Is Reykjavik Worth Visiting? Pros, Cons and Travel Tips (2026)

Pros – Reasons Reykjavik is Worth Visiting

1. A Small, Colourful Centre You Can Walk Across

Downtown Reykjavik is tiny. Most of it is corrugated-iron houses painted in bright colours, and you can walk from one end of the old centre to the other in about 20 minutes. Laugavegur is the main shopping street, and Skólavörðustígur, the street that climbs up to the big church, is painted in rainbow colours. There’s street art on the sides of buildings everywhere, and the pond at Tjörnin is a good place to slow down.

On my first trip I didn’t use a single bus. I just wandered, and I kept finding new murals and tiny cafés. The city is safe and easy to read, and everyone speaks English. That makes it a great option if you want a city break that doesn’t feel like hard work.

2. Hallgrímskirkja and the Views From the Tower

Hallgrímskirkja is the church you’ll see from almost everywhere. It’s the largest church in Iceland, and it took from 1945 to 1986 to build. The design is meant to echo the basalt columns you see around the country, and inside it’s very plain and calm. The church itself is free to enter.

The tower is the bit worth paying for. A ticket costs 1,500 ISK (£9), you buy it in the church shop on the day, and you can’t book ahead. The view takes in the colourful rooftops, the harbour and the mountains across the bay. I’d check the sky from the church steps before you buy, because low cloud can wipe out the view. The official Hallgrímskirkja website has the current opening hours, and the tower shuts during services.

3. Harpa, the Harbour and the Waterfront Walk

The walk along the harbour is one of the best free things in the city. Harpa, the concert hall, has a glass front made of hundreds of geometric panels that catch the light differently through the day, and it’s free to walk inside. Nearby, the Sun Voyager sculpture looks like a Viking ship made of steel, and it sits right on the water with the mountains behind it.

I walked this stretch on both trips. In spring it was bright and windy, with people out on the seafront. In winter the low sun turned everything pink and orange for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. Then head to the Old Harbour, where the whale boats and fish restaurants are. If you want to go inside Harpa for a concert, the Reykjavik City Card gives 10% off tickets to the weekly symphony concerts.

4. Geothermal Pools, Local Style

Icelanders spend a lot of time in outdoor geothermal pools, and it’s one of the best ways to feel like you’re not just visiting. The public pools are cheap. Adult entry is 1,500 ISK (£9), and you can also rent a swimsuit and towel for about 2,100 ISK (£13) if you didn’t pack them. Laugardalslaug is the biggest, with a long outdoor pool, hot tubs at different temperatures and a steam room. You’ll find the details on the official Reykjavik pools page.

You have to shower properly, without your swimsuit, before you get in. Everyone does it, so don’t overthink it. On my winter trip I sat in a hot tub with snow falling on my head, and it was one of the best moments of the whole visit. For the tourist version, the Blue Lagoon ticket gets you into the famous milky-blue water. Sky Lagoon, closer to the city, is another option. The Reykjavik City Card covers eight of the local pools.

5. The Northern Lights (in the Right Season)

Iceland is one of the easiest places to try to see the northern lights, and Reykjavik is the base for most tours. The season runs roughly from September to April, and you need dark skies with a gap in the clouds. The Icelandic Met Office publishes a free aurora forecast with a scale from 0 to 9. On the cloud map, green means cloudy and white means clear sky, which is the opposite of what you’d expect.

I did a small-group northern lights tour on my winter trip. It’s a minibus of up to 19 people with blankets, hot chocolate and Icelandic pastries, and the guides take photos of you. If you don’t see the lights, you can rejoin another night for free. On my second night out we saw a soft green band across the sky. It wasn’t the dramatic curtain from postcards, but it was real, and I’d go again.

6. The Golden Circle and the South Coast

Reykjavik is the base for two of Iceland’s best day trips. The Golden Circle takes you to Þingvellir National Park, where the tectonic plates pull apart, the Geysir area, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes, and Gullfoss, a huge two-tier waterfall. A classic Golden Circle day tour is the cheapest way to see it without a car.

The South Coast is longer and wilder. A small-group South Coast tour runs for about ten hours and takes in Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, the black sand beach at Reynisfjara and a glacier at Sólheimajökull. I did the Golden Circle on my spring trip. It was a full day, and I’d pick the South Coast next if you only have time for one.

