Table of Contents
Introduction
Iceland is the largest city and capital of Iceland and is famous for its outstanding culture and tours. Featuring colorful houses and great restaurants, nightlife, and the opportunity to enjoy nature walking up to waterfalls, volcanoes, geysers and much more, Reykjavik will be a great spot for any traveler.
Sightseeing & Attractions
Tourist attractions and other things to do in Reykjavik are not in any way difficult to come by. Begin your discovery trail at the large and imposing Hallgrimskirkja church , a structure with ultra modern architectural design that stands as a tall 244 feet. Just head to the roof in an elevator to enjoy an interesting view of the abundance of colored roofs and sea waters. Discover Icelandic history and viking culture at the National museum of Iceland that displays 2000 treasures. Stroll along the scenic areas of the Old Harbor filled with restaurants, shops, whale watching tours and sculpture.
After arriving at Reykjavik, let’s explore the beautiful Old Harbor which offers numerous restaurants, shops, whale watching tours, and sculpture. If you wish to dive into the cultural side visit Harpa, the performing arts center in Reykjavik with distinctive architecture.
There is no Iceland visit without understanding its natural geography. Visit sites of Golden Circle that include Gullfoss waterfall, Strokkur geyser, which spouts every five minutes, and the rift valley, and volcanic craters at Thingvellir National Park. Go to the supposedly depicted Blue lagoon geothermal spa or waterfall at Seljalandsfoss which you can walk behind or over the Sólheimajökull glacier where you can walk over the ice. Other common attractions include whales and puffin sighting tours, hiking tours and Northern Lights chasing.
Culture & Nightlife
The city of Reykjavik is young and vibrant and is most widely known for music and entertainment. Watch shows at concert houses like Harpa Concert Hall or in bars where new indie Icelandic bands perform post-rock, electronica, pop and folk music. Some of the other festivals that take place in the country are Iceland Airwaves, Secret Solstice, Sónar Reykjavík and so on. Every year, everybody who appreciates music loves to be associated with these festivals.
As the sun sets, people and tourists, especially inhabitants, rush to the downtown region for nightlife. Pub-crawl through the main street of Laugavegur while trying fabulous Icelandic beer, wine & the infamous Icelandic spirit-known as Brennivín. Move onto Reykjavik and go out to nightclubs or visit places that also host comedy, literary, and other, more unconventional performances.
Cuisine
Thanks to a rising food trend in Iceland, especially in the capital Reykjavik, the new generation of chefs is making most of the effort to stick to traditional local products. Get presidential and order exotic parts like minke whale, puffin, horse, or shark. Become a seafood lover- taste fish, arctic char, salmon, cod, wild-caught langoustine, scallops and more. Other traditional local delicacies also include skýr which is yogurt-like spreads, kleinur a type of doughnut, spiced lamb soup as well as meat stews and gstockfish biscuits and colorful sweets like licorice chocolate. Most restaurants present eating tasting menus for a full sampling of Iceland native culinary features.
Fascinating global foods are also effortlessly available in Reykjavík. Pubs and cafes maintain the latest fashion with varieties of food menu including Japanese, Thai, Italian, Indian and so on. Fast food to gourmet food with refined New Nordic kitchen, and all this next to traditional Icelandic dishes. Cafes are also ideal places to socialize; most people find their way to small and rather inviting coffee establishments. Cafes sell cookies, croissants, bread, and fruits which are the best foods for walking within the city most especially during a busy day.
Shopping & Design
Iceland has a creative design scene that involves a design for sustainability particularly in everyday products and handicrafts. For Nordic minimalism meeting and bohemian creativity head on, shop for stylish housewares, clothing, jewelry, ceramics and art in Reykjavik’s design and concept stores: many of them mine and feature Icelandic natural materials like wool, lava rock and driftwood. Loved souvenirs include Icelandic wool jumpers, fur and shearling jackets, skincare from the Blue Lagoon and other similar stores, fine soaps of various additions, and sweets such as liquorice candy and chocolate dried fish.
