciality Museums
Unique zoological museum with a collection showcasing animal and mythical creature reproductive organs, complemented by a cafe serving themed treats and a humor-filled gift shop.
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Speciality Museums
Interactive maritime museum chronicling Iceland's fishing legacy through exhibits on boats, gear, and the coast guard. Features include a family-friendly atmosphere and panoramic restaurant views.
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Other Top Attractions around Reykjavik
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
What travelers are saying
- Inspire401745Wakefield, UK27 contributionsAmazingly beautiful and striking church. We did the tower visit (elevator provided) for wonderful views of Reykjavik. There was even an organist playing when we were there to add to the atmospheric effect.Written March 10, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- No NameRuncorn, UK13 contributionsSeen the northern lights, luckily enough. It’s all about your phone, do your research.
Enjoyed three nights, probably enough time with the kids. Be carful driving, no one indicates, we nearly got side swiped, by a car blasting through red lights, be aware. Had a steak dinner x3 in the blue lagoon £220. Great experience bit of time with my kids, loved it.
Been there seen it and done it. 👊Written March 9, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - HolidaymakerfromHoveBrighton and Hove, UK2,985 contributionsWe only popped inside for a look. There was not an event on.
Beautiful building both inside and out. It was overcast on the day we visited. Would imagine it’s amazing in the sunshine.
Nice, expensive gift shop.
Payable toilet facilities on the lower ground floor.
Well worth a look when in the area.Written February 20, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Sid5515Bangi, Malaysia1,191 contributionsJust have a short walk there while enjoying view of the mountain and the sea. The sculpture itself is just average for me, maybe interesting if there is aurora appeared at night at that place. Either walking from nearby neighbourhood or from Harpa Concert Hall, you can also drive car and park at the dedicated area at the roadside.Written February 24, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- HolidaymakerfromHoveBrighton and Hove, UK2,985 contributionsThe main strip, shopping street in Reykjavik. We walked it a couple of times during our weekend stay.
Lots of bars, restaurants, clothing shops, street art and many, many gift shops.
Recommended when in the area.Written February 22, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Craig R7 contributionsI started at the northeast entrance at the corner of Adalstraeti and Grjotagata, which was a bit backwards historically but I might have missed interesting bits had I started at the main entrance. I saw, first, one of the oldest surviving houses in town, with a bit of history on its occupants, then saw two (smallish) floors of Reykjavik's development in the last few centuries before descending to the basement for the main attraction, which really was well done. Be sure to take the time to read all the screens on the interactive exhibit about language and genealogy on the periphery. The main dig was well explained, and the use of dating techniques was interesting.Written January 10, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jean J3 contributionsIt was a fabulous experience, spellbinding, especially as we didn't really see much in reality must come back!
Recommended wholeheartedly.Written February 8, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Tom&NikkiTravelLondon, UK1,901 contributionsIt is really quite hard to summarise the "Ring Road" of Iceland in words but I'm certainly going to give it a go! One of the first things to mention is that the Ring Road is not fully paved nor does it include ALL of the big sights in Iceland - you will often have to detour from the ring road to see some of these - albeit for the most part they are very worth it.
When you google "how many kilometres is the ring road in Iceland?" you will likely get the answer it is 1332km. In reality by the time we'd driven all of the little side roads and detours we clocked in 2500km!!! This will largely be dependent on what you want to see and when you go to visit as there are parts of the ring road that are not accessible all year round.
On that note...if you are considering driving the ring road there are a couple of key considerations you need to make.
1. Time of Year
The ring road as I mentioned above is not fully accessible at all times of year and this needs to be considered before simply booking. It is also worth noting that due to weather you could wake up one morning and find a section of the road closed so when thinking about hotels etc you need to be flexible when booking on the shoulder seasons.
2. Sights and Activities
If you are considering the ring road I would first detail out what you want to see and where it is, that way you can evaluate if driving the full loop or only part of it is the best option. The south and south-east coast offer some of the typical "highlights of Iceland" and are the "busiest" areas to visit due to the accessibility and proximity of the sights to the road. On this part of the ring road the surface is also mostly tarmac and smooth sailing.
3. Driver confidence
As with anywhere in Iceland the weather can change at the blink of an eye, even more so when you get up the east coast and into the north. We visited in August 2024 and had beautiful sunshine on the south-east coast but a day later driving up the east towards Lake Myvatn we had snow driving over mountain roads...in AUGUST!
4. Preparation
It really can't be stressed enough but preparation will be key to a decent road trip in Iceland. There are 2 applications that should be downloaded and checked before each driving stint that of SafeTravel.Is and the more local Vedur app. These cover road closures, eruption updates and key information. The Vedur app is better for more local weather and road information updates. Another thing to make sure of is that you have a couple of bank cards specifically for fuelling the car. We used both Credit and Debit cards whilst out in Iceland of which were Mastercard and didn't have any issues.
-----------A HUGE TIP-----------
When fuelling the car do not, I repeat DO NOT use the "Fill Tank" option as this will put a huge hold on the card of around £100-200. Instead use the preselected Krona options and either use the largest number if you need to put a significant amount in or a smaller number if you're just topping up - you will only pay for what you use and avoid the large hold.
