More than 5000 varieties of subarctic plants fill the city's botanic gardens, delivering a wealth of colourful seasonal flowers and plenty of birdlife, particularly grey geese and their fluffy little goslings. In the summer the acclaimed Café Flóra sets up shop in the greenhouse.
Reykjavík Botanic Gardens
Reykjavík
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.6 MILES
The world’s oldest parliament, Althingi (pronounced ál-thingk-ee; also called Alþing) was uniquely situated at this monumental site where two tectonic…
24.05 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…
24.7 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…
1.73 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…
2.38 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…
27.49 MILES
Housed in an imaginatively restored warehouse by the harbour, the must-see Settlement Centre offers fascinating insights into the history of Icelandic…
2.27 MILES
This fascinating archaeological ruin-museum is based around a 10th-century Viking longhouse unearthed here from 2001 to 2002 and other Settlement-Era…
2.04 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…
Nearby Reykjavík attractions
1. Reykjavík Zoo & Family Park
0.1 MILES
Sunny days see happy local families flocking to this children's park in Laugardalur. Don’t expect lions and tigers; think seals, foxes and farm animals in…
0.2 MILES
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…
3. Reykjavík Art Museum – Ásmundarsafn
0.48 MILES
There’s something immensely playful about the vast collection of sculptures by Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893–1982) housed in the studio and museum he designed …
1.05 MILES
Sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson (1908–82) used this peaceful seafront building as a studio. Now it showcases his varied, powerful work: portrait busts,…
5. Reykjavík Art Museum – Kjarvalsstaðir
1.31 MILES
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…
1.34 MILES
Miklatún Park is home to the angular glass-and-wood Kjarvalsstaðir museum, named after Jóhannes Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland’s most popular…
8. Icelandic Phallological Museum
1.4 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…