THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Reykjavik
Best Free Things to Do in Reykjavik
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Speciality Museums • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Admission tickets from $47
Architectural Buildings • Theaters
Miðborg
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Miðborg
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Geologic Formations
Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Walking Areas
Miðborg
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Showing results 1-30 of 96
What travelers are saying
- Marcy AHouston, TX240 contributionsWe enjoyed going to the bell/observation tower. Great views and highly recommend going to the cathedral. We also were there for the fireworks for new years eve. An excellent display.Written January 21, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Shimpy5Damascus, MD10 contributionsThe real attraction here is the 360 degree view from the observation deck - you can take it all of Reykjavik (and beyond) and get amazing pictures that show some of the variety of the Icelandic landscape.
The ice cave is great for those who can't do a real ice cave due to cost or age - having done both, I can confirm it's a close enough substitute for the real thing to make you feel like you've experienced an iconic Icelandic outing.
The Planetarium show is great if you don't have time to go chasing the Northern Lights. (But absolutely nothing is as good as finding the aurora outside!) And of course the talk is quite educational.
You can easily spend half a day or more here!Written January 12, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - scubacol11Rotherham, UK2,366 contributionsVisited twice, once in daytime and the in the evening for a concert. The building has amazing architecture and has won awards for it, so much glass at so many angles, and looks completely different at night. Saw the Icelandic symphony orchestra performing their new year Vienna concert, so great to see and hear a full orchestra playing live with tickets at a very accessible price. Car parking is available underneath the venue, but it is much cheaper just over the road and only about 200 mrts walk back. Highly recommend visiting both day and night, especially if you can get to see a show.Written January 21, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- scubacol11Rotherham, UK2,366 contributionsLovely sculpture of a boat well worth a visit, lovely views over the bay would be a great place in summer to spend some time sitting and watching.Written January 19, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Małgosia SLeczyca, Poland524 contributionsÍsland is amazing. I love her harsh climate. But Reykjavik is a very beautiful city. Low architekturę and beautiful streets.Written November 14, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tom&NikkiTravelLondon, UK1,905 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. - scubacol11Rotherham, UK2,366 contributionsGreat view over the bay from the car park in daylight, you can walk to the lighthouse, but there is no path and the ground is quite uneven and not lit at night and when the tide is in quite narrow. The car park is very popular at night as it is a well known spot to wait for the northern lights, we were there for four evenings and managed to see them once.Written January 19, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- David APreston, UK532 contributionsThis is a fantastic nature reserve that you get to by ferry. We had a 2 day city card that included this trip. You do need to check ferry times as their website wasn’t overly accurate. The island has an interesting history and there are many places that will explain it. There is an art installation as well as the natural wildlife. Paths are marked out as good, ok and a little tricky. Definitely well worth a visit.Written August 13, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- saigon75Austin, TX549 contributionsWe bought loads of chocolate bars & dried fish for friends back home. While prices are great compared to other stores, we were surprised that the airport was selling same chocolates at lower prices on a sale. And wine we bought at vinbudin (?) also less because on sale at airport tho Vinbudin has great prices too. We are still glad we bought early & packed but just an observation.Written September 14, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- LouDerbyshire, UK496 contributionsWe called in here as we wanted a specific itinerary and they didn’t let us down.
We had 4 amazing places to visit in one trip and all was so incredible.
Carlos the driver and tour guide was so knowledgeable.
Definitely recommend if your visitingWritten January 3, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Sandra MHenderson, NV412 contributionsNice statue & while we were there poor Leif got a visit from a pigeon on his head. It is right in front of Hallgrimskirja-- so visit there too!Written September 16, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tom&NikkiTravelLondon, UK1,905 contributionsWhilst on the last leg of our mammoth road trip in Iceland we were gifted some wonderful weather in Reykjavik. Given we have previously visited Reykjavik a couple of times before we had seen the usual "sights" and were taking a much more relaxed approach to our time. As the sun was shining we opted to take a stroll around lake Tjornin, enjoying the warmth of the sun and embracing the local wildlife it was a lovely stroll along the waterfront with a few statues dotted along the way.
The walk around the lake only took about 30 minutes and was a lovely break away from the tourist hustle and bustle of Laugavegur.Written September 28, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Thomas VOakland, CA18,936 contributionsThe Opera performs in the amazing Harpa center, which also has shops and places to eat and drink. The building is very striking, a true landmark and the theater for the Opera is also quite amazing. We saw a mini performance here.Written July 24, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- traveljunkie1983Calgary, Canada348 contributionsHaukadalur Geothermal Area was what my 5 & 7 year olds chose as the major highlight of Iceland. I have to agree with them that it was an amazing place! The Strokkur Geyser erupts every 5 min or so and every time it was shock and awe for everyone there. It was a busy spot, but there are lots of places to walk and spread out. We didn't hike up to the look out point as our littles were tired and not interested, but I imagine it would be fun to see the view from there. There is a free parking lot here as well, and a gift shop/restaurant and bathroom here as well.Written September 24, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Ava C11 contributionsSome nice clothes but above vintage prices in other areas. Lovely icelandic knits that were slightly better value than newly boughtWritten October 3, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
