ONE DAY IN REYKJAVIK : THE BEST ITINERARY FOR 24 HOURS

Wondering what to do in one day in Reykjavik? Keep reading to find out the best way to spend 24 hours in Reykjavik , a charming  and cosmopolitan city that is the perfect place to get a feel of the country before moving on for more intense adventures. This post includes all the best things to do in Reykjavik in one day along with accomodation and food options, Budget tips and day trips.

As usual, this blog was born out of my love for travelling and writing. None of the posts are sponsored in any way and are our own honest opinions and recommendations.

With that said, lets begin!

Iceland is a dream destination and visiting the place should be on any travel lover’s bucket list. Reykjavik is the capital city and will be your port of entry no matter where you are coming from. A lot of tourists make their way from the airport directly to the popular tourist spots, bypassing the city completely which is just not done.

But first, a little bit about Reykjavik. The name of the city comes from two words: Reykja (meaning smoke) and vik (meaning bay). So the name means “Smoky Bay” and this name was given by Ingulfur Arnarson, the first settler who mistook the fumes from the boiling spring waters to be smoke from fire. While Reykjavik may not be filled with attractions like other big European cities, it has plenty to satisfy any sort of traveller and surely deserves at least a day from you. The city is small and easily explored by foot making it ideal for travelers who want to explore at a relaxed pace. Reykjavik is filled with some pretty cool museums, art galleries, cafes and restaurants making it a perfect place for the culture lover and the foodie. Plus it has a buzzing nightlife for party lovers.

One day in Reykjavik is enough to recover from your jet lag while getting a taste of Iceland before you start your hardcore sightseeing in the coasts and the countryside. Also Reykjavik is a good base for some day trips and excursions that you can undertake (writing more about those below). Continue reading to find out !

I have also written a whole lot of posts on Iceland like a detailed travel guide on One week in Iceland ,all the Travel tips you need to know for Iceland and also on our Iceland travel budget for a week with tips to cut costs. Make sure to read them in case you are planning a trip to the country.

FUN FACT : Did you know Reykjavik is the ‘Northernmost’ capital city in the world !!!

ALL THE ESSENTIALS

AIRPORT : Keflavik International Airport which is 40 kms away from the city. Take the FLYBUS to travel to your preferred bus stop in the city. Taxis are prohibitively expensive.

ACCOMODATION : Reykjavik is an expensive city and this reflects in the accomodation as well. The best way to save some money in this aspect is to go for Air BnB. For one day in Reykjavik, we wanted a budget friendly option near the city center and chose REYKJAVIK GUEST HOUSE which fulfilled both our criteria. It is basically a shared apartment with clean rooms and all amenities. We even had a view of the church from our room! You can choose Hlemmur square as your base which is near the main street and has plenty of options. A few highly recommended and well reviewed ones include:

Luxury: HOTEL BORG

Mid Range: HOTEL 101

Budget: HOTEL REYKJAVIK CENTRUM

Some other hotels are Hotel Fron (especially if you are looking for self catering), Hotel Leiffur Errikson and Loft Hostel.

Couchsurfing is another option for budget travellers. I always look for accomodation options on Booking.com as they have a variety of properties to suit all travellers.

TRANSPORTATION : Downtown Reykjavik is small and very easily explored by foot. For one day in Reykjavik you don’t really need any other transportation option. Buses are available on all routes and bus routes and timetables are all available online. If you need taxis, consider Rideshare to split the costs.

FOOD : Reykjavik is expensive when it comes to food and drinks. The best way to save money is to buy groceries and cook. But the foodie scene in the city is pretty good. Some popular dining spots include

• Saegreifiin: near the harbour and particularly famous for sea food and Icelandic desserts made from skyr
• Micro Bar
• Fiskmarkadurrin: another great seafood spot
• Kaffibarrin: bar with live band
• Matur og Drykkur
• Old Iceland: family run restaurant
• Sandholt: bakery
• Lebowski bar
• Kiki Bar

Remember to download the ‘Reykjavik appy hour’ app to know the best times to score free and discounted drinks !

10 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY IN REYKJAVIK

There is no hiding it : Reykjavik is EXPENSIVE. But with these tips you can bring down the costs to a great extent and not burn out your wallet.

1. DO NOT EAT OUT: The best way to save money as even a simple meal for two may end up costing 70-100 USD. Its best to buy groceries from budget supermarkets like Kronan/Bonus and prepare your own meals. Pick up a few pre packaged sandwiches/salads to eat during sightseeing.
2. BRING YOUR WATER BOTTLE: Water in Iceland is pure and easily filled up free. So do not buy plastic bottles and harm your wallet as well as the environment.
3. AVOID DRINKING OUT: Buy your own alcohol in the airport and save a lot of cash.
4. STAY IN AN AIR BNB/SHARED APARTMENT: They usually cost less than staying in a hostel dorm room. Choose one with a kitchen to cook your own meals and save more money.
5. OR ALTERNATELY, COUCHSURF
6. WALK AND EXPLORE THE CITY: If there’s an issue choose the bus.
7. AVOID TAXIS: Prohibitively expensive
8. OR FIND OTHER TRAVELLERS TