Best things to do in Reykjavik

Reykjavik is known by many as the city of ice and fire, as it has a high level of volcanic activity, but at the same time, impressive icy landscapes, with icebergs and glacial lagoons, among others. In addition, every year, the Icelandic capital is the site of a natural phenomenon unique to these latitudes: the Northern Lights.

The beauty of Reykjavík lies mainly in the natural monuments along its coastline: mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls, beaches, glaciers, geothermal pools and lagoons. All of them magical destinations for any tourist. So, if this Icelandic city is among your travel options, you will be interested to know what to see and do in Reykjavik.

Reykjavík is a colourful city dominated by low-rise architecture, pitched roofs, traditionally timber-framed and mostly clad in corrugated metal.

Its streets are generally easy to navigate, with no set route, as the main attractions are within minutes of each other. However, if you want to make the most of your time and learn about the city's history as you go, you might want to join one of Reykjavik's guided tours.

Walking tour

With the walking tour you will get to know the entire city centre of Reykjavík together with a native guide, who will tell you about Icelandic mythology, the history of the Vikings and how they settled in this region.

He will also guide you through the iconic and visually appealing landmarks such as the Harpa Concert Hall, which has an impressive geometric design.

You will also pass by the Hallgrímskirkja church, the parliament building, the pond, museums, markets, etc. Please note that there are other routes, but it all depends on the tour you book.

Bicycle tour

Reykjavík bike tours offer a different perspective of the city streets and therefore the buildings, monuments and other attractions. You can move freely on two wheels through the city centre, the old town and other hidden places, which you will discover together with a specialised guide.

The tour takes in the Old Port, with its breathtaking view of the sea and the beach. You will also pass by the University of Iceland, the Parliament, the Nordic House and the pond, among other places of interest, depending on the selected route.

This is definitely a good option if you don't know what to do in Reykjavík in summer.

But you also have other options such as: touring Reykjavík by bus or discovering the city on the best boat tours.

During your visit to Reykjavík you can explore the city's restaurants and cafés to get to know its gastronomy. In this way, you'll discover surprising recipes that might initially seem a little exotic, but are actually part of Icelandic tradition, dating back to Viking times.

You will also find recipes that demonstrate the ingenuity of the Icelanders, such as hot dogs with lamb sausage and delicious sauces.

You can venture out on your own. Ideally, however, you should book one of the best food tours in Reykjavík around the city centre.

This way, you will have a specialised guide by your side who will take you directly to the best restaurants, which will save you time. In addition, this person will teach you the history behind each preparation and some curious facts about Icelandic cuisine.

Among other dishes, you will be able to try Minke whale meat, fermented shark or hákarl.

You will also often have the opportunity to taste a delicious lobster soup or Icelandic lamb soup, which are meals usually eaten during the winter season to warm up the body.

You can also enjoy rye bread ice cream and the famous Skyr, a cream cheese made from skimmed milk, which is used in a number of desserts such as blueberry pie.

There are many glacial lagoons surrounding Reykjavík. All of them offer truly amazing scenery, such as the glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón, Sólheimajökull and Fjallsárlón.

The hidden lagoon at the Golden Circle and the hot springs of Mývatn are also outstanding. All of them have crystal-clear, calm waters and floating icebergs. These are a series of icy natural spaces that you can visit through different excursions and getaways from Reykjavik:

Enjoy the scenery or go kayaking

Guided walks around the glacial lagoons from Reykjavik and sailing the calm waters in a kayak or zodiac boat are popular activities. You can also go snorkelling.

During snorkelling you can enjoy privileged views from different perspectives of the explored region.

Therefore, if you are interested in this type of experience, you don't have to worry about having little free time in your itinerary. You will be able to choose between several options regarding the duration of the tour, being able to spend from six hours to two or more days in contact with nature.

For professional photography

Iceland's glacial lagoons are a must-see destination for professional or enthusiastic photographers, as these stunning sceneries offer different perspectives according to the light projected on the water, icebergs and ice walls during the day.

Therefore, a trip to visit these types of lagoons from Reykjavik is a good opportunity to take advantage of the natural filters that you will only find in this part of the world.

And because these visits often last for more than two days, you'll have the opportunity to take pictures at night.

Iceland is known for its popular hot springs and Reykjavík is home to many of these geothermal pools. Some of them have been dammed by man and others are completely natural formations.

Whichever the case, you'll be able to soak in the steaming waters and relax while enjoying a splendid natural view.

