Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, is a charming city with astonishingly beautiful views of the mountains and ocean. We spent two nights and one day in Reykjavik during our too brief 5 days in Iceland this winter. Most people who visit Iceland spend time in Reykjavik after flying in through Keflavik International Airport, which is only 45 minutes away. You can even take advantage of Wow Airline’s free stopover policy and enjoy a weekend in Iceland on your way to Europe.
Some people use the capital city as a base, taking Iceland day trips from Reykjavik and only crashing there at night. One of the most popular Reykjavik day trips is the Golden Circle Tour, which you can read more about in our post about the highlights of South Iceland. We took 1 day in Reykjavik exploring this quaint coastal city because we had so many other things we wanted to discover during our 5 day Iceland itinerary. However, you could easily spend a long weekend in Reykjavik visiting its many museums, shops, and restaurants. It’s the perfect city to take in the gorgeous views over a cup of coffee or glass of Icelandic Viking beer.
Here are our suggestions for how to spend a day in Reykjavik without taking one of the costly Reykjavik tours. All of these suggestions are easy to do on your own. So check out the best things to do in Reykjavik in winter, or any season. We visited Iceland in March but these Reykjavik attractions and suggestions are great any time of year. After your day exploring the city, make sure to head out for some fantastic Reykjavik excursions like searching for the Northern lights and visiting the Blue Lagoon!
Start a day in Reykjavik at Hallgrimskirkja Church
Start your day of Reykjavik sightseeing with a visit to its most iconic building- Hallgrimskirkja Church. Make sure to go up the tower for panoramic views of the city. At 73 meters it is the largest church and one of the tallest structures in Iceland. It costs $9 to go up the tower but the views cannot be beat up there, unless of course you brought a drone to Iceland. We snapped the above photo of the colorful houses with Mount Esja in the background from the tower. This church was designed to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape and was named after a famous Icelandic poet and clergyman. The statue of Leif Erickson in front of the church was a gift from the United States in honor of the 1000th anniversary of Iceland’s parliament. Erickson was the first European to discover North America, long before Christopher Colombus.
Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik was built to look like Iceland’s basalt columns. A statue of Leif Erickson stands in front.
Continue your Reykjavik itinerary at Harpa Concert Hall
Admire the impressive architecture at Harpa concert hall and peer through the windows at the harbor and Mount Esja. You can take a guided tour or just wander around yourself snapping photos of the cool windows, angles, and beautiful views of the harbor, ocean and mountains. There’s free wifi and clean restrooms too which is a nice perk since many places in Iceland charge a few dollars to use the toilet. You can even grab a drink or have lunch in the restaurant or do some shopping there, although like everything in Iceland it is expensive.
Harpa concert hall in Reykjavik is worth a visit for its unique architecture
Dramatic windows and angles make Harpa fun to photograph
1 Day in Reykjavik must include the Sun Voyager Sculpture
One of the must-do things in Reykjavik that is free and open 24 hours is to visit the Sun Voyager sculpture. It is located just a short walk from Harpa Concert Hall on the Sculpture and Shore Walk, 101 Reykjavik. Admire the amazing view of the fjord Kollafjorour with Mt. Esja in the background as you walk along the ocean. Make sure to snap a photo of this famous sculpture that has become one of the best-known landmarks in Reykjavik. This steel sculpture by Jon Gunnarsson of a Viking ship symbolizes the Viking past of the Icelanders, reminding visitors of when the first Viking settlers came sailing to Iceland. It is intended to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom. Now that’s what travel is all about!
Snap the perfect photo at the Sun Voyager sculpture of a Viking ship in Reykjavik with Mt. Esja as a stunning backdrop
Visit Reykjavik museums
Visit the Icelandic Phallological Museum aka the Penis Museum. This little gem contains a collection of phallic specimens from all the mammals found in Iceland. Yep, you heard me right. It has more than 220 penises and penile parts belonging to all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland. The souvenir shop has some hilarious gifts like an apron with a giant penis hanging off it, penis coffee mugs, salt and pepper sets, and even stuffed animal penis dolls. It costs about $15 for admission and is open 11am-6pm.
If the penis museum isn’t your thing, there are several other interesting museums to choose from in Reykjavik, such as the Volcano House, National Museum of Iceland, National Gallery of Iceland, Saga Museum, Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik Museum of Photography, the Settlement Exhibition, and Whales of Iceland. You could probably spend a week just visiting the museums in Reykjavik.
