In the 10 years since I first visited Iceland the country’s popularity has exploded – it’s gone from hidden gem to hotspot. A lot of that is thanks to the airlines, with cheap flight deals and its handy position between Europe and North America. Whether you’re just planning a bigger Icelandic adventure or just stopping over, Reykjavik’s likely to be on your travel agenda. Which is a great excuse to spend time in this cool Nordic capital, with its mix of small-town friendliness and quirky design, Viking history and contemporary architecture. Its small size means you can pack a lot into a day too – so here’s my itinerary for one day in Reykjavik.
Read more: Visiting Copenhagen on a budget
Things to do in Reykjavik in one day

Reykjavik’s colourful streets
9.30am: Hallgrímskirkja views
Reykjavik’s not a high-rise city, but there’s one building that towers over the rest – Hallgrímskirkja church. It’s 244 feet tall and built from white concrete. The unusual design was created by Icelandic state architect Guðjón Samúelsson in the 1940s. It was inspired by Iceland’s geology, with columns on each side based on the rock formations you get when lava cools.
The design was controversial at the time and it took 38 years to complete, so Samúelsson never got to see it finished. The church is pretty minimalist on the inside, but you can climb up to the top of the tower for a great view out over the city’s colourful rooftops (the slightly claustrophobic lift up to the observation platform costs 1000 ISK – £6/€7/$8).

The striking Hallgrímskirkja
10.30am: Street art and shopping
Icelanders are creative people and Reykjavik has a big focus on design. Most buildings are made of concrete so have become a blank canvas for street art. You’ll find it all around the city – from tiny hidden sketches to colourful murals covering the whole side of a building. The artists are usually commissioned or get permission from the property owner so it’s more art than graffiti.
Reykjavik’s a great place for shopping too, with not many chains and lots of unique boutiques. Head to the main Laugavegur shopping street for cool clothing and homewares at Kraum and Myconceptstore. Some of the top gifts to take home are lopapeysa (cozy Icelandic woolen jumpers), lava rock jewellery and the amazing mustard you get on Icelandic hotdogs.

Reykjavik street art
1pm: Lunch at the Laundromat Café
I would practically move into the Laundromat Café if I had one near me. It’s part of a small chain that started out in Copenhagen before opening a branch in Reykjavik in 2011. It mixes up slightly kitsch American diner-style decor with a few Nordic touches. There are maps covering the walls and the bar is lined with shelves of colour-coded books – what’s not to love?
The food’s good too, with big brunches, local specialities like Skyr cake and Icelandic salmon, and homemade cakes. It’s a really cosy place where you can hide out on a wintery afternoon and read the papers, buy a book or borrow a board game. There are prints of vintage launderettes on the walls too, and you can actually do your laundry downstairs too.

Inside the Laundromat Café
3pm: Harpa Concert Hall
There’s more geological inspiration on show at Reykjavik’s modern Harpa Concert Hall. Since opening in 2011 it’s been a dramatic new addition to the city’s waterfront and has rapidly become one of the most famous Reykjavik attractions. The building is made up of three-dimensional glass panels which use the same hexagonal shape as Iceland’s basalt rocks.
It sparkles with light reflected from the sea and sky by day, and is lit by colourful lights by night. The concert hall is home to the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra but even if you can’t get to a performance it’s worth wandering around and checking out the architecture. There’s a bar, restaurant and gift shop, and a terrace with views out to the harbour and mountains.

The dramatic Harpa Concert Hall
5.30pm: Sun Voyager sunset
Just along the waterfront from Harpa is the Sun Voyager – or Sólfar in Icelandic – statue. It was designed by sculptor Jón Gunnar Árnason as a dream boat, an ode to sun and light (though there’s a certain resemblance to a Viking longboat too). It’s made of stainless steel on a base of polished granite, and on a clear day you get a backdrop of Mount Esja across the bay.
If you get there just before sunset then it makes a great silhouette against the changing colours of the sky. Sunset times vary massively in Iceland – from around 3.30pm in January to midnight in June, so you’ll need to adjust your itinerary depending on the time of year!

The Sun Voyager or Sólfar sculpture
7pm: Drinks and dinner
Reykjavik isn’t the most obvious place you’d expect to find a bar dedicated to cult Coen Brother film The Big Lebowski, but that’s exactly what you’ve got at Leboswki Bar. If you’ve been the film you’ll know there’s only really one drink you can order – a White Russians (vodka, coffee liqueur and cream). There’s a whole White Russian menu as well as some more usual cocktails.
Leboswki Bar does burgers and nachos. But if you fancy something a bit more traditionally Icelandic, head to Saegreifinn (Sea Baron) in the harbour. They’re famous for their rich, sweet lobster soup, served in a cosy restaurant where diners share tables and sit on fish barrels.

Wintery White Russian
More time?
If you’ve got another day in Iceland, then there are lots of great day trips from Reykjavik. Best known is the Blue Lagoon spa’s thermal pools, where you can soak in steaming blue waters. It’s about 45 minutes from Reykjavik but it’s close to the airport so you can stop off on the way to of from the city (book in advance though as it can get busy). Or there’s Fontana spa with outdoor pools where you can see local speciality Thunder Bread being cooked underground.
Further afield there are the stunning landscapes of Þingvellir National Park, with walking routes around the park – or snorkelling at Silfra Fissure in the freezing waters between two tectonic plates if you’re feeling brave. And the Golden Circle is a popular day trip which covers 300km and takes in Þingvellir as well as Gullfoss waterfall and the original erupting geyser.

Iceland’s stunning scenery at Þingvellir
Where to stay in Reykjavik
We stayed at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, in a historic harbour building, 10 minutes’ walk to the city centre. It’s bright and modern with quirky coastal decor touches – like knot-print wallpaper and vintage ship photos – and a cosy bar. Double rooms from £125/$163 a night.
The Kex Hostel also comes highly recommended if you’re on a budget. It’s a friendly, social place near to the Laugarvegur shopping street with a mix of dorms and private rooms with shared/en suite bathrooms, plus a bar and restaurant. Rooms from £34/$44 a night in a six-bed dorm.
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38 Comments
Actually Mummy
November 26, 2015 at 1:47 pmI have always wanted to visit Reykjavik and everwhere I look at the moment there are reminders that I should. I think it’s a message 🙂 Best prioritise!
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 5:07 pmDefinitely the universe trying to tell you something! There are some really good flight deals now and it’s got a lot cheaper than when I first visited too.
Vlad
November 26, 2015 at 2:25 pmI’m hoping 2016 will be the year when I finally visit Iceland, I’ve been dying to visit since forever (I could say I wanted to go “before it was cool” 😛 ). I ate at the Laundromat Cafe in Copenhagen, by accident though, the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed for the month and as it started to rain, we went into the only place that was open and had tables, haha. But the food and the atmosphere were great 😀
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 5:09 pmHow funny, I missed the Copenhagen version of the Laundromat Café but really like the Reykjavik one. It’s a great city – and so much to see around the rest of the country too.
Pandaonavespa
November 26, 2015 at 3:32 pmIt´s true that Iceland is more and more attractive to travelers: a lot of friends of mine have been there during the last two years, and they all came back saying wonderful things about it.
I am planning a trip there as well (if a place is stunning, why shouldn´t we visit??), and I found your guide very interesting and, hopefully, useful very soon!!!
https://pandaonavespa.wordpress.com/
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 5:14 pmIt does seem to have got more and more popular in recent years – and I can definitely see why, as well as the city the landscapes out there are just amazing. Hope you get to visit soon!
Joanna
November 26, 2015 at 4:04 pmIceland’s been long on my bucket list but I’m still not sure when I’ll visit this amazing to country. I guess it’s a bit too expensive at the moment but I know one day I’ll see the geysers, hike the mountains and have a bath in hot Icelandic thermal pool! 🙂
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 5:41 pmHope you get out there before too long. It’s not as expensive as a lot of the other Nordic destinations but still not exactly a budget destination unfortunately!
wannderful
November 26, 2015 at 4:24 pmWow! Fantastic!
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 5:39 pmThanks, it’s a beautiful place!
Natasha
November 26, 2015 at 5:42 pmI only managed to do this when I visited in November – we had terrible weather which was a pity. I love how your photos have come out.
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 8:34 pmThanks, my first visit it was really foggy and grey, and I only had a rubbish old camera so I was really glad to get some good shots his time!
abitofculture
November 26, 2015 at 5:59 pmIt’s got a place in my top 5 cities in the world. Quirky with great food and loads to see on excursions, and great hot chocolate at the Laundromat!
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 9:00 pmIt’s a great place – I already have my eye on another stopover next year and getting out and seeing a bit more of the island.
shazza
November 26, 2015 at 7:13 pmI went twelve months ago and did everything you mentioned, event went to Laundromat for hot chocolate and cake.x
Lucy
November 26, 2015 at 8:51 pmWe obviously have the same great taste! (though I missed the hot chocolate, I will have to try that next time).
Suzanne
November 27, 2015 at 7:09 amReykjavik is definitely Iceland’s capital of cool! We packed a lot into one day didn’t we! Fabulous photos Lucy 🙂
Lucy
November 27, 2015 at 4:22 pmWe certainly did! So pleased to have such a lovely day for it too.
the-worldwide
November 27, 2015 at 12:03 pmNice to see that you had spend a great day.
Lucy
November 27, 2015 at 4:23 pmThanks, yes it was a really nice place to spend some time!
lexklein
November 27, 2015 at 1:47 pmI’m dying to go back. We spent nine days in Reykjavik and driving around the country, and it was amazing. Reykjavik was my favorite part of the trip and I adored the Laundromat Cafe!
Lucy
November 27, 2015 at 4:24 pmThis was a really flying visit and last time I only had three days so I am hoping to get back and drive around the country next time, the landscapes out there look stunning.
ladies what travel
November 27, 2015 at 2:07 pmOh I love the look of the Laundromat cafe, that’s my kinda hangout! 🙂
Lucy
November 27, 2015 at 4:25 pmIt was lovely, the sort of place I could definitely park myself with my laptop for the day!
Melissa
November 27, 2015 at 4:53 pmA friend and I are heading to Reykjavik in a couple of weeks, so this post was super timely. Forwarded on to see if my friend is interested in any of your suggestions!
Lucy
November 30, 2015 at 10:10 amHope you have a great trip!
Melissa
December 3, 2015 at 1:30 pmUpdate: We have added all your suggestions to our list!
Lucy
December 4, 2015 at 1:52 pmFantastic – hope you enjoy it!
Bianca Malata (@ItsAllBee)
November 28, 2015 at 12:15 amThis is getting me exciting and rather impatient for my trip to Iceland in July.
Lucy
November 30, 2015 at 10:11 amJuly should be lovely out there too with the long light days!
Marni
November 29, 2015 at 6:33 pmIceland is pretty high up on my travel bucket list, so I really enjoyed this post!
Lucy
November 30, 2015 at 10:06 amThanks Marni, great to hear you enjoyed it!
atravelingb
December 7, 2015 at 3:13 amLovely highlights of the Icelandic capital. We enjoyed our time in Reykjavik, but agree you can pack the sights into a day. We gave ourselves a little too much time there with 3 days and there is so much more of the country to be explored!
Lucy
December 7, 2015 at 11:11 amIt’s fairly small and easy to get around so it’s not too hard to pack a lot in. So much to see in Iceland though yes it’s tough to choose where to spend your time!
postcardsfromamy
April 26, 2016 at 7:02 pmJust got back from a few days in Reykjavik and absolutely loved it – agree with all your suggestions – we also went to the Laundromat Cafe!
Lucy
April 29, 2016 at 10:03 pmIt’s a fantastic city – so much to do for its size!
Steven Bens
May 23, 2018 at 5:40 amIt was a real flying visit and last time I only had three days so I am hoping to get back and drive around the country next time, the landscapes out there look stunning. Thanks for writing this amazing blog on Iceland…..My all-time favorite country to visit
Lucy
May 30, 2018 at 5:18 pmIt’s a wonderful place, definitely worth a longer trip.