The Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland

The Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland

Editor’s Note: The Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland was originally published October 2016 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

In April of 2015, I decided that Iceland was my next major bucket list destination!  But why?  Why would anyone, who dislikes the cold as much as I do, have traveling to Reykjavik, Iceland on their Bucket List?

Easy, I was on a mission to complete 3 Bucket list items and Reykjavik was the perfect central location to tackle them. The 3 items I wanted to tick off were:

95) See the Northern Lights (aka: Aurora Borealis)

134) Swim in the Thermal Blue Lagoon in Iceland 

130) Eat weird things
          #17) Harkal (Fermented Shark Meat) – Iceland

 

Though I failed seeing the Aurora Borealis, what I did discover was a land of unbelievable adventure, great food, and amazing beauty!  There was a thrill of discovery everywhere I went.  It was the first time in forever that I felt like everything I saw was a new revelation.  I loved that childlike feeling of discovery and amazement.

Now, in my humble opinion, Iceland is not just a “quick trip.”  So, I have decided to split up my review into two parts:

Part 1: The Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland

Part 2: Iceland’s Outdoor Adventures (Click Here)

Welcome to Reykjavik, Iceland – a Bucket List Destination

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city in Iceland.  Being the world’s northernmost capital, it is a popular tourist destination.  Its long history states that it was established by Ingólfur Arnarson from Norway around AD 870.  Reykjavik is not just a Viking heritage site but a modern city filled with remarkable food, unbelievable art, and exciting history.  So here are my top bucket list items to see or do in Reykjavik, Iceland:

The majestic Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran ChurchEric Gamble standing in front of the hallgrimskirkja church on his Bucket List trip to Reykjavik, Iceland

The Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Church is Iceland’s official church and is the 7th tallest structure in Iceland at 244 feet.  As you walk up to the church you are greeted by a statue of explorer Leif Eriksson.  Inside, the simplicity of the Church is breathtaking and the columns and ceilings are said to resemble the basalt lava flow pillars similar to those witnessed along the Southern Shores of Iceland.  Above the entrance, the church houses a large beautiful pipe organ by the German organ builder Johannes Klais.

One of the cool things to do is to purchase a ticket to the observation deck.  This allows you to take the elevator and then hike up 3 flights of stairs up from the clock of Hallgrímskirkja Church where you will have a bird’s eye view of the beauty of Reykjavik, the ocean, and mountains.

Take A “Free” City Walk Tour

The City Walk tour takes you on foot around the heart of Reykjavík with English speaking locals. The main focus is the general history of Iceland and the evolution of Reykjavík as a town. They also tell you about elves, vikings, food, nightlife, music, economic aspects and political affairs. Additionally, they include the funny facts about Iceland and the places you must see in Reykjavík. The “free” City Walk runs 100% on donations from guests, which are offered to the guide at the end of each tour. The tour runs daily, even multiple times a day starting at a park, named Austurvöllur in front of the House of Parliament.  To learn more or reserve your spot on the tour visit http://CityWalk.is

Walk down Laugavegur Street

Laugavegur Street is the main street of Reykjavik.  The name means “wash road,” as it used to lead to the hot springs in Laugardalur. Here, in olden times, the women of Reykjavík took their laundry for washing.

During the day now, as you walk along the cobblestone road, you will find tons of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. Plus, there are all kinds of unique shops to satisfy any explorer or souvenir collector.  Then at night, Laugavegur becomes the center for fine dining as well as music and entertainment.

One of the novelty highlights is to visit The Icelandic Phallological Museum where you can explore according to their mission statement, “the serious study into the field of phallology in an organized, scientific fashion.”

Visit the Tourism Information CenterThe Tourism Activity Board is a great Bucket List Guide to fun activities and events in Reykjavik, Iceland

One of the coolest things about traveling is finding all of the fun and free local stuff to do. It is a great guide to finding Bucket List activities in Reykjavik, Iceland. You can even find fun activities like a Tom Selleck mustache contest!

Visit the Perlan Observatory

The Perlan Observatory offers fantastic views of the entire city both from a viewing platform open to the public and a rotating restaurant at the top. If the restaurant is too expensive for you (it is for most), there is also a small cafeteria on the same floor as the viewing platform.

Check out the Cemeteries

Perhaps this is a New Orleans thing, but in my opinion, cemeteries are always beautiful destinations. To us, they feel like outdoor museums of art and history and this is quite evident in Reykjavik.  Both Fossvogskirkjugarður cemetery beside the Fossvogur bay, and Hólavallagarður cemetery on the western edge of Tjörnin pond, offer a unique beauty. I visited the extraordinary Fossvogskirkjugarður cemetery which has a unique memorial that commemorates the vessels which were lost in the North-Atlantic Ocean during the Second World War.  Another beautiful nuance was tons of gravesite ornaments and lanterns around the headstones.

Reykjavik is not just a Viking heritage site but a modern city filled with remarkable food, unbelievable art, and exciting history. Discover why it needs to be on your Bucket List! #Reykjavik #Iceland Click To Tweet

Watch the Birds at Tjornin The tjornin is a beautiful city pond where you can watch the many birds of Iceland Gather

Tjornin, the beautiful city “Pond” is a small lake in the center of the city where the locals often gather to feed the ducks. The southern end of Tjörnin links to the Vatnsmýri swamp. Here you will find a small bird reserve with paths open to the public except during egg hatching season.

This is a perfect place to sit, relax, and perhaps have a picnic.

Go to the Beach for a Swim in the Atlantic

From May 15th until September 15th, use the city’s small airport to take a trip over to Nautholsvík Thermal Beach. Here you can swim in the Atlantic, because they pipe hot water into the ocean. A beach of golden sand has been created and a “pool” enclosed nearby, where the water temperature is about 20ºC.

Visit the Höfði HouseThe hofoi house is a must see bucket list destination in Reykjavik, Iceland for those love Cold War History

The Höfði House is a beautiful white house that sits alone on the shore of the Reykjavik coastline. It is best known for being the spot where Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War once and for all in 1986. Renowned guests of Höfði House include celebrities and heads of state, including the Queen of England, Winston Churchill, and Marlene Dietrich.

On top of the famous visitors, the Höfði House does have one permanent resident. Apparently, the house is believed to be occupied by a ghost known as The White Lady.  But don’t worry. It seems that she only likes to haunt it’s former resident, the British Ambassador.  In fact, her haunting caused him so much distress that he persuaded the British Foreign Office to sell the home.

Eat your Weight in Hot DogsEric Gamble eating pylsurs or hot dogs at the world famous Bæjarins Beztu in Downtown Reykjavik Iceland

There is no doubt that Reykjavik is becoming a foodie destination! You will also find tons of micro breweries, casual sit down places, and even fine dining throughout the city. But apparently the #1 food in all of Reykjavik, Iceland is the hot dog!

Known as pylsurs, the hot dogs are made mostly with lamb (and sometimes a little pork). Then they are traditionally topped with mustard, ketchup, fried onion, raw onion and remolaði, a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish. You can find them anywhere and they are all delicious, but the king of the pylsurs is Bæjarins Beztu, the stand located down by the harbor on Tryggvagata! In 1998, Bill Clinton ate here and declared it was the best hot dog in the world.  James Hetfield, vocalist of the popular heavy metal band Metallica apparently couldn’t get enough either! To find visit www.bbp.is.

Eat Puffin Birds, Rotting Shark meat, and then drink Black Deathsample small plates of Hákarl (Fermented shark), harðfiskur (dried haddock), Grillaður lundi (Grilled puffin), and Langreyður (Whale Fin Meat) at the Icelandic Bar in Reykjavik

For those more adventurous or wanting to tackle unique Icelandic fair, take a trip over to  Íslenski Barinn (aka: the Icelandic Bar).  Here you can sample small plates of Hákarl (Fermented shark), harðfiskur (dried haddock), Grillaður lundi (Grilled puffin), and Langreyður (Whale Fin Meat).  

When eating Hákarl you’re supposed to wash it down with Brennivin also known as Black Death. I don’t know which tasted worse, the fermented rotting shark meat or the horrible liqueur. But it was a fun culinary experiment and the Puffin was phenomenal.

Sit and watch the sun set by the Solfar (the Sun Voyager)

The Sólfar (the Sun Voyager) is a unique piece of art in Reykjavik. This sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, is located next to the Sæbraut road in Reykjavík, Iceland. According to Árnason, “Sun Voyager is a dreamboat, an ode to the sun. Intrinsically, it contains within itself the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom.”

Watching the Sunset at the Solfar sun voyager is perhaps one of the most iconic things to do in Reykjavik

Tackle your Reykavik Iceland bucket list with a formal tour guide

Planning a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland soon?  Hopefully this Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland will help you make the most of your time in this magical northern capital city.  If there is something you’re still curious about, or if you have any follow up questions, please feel free to reach out in the comments below and look for my next post: The Bucket List Guide to Iceland – Part 2: Iceland’s Outdoor Adventures

Don’t forget to Pin this to your Bucket List Board!Pinterest Picture of the Colorful Houses you see during your Bucket List guide to Reykjavik Iceland

Top Resources for Your Travel Bucket List

Some of the biggest questions people are always asking us is, how we are able to afford to travel so much? So to help, below, you will see some of our Favorite tools to help you tick off any bucket list travel items:

  • Flights: By now it should be pretty obvious that Travel is a major part of The Bucket List Project and is most likely a big part of yours. That is why one of our first stops when looking for flights anywhere is Kiwi. However, if you have time, we also recommend signing up with Dollar Flight Club! Through the daily emails they send us, we have used them to save on average about $350+ on Round trip internationally.
  • Accommodations: Not going to lie, we love renting unique accommodations from local hosts through Airbnb. However, if you are looking for 5 Star hotels, Pensions on the Camino de Santiago, or a hostel in Portugal, Booking.com can take care of you.
  • Activities & Tours: There are tons of tour groups and organizations out there that can facilitate your bucket list adventure. But for us, we tend to start with Viator since they have a Low Price Guarantee! However, if we are just looking for day adventures or something a little smaller, GetYourGuide is a great resource with over 40,000 activities worldwide.
  • Disclosure: This post, “The Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Icelandmay contain affiliate links. Using the links doesn’t cost you any extra, and it helps keep the site free, fun, and community supported! Eric & Darcee will never recommend a product that we don’t genuinely believe in, actually use ourselves, have researched, and trust. Please see the disclosure policy for more information.

    52 thoughts on “The Bucket List Guide to Reykjavik, Iceland

    1. I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland but had never heard about the hot dogs! Food is my favourite part of travelling (but not the sadness when I get home realise I can’t get whichever delicacy anywhere!)

    2. Iceland is indeed the stuff of dreams. The surreal Northern Lights by themselves are worth traveling to Iceland for. Reykjavik has always intrigued me ever since I saw a Hollywood movie that was shot there. The play of the sun in Iceland has always been a source of great fascination. But there is so much to Reykjavik apart from being the base for other places in Iceland. Though of course we would not dig the fermented shark meat!

    3. I spent my 40th birthday in Iceland. The Northern Lights were my main goal. We got lucky and they danced for us three times. You really need to leave the town for it though. I wish I knew about the heated ocean experience, as I would have done that. I also would have tried the shark, but don’t think I could make myself eat a puffin, no matter how good they taste. They had the shark at the menu at Hotel Ranga, but none of my friends were into it. Puffins are so cute. I would love to return one day to see them there on the west coast. I did, however, eat horse there. That was very good.

    4. I’ve never been to Reykjavik, so this is a great guide to get a feel for what’s there worth exploring… and eating. I dunno about fermented shark and whale fin! Interesting to know that the puffin tastes good, but hot dogs are the #1! I’d love to check the place out and explore some of the viking history.

    5. Hot dogs! We didn’t realize how common hot dogs in Iceland were until we visited 🙂 We didn’t try the fermented shark meat or grilled puffin, since we aren’t as adventurous with food. Hopefully, if you visit again, you’ll see the Northern Lights. It is magical for sure!

    6. Great guide of things to do in Reykjavik! I almost made it there, but unfortunately was unable to. Most of these things were and still are on my list though. I would love to visit the Höfði House, it has always fascinated me. Íslenski Barinn sure does have an interesting selection! As a vegetarian, those items are not something I would try, but I can definitely see how it would be a unique experience!

    7. Wow! I loved the post it notes of things to do. At first I thought you were crazy for swimming there, but then I read further and realized the water was warm. I am a Florida girl so I like things hot. The weird foods sound good too. I like trying new foods as long as they aren’t live bugs. I don’t want my food crawling around in my mouth!

    8. I have so many places that I want to visit and Iceland is one of them. Thanks for sharing your experience with me.

    9. I’m slowly beginning to put together a bucket list for when I quit my steady job. I hope I don’t have to put Iceland on it….since I don’t want to wait that long anymore. Who knows – maybe next year holds the opportunity to see Iceland. In any case, I’m bookmarking your post so I’m ready once I’m….ready 😀

    10. Almost end of 2020 and would like to personally thank you, all the gratitude to you with all that you share in your blog where we learn a lot about different places since these places are indeed in our bucket list, will bookmark this 🙂 Prosperous 2021 to you!

    11. I would love to hear more about your experience regarding the puffin, rotting shark meat, and the Black Death! I bet that was one interesting culinary experience to say the least!

      1. Haha, well the puffin was great but the Black Death was pretty gross to me. But to be fair, I dont really like Ouzo or Arak either which is what it kind of reminded me of.

    12. We were certainly glad we got to enjoy Reykjavik when we were in Iceland. Even if we too missed the Northern Lights. We too like to visit cemeteries as a great way to see some of the history of a place. But we missed that on our visit. We did not swim in the Atlantic. But maybe because we missed the hot spot at Nautholsvík Thermal Beach. Lots of reasons for a return trip!

    13. I’ve already heard so much about Iceland but still don’t know about this amazing place. It seems that, I have a lot to explore more!

      1. Yeah, Iceland has become a great destination for traveling and now there are often great deals on flights to visit the beautiful country and it’s people.

    14. I also want to see the aurora borealis…oh well, gives us something to dream of for later! in general, this is a fantastic guide filled with tricks and inspiration for all. I didn’t know people ate puffin, they are so cute 🙁

      1. I guess if you are hungry enough in the middle of the freezing temps of Iceland’s winter, you will eat anything. For me, it was similar to chicken.

    15. Aiden sure is loving reading about all your travels, Eric, but Iceland is his favorite so far.

      We’re incorporating your adventures into our World History lessons this year, hope ya don’t mind! 😉

    16. I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland for the Northern lights. I’ve seen them once in Alaska, a spectacular display, but it was in the beginning of the season so not the full-blown show one could see. I had no idea there are so many wonderful things in Iceland in addition. I will be skipping eating puffin and shark eating though! I just don’t think I could do it!

      1. Yeah Angela the Aurora Borealis was the one thing that I somehow missed you I was out every day looking for it was just too cloudy. Iceland was phenomenal though I hope you get a chance to go. This part 1 only describes Reykjavik so hopefully I’ll come back and check out part two in the next couple of days to read about all the other unbelievable Adventures you can have them! I can understand your feeling on the shark but don’t be afraid of puffins, they taste like chicken and it was quite yummy

      1. Trust me the way flights are that’s probably a great idea. Iceland to Ireland to Scotland the London, and then from there heading to Scandinavia! Sounds like a dream trip

    17. We went to Iceland last summer and loved it! It was fun to see your pictures, because you saw a lot of different things than we did. Guess that means we need to go back 🙂

      1. That’s great Becki I’m so glad you got a chance to go! I plan on posting up another article hopefully in the next couple of days to Showcase all of the other places I went to outside of the main city so perhaps you’ll see some stuff that you guys did as well so that you can have some wonderful memories

      1. I agree Megan, I went on a total whim and had one of the best trips ever in my life. Although this article only specifically mentions Reykjavik , I hope to post up later this week the rest of the adventures I had because outside of the city it was even better for me and I want everyone to know all about it because it was phenomenal in my opinion

      1. Benjamin Kama I hope you definitely get a chance to go. I will be posting up part 2 to share all of the adventures outside of the main city! It was probably one of the most amazing countries I have ever been to, and I say that very reluctantly as a traveler

    18. When I went Europe, we made a stopover in Iceland. We went to the airport, and the store at the airport had beautiful handmade sweaters.

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