Iceland Attractions and Dining in/near Reykjavik- July 2022
Attractions in Iceland:
Attractions in Iceland:
Harpa– is magnificent looking concert hall is a must see you on your next visit to Reykjavik. They have a variety of exhibitions and concerts through the year. When we were there they had a show called Circuleight, which was a light and music exhibition type show while you are in this one room with a variety of effects and colors. It was about 20 to 30 minutes long and it transforms you into a state of relaxation and mind wandering. We also came back for a music concert with a quintet group playing jazz and blues music with roots from New Orleans. This was performed on the top floor overlooking the whole city and water.
This is a spectacular place where you can actually check out music shows while getting a great view too. The architecture and structure of Harpa is very unique and awesome. We took one boat ride and saw the opposite side of the venue from the water and it was like quite the site to see with a variety of colors. https://harpa.is/en/about-harpa
Fly over Iceland is located at the end of the Harbor & a must visit. It’s a motion simulator ride that takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You can explore inside and educate yourself with some of Iceland‘s beauty in nature. The ride makes you feel like you’re actually flying over Iceland in and was exciting for us. Grab one of their photos with the green screen background to take for a souvenir. More at www.flyovericeland.is
The Whale museum located down by the harbor is another cool thing to do while you’re in Reykjavik. This exhibition Has giant actual size whales. It’s a great educational experience while you learn about all the species and types of whales while walking around to their audio tour. This exhibition could take up to about an hour or longer if you stay for that educational film or longer. There’s also a virtual reality headset you can watch for 10 or 15 minutes with all types of underwater fish. It feels like you’re scuba diving but you’re just standing there looking around inside the virtual reality device. https://www.whalesoficeland.is/
The Aurora Northern Lights exhibition is also held down by the harbor. It’s a smaller size venue where you go through a few different rooms that explain how these lights happen and develop during the winter time of Iceland and other countries. There a variety of colors from green to purple to red that light up the sky when it’s all dark it is a rare phenomenon that you can see during the months of October through December for the most part. https://aurorareykjavik.is/
Perlan- this may be the most popular place to go when visiting Reykjavik. They have a variety of exhibitions ranging from the planetarium with the northern lights show that’s about 20 to 30 minutes. It explains about all the lights and how they come to life through the planets in solar system. The next exhibition Is the Wonders of Iceland. This is their biggest exhibition where you learn about all the different phenomenons and other happenings in Iceland and how it became its own country. Everything from animals to earthquakes to the transformation of the country.
At the end of the tour you’ll learn about some polar bears and walk through an ice cave that resembles one of the real ice caves down in the south of the country. Most people go in for five or 10 minutes because you’re going to be very cold and they do not provide any extra layers or jackets like they did before Covid. Once done with the exhibitions, head up to the top of the venue for a bite to eat or some delicious gelato. You can even go in the observation deck and walk outside to see the whole city and surrounding areas with one of the best views around if not the best. https://www.perlan.is/en-gb
Bike Tours and Bicycle Rental in Reykjavik
Learn the secrets of Iceland from a local or rent a bike and cycle on your own. We believe cycling is the best way to get around Reykjavik and Iceland.
Since you’re already reading this you probably agree!
We offer guided tours and bicycle rental as well as Segway tours and walking tours.
We don’t just show you the the essential “must-see” sights of Iceland’s capital; you’ll hear the stories that bring these places to life!
From the city centre to the greener parts and picturesque views of the sea – you’ll take in some of the most important sights of Reykjavik on one of our popular Reykjavik bicycle rides.
We also offer bicycle and van combination day tours.
A visit to the Geysir geothermal area, Golden waterfall and Þingvellir (Parliament plains) is most rewarding when visited on bike.
You deserve a great tour, a tour which is more than just a history lesson, which is why we weave amusing stories and anecdotes into our commentary, destined to be a highlight of your visit!
Scheduled tours are conducted in English. However, German and additional languages may be available by prior arrangement.
Private tours of all sorts available all year.
Reykjavik Bike Tours and Rentals is located in the harbor. This is by far the best way to get around the city is a variety of bicycles and he bakes. They provide helmets and a lock so not only is it easy to get from place to place but you’ll get some exercise. Great thing if you come in the summertime is it really does it get dark so you’re always riding around in the light daytime so it will be safer. The friendly staff will set you up help with adjustment of your seat and get you a map to show you how to do around the city and go to different popular places. They have a nice bike path if you followed around and you can also just explore on your own. One of my favorite rides was down by the water all the way to the end where the cruise ships come in and I highly recommend that Anna sunny day as it could get a little windy and cold otherwise. If you plan to get around outside the city you may need to rent a car but otherwise this is the best way to do it around the city while saving on expensive rental car costs, gas parking fees.
Bicycle tours in Reykjavik, private or scheduled.
Bicycle rental in Reykjavik, i.e. city bikes, mountain bikes, tandem bikes, children’s bikes, road bikes, e-bikes and more. Segway tours in Reykjavik, private or scheduled. Walking tours in Reykjavik Private tours in a vehicle with a driver/guide for small and large groups. Private Game of Thrones tours with a driver/guide for small and large groups. Bike Tours and Bicycle Rental in Reykjavik
Learn the secrets of Iceland from a local or rent a bike and cycle on your own. We believe cycling is the best way to get around Reykjavik and Iceland.
Since you’re already reading this you probably agree!
We offer guided tours and bicycle rental as well as Segway tours and walking tours.
