24 Hours in Reykjavik
I had heard a lot about Iceland, but it wasn’t on the very top of my travel list until I went looking for a way to get to Denmark. Icelandair offers a stopover program, so on your way to a European destination or over to the United States, you can stop for up to seven days in Reykjavik. And stop we did! My sister and I spent four fabulous days in Iceland, but I met several travelers with just a one day stopover. Here’s my suggested itinerary to get the most out of one day in the charming (and windy) city of Reykjavik.
I noticed a lot of the United States flights arrive in the early morning, so it’s easy to head into town (a 45 mintue bus ride away) and spend the day in Reykjavik. Please check the weather; even though the temperatures in Reykjavik are not extreme, there is a lot of wind which makes it feel colder than it really is; typical of a city perched on the water. The other thing, while there are rare downpours, it does drizzle a bit here and there, adding to that damp cold feeling. Dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes. Oh, and another tip: only tourists carry umbrellas : )
10:00am A walking tour always seems to be the best way to get your feet on the ground and get to know your way around a new city. Eric (we couldn’t pronounce his Icelandic name) from Citywalk gave us a great tour filled with tons of informative and entertaining facts. It was a perfect way to get our bearings and learn about the very interesting culture and history of Iceland. He also gave us some great tips on where to eat and places to find chocolate bars for less than the average $14 per bar! (Yes, food in Iceland is expensive, especially in areas well traveled by tourists.)
12:00pm After a long walk, a warm meal is most welcome We found just about the freshest fish in town at Salka Valka, located at Skolavordustigur 23. Don’t even try to pronounce it, heck, don’t even try to pronounce anything in Icelandic: it’s hard… very hard. Just know the restaurant is located about half way up the street to the big white church, which is your next stop. As I mentioned, food is expensive in the heart of Reykjavik. Lunch was about $28 US Dollars but generous and delicious. (They are also open for dinner.) Not being big eaters, my sister and I saved quite a bit by splitting a lot of our meals.
1:15pm The big white church (Hallgrimskirkja) is absolutely striking and definitely one of the defining landmarks in Reykjavik. It is a Lutheran church, the most popular denomination in Iceland. While the church is amazing and unusual from the outside, it’s also spectacular on the inside. It embodies the Scandinavian feel with it’s simple but impressive spartan white cathedral. Another thing that is particularly striking is the chords you hear as you enter the church. This other worldly sound comes from the amazing pipe organ. Be sure to pay the 9000 ISK (about $9) to take the elevator to the top of the tower for incredible views of the city, harbor and mountains beyond.
2:00pm Take a stroll down Laugauegur Street. It’s the main drag and to your right as you exit the church. There are tons of restaurants and shops and if you are interested there is the Phallological Museum. Yea, just click on the link…it’s located (appropriately) at the tip of Laugauegur. More intriguing to me however was the Settlement Museum, which was really cool.
3:30pm If you only visit one museum (well, it was the only one I visited), I suggest the Settlement Exhibition. This museum takes about an hour to an hour and a half to go thru, but it’s small and interactive which was really cool. I found myself transfixed by the Viking history and culture and the bloodlines of the Icelandic people. Spoiler alert: the men were mostly from Norway and the women from Scotland and Ireland. Want to know why…? There are a few theories, one is that basically that the men left Norway when King Harald started taking over the smaller kingdoms, so they fled. Another is that these Viking “explorers” were actually criminals who were exiled. They sailed to northern Scotland and Ireland (and settled Dublin) and bought women slaves to take as brides to Iceland.
5:00pm Relax in one of Reykjavik’s watering holes. There are many, and happy hour is the best way to not totally break the bank on beer and wine (that normally costs $15 a glass.) While you are in this part of town check out Micro Bar or Stofan Cafe. Though we didn’t get a chance, the next time I am in Reykjavik I definitely will stop in Mikkeller and Friends – we went to one in Copenhagen and it had some truly great craft beers. You can also pop over to the Harpa Concert Hall for happy hour, see below.
6:45pm At the time, I thought it was outrageous, but thinking back to the four courses and great quality of the food, not to mention the inventive decor including a wall of what I assume was reindeer hides, I would highly recommend splurging on dinner at The Fish Company. I did switch out the lamb for arctic char but other than that I really liked everything and the food was beautifully presented. The fish was super fresh and the presentation and sauces were beautiful. Other dinner options abound. I heard Messinn was wonderful. For a low cost option try Noodles, which is located back up on Laugauegur. It was crowded = good food.
9:00pm If you can swing it and it works in your schedule, try to catch a show at the Harpa Concert and Conference Center. The place is amazing! We just walked around in awe at the spectacular award winning architecture. The outside shimmers and is designed to mimic the Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. I would love to hear a concert here sometime… I guess I’ll have to go back to Reykjavik!
The next day….
Before you head out on your flight, if there’s time, I suggest you go to the very famous Blue Lagoon. I protested when my sister said it was on her must-do list, since I live in a geothermal area with hot springs of its’ own. However, the Blue Lagoon is definitely worth doing at least once, if only for the masks, which you get by swimming up to a bar and having the gook slopped into your hands by attractive Icelandic twenty-somethings. It was great fun to see people from all over the world, and from all walks of life, with white silica masks on their faces. Be sure to do the Lava mud scrub FIRST, then the silica mask and then the algae mask 🙂 Our skin was soft as a baby’s bottom and we seriously considered spending $80 per tube for the stuff. But alas, we came to our senses and bought other items on our way out of Iceland, including some great local beer, lots of licorice, Icelandic wool and rhubarb liquor. Yum!
For more information on Reykjavik and Iceland, stay tuned (or please subscribe!) for other posts on this blog. Finally, any questions or comments are most appreciated! I’d love to hear from you and your travel experiences to Reykjavik and other destinations!
Jill