Must see attractions in Greater Reykjavík

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 trip up the 74.5m-high tower reveals an unmissable view of...

Artefacts from settlement to the modern age fill the creative display spaces of Iceland's superb National Museum. Exhibits give an excellent overview of Iceland’s history and culture, and the free smartphone...

This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era finds from central Reykjavík. It imaginatively combines...

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 addition to a season of top-notch shows (some free), the...

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 petrified wood, there are 286 different members on display,...

This fantastic collaboration between the National Museum, National Gallery and four other organisations creates a superbly curated exhibition covering the artistic and cultural heritage of Iceland from settlement...

The angular glass-and-wood Kjarvalsstaðir, which looks out onto Miklatún Park, is named for Jóhannes Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland’s most popular classical artists. He was a fisherman until his crew paid...

This pretty stack of marble atriums and spacious galleries overlooking Tjörnin offers ever-changing exhibits drawn from a 10,000-piece collection. The museum can only exhibit a small sample at any one time; shows...

Reykjavík Art Museum's Hafnarhús is a marvellously restored warehouse converted into a soaring steel-and-concrete exhibition space. Though the well-curated exhibitions of cutting-edge contemporary Icelandic art...

The excellent Reykjavík Art Museum is split over three superbly curated sites: the large, modern, downtown Hafnarhús, focusing on contemporary art; Kjarvalsstaðir, in a park just east of Snorrabraut which...

Largely a service harbour until recently, the Old Harbour and the neighbouring Grandi area have blossomed into tourist hot spots, with key art galleries, several museums, volcano and Northern Lights films, and...

The placid lake at the centre of the city is sometimes locally called the Pond. It echoes with the honks and squawks of more than 40 species of visiting birds, including swans, geese and Arctic terns; feeding the...

With a series of sights and interesting historic buildings, the area dubbed Old Reykjavík is the heart of the capital, and the focal point of many historic walking tours. The area is anchored by Tjörnin, the...

Perlan's mirrored dome, designed by Ingimundur Sveinsson, covers huge geothermal-water tanks some 2km from the city centre. Inside, the Wonders of Iceland exhibit features high-tech, audiovisual recreations of...

Laugardalur encompasses a verdant stretch of land 4km east of the city centre. It was once the main source of Reykjavík’s hot-water supply: it translates as ‘Hot-Springs Valley', and in the park's centre you'll...

This permanent exhibition at Perlan begins with a vast ice cave, 100m long and built with 350 tons of snow and layers of ash from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. The tunnels are kept at around -10°C to...

There’s something immensely playful about the vast collection of sculptures by Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893–1982) housed in the studio and museum he designed – the rounded, white Ásmundarsafn. Monumental concrete...

Sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson (1908–82) used this peaceful seafront building as a studio. Now it showcases his varied, powerful work: portrait busts, driftwood totem poles and abstract pillars. A salty ocean breeze...

Internationally acclaimed Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson was responsible for the Harpa concert hall's iconic honeycomb glass-and-steel facade. This space is home to his studio in Iceland, and features...

Seltjarnarnes, 5km west of central Reykjavík, is a coastal area that feels a world away. The offshore island of Grótta boasts a red-and-white lighthouse and is a haven for birdwatching, with 106 visiting species....