Flight time
3h 00m
Best season
September–March (Northern Lights) or June–August (midnight sun)
Budget
Splurge
Best for
Northern Lights, geothermal pools, landscape, culture
Overview
Why Reykjavik for a city break?
Reykjavik is unlike anywhere else on the list — the world's most northerly capital, a city of 130,000 people in a country of 370,000, where geothermal energy heats every building, where you can see the Northern Lights from the city itself in winter, where it never gets fully dark in June, and where the landscape on the doorstep is so dramatic — glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, black sand beaches — that the city often feels like a launching pad rather than a destination in itself. Except that it isn't: the food scene is extraordinary, the design and arts culture is disproportionately rich, and the people are among the most bookish and creative in the world per capita.
From London it's around three hours; from Edinburgh slightly less. Icelandair and easyJet serve Keflavík Airport from multiple UK airports. Keflavík is 50km from Reykjavik — the Flybus runs direct to the BSÍ bus terminal in 45 minutes (€27). Iceland is genuinely expensive: a dinner costs what a Michelin-starred dinner costs in London. Budget accordingly, and consider that what you get for the money — the landscape, the experience, the extraordinary quality of the seafood and lamb — is unlike anything available closer to home.
Where to stay & explore
Reykjavik's best neighbourhoods
101 Reykjavik (City Centre)
The compact city centre — Hallgrímskirkja, Laugavegur shopping street, the National Gallery and the old harbour. Everything is walkable from here.
Old Harbour (Grandi)
The working harbour has been transformed into the city's most interesting creative and food district — the Whale Museum, the Marshall House gallery, and the finest casual food in the city at the Grandi Mathöll food hall.
Laugardalur
The valley east of the centre — the Laugardalslaug geothermal pool (the finest in the city), the botanical gardens and the thermal river that gives the area its name.
Things to do
What to see in Reykjavik
1
Northern Lights (September–April)
The aurora borealis is visible from Reykjavik itself on clear nights with a strong forecast (check vedur.is for the aurora forecast, scale 1-9 — anything above 3 from the city, above 1 in dark countryside). The city's light pollution reduces visibility; 20 minutes south to the Reykjanes peninsula or north to the Hvalfjörður gives dramatically better viewing. Tour operators run chasing tours but a rental car gives more flexibility. September to March is the window; the darkest months (November to February) give the most dramatic displays.
2
Hallgrímskirkja
The Lutheran church designed by Guðjón Samúelsson in 1937 (completed 1986) — modelled on the columnar basalt lava flows of Iceland's landscape, the 74-metre tower is visible from everywhere in the city. Take the lift to the observation deck for the finest view of Reykjavik and the mountains beyond. The Leif Eriksson statue outside faces west towards North America, which he reached 500 years before Columbus.
3
Blue Lagoon (or Sky Lagoon)
The Blue Lagoon — 39°C geothermal seawater in a lava field, milky blue from silica — is 50km from Reykjavik on the way from the airport and one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. Book months ahead in summer; it sells out. The Sky Lagoon (closer to the city, opened 2021) is newer, less famous and equally beautiful — an infinity pool above the Atlantic with a traditional Icelandic sauna ritual. Book online for either.
4
Golden Circle day trip
The classic day trip from Reykjavik visits three sites in 300km: Þingvellir National Park (where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart, and where the world's first parliament met in 930 AD), the Geysir geothermal area (Strokkur erupts every 5-10 minutes to 30 metres), and Gullfoss waterfall (the Niagara of Iceland, thundering into a glacial canyon). Rent a car or book a guided tour; most tours depart at 8am and return by 7pm.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Reykjavik
Dill
New Nordic / one Michelin star
Iceland's first and only Michelin-starred restaurant — Gunnar Karl Gíslason's New Nordic cooking uses exclusively Icelandic ingredients: skyr, hákarl (fermented shark, approached carefully), Icelandic lamb, Arctic char, langoustines from the cold-water fjords. The tasting menu is the only option; the wine pairing is exceptional. Book months ahead.
Grandi Mathöll
Food hall / Old Harbour
The finest food hall in Scandinavia — 12 vendors in a converted harbour building serving everything from Icelandic langoustine soup to Korean BBQ to the city's best fish and chips. The langoustine tail soup with cream and dill at the Kröst counter is one of the finest things to eat in Iceland. Open from noon; go for lunch to avoid the evening queues.
Sandholt Bakery
Bakery / Laugavegur
The best bakery in Iceland — the sourdough, the cinnamon buns (snúðar) and the cardamom knots are extraordinary. On Laugavegur, the main shopping street. Queue from opening; the pastries run out by mid-morning. The coffee is among the best in the city.
Itinerary
3 days in Reykjavik — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
Arrive, Hallgrímskirkja, the old harbour, Northern Lights watch
Flybus from Keflavík Airport to BSÍ bus terminal, then a shorter bus to your hotel (45 minutes total). Check in and walk immediately to Hallgrímskirkja — the tower lift gives you the lay of the land. Walk down Skólavörðustígur (the street leading to the church from the city centre) — the finest independent boutique street in the city — to Laugavegur. Sandholt Bakery for a cinnamon bun and coffee. The National Museum of Iceland on Suðurgata tells the story of Iceland from the first settlers to the present; it's free on Wednesdays and worth a couple of hours. Grandi Mathöll at the old harbour for dinner: the langoustine soup. After dinner, check the aurora forecast (vedur.is) — if above 3, take a taxi 20 minutes south to the Reykjanes peninsula for the clearest dark sky near the city.
Day 2
Golden Circle day trip
Depart at 8am — rental car is the most flexible option (book ahead). Þingvellir is 50km east: the rift valley where you can walk between the tectonic plates, the lake (the largest in Iceland), and the Lögberg (Law Rock where the Althing convened from 930 AD). Geysir is 45 minutes further: Strokkur erupts every 5-10 minutes with no warning — stand slightly upwind. Gullfoss is 15 minutes beyond: the double waterfall thundering into the Hvítá canyon, with the Langjökull glacier visible on the horizon on clear days. Return via Kerið volcanic crater (a small admission fee) — a 2,500-year-old caldera of vivid red and green rock around a lake of teal water. Back in Reykjavik for 7pm: dinner at one of the Laugavegur restaurants, the Kaldi bar for Icelandic craft beer.
Day 3
Blue Lagoon (or Sky Lagoon), final hours in the city
Blue Lagoon is on the way back to the airport — book the 10am slot, allow two to three hours in the warm geothermal water, eat at the LAVA restaurant inside the complex. If you've already done the Blue Lagoon or prefer to stay in the city: the Sky Lagoon north of Reykjavik has a rooftop infinity pool above the Atlantic and a traditional Icelandic sauna ritual (book online). Back in the city for final hours: the Reykjavik Art Museum in the Hafnarhús building (Erró's pop art collection is extraordinary), the Kolaportið flea market on weekends (local produce, vintage clothing, skyr), one last langoustine soup at Grandi. Flybus to Keflavík: allow 45 minutes from BSÍ, plus the flight check-in time.
Ready to book Reykjavik?
Search flights, hotels and things to do — all affiliate links below support this site.
Not sure Reykjavik is right for you?
Take our 60-second quiz — we'll match you to your perfect European city break based on your budget, vibe and departure airport.
Also worth considering
Cities similar to Reykjavik
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep CityBreak.in free to use.
City break inspiration
Get weekend deals in your inbox
Flash sales, hidden gems and new city guides — sent occasionally, never spammy.
Unsubscribe any time. No spam. Privacy policy.