There are several options on your visit to Reykjavík. For example, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is considered a must-visit destination for hundreds of tourists. This spa is located just 30 minutes from the city centre and 15 minutes from Reykjavik airport, making it a quick access point.

In fact, you'll find many tours to the Blue Lagoon from Reykjavik that you can book during your stay.

You can also choose to go to the Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths , the Hidden Lagoon pool on the Golden Circle route, the small Hrunalaug thermal pool an hour from the city, Seliavallalaug on the South Coast, just two hours away from Reykjavik and the Krossneslaug thermal pool on the North Coast, just over four hours away.

I leave you with our post dedicated exclusively to the best thermal baths in Iceland in Reykjavík.

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that can be seen every year in the Icelandic capital from September to March. However, the city's light pollution can work against you and prevent you from seeing the northern lights clearly.

Despite this drawback, the chances of enjoying this spectacle are quite high, but you will need the guidance of an expert on the subject.

Reykjavík city tour

Seeing the Aurora Borealis from Reykjavik is not an impossible task if you are in the right place at the right time. For example, the Sun Voyager minutes from the city, the viewing platform at the Perlan revolving restaurant or Öskjuhlíð hill.

These are usually the main destinations incorporated into the city tours, where you will be accompanied by a specialised guide for about three hours, which is the set time for this type of tour.

Tour to the outskirts of Reykjavík

If you want to enjoy all the splendour of the Northern Lights in a natural and unforgettable atmosphere, you'll have to go to the outskirts of the city.

For this, it's best to book a tour that takes you to a remote location such as Jokulsárlón lagoon , Skógafoss waterfall near Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Kirkjufell mountain , Reynisfjara black sand beach, Stokksnes or Goðafoss waterfall , among other scenery.

You can discover the best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland from Reykjavik with a professional guide, who will tell you about this natural phenomenon and help you take the best pictures. You may also be interested in my article on the best tours to discover Iceland's volcanoes from Reykjavik.

Horseback riding tours of Reykjavík's natural scenery are a popular activity for tourists, as they provide a different perspective of the landscape.

In addition, you'll be able to connect with Iceland's historical past, as you'll not only see ancient natural monuments, but also ride a breed of steed brought by the Vikings in the 10th century.

The horses are robust and quite gentle with people, and are characterised by a four-beat gait, which is more comfortable for inexperienced riders.

You can ride through the famous lava fields and learn about the region's rock formations, get close to the main volcanic lakes or ride through the countryside of Hafnarfjordur and admire the Bláfjöll Mountains in the distance.

You'll also wander through mountains, moorlands, green fields, waterfalls and even the black sand beach. In fact, there are many tours organised by the city's riding houses and aimed at both enthusiasts and professionals of the sport.

All tours are guided and offer different schedules throughout the day. In addition, before starting the activity, the trainers assess your riding level (low, medium, intermediate). In this way, they select a route whose difficulty is adapted to your needs.

They also offer some basic recommendations and help you to relax your horse, so that you don't have any problems during the route.

With the aerial tours over Reykjavík you will enjoy a wide panoramic view of the Icelandic capital in a maximum of one hour, which is quite convenient if you have little time to get to know Reykjavík during your stay.

You will be able to see from above the colourful city centre to the most imposing natural monuments, which are located in the surroundings of this region.

You'll also get close to places that might be inaccessible or even too dangerous on foot, giving you a truly privileged view.

Panoramic flight over the city

On this flight you can see the city of Reykjavik from a unique perspective. As you leave the airport you will start to see the houses and buildings get smaller and smaller until they form a huge blanket of colourful roofs, a view worthy of a postcard.

The helicopter then flies over the outskirts of the Icelandic capital, showing you a striking contrast between the urban space and the surrounding natural landscape.

Afterwards, it usually lands on one of the nearby mountains and offers free time for viewing the city of Reykjavík and taking pictures.

From there you can try to identify some representative attractions of the city: the Lutheran church Hallgrímur, which stands out for its futuristic look, or the Harpa concert hall, whose geometric structure does not go unnoticed.

Geothermal scenic flight

This flight offers you several routes. For example, you can choose to fly over the city' s geothermal power plants and, thanks to the pilot's commentary, learn about this type of renewable energy and how it benefits Iceland.

You can also observe the region's bubbling, steaming hot springs and then land on a mountain to enjoy the scenery from a different perspective.

