One thing I didn't realize that I'd love so much about Iceland was downtown Reykjavik! We spent a decent amount of time in the city across our entire trip, as we made it our 'home' base (more on that decision here), and we loved it. It's walkable and full of quirky art and architecture, unique shops, cool museums, historical spots, and great food. We stayed right in the center of downtown - which was definitely the right move!
We'll have an entire post on where to eat in Reykjavik (so much good food + drink!), but this one covers all our favorite activities!
Museums
Can't spend a day in a city without seeing the museums! We found three awesome museums that were a big hit with the kids! And a neat thing about this itinerary is that these were also in walking distance of each other.... so you can do them all! (I'd suggest in the order below due to proximity and opening times!)
Fly Over Iceland: This is kind of a cross between a natural history museum, a modern art museum, and a ride... it's not very long and it's not cheap, but we loved it. You listen to a short history of Iceland in a mini theater (that feels like an old Viking house) before being led (by your virtual guide, an Icelandic troll) to the main attraction. The ride itself is less than 10 minutes, but it's pretty neat. You feel like you're suspended in the air over Iceland, and the ride takes you all over the country with your feet dangling over the landscape. To really get you in the zone, they'll spray mist, scents, hot/cold air... and it feels pretty realistic. And sometimes I hate heights and get dizzy, but this was gentle enough that I felt pretty comfortable the whole time. We did this on our last day, so we were also really excited to see some of the places we'd been. Needless to say (because you know, it's a RIDE) the kids were obsessed. At one point I even had to convince them that it could not possibly be their favorite part about Iceland... you know since it's a RIDE. So in summary, it was worth it for us.
Then after our "flight" (and before the couple blocks to the next museum below), we stopped at the little coffee shop in the lobby of Fly Over Iceland. I think there is better food in Iceland, but the lattes were great!
Whales of Iceland: The main attraction is the 23 life-sized whales (in a kind of modern hangar-like building). This may not sound that impressive, but please remember how HUGE whales are... it's pretty cool. And it's great for all ages/groups, as you can spend as little as 20 minutes in there if you rushed through and just quickly read the placards and admired the art/size as you walked, or you could hang for over an hour - listening to the free audio guide, attending a special lecture, and snacking at the little cafe. Kids under 7 are free though, so don't worry too much if you're dragging several littles and unsure of their ability to engage.
A cool bonus is that every kid gets a quiz (that is catered to their age group), and they have to pay attention and look for clues throughout the museum to fill it out correctly. If they complete it, they get a little prize at the end. This was a big motivator for our kids... and the quiz was not easy! (Andrew may even have asked Siri a question toward the end after losing patience with the audio track but wanting to make sure he didn't miss out on that prize...)
And we went due to the high ratings and proximity to the other museums - not just because it's "the largest whale museum in all of Europe" - and we're glad we did. But I imagine it would be even more special (in terms of kids being able to tie this museum memory specifically to their memory of Iceland) if you also did a whale watching tour in Iceland before or after the museum! Since we were there in October (and prime whale watching is April - September), we ended up opting out of the whale tour... but I could imagine this would be a great combo (and is near the harbour too).
Saga Museum: I can't talk about this museum without saying that you NEED TO EAT DINNER HERE. More on that in another post soon. But I can't even start to tell you about this without saying that. OK, moving on.
This is a tiny little museum, but it's pretty sweet. It's a series of (very, very!) realistic scenes throughout Viking history... and, as you may know, the history was not a peaceful one. Killing, natural disasters, the black death... it all comes to life here. It's also all included on the audio tour.
It's definitely gruesome and a kind of dark, but I wouldn't say 'scary' as nothing is live action. But some kids may like it more than others. The best part for kids is that next to the gift shop, they have real 'costumes' to try on. But these aren't your typical cheap costumes... there are all kinds of outfits including legit metal shirts weighing 20 pounds... to give you the real feeling of being a Viking... it worked for Andrew !
I think ALL adults will like it... and partly because it's really well done while being educational, but the other thing is that you can buy a local beer to drink as you walk through... anyway that basically sold it for me! Plus, I do have a little section about other shopping below, but some of the coolest things I got were from the little Saga Gift Shop - don't miss it!
Wandering on Foot
Next up, wandering. The city center is basically an outdoor art gallery - with unique architecture, funky statues, and so many beautiful murals around every corner. And it's very walkable (which is good because there are no shared ride apps and the taxis aren't always the easiest to find quickly).
Anyway, once you leave the museums, I'd first head down to the harbour. You'll pass a few great restaurants and food stands too (which I'll highlight in my where to eat post next). You can walk on paths along the water, and I'd head toward what Google maps calls 'Harbor in Reykjavik', as there are views to take in plus a mini outdoor museum explaining the growth of the harbour (as it was originally a few blocks inland but was pushed out toward the water to accommodate the need for deeper waters due to bigger boats... and a lot happened on the dock next to these big boats!). Once you're there, you're positioned well for the next step on our wandering tour.
