Two days is enough to see downtown Reykjavik and still fit one big day out, which is really why you come. The city core is tiny and flat, so half a day covers Hallgrimskirkja and its tower, the Sun Voyager, Harpa, the Laugavegur shopping street and a soak in a geothermal pool, with a whale-watching boat from the Old Harbour if the season is right. Save the second day for the Golden Circle, the classic loop to Thingvellir, the Geysir hot springs and Gullfoss waterfall, which runs about seven to eight hours by tour or hire car and must be booked ahead. Base yourself downtown in the 101 area so the sights and the tour pickups are on your doorstep. Budget hard, as food and alcohol are very expensive here, and self-cater where you can. Check the road and weather alerts on safetravel.is before the day trip, and pack real layers, because the weather changes fast even in summer. For the Blue Lagoon or the South Coast too, take the three-day plan.
Duration
2 days
Base
Midborg (101 downtown)
Mid budget
360 EUR
Best months
Jun · Jul · Aug
Picks sorted with our recommended base, Midborg (101 downtown), first. Book early: the good-value rooms go weeks ahead.
Special occasions€€€Art Deco landmark · Midborg (101 downtown)
Reykjavik's grand old hotel, a 1930 Art Deco landmark on the Austurvollur square facing parliament, with a spa in the basement. You are in the dead centre of the 101 district, a few minutes from Laugavegur and Hallgrimskirkja.
from ~280 EUR/night
Check prices
First visit€€Laugavegur boutique · Laugavegur
A warm, low-key boutique hotel strung along the main Laugavegur shopping street, with a popular bakery and cafe on the ground floor. It puts the bars, restaurants and shops of downtown Reykjavik right outside the door.
from ~170 EUR/night
Check prices
Couples€€Old harbour design · Old Harbour and Grandi
A playful design hotel right on the old harbour in Grandi, next to the whale-watching docks and the slipway where boats are still hauled out for repair. The Slippbarinn cocktail bar downstairs is a local favourite, and the museums and food halls are a short walk away.
from ~160 EUR/night
Check prices
Budget€HI hostel by the pool · Laugardalur (Hlemmur east)
A big, well-equipped HI hostel out in the green Laugardalur valley, next to the city's largest geothermal pool and a bus ride from downtown. With private rooms as well as dorms and a self-catering kitchen, it is one of the cheapest ways to sleep in a punishingly expensive city.
from ~42 EUR/night
Check pricesReal hotel photos · prices are indicative from-rates, not live quotes · booking links support the site at no extra cost
Day 1
Morning
Start at Hallgrimskirkja and take the lift up the 74-metre tower for the roughly 1400 ISK fee, going early to beat the single-lift queue, for the best view over the coloured rooftops and the bay. The church below is free.
TipThe church itself is free to enter, but pay the roughly 1400 ISK tower fee and take the lift up the 74-metre steeple for the best view over the coloured rooftops and out to the bay. Go early or late to dodge the cruise-day queue for the single small lift, and check the schedule so you are not caught inside during a service or an organ recital.
Walk down Skolavordustigur, past the painted rainbow street framing the church, onto Laugavegur for the main run of wool, design and bookshops. Browse for an Icelandic-made lopapeysa sweater but check the label before you buy.
TipLaugavegur and its continuation Skolavordustigur, which frames the view up to Hallgrimskirkja, are the main run for Icelandic wool, design shops, bookshops and casual food. Browse for a lopapeysa sweater but check it is Icelandic-made rather than imported, and note the painted rainbow street that leads to the church for the classic photo.
Grab a cheap lunch at the Baejarins Beztu Pylsur stand near the harbour, open since 1937; order eina med ollu, one with everything, for around 600 ISK. It is the best-value meal in an expensive city.
TipThis little red hot-dog stand near the harbour has been running since 1937 and serves the cheapest proper meal in the city, around 600 ISK for a lamb-based pylsa. Order it eina med ollu, meaning one with everything, which is raw and crispy onions, ketchup, sweet mustard and remoulade, and expect a short queue at lunch and after the bars close.
Afternoon
Walk the seafront to Harpa, the glass concert hall on the harbour, free to enter, and go up the levels for the honeycomb facade lit by the afternoon sun. Check the box office for a last-minute concert that night.
TipThe glass concert hall on the harbour is free to walk into, and the honeycomb facade glows best from the inside looking out in the late afternoon light. Wander the upper levels for the view for nothing, or check the box office for that night's concert, as tickets are often available last minute and it is the warmest thing to do on a wet evening.
Follow the waterfront path ten minutes to the Sun Voyager, the steel ship sculpture with the mountains behind it, free and always open. It is the classic Reykjavik photo, best in low evening light.
