Reykjavík in 4 days
The world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state, home to about 140,000 people, lies between the concrete spire of Hallgrímskirkja, the old harbour where whale-watching boats leave and geothermal pools at 38°C that open early in the morning. The Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon are within an hour, and the northern lights are watched for from Grótta lighthouse.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
Hallgrímskirkjaabout 45 minThe 74.5-metre Lutheran church on Skólavörðuholt hill, designed in 1937 by Guðjón Samúelsson after Iceland's basalt columns and built between 1945 and 1986.
- Afternoon
Harpa and the Sun Voyagerfree · about 1 h 30The harbourside concert hall of 2011, with a glass facade by Olafur Eliasson based on basalt columns, near the Sun Voyager sculpture.
- Late afternoon
Old Harbour and whale watching2 to 3 hYear-round three-hour trips into Faxaflói Bay: minke whales and white-beaked dolphins on most outings, humpbacks often from April to October.
Day 2
- Morning
Laugardalslaug poolabout 1 h 30The city's largest pool, opened in 1968, with an outdoor 50-metre pool, hot pots, a seawater pool and slides, all fed by geothermal water.
- Afternoon
Sky Lagoon2 to 3 hA geothermal lagoon opened in 2021 at Kársnes, 15 minutes from the centre, with a 75-metre infinity edge and a seven-step bathing ritual.
- Evening
Grótta lighthouse and the northern lightsfree · an eveningThe darkest spot in the city, at the tip of Seltjarnarnes, with an open view north; the lighthouse islet is reached at low tide.
Day 3
- Morning
Blue Lagoon2 to 3 hMilky blue water from the Svartsengi geothermal plant, coloured by silica, in a lava field on the Reykjanes peninsula, 50 km south-west of the city.
Day 4
- All day
The Golden Circlefree · a full dayA 230 km day loop east of the city; at Þingvellir, a UNESCO site, the American and Eurasian plates drift 2 cm apart each year.
Where to sleep in Reykjavík
- Loft Hostel · €110 a night
- Bus Hostel · €80 a night
- Lækur Hostel · €80 a night
- Hotel Leifur Eiriksson · €130 a night
- Fosshotel Reykjavik · €140 a night
- Center Hotels Plaza · €150 a night
- The Reykjavik EDITION · €400 a night
- Hotel Borg · €300 a night
- Canopy by Hilton · €240 a night
Plan this trip
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