After you get your fill of the harbour, turn your maps toward Ingólfur Square. It's a cute little square with various little pop ups depending on the time of year (and time of night/day). It's also a meeting place for many of the city tours. Next you can pass by the Parliament House (Alþingishúsið) and a pretty little park in front.
Then across the street (Vonarstræti) is Tjornin (aka "the pond" due to the size/depth). The city literally grew up around this little body of water. Depending on the time of year, this is a beautiful space to walk around and enjoy the little spot of nature right in the middle of the city. And the good news is that if you're willing to brave the cold, you'll be rewarded with seeing lots of ducks/swans in the lake all year round - not because they are braving the cold too, but rather thanks to the lake being geothermally heated! I'll never stop being impressed with all this hot water in Iceland. :)
And on the north side of Tjornin is City Hall, which is a cool building but also has a weird statue called 'Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat' - which was interesting to everyone in our group for different reasons. :) After you view the statue, head out to Lækjargata and take a left - passing by Minningarveggur Tobba (Charity) at Bókhlöðustígur/Lækjargata (you can see it on Google maps). It's a really cool concept - you can leave anything and take anything for free (e.g. coats) - built around those in need.
Keep walking up Lækjargata, and pass a cute little playground in a small park on your right and the beginning of modern shopping on your left. But you should turn right on Bankastræti, and we've saved the best for last! Local (and admittedly some tourist!) shopping and cafes galore!
The street heads uphill, and is just full of local shops and cafes. A few blocks in, you'll even see "Rainbow Street" (yes, you can put that into Google maps). You'll probably recognize it from Instagram, and the street itself is the sweetest little pedestrian road dotted with cafes and small shops. At the end of the road sits Hallgrimskirkja Church, which is a cool backdrop for all the pictures you'll definitely be taking here. There is also plenty of art to admire both inside and outside the shops. I'd suggest a coffee and a good wander (with your wallet - more on shopping below!).
[NOTE - I just re-read this section and realized I may need to make a map... but I'm not sure how to best go about this graphic... I will get back to it at a later date and update the post!]
Shopping
Alright... I was not expecting this, but we REALLY loved all the small shops in Reykjavik! Especially the ones in the general vicinity of 'Rainbow Street'. So many of the locally made goods were in a minimalist style with a little dose of quirky that all felt so unique to Iceland.
A side note - I think part of the reason we loved all the gifts was because we had an understanding the stories behind them. Our first guide told us alllll about the 13 yule lads... and that was just our entry point into all the Icelandic lore - which plays into a lot of the art and local gifts. The 13 yule lads are likened to '13 Santa Clauses'... as they bring small gifts and candy to kids for the 13 days leading up to Christmas. But before you get jealous of the Icelandic kids, you should know that they are also pretty scary. The only other similarity with our American Santa (who drinks Coca Cola) is that these men also love to drink (and eat).... but that's where the similarities end. These guys live for mischief - sausage swiper eats your meat, door slammer slams doors in the night, bowl licker licks your bowl when you're not looking... you get the idea). Their mom is named Gryla, and she comes down from the mountains on Christmas to grab naughty kids and boil them alive. The family pet is the Christmas Cat who walks the streets on Christmas Eve and eats anyone without new clothes on.... so yeah... terrifying. But also these guys have so much character built into each of them, that they kind of become endearing. So we had to get all the swag. Lol.
Anyway, we stayed at the 101 Hotel, which was also very close to this little area and lots of great shopping, so I've even highlighted a few of our favorite shops below:
Litla Jólabúðin - You can't miss this cute little Christmas store. Would it even be a big trip if you didn't come back with an ornament? And there are plenty of variations on Yule Lads and Christmas cats here to pick from!
Hjarta Reykjavikur (The Heart of Reykjavik) - This little shop has a resident cat and superimposes its face onto many of its otherwise architectural-style art. It's adorable.
Epal (on Laugavegur) - An Icelandic design shop with home goods that double as art (and most that are locally made!)
That's all for now! I think this post will definitely keep you busy in Reykjavik!
Note: As usual, here is a short like of things we missed in Reykjavik, so we can't review, but we provide in case you have more time or come during a different season:
Statue of Christmas Cat plus Ice Skating (only during the holidays)
Perlan Restaurant (not sure if this belongs in food or activities, but it's a museum plus a rotating restaurant high above the city)
Hallgrimskirkja (although we saw the outside of this large iconic church, we didn't get right up close and didn't go inside)
Whale Boat Tour (wrong time of year for us)
Sun Voyager (Viking ship monument)
Laugardalslaug (largest geothermal community pool)
Next up - best food we ate! After that, we leave the city to explore the coast in a few different trips (including a northern lights sighting!).
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