Must see attractions in 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…

Artefacts from settlement to the modern age fill the creative display spaces of Iceland's superb National Museum. Exhibits give an excellent overview of…

This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era…

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…

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…

The excellent Reykjavík Art Museum is split over three superbly curated sites: the large, modern, downtown Hafnarhús, focusing on contemporary art;…

Largely a service harbour until recently, the Old Harbour and the neighbouring Grandi area have blossomed into tourist hot spots, with key art galleries,…

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…

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…

This fantastic collaboration between the National Museum, National Gallery and four other organisations creates a superbly curated exhibition covering the…

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…

This pretty stack of marble atriums and spacious galleries overlooking Tjörnin offers ever-changing exhibits drawn from a 10,000-piece collection. The…

Reykjavík Art Museum's Hafnarhús is a marvellously restored warehouse converted into a soaring steel-and-concrete exhibition space. Though the well…

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…

There’s something immensely playful about the vast collection of sculptures by Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893–1982) housed in the studio and museum he designed …

This perennially cutting-edge artist-run exhibition space is a favourite with locals, and now has an expanded gallery in the renovated Marshall House in…

Reserve ahead for a tour (2pm Monday to Friday) at this full-service chocolate factory, where you'll see how cocoa beans are transformed into high-end,…

Displays works by some of the country’s top modern artists, many of whom show overseas as well.

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…

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…