Search for the perfect Iceland souvenirs
Spend some time wandering the adorable streets, browsing the shops, maybe buying a Reykjavik souvenir if you don’t mind the crazy high prices. For example, a regular cotton sweatshirt was priced at $86! We just bought one stuffed animal- a puffin- for our kids to share and called it a day for souvenir shopping in Reykjavik. We did have some fun trying on Viking helmets though! Bertaut looks good with blond braids right? 😉
If you have a huge shopping budget, consider splurging on one of the popular Icelandic sweaters. They will set you back a few hundred dollars, but they are very warm and durable. I definitely wanted an Icelandic wool sweater to keep me toasty during our winter visit, but couldn’t justify the cost. You could also consider a nice Icelandic wool blanket, which is also very expensive.
You may have better luck and save some money looking for your Iceland souvenirs online. Check out these affordable finds on Amazon including this Icelandic Wool Sweater
, Reykjavik Iceland T-Shirt
, Game of Thrones Filming Locations Calendar
, Iceland Map Necklace
, and Northern Lights Pillow Cover
.
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Having fun souvenir shopping in Iceland and pretending to be Viking warriors
Happy Hour and traditional Icelandic food
End your day with a delicious (although expensive) dinner tasting some typical Icelandic food. Icelandic cuisine includes what’s easily accessible, such as lamb, fish, and shark. Iceland desserts often include skyr, which is similar to cream cheese but is mixed with sugar and berries to make it sweet.
We wanted to try Icelandic traditional food so we asked some locals where to eat in Reykjavik. The Saeta Svinid Icelandic Gastropub was recommended as one of the best places to eat in Reykjavik. It was very good. They offer a 3 course set dinner menu Monday through Thursday for about $50 which includes several delicious Icelandic dishes. Our menu included oven baked lobster, rack of lamb or ling fish with mashed potatoes and vegetables, and skyr cream cheese with blackberry jam, pistachios and lady fingers for dessert. Our Reykjavik food was the best (and most expensive) meal we had in Iceland, but we really enjoyed it.
We don’t typically spend that much on one meal, but we wanted to try quality Icelandic food. In case you hadn’t heard, Iceland food prices are through the roof! So the 3 course menu is actually a good deal for Iceland. Fun fact- the cost of living in Iceland is 58% higher than in the United States, so expect to pay a lot more when eating out in Iceland. If you want to drink alcohol, get there for happy hour from 3-6pm every day when drinks are half price and much more affordable.
Cafe Loki near Hallgrimskirkja Church also offers traditional Icelandic food and is supposed to be good, although we didn’t get the chance to eat there this visit. If you don’t eat meat, check out these vegan and vegetarian food options in Reykjavik. If you’re still wondering what to eat in Iceland, carnivores should be sure to try some Icelandic delicacies like fermented shark, dried fish, Icelandic fish stew, and lamb soup. If you’re a foodie, considering taking an Iceland food tour.
It’s important to note that Iceland groceries have surprisingly low prices compared to the pricey restaurants. We recommend buying food from the grocery for some of your meals in Iceland, or you’ll spend a fortune eating out. We saved on breakfast and lunch many days with grocery store purchases.
Rack of lamb is traditional Icelandic food that we tried at Saeta Svinid Icelandic Gastropub in Reykjavik
Cafe Loki is another option for traditional Icelandic food in Reykjavik
Last words on one day in Reykjavik
You may be tempted to breeze through Reykjavik in search of Iceland’s breathtaking wilderness, but set aside some time to enjoy this colorful and charming coastal city. You may learn a few things about Iceland’s history, see some interesting animal parts and works of art, capture some beautiful photos, and taste some delicious Icelandic food. At the very least you will enjoy meandering the streets and soaking up the relaxed vibe of this inviting city, where the locals are some of the happiest people on Earth. We hope that our Reykjavik one day itinerary was helpful in planning your Iceland vacation. Remember that you could easily spend more than one day in Reykjavik if you love museums and eating out.
If you’re looking for affordable Reykjavik accommodation, we suggest AirBnB. We stayed in a beautiful apartment in downtown Reykjavik and saved on meals since we could eat in for some meals. AirBnB’s with kitchens are the best places to stay in Reykjavik if you’re on a budget since eating out can cost a fortune.
If you’ve already been to Iceland’s capital, please comment below if you have any other tips for what to do when you visit Reykjavik. If you liked this post, please share and pin it for later. Check out our tips for visiting Iceland in the winter and our best drone shots of Iceland for more on this wonderful country. Sign up for our email newsletter for more travel tips and inspiration to travel the world.
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