Shops selling fashionable clothes branded Iceland create clothes inspired by the harsh and snowy Scandinavian topography – try and look for humane brands that recycle. Most of the stores import production locally or offer unique handmade products that feature the traditional style of Icelandic design with a twist of today. Special Mall treasures range from sea-shells adorned as jewelry to decorative ceramic works made from lava stones and glazed with ashes from a local volcano, apparel and accessories made from quartz crystals, believed to have healing and empowering powers, as well as classy sheepskin and knitted wears.
Lodging
There are a number of hotels in Reykjavik which include design hotels, Icelandic hotel chains which are standard, and apartments and villas for long term stay. A lot of hotels have a modern, almost bland look with focus on glass, both as a material and on the exterior, as many have floor to ceiling windows offering magnificent sea and mountain scenery. As for the amenities the loveliest touches can be found like spas and pools, free cornucopias on breakfast, and gourmet restaurants and cocktail bars.
While the city center is walkable, those who prefer less bustle and more greens can get apartment rentals near the water’s edge or lodges in the wilderness just outside the city. Prices range from $150 to $250 for accommodations. It is advisable that people should book in advance since there is increased traffic on tourists during the summer periods.
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Best Time To Visit
Again, most tourists visit Reykjavik in summer because… May to early September the days are really long and the temperature ranges between 50-60F. The best months for reduced temperatures are May through September, but prices for lodgings and attendees are highest during these months. Their preferred tourist seasons are the late spring and early autumn when the temperature range is between 40’s and low crowd frequency but expected rainy days. Winter seems the least busy but daylight lasts about 4-5 hours and the temperature is very cold despite the scorching sun.
Those wishing to capitalize on the possibility of photographing the magical northern lights would need to plan for the winter months given that this phenomena is predominant during long night periods even though there are records of sightings from late September to April. But all in all, the weather in Iceland is highly unpredictable at any time of the year, so it is better to always be ready with layers of clothing and loose plans.
Conclusion
Boasting diverse stunning landscapes, fantastic adventure tourism opportunities, active music and nightlife scenes, high levels of culture, an exciting burst of creative gastronomy and a highly accessible, compact yet vibrant, designed capital that is full of shops and cafes, Iceland has a whole lot of magic contained within a single Nordic island. While Reykjavik is ideal for basing yourself with a living city center being a sight in its own right, the diverse topography of the country demands a visit on the Golden Circle tours or glacier, lava tunnel, spelunking trips amongst others.
Iceland goes on to become a well sought after travel location that captures the world’s fancy with its active volcanic landscape which can offer rail experiences but is also punctuated by rejuvenating soaks in natural hot springs watching the mesmerizing skylight show by the ethereal Northern Lights. Any putters, nature and culture seeking traveler who is looking for that something different and distinctive, less explored place is likely to find that in Iceland in its truest sense.
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FAQs
For how many days would you recommend a stay in Reykjavik?
The majority of tourists get to spend between 48 and 96 hours discovering the city, with tourists using Reykjavik as a base from which to explore the landscapes of Iceland. You can fill 1-3 days seeing the top attractions in the city itself including Hallgrímskirkja church, the new and impressive Harpa concert hall, the Old Harbor and numerous museums, galleries, shops, cafes and nightlife venues.
What is the most convenient transport in Reykjavik?
As mentioned above the touring in Reykjavik is mostly walking, the city has quite a small downtown area. There is also a bus service and taxi with the actual ride service providers such as Uber not in operation. There are city sightseeing companies whose buses conduct city tours within the city and to other regions outside the city. Taking your own car is easy and flexible for independent touring but winter calls for off road vehicles 4 X 4.
What should you be prepared to wear if you are going to Reykjavik?
It was indicated that there are fluctuations of weather frequently in Iceland and thus the kind of clothes that should be taken is multi-layered. They consider waterproofing, jackets, boots and pants, woolen base layer and sock, sweaters, thermal wear, gloves, hat, scarfs as necessities. Having things such as hiking pants, gloves and scarfs, and everyday clothes for the city as well as outdoor wear are some ways of being prepared for all situations.
