Vacation Packages and Escorted Tours to Reykjavik, Iceland | Keytours Vacations

Discover Reykjavik's Wonders

The most northern capital in the world, Reykjavik is known for its viking history, hot springs and impressive views of the illustrious Northern Lights. Reykjavik is also the largest city in Iceland and is among the cleanest, greenest and safest cities in the world. In recent years, Reykjavik has been growing in popularity, thanks to its unique history, ease of assessibility and safety, and world-renowned cuisine, nightlife, and views.

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Description

The city of Reykjavík has a fascinating history that stretches back over a thousand years. The site was first inhabited in the eighth century by a band of hardy Norsemen. Since then Vikings, monks, sailors, musicians, fishermen, politicians, writers, artists and all manner of folk have played their part in shaping the rich history and culture that makes Iceland’s capital such a vibrant and fascinating place. Visitors leave Reykjavík with a renewed sense of vigour that can be attributed to Iceland’s pristine air and unique energy, evident all around the city — from the geothermal vents steaming in the midnight sunshine to the great open spaces that adorn the area with stunning natural landscape. Many year-round activities and events can fill the diary of any interested traveller. Reykjavík is also home to the world’s oldest parliament — the Alþingi, which was founded in 930 AD. However, today the city is the epitome of a modern European capital with a world-class infrastructure, excellent transport links to Europe and North America, and 200,000 welcoming Icelanders helping you enjoy your stay. Reykjavík is renowned for an array of features: a big art scene, sightseeing and nightlife; annual film and music festivals; and numerous shops, museums and restaurants. There’s no other city like the world’s most Northerly capital, situated at a relatively short distance from the Arctic Circle. Iceland is a pretty isolated place, and that makes Reykjavík a fairly expensive place to hang out. The Economist magazine once put it as high as 14th place for its high cost of living. However, if you're coming from New York, Paris, Hong Kong or Tel Aviv — the pain of sticker shock won't bother you. Visitors from all around the globe also enjoy whale and wildlife watching, relaxing in one of the many thermal spas and pools (such as the famous Blue Lagoon), viewing spectacular sights such as the Imagine Peace Tower (a spectacular tribute to John Lennon) or the Hallgrímskirkja, and touring the amazing countryside — all with the beautiful snow-covered Mount Esja in the background. Reykjavík is home to some superb hotels, guest houses and other cosy kinds of accommodation for visitors. Information on tours, trips and things to do during your stay can be easily found in this brochure or at the Reykjavík Tourist Information Centre. However long you stay here, you won’t be short of things to do in Reykjavík.

Useful information

Population:

Reykjavík: around 140,000 Greater Reykjavík: around 247,000

Currency:

1 Icelandic Króna (ISK) = 100 Aurar

Emergency Info:

Single Emergency Number: 112

Opening Hours:

The opening hours of most businesses are from 9am until 5pm. Some companies and institutions change their work hours to 8am to 4pm in the summer months. Shopping hours are generally from 10am until 6pm weekdays (Monday to Friday). On Saturdays, most shops are open from 10am until 4pm, while some are closed on Saturdays in summer. Most shops are closed on Sundays, but both shopping centres are open daily. The following days are public holidays in Iceland. Most shops and businesses are closed on these days, but on many public holidays some food stores remain open. • New Year’s Day: 1 January • Maundy Thursday: the Thursday before Easter • Good Friday: the Friday before Easter • Easter Sunday • Easter Monday • May Day: 1 May • Ascension Day: the Thursday 40 days after Easter • Whit Sunday: the seventh Sunday after Easter • Whit Monday: the day after Whit Sunday • National Day: 17 June • Summer Bank Holiday: the first Monday in August • Christmas Eve: public holiday from noon • Christmas Day • Boxing Day: the day after Christmas • New Year’s Eve: public holiday from noon.

Top 11

DC3 Plane Wreck

The Super DC-3 aircraft crashed into Sólheimasandur back in 1973, thankfully leaving its seven crew members unharmed. Since then the empty husk of a plane has been left exposed to the elements, rusting away in constant humidity and cracking from constant freezes and thaws. The wreckage is a particularly beloved spot by local and visiting photographers thanks to its sparse and wild surrounding black sand landscape and its incredible visual contrast to the aircraft’s gnarled metal carcass. To visit the plane wreck, you can join organised hiking, horse riding or ATV riding tours, take a bus or get there by yourself. Remember, that driving over the sands is considered to be driving off-road and carries heavy fines. Lastly, the wreck is located pretty close to the village of Vik made famous after a popular Netflix series Katla.

Hallgrímskirkja — The Church of Hallgrímur

Hallgrímskirkja is an iconic part of Reykjavík's skyline and at 74.5 metres tall, it is one of the tallest structures in the country. The gigantic church on the hill was a controversial project, but Icelanders have come to embrace their monumental tower in all its brutalist glory. The concrete mountain which took over 40 years to construct was inspired by the unusual columnar basalt formations along Iceland’s coast. You can admire the building inside and outside, go to the top of the tower to catch the view or attend an organ concert. The church is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson — a 17th-century minister and poet who wrote the 'The Passion Hymns'. The book remains popular to this day.

Harpa

One of Reykjavík's most iconic landmarks and a must-visit while in Iceland is Harpa, the city's concert hall and conference centre, as well as home to the Icelandic Opera and the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. Located by the old harbour, near the centre of Reykjavík, this striking bit of contemporary architecture boasts a glass facade, which covers the entire building featuring honeycomb panels, which change colours during the day as they reflect the sky and the ocean. At night, a light show makes the building look even more magical.

Iceland Airwaves

The festival is regarded as the biggest celebration of music in Iceland and boasts an unrivalled line-up of established and up-and-coming artists.

Perlan — The Pearl

Perlan is an otherworldly creation with a viewing platform and a revolving restaurant on top of water storage tanks. Apart from the glass domed restaurant, the complex hosts an exhibition space, a planetarium and an observation deck.

Reynisfjara Black Beach

The onyx black sand of Reynisfjara is formed from volcanic activity in Iceland: when lava collides with the ocean, it rapidly cools and shatters into small fragments of basalt. With its enormous basalt stacks (features in Game of Thrones and once believed to be petrified trolls), roaring Atlantic waves and stunning vistas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches. The sea stacks along the shore are home to thousands of nesting seabirds like puffins, fulmars and guillemots — a must-see for birdwatchers. A visit to Reynisfjara is included in most tours of southern Iceland. Driving here is a good option, too, since it's only about 180 km from Reykjavík.

See Iceland's Northern Lights

Watching the northern lights or aurora borealis dance across the sky is, without a doubt, on the bucket list of most travellers visiting Iceland. Although there are no guarantees that you will see them on your visit, with luck and some planning, there is a high chance of catching this spectacular display. You can spot the northern lights in the Icelandic skies from late August through May, but the peak season to witness this stunning natural phenomenon is between October and April.

Sun Voyager

On the waterfront, only a few minutes from Harpa sits the most famous sculpture in Iceland, the Sólfarið or the Sun Voyager. Made of steel and resembling a Viking ship — although this was not the artist's intention — the Sun Voyager is, according to its creator Jón Gunnar Árnason, an ode to the sun, a dreamboat symbolising the promise of undiscovered territory, the dream of hope, progress, and freedom. This is also one of the best spots for a picture in Reykjavík, with Mount Esja providing the perfect backdrop.

Do & See

Árbær Open Air Museum

Árbæjarsafn is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavík, which aims to give visitors an idea of Icelandic architecture (including the fascinating turf houses) and the lifestyle on the island in the past. If you're lucky, you can catch a free guided tour at 1pm.