-----------The Road and Attractions-----------
The South Coast
After picking up your car at Keflavik if you take the counter-clockwise route you will be driving the South coast first. Often the busiest area due to the world famous sights on offer and the close proximity to Reykjavik its no surprise people are keen to see it. Some key sights include:
- Seljalandsfoss
- Skogafoss
- Reynisfjara Beach (Black Sand Beach)
- Solheimajokull Glacier
- Crashed DC-3 Plane
- Dyrhólaey (Great for puffins)
- Vik town
- Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
- Skaftafell
- Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon & Diamond Beach
The East Coast
Driving further on from Jokulsarlon up the east coast this is where the really "untamed" side of Iceland started to appear. Once you drive past the town of Djúpivogur the option to drive the 939 (shorter route) to Egilsstaðir as opposed to an extra hour or so up the coastal 1 road. The 939 is a mountain pass, very gravelly and plenty of steep drops so be sure to be comfortable if you consider it, we did it but it quickly started to rain and fog rolled in - not fun!
Other key sights include:
- Hofn
- Vestrahorn
- Stokksnes
- Eystrahorn
- Seydisfjordur
- Egilsstaðir
- Hengifoss
The North
So this leg of the drive was probably the most interesting for us, having stayed in the coastal town of Seydisfjordur we then drove through Egilsstaðir and over to Lake Mývatn before finishing the day in Akureyri. This felt like a lot of driving for the single day and would best be broken up to allow for more time to take it all in. The roads from Egilsstaðir to Akureyri go up into the mountains and are truly beautiful. We had a blizzard when driving through this leg and to see the snow covered highlands in August was phenomenal! There are some fantastic and other worldly sights up this way including the rather eggy sulphur rich Mývatn area.
Other sights to include:
- Studlagil Canyon
- Lake Mývatn
- Hverfjall
- Viti Crater
- Dettifoss
- Goddafoss
- Grafarkirkja
- Hvitserkur
The West Coast
When people want to see some of the best of Iceland whilst only staying in Reykjavik they'll often be referred to the Snæfellsnes peninsula on the west coast as it is perfect for a day or two from the city.
- Kirkjufell
- Kirkjufellsfoss
- Snæfellsnes National Park
- Saxholl Crater
- Arnarstapi
- Budakirkja
- Reykjavik
Hopefully the above may prove helpful if you are considering it, if you are and are at a point of 'Yes' or 'No' - just do it! Its the trip of a lifetime and regardless of the weather you get - you won't forget it!Written December 23, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - SercivecriticNI21 contributionsWith blue lagoon trip cancelled and other locations booked up/no car. This was a fantastic substitution, the outside pool was very quiet and there was a number of hot thermal water pools beside the main pool all of which were a different temperature (also a 4-8degrees pool or ice pool) as well as a steam room. It was -7 outside however it was great to relax and chill out after lots of walking,
The location is fairly accessible to from the centre and although the facility has probably been there for a number of years it is still a greet facility.
Highly recommended if visiting Iceland
Very pleasant staff.
Do what the locals do would be my tip.Written November 30, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Ross M1 contributionReally enjoyed the museum however we were let down by the advertising of gluten free waffles - these are not in fact gluten free as they are cooked in the same pan as all the other waffles meaning they are unsafe for coeliacs - left hungry….please change your advertising for this.Written March 15, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- GarybaldbeeLondon, UK35 contributionsMy expectations were pretty low. This is, after all, essentially a museum about fishing, which sounds about as dull as it can get. But I must admit that I enjoyed my visit. The museum is small - it only takes an hour or so to cover it fairly thoroughly - but its thoughtfully presented and visually interesting. Yes, there are displays about fishing industry processes but there are also plenty of interesting artefacts and some fascinating model ships. We didn't realise the boat outside was also part of the museum until we overheard another visitor enquiring about it just as we were leaving, which was a shame. Perhaps that aspect needs to be advertised a little more prominently.
This isn't going to be the highlight of your trip to Iceland but its definitely worth a short visit.Written October 5, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Fidya GKaty, TX1 contributionNice place to visit, great landscape with informative and well-preserved and well decorated houses. Bonus: if you come at the right time, there are sheeps you can pet!Written November 13, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
When to Visit
- January32 ºFColdest month16 days of rainWettest monthLess busyLeast busy month
- February33 ºF15 days of rainLess busy
- March34 ºF15 days of rainModerately busy
- April38 ºF12 days of rainModerately busy
- May44 ºF10 days of rainVery busyBusiest month
- June50 ºF9 days of rainVery busy
- July53 ºFHottest month10 days of rainVery busy
- August52 ºF12 days of rainVery busy
- September47 ºF14 days of rainLess busy
- October40 ºF14 days of rainModerately busy
- November36 ºF14 days of rainLess busy
- December33 ºF16 days of rainModerately busy
The above attraction descriptions were created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for any of the above attraction descriptions. Please read full traveler reviews for more details and information.
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