7. Whales and Puffins From the Old Harbour

Humpback and minke whales feed in the bay just off the coast, and puffins nest on the islands in Faxaflói Bay from roughly mid-April to mid-August. A whale watching and puffin combo covers both in one booking. The whale trip runs for two to three and a half hours on a larger boat, and the puffin trip is around an hour on a smaller one.

The two trips leave at separate times, so check the schedule when you book. The company gives you a free ticket to join again if you don’t see anything, and seasickness tablets are available on board. I went out on my spring trip, and it was windy and cold on the water even in the sunshine, so I was glad I’d worn every layer I had. The Reykjavik City Card gives 10% off tours if you book direct with Elding or Special Tours.

8. Icelandic Food Is Better Than You’d Think

Iceland has a reputation for expensive, odd food, but there’s plenty to like. The hot dog stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur has been a local institution for decades, and a hot dog costs about 700 ISK (£4). Ask for “eina með öllu” to get one with everything. Lamb, fresh fish, skyr and thick rye bread are everywhere, and the tap water is excellent, so you don’t need to buy bottled water.

The best way to try a lot of it is on the Reykjavik Food Walk. It’s a three-hour walk that starts at Harpa and stops at four to six local places, with more than eight tastings, including lamb, ice cream and a hot dog from the famous stand. I did a food walk on a cold afternoon on my second trip, and it was the best way to warm up. A coffee is about 800 ISK (£5), and the Hlemmur food hall is a good place for a cheaper meal.

9. Museums With Real Depth

For a small city, Reykjavik has some really good museums. The Settlement Exhibition on Aðalstræti is built around the remains of a longhouse from around 871, and you walk around it inside the museum. The National Museum of Iceland tells the story of the country from the first settlers to today. Adult entry is 3,300 ISK (£20), and the official National Museum website has the opening hours.

Perlan, on a hill above the city, has an indoor ice cave and a planetarium show about the northern lights. Its Wonders of Iceland ticket is for a set time slot, so book ahead. If you plan to visit several places, the Reykjavik City Card covers the National Museum, the Settlement Exhibition, the Hafnarhús art museum and 14 other museums and attractions.

10. Volcanoes, Glaciers and Wild Landscapes Close to the City

Iceland is a young, active country, and you can see that within an hour or two of Reykjavik. Volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula have come and gone since 2021, and you can walk across fresh lava on a Fagradalsfjall volcano hike with a local guide. The group is small, and the tour stops in Grindavík to hear what the eruptions did to the town.

For ice, the Langjökull glacier tour takes you inside a glacier through carved tunnels in a modified glacier vehicle. It also stops at Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe, and Hraunfossar waterfall. It’s a long day, but you’re in another world by the end of it.

Cons – Things to Consider Before Visiting Reykjavik

1. It’s Really Expensive

Iceland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, and Reykjavik is no exception. A beer in a bar costs 1,300 to 1,700 ISK (£8 to £10), or about 1,000 ISK (£6) at happy hour. A main course in a decent restaurant is 5,000 to 7,000 ISK (£30 to £42). You can eat a lunch special or casual meal for 2,200 to 3,500 ISK (£13 to £21).

Strong alcohol is only sold in the state-run Vínbúðin shops, which have limited hours, so buy at the airport duty-free when you land. Eat lunch out instead of dinner, and cook breakfast from a supermarket. The Reykjavik City Card helps. If you visit the National Museum and one pool in a day, the 24-hour card at 6,100 ISK (£37) nearly pays for itself, and the free buses tip it over.

2. The Weather Changes Every Hour

Reykjavik has a mild climate for its latitude, but the weather is unpredictable in every season. Even in summer it can be cool, windy and wet within the same afternoon, and the wind is the part that catches people out. On my spring trip I had sun, sleet and blue sky in one morning.

Pack layers and a proper waterproof jacket and trousers, not an umbrella, because it’ll just blow inside out. Wear hats and gloves outside summer. In winter, daylight lasts only around four to five hours in December. That can be lovely, with long golden light and dark evenings for the aurora. But you need to plan your days around those few bright hours.

3. The Northern Lights Aren’t Guaranteed

The lights depend on clear sky and solar activity, and neither is something a tour company can promise. Tours are cancelled when it’s cloudy, and even a good forecast can end with nothing. On my winter trip, the first night’s tour was cancelled because of cloud, and I was glad I’d left myself a spare night.

Book a tour for your first or second night, not your last, so you have time to retry. Check the Met Office forecast every evening, and remember the season only runs from about September to April. Most operators let you rejoin for free if you don’t see the lights, but they don’t refund you, so read the terms.

