The Icelandic capital is a young and culturally vibrant metropolis that serves as a gateway to the kind of breathtaking natural sights that travelers plan their entire lives around seeing. The Grandi District in the Old Harbour is an excellent example of how Reykjavk constantly evolves like any hip city.
Former fish processing plants have been transformed into artful tourist destinations, and murals and contemporary Nordic cuisine can be found everywhere. Harpa, a cultural center with a mesmerizing facade by lafur Eliasson, was built on the waterfront as a monument for 21st-century Reykjavk.
In the summer, you may go whale watching in Fax Bay, and in the winter, you can stay in Reykjavk’s warm embrace. Let’s find out what Reykjavik has to offer by checking out its top attractions.
1. Golden Circle
This 300-kilometer round begins in Reykjavk and travels across the southern uplands to three of Iceland’s most impressive natural attractions.
First, head just over an hour east of the city to ingvellir National Park, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site and features a canyon formed by the collision of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates as well as the original location of the Alingi, one of the oldest parliament in the world, founded in 930. A stunning 32-meter-tall double waterfall, Gullfoss, can be found in the Haukadalur valley, along with hot springs, mud pots, and geysers like Strokkur.
2. Solar Voyager
The Solar Voyager has been a well-known function of Reykjavik’s waterfront since 1990 and is claimed to be a logo of Icelandic goals of hope, progress and freedom. This sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason is a outstanding landmark that displays the spirit of town. Many guests consider it to be a Viking long-ship – nonetheless, this was not the unique intention and it’s in reality a dream boat and ode to the solar, representing a promise of undiscovered territory. A delicate stroll alongside the waterfront at sundown, while admiring the view of the bay and Mount Esja past, is the proper solution to take it in.
3. Hallgrímskirkja Church
The spectacular Hallgrímskirkja Church in Reykjavik is one in all Iceland’s most well-known buildings. Constructed between 1945 and 1986, this Lutheran (Church of Iceland) church was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson and its tower resembles the basalt pillar formations attribute of some components of the nation. Along with the tower, there’s a conventional nave plus a cylindrical sanctuary on the different finish of the church which is claimed to resemble a Viking warfare helmet. For a small price, guests can go up the tower – one of many tallest buildings in Iceland at virtually 75 metres excessive – by way of a raise and entry an commentary deck with views over town.
4. Harpa Live performance Corridor
The Harpa Live performance Corridor in Reykjavik is an exquisite and fashionable live performance corridor and convention centre, designed by the Danish agency Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. Its metal framework clad with geometric-shaped glass panels makes it one of many metropolis’s most putting landmarks, in addition to a centre of cultural and social life, and a vacationer attraction in its personal proper. It was to be a part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn space, full with a 400-room lodge, luxurious flats, retail items, eating places and a parking lot; nonetheless, this needed to be scaled again when the 2008 Icelandic monetary disaster took maintain. Iceland’s authorities funded the rest of the live performance corridor’s building and at present it homes the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the workplaces of The Icelandic Opera.
5. Sky Lagoon
Simply to the south of downtown Reykjavik, Sky Lagoon is a geothermal spa that opened in 2021. It boats a 70-metre infinity-edged geothermal pool with a swim-up bar and gorgeous views of the North Atlantic, in addition to being identified for its distinctive seven-step ritual expertise. Away from town centre, this luxury thermal spa is your gateway to feeling calm, rejuvenated and stress-free in a magical artifical lagoon.
6. Árbæjarsafn
Skansen, or another similar open-air museum, is essential to the Nordic identity, and Reykjavk would not qualify as a Nordic capital without one. To keep a bit of ancient Reykjavk alive amongst the city’s rapid development, rbaejarsafn was established in 1957 on a defunct farm.
Nearly all of the museum’s buildings are original, most of which go back to the nineteenth century. There’s a general store, a blacksmith’s shop, a stable, a gold miner’s home with an exhibit on life during the Great Depression, and much more. The museum is usually open from June to August but also hosts a Christmas program in December.
7. A Reykjavik swimming pool
A swimming pool is a well-liked approach for locals to spend time enjoyable in Iceland, however can (and may!) be skilled by vacationers too. There are a minimum of seven public baths to select from in Reykjavik; we visited Sundhöllin, the oldest swimming pool within the metropolis which has the identical designer as Hallgrímskirkja Church (Guðjón Samúelsson). Sundhöllin was renovated in 2017 and is at present residence to each an indoor and outside pool, a lap pool, a youngsters’s pool, three scorching tubs, a chilly tub and two saunas. Give visiting a standard Icelandic swimming expertise a attempt, however do watch out to stick to the showering guidelines and etiquette. Reykjavik’s swimming swimming pools supply a enjoyable solution to loosen up on holidays. Go to one in all these swimming pools and expertise a refreshing swim, or reap the benefits of the pool’s amenities.
8. Viðey Island
The tiny island of Viey sits in the Kollfjörur, not far from the city’s waterfront. Elding’s Viey, rich in history and contemporary culture, is accessible via frequent ferry crossings. On your bike or foot, you may explore the island and look for Viey House, the first stone building in Iceland and the oldest church in the country. Modern landmarks, such as Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower light display, stand out against the island’s sparse heathland.
From the mainland, this glowing pillar is visible between October 9 (Lennon’s birthday) and December 8 (the anniversary of his death). On a clear night, the beam can reach as high as four kilometers from the stone base, shaped like a drum. Milestones, an environmental artwork by Richard Serra, is located on the western side of Viey and consists of a row of basalt columns that allude to Iceland’s geology and terrain.
9. FlyOver Iceland
FlyOver Iceland is an immersive expertise the place you possibly can soar over the huge landscapes of Iceland. This dramatic ‘flight’ over a few of the the nation’s most spectacular landscapes enables you to witness unbelievable panoramas. Discover Iceland with a digital actuality tour, with an incredible chicken’s eye view of Iceland’s pure wonders. This simulation needs to be skilled to be believed!
10. Perlan
Perlan launched its first museum, and throughout 2018, the venue has been adding more exhibits and activities. The highlight of the ambitious Glaciers and Ice exhibition is a 100-meter ice tunnel, which visitors will explore while wearing cold weather gear and learning about the millennia of volcanic ash preserved in its walls.
Observe the iconic Vatnajökull from every angle in a 360° panorama that is part of an interactive tour of Iceland’s glaciers on the floor above. A glacier, the Atlantic Ocean, mountains, and volcanoes may all be seen from the outside observation deck on the building’s fourth story, equipped with telescopes and informational panels.