GuideReykjavík, Capital Region, IcelandFeb 13, 20268 min read

A Long Weekend in Reykjavík

Pools, bakeries and a harbour that never quite sleeps

Average rating 5.0 out of 5

5.01 review

Olivia Owner

forPublisher Northwind Tours

Save Add to trip

Colourful rooftops of central Reykjavík with Mount Esja across the bay — Reykjavík from the tower of Hallgrímskirkja. Photo: Jakub Hałun

The world's northernmost capital is small enough to walk and big enough to fill three days, especially if you do as the locals do and start every morning in a hot pot.

Small capital, big character

Reykjavík is home to two thirds of Iceland's population and still feels like a town. The old centre runs from the harbour up Skólavörðustígur to the concrete organ pipes of Hallgrímskirkja, and you can cross it in twenty minutes. That compactness is the point: you will see the same faces at the bakery, the pool and the bar, and by the third day someone will nod at you.

The best introduction is the lift to the top of the church tower. From up there the city is a scatter of red, blue and green tin roofs, the bay opens towards Mount Esja, and on a clear day the Snæfellsjökull glacier floats on the horizon 120 km away.

Icelanders socialise in geothermal pools rather than cafés. Every neighbourhood has one, entry costs about the same as a coffee and a pastry, and the hot pots are where the real conversation of the city happens. Shower without a swimsuit before you get in; the attendants will notice if you do not.

Three days, roughly

Friday: harbour walk, Harpa concert hall, fish stew at the old harbour
Saturday: Sundhöllin pool at opening, Hallgrímskirkja tower, the National Museum, dinner on Laugavegur
Sunday: Kolaportið flea market, a bakery crawl, the coastal path out to Grótta lighthouse at sunset

In Reykjavík the weather changes every five minutes. Your plans should, too.A Reykjavík taxi driver

Eating well without going broke

Iceland is expensive, and restaurant dinners will be the biggest line in your budget. Balance them with lunch specials, which most kitchens serve until two, and with the city's excellent bakeries: a cinnamon snúður and a coffee will keep you going until mid-afternoon. Hot dogs from the harbour stand are a national institution and the cheapest hot meal in town; order eina með öllu, one with everything.

Supermarkets are your friend for breakfast and picnics: Bónus, with its pink pig logo, is the cheapest. Tap water is excellent everywhere, so never buy bottled. For a splurge, book a tasting menu built on lamb, langoustine and Arctic char, and save room for skyr in some form. Alcohol is sold only in state-run Vínbúðin shops with short opening hours, and bar happy hours, usually between four and seven, are how locals afford a beer.