We don’t just show you the the essential “must-see” sights of Iceland’s capital; you’ll hear the stories that bring these places to life!
From the city centre to the greener parts and picturesque views of the sea – you’ll take in some of the most important sights of Reykjavik on one of our popular Reykjavik bicycle rides.
They also offer bicycle and van combination day tours.
A visit to the Geysir geothermal area, Golden waterfall and Þingvellir (Parliament plains) is most rewarding when visited on bike.
You deserve a great tour, a tour which is more than just a history lesson, which is why we weave amusing stories and anecdotes into our commentary, destined to be a highlight of your visit!
Scheduled tours are conducted in English. However, German and additional languages may be available by prior arrangement.
Private tours of all sorts available all year.
We took flybus for our airport transportation. They pick you up at their on their stations near the downtown and take you right to the airport in about 45 minutes. We didn’t get to experience any of their tours or excursions I plan to next time. However this is the most affordable way to get to the airport and the huge motorcoach type bus is comfortable and stores your luggage. They have tours and excursions too that we will have to check out next time. https://www.re.is/tour/flybus/
The Main Street to walk around is Lagermeyer to see the variety of stores, shops, hotels and restaurants. They have a variety of places at night to hear live & DJ music or have a drink. From the downtown area you could walk down to Harpa or the harbor not too far but if you’re going anywhere else you’ll need some transportation and that’s where we recommend the Reykjavik bike rentals & tours. My favorite shop was the ice wear outlet at the opposite end of the popular street There are quite a few stores in the city but this one offers the best deals and discounts. You can get stuff for about half price with a nice variety and it’s just about another 10 minutes farther than some of the other local ice wear stores. One thing to remember when buying clothes or products is to get the tax form that you can get refunded when you go to the airport to fly out. It’s kind of like the duty-free in the airport but they allow this option on retail stores in the city and country.
Some of the most popular things to see are in the south from one to 2 1/2 hours driving distance. Alva is a must when you come to Iceland as the nature and other beauty is some of those most spectacular in the world. There’s a variety of waterfalls along the way with Gullfoss. one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur, Gullfoss forms part of the Golden Circle, a popular day excursion for tourists in Iceland.
You can also go on tours & excursions on a one day visit or stay overnight. The geyser is not far from one of the main waterfalls. It’s something like you’ve never seen before with water errupting from the ground every 5-10 minutes approximately. Not far away is a unique exhibition called lava. The whole museum is focused on the volcanoes and how they come about and happen. There’s a great approximate 20-30 minute movie to watch their Alex Wayne show & how the volcanoes and their latest eruptions came about through the years with actual video footage.
Mountaineers of Iceland provides attractions from the ice cube to snowmobiling. We went for an afternoon snowmobiling tour which was exicting and interesting. We took the snowmobile on the glacier and it’s kind of luck of the draw depending on the weather for the views.
Another place about an hour away is the lava show not to be confused with lava. We had wanted to go there but ran out of time. They have an interactive staff and real lava to see and check out. More www.lava.is and www.lavashow.is
The main highlight in Reykjavik that’s a definite not to miss it’s called the Sky Lagoon. The most popular one is Blue Lagoon but we heard that’s more tourists and it is farther out of the city near the airport. We ended up going to the closer Sky Lagoon,which was just incredible. Definitely choose the ritual package which will give you a variety of services with their sauna overlooking the water, the cool mist room like it’s raining, the cold plunge and the best was the salt scrub that you put on your skin before going into steam room where it melts and turns your skin very soft. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Everyone will experience the main Lagoon Park and waterfall which are awesome. The lagoon has an overflowing infinity pool feel but the ritual package is the way to go. They have two price points from your own private changing room or the open changing room but both contain lockers. There’s a little café area to grab a bite to eat and you can stay anywhere from two hours to longer.
It’ll be hard to leave because it’s so relaxing and mind blowing with the views that are unimaginable. https://www.skylagoon.com/
We dined at the Fish Company okay the right near downtown.
The staff and service were fantastic and the manager Frosty was very welcoming. Of course the thing to get here is seafood and we started with the gravlax and some sushi which were fantastic. They serve a variety of local seafood and we went with the popular Seabass and Char which is similar to salmon.
Both were delectable and we highly recommend a visit to this awesome fish company in the city. More info and menus at www.fishcompany.is
Cafe Loki-We met Perla who is the 2nd owner of Cafe Loki.
This place serves very authentic Iceland food. Everything they make is served with a sweet taste but balanced with a smokey and fomented flavor We tried the unique shark bite size appetizer, which is very Icelandic. It is healthy but stings your mouth a little bit but have a Brennivin shot to go with it, which is similar to vodka. We also tried the mashed fish on the popular Iceland Rye bread and the dried cod to start.
For entrees, we had a variety of salted fresh cod, lamb shank, and vegetarian dish. They were served vegetables and all were fresh. I highly recommend Café Loki on your visit to Iceland as you will not get a better homey Icelandic dining experience https://loki.is/
Overall Iceland is an awesome place and one of the most magical destinations I’ve ever visited. It is safe, clean and the people are friendly. It’s hard to find any city that has natural beauty, water, mountains and spectacular views within a short drive. Do yourself a favor and book a trip to this incredible country. I recommend the summertime when it’s the light out pretty much the whole day and night. We went and saw an amazing sunset one night after 12am midnight. Some of the attractions can be checked out in the evening since it’s still light out and they’ll be far less crowds including the waterfalls and geyser.