4. Most of the Big Sights Are Out of Town

Reykjavik itself is small, and you can see the main sights in a day or two. The reasons most people come, the waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes and lagoons, are all an hour or more away. City buses don’t go there, so you need a tour or a hire car.

I booked tours on both trips. Driving in winter can be icy and windy, and road conditions change quickly. If you do hire a car, check Safetravel before you set off. It’s run by the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue and covers weather, road and safety alerts. Day tours cost more than the bus, but you don’t have to drive in a storm.

5. Popular Places Get Busy and Need Booking

Iceland has a lot of visitors for a small country, and the top spots fill up. The Blue Lagoon needs booking ahead, and Perlan sells timed slots. The Golden Circle stops get crowded with tour buses in summer, and tour seats in the peak months can disappear weeks ahead.

Book your must-dos before you fly, especially the Blue Lagoon and any northern lights or day tours. Go early or late in the day to the busiest stops. Hallgrímskirkja’s tower can’t be booked, so go first thing in the morning for a shorter queue.

Best Time to Visit Reykjavik

Spring and winter are the two seasons I know Reykjavik in, and they felt like different trips. In spring the days were getting longer fast, the crowds hadn’t arrived, and the air was cool and fresh. It was a good time for whale watching and the Golden Circle, and puffin season begins in spring. I went back the following winter for the northern lights, and it was much colder and darker, with only a few hours of daylight. But the pools were even better in the cold, and the city looked great under snow. Both seasons were quieter than summer should be, and I’d happily go back to either.

I haven’t been in summer or autumn, but I’ve got a few thoughts. Summer should be the easiest season, with the midnight sun, the best weather for driving and hiking, and puffins on the cliffs. It’ll also be the busiest and most expensive, and events like Reykjavik Pride and Culture Night in August will fill the city. Autumn sounds like the sweet spot to me, with the northern lights returning in September and the crowds thinning out. Next time, I’d try September.

Getting Around Reykjavik

The centre is small enough to walk, and I did most of my sightseeing on foot. For everything else, the Strætó city buses are simple to use. A single adult fare costs 690 ISK (£4) and is valid for 75 minutes, and you can pay by tapping a Visa or Mastercard on the reader or buy tickets in the Klappið app. Fares are capped at three adult rides a day if you always use the same card or phone, so the most you’ll pay in a day is 2,070 ISK (£12.50). You can plan journeys on the official Strætó website. The Reykjavik City Card includes unlimited bus travel, although not the route 55 airport bus.

Keflavík Airport is about 50 km from the city. The Flybus coach costs 3,999 ISK (£24) and takes about 45 minutes, and it meets arriving flights. The Strætó route 55 is cheaper at around 2,400 ISK (£15) but takes longer and doesn’t run to flight times. A taxi is around 20,000 ISK (£120), so it only makes sense for a group. The official Keflavík Airport guide lists all the options. On the first trip I stuck to walking. On the second, I took the bus out to the pool at Laugardalur, and it was easy. For day trips, I booked tours rather than hiring a car.

How Long to Spend in Reykjavik

Three days is the sweet spot for Reykjavik and a day trip or two. That gives you a day for the city, and one or two out on tour, with time to fit in a pool. I stayed four nights on my first trip, and it felt right, with a day for the Golden Circle and a few slow days in the city. My second trip was three nights, and I built it around the northern lights, with a spare night in case the first one was cancelled.

With one day, see Hallgrímskirkja, walk the harbour, have a hot dog and finish in a hot tub. Two days lets you add a day tour like the Golden Circle or the South Coast. Three days gives you time for both, plus a whale trip. With a week, add the Blue Lagoon, a volcano hike and a glacier, or hire a car and start exploring further round the country.

So, is Reykjavik Worth Visiting?

Reykjavik is a small city with a big personality, and it’s the best base I know for seeing Iceland. The centre is colourful and easy to walk, and the pools are a great way to spend an evening. Beyond the city, you’ve got waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes and the northern lights within reach. It suits couples, solo travellers and friends who like a bit of adventure.

It isn’t perfect. It’s expensive, the weather is unpredictable, and most of the big sights are outside the city. But a bit of planning fixes most of that, and the trip is worth it if you go in with the right expectations. I left after both trips already thinking about what I’d do differently next time.

If you’re still weighing it up, book three or four nights and see for yourself. Wander the harbour, get up the church tower on a clear day, spend an evening in a hot pool and book at least one day trip. Do that, and I think you’ll see why Reykjavik keeps pulling people back.