You can also choose to fly over the Fagradalsfjall volcano and get a close-up view of the boiling lava of this famous active crater, which last erupted in 2021. After this amazing adventure, you usually fly over Faxafloi Bay, Mount Esja and the city centre.
and the city centre.

If you are a fan of the fantasy novel Game of Thrones, by writer and screenwriter George R. R. Martin, you will know that this epic adventure was made into a TV movie.

Several scenes from the second, third and fourth seasons of the story of how several noble families vie for the Iron Throne to control the Seven Kingdoms were filmed on the shores of the Icelandic capital.

It is a series of natural settings that you can explore with an experienced guide, who will tell you some secrets about each landscape and the filming.

Reykjavík North Coast tour

Game of Thrones tours in Reykjavik along the North Coast will take you to the famous Lake Myvatn. This is a place noted for its amazing lava formations and some of the highest volcanic activity in the region.

It was also the landscape that featured prominently in season 4 of Game of Thrones, when Ygritee and Snow march to the Wall. Similarly, the majestic Godafoss waterfall was present for much of this season.

Reykjavík South Coast Tour

You can take a tour of Skaftafell National Park on Reykjavík' s South Coast in winter to see this snow-covered scenery, just as it appears in scenes from Game of Thrones.

In addition, this type of tour usually includes a visit to several monuments, which were also used as locations for the filming of the series. Such is the case of the Vatnajökull glacier, considered to be one of the largest in Europe, and the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which covers the active volcano Katla.

Afterwards, you will walk through the legendary Viking village where one of the bloodiest massacres in the series was filmed and, in addition, the guide will tell you about the history of the Viking settlement in Iceland and its importance for the growth of the country.

Whale watching off the south coast of Reykjavík's Faxaflói Bay is a fascinating sightseeing activity, allowing you to get up close and personal with the behaviour of these mythical cetaceans.

In addition, you can enjoy an amazing panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and, at the same time, see other marine animals characteristic of this region: dolphins, porpoises and seabirds. Without a doubt, this is a unique experience that you must have during your trip to the Icelandic capital.

You can join one of the whale watching tours in Reykjavik any day of the year, as these excursions are available in both the cold and warm seasons, with a high chance of success (80% in winter and 95% in summer).

However, you should keep in mind that you will not always get to see the whales on the surface at the first opportunity. In that sense, you should not be discouraged.

The team of professionals in charge of these tours has studied the behaviour of the whales in this region for years, which will help you to get a sighting before the tour ends.

Whale watching is usually done aboard a motorboat , yacht or cruise ship. Whichever option you choose, you'll have the opportunity to see any of the three types of whales (humpback, Minke and Orca) of the North Atlantic and other amazing marine animals.

You can also book one of the puffin-spotting cruises in Reykjavik, another highly recommended activity, especially if you are travelling to the Icelandic city with your family, as they will learn about the fascinating ocean life of this island nationfrom the crew.

The glaciers around Reykjavík are the best place to enjoy a snowmobile tour while taking in the unparalleled scenery. This is a must-visit destination for lovers of icy scenery and snowcross enthusiasts.

Without a doubt, snowmobile tours in Reykjavik tend to be a popular activity on the South Coast of the Icelandic capital.

You'll find several tours, which not only take you snowcrossing on the Mýrdalsjökull or Langjökull glaciers, but also include complementary destinations to explore on foot.

These include Thingvellir National Park, lava fields, geothermal areas, Seljalandsfoss and Gullfoss waterfalls. Therefore, each route can vary in length of time (from six hours to a full day).

In either case, you'll enjoy a snowmobile ride through a couple of splendid natural phenomena: the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, with different ice formations that make for a truly extravagant landscape; and the Langjökull glacier, considered the second largest in Iceland, where you'll slide down a series of icy tunnels to reach an impressive cave.

You can also check out the post how to visit the best glaciers in Iceland to get more ideas for your snowmobile tour, the one about the best waterfalls in Iceland or this one about the best ice caves near Reykjavik.

Finally, my advice for your trip to Iceland's capital is to choose the best time to see the city, as while the short summer may be more expensive in the city, it will give you access to more places than in winter.

But don't overlook the fact that Iceland's long winter will leave you with spectacular views of the Northern Lights or the great geyser activity. Either way, the best advice I can give you is to pack warmclothes whenever you go.

I would also recommend that you make arrangements for airport transfers from Reykjavik airport, so that the language and the cold you will encounter on arrival in the unique country will not be an obstacle to getting to your hotel.