Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
The fabulously friendly family that runs this compact hostel is supremely proud of the heritage features dating back to the 1840s. Homey dorms have either six or 10 beds, while three wet-room showers have heated floors. Chill in the 1950s kitchen or on the deck – there's a positive vibe either way.
It's a bit hard to find; look for the yellow building on an internal courtyard tucked back behind Laugavegur.
26.98 MILES
The world’s oldest parliament, Althingi (pronounced ál-thingk-ee; also called Alþing) was uniquely situated at this monumental site where two tectonic…
25.46 MILES
Near the dramatic Almannagjá fault and fronted by a boardwalk is the Lögberg (Law Rock), where the Alþingi (Parliament) convened annually. This was where…
26.08 MILES
The Þingvellir plain is situated on a tectonic-plate boundary where North America and Europe are tearing away from each other at a rate of 1mm to 18mm per…
0.2 MILES
Reykjavík’s immense white-concrete church (1945–86), star of a thousand postcards, dominates the skyline and is visible from up to 20km away. An elevator…
0.78 MILES
Artefacts from settlement to the modern age fill the creative display spaces of Iceland's superb National Museum. Exhibits give an excellent overview of…
27.12 MILES
Housed in an imaginatively restored warehouse by the harbour, the must-see Settlement Centre offers fascinating insights into the history of Icelandic…
0.63 MILES
This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era…
0.51 MILES
With its ever-changing facets glistening on the water's edge, Reykjavík’s sparkling Harpa concert hall and cultural centre is a beauty to behold. In…
0.15 MILES
This small gallery shows an interesting array of Icelandic contemporary art.
0.18 MILES
Gazing proudly into the distance outside Hallgrímskirkja church is a statue of the Viking Leifur Eiríksson, the first European to stumble across America…
0.2 MILES
Reykjavík’s immense white-concrete church (1945–86), star of a thousand postcards, dominates the skyline and is visible from up to 20km away. An elevator…
0.23 MILES
A total of 14 large flat-screens cover the walls in this vast two-storey exhibition hall. Each screen presents a three- to four-minute documentary,…
5. Icelandic Phallological Museum
0.24 MILES
Oh, the jokes are endless here... This unique museum houses a huge collection of penises, and it's actually very well done. From pickled pickles to…
0.24 MILES
Reykjavík is adorned with fascinating sculptures, but it’s Jón Gunnar Árnason’s shiplike Sun Voyager (Sólfar) sculpture that seems to catch visitors’…
0.24 MILES
Einar Jónsson (1874–1954) is one of Iceland’s foremost sculptors, famous for intense symbolist works. Chiselled representations of Hope, Earth and Death…
8. Einar Jónsson Sculpture Garden
0.25 MILES
The garden behind the Einar Jónsson Museum contains 26 bronze casts of Iceland's first sculptor, the symbolist Einar Jónsson.