TipThis steel Viking-ship sculpture sits on the seafront path about ten minutes' walk from Harpa and is free and always open. Come at low sun near midnight in summer or at sunset in the shoulder seasons for the mountain-and-water backdrop, and combine it with the flat waterfront walk to Harpa rather than making a special trip.
Head to Laugardalslaug for the real local ritual, a soak in the hot pots for around 1300 ISK. Shower naked with soap before you enter, as the rule is strictly enforced, then work through the different-temperature pools.
TipThe city's biggest geothermal pool has outdoor lanes, several hot pots at different temperatures, a steam bath and a waterslide, and entry is only around 1300 ISK, far cheaper than the tourist lagoons. The strict rule is that everyone showers naked with soap before entering, which locals take seriously, so do it properly; the pools stay open and warm even in a winter snowstorm.
Evening
Eat downtown but choose carefully, as restaurants are pricey; a bowl of Icelandic lamb soup or a fish plate is more honest value than the tourist menus. Self-cater from a Bonus supermarket if you are watching the budget.
If it is a weekend, join the runtur, the local bar crawl along Laugavegur that runs late; drinks are expensive, so many locals pre-game at home first. In the dark months, keep tonight or tomorrow free for a Northern Lights tour if the forecast clears.
Day 2
Morning
Leave early on your pre-booked Golden Circle tour or hire car and start at Thingvellir national park, where you can walk in the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian plates. Check safetravel.is for road and weather alerts before you set off.
TipThe classic loop links Thingvellir national park, where the tectonic plates split, the erupting Strokkur geyser at Geysir, and the huge two-tier Gullfoss waterfall, and it takes a full day of about seven to eight hours by tour coach or self-drive. Book a small-group tour or hire a car online ahead, start early to beat the mid-morning bus wave at Geysir, and pack layers as the sites are cold and exposed.
Drive on to Geysir, where the Strokkur spout erupts every few minutes; stand upwind and arrive before the mid-morning bus wave for a clearer view. The walk around the steaming field takes about half an hour.
Afternoon
Continue to Gullfoss, the huge two-tier waterfall thundering into a canyon, and take the upper and lower viewpoints; the path gets slippery and cold, so wear grippy shoes and a waterproof. There is a cafe here for a warm-up and a late lunch.
Many routes add a stop such as the Kerid crater lake or the Fridheimar tomato greenhouse on the way back; if you are self-driving, budget the extra time and check closing hours. The full loop back to the city runs about seven to eight hours all in.
Evening
Back in town, take a gentle stroll around Tjornin, the central pond ringed by coloured houses, and step into the lakeside City Hall to see the free 3D relief map of Iceland. It is a quiet way to wind down after the drive.
TipTjornin, the central pond ringed by coloured houses and busy with birdlife, is a free five-minute stroll from Austurvollur square, and the lakeside City Hall holds a large free 3D relief map of Iceland worth ten minutes to plan your day trips. In a cold snap the lake freezes and locals skate on it, while one end is kept thawed by geothermal water so the birds stay.
Last dinner downtown, or a cheaper hot dog and a bakery stop if the day-trip bill has done the damage. If tomorrow is an early flight, remember the airport is about 50 minutes away and the Flybus coach leaves from the BSI terminal.
For 2 days, base yourself in Midborg (101 downtown). The 101 postcode is the compact heart of the city, where the shopping street, the bars, the cafes and Hallgrimskirkja all sit within a ten-minute walk. It is the obvious base for a short trip, lively by day and loud on weekend nights when locals do the runtur bar crawl until the small hours. Stay here if you want everything on your doorstep and do not mind paying the top rate for it. Compare all neighborhoods in the full where-to-stay guide.
Got longer?
Reykjavik in 3 days →
Two days is enough to see downtown Reykjavik and still fit one big day out, which is really why you come. The city core is tiny and flat, so half a day covers Hallgrimskirkja and its tower, the Sun Voyager, Harpa, the Laugavegur shopping street and a soak in a geothermal pool, with a whale-watching boat from the Old Harbour if the season is right. Save the second day for the Golden Circle, the classic loop to Thingvellir, the Geysir hot springs and Gullfoss waterfall, which runs about seven to eight hours by tour or hire car and must be booked ahead.
Base yourself in Midborg (101 downtown) for this itinerary. The 101 postcode is the compact heart of the city, where the shopping street, the bars, the cafes and Hallgrimskirkja all sit within a ten-minute walk. It is the obvious base for a short trip, lively by day and loud on weekend nights when locals do the runtur bar crawl until the small hours. Stay here if you want everything on your doorstep and do not mind paying the top rate for it.
The plan works year round, but June, July, August give you the best weather-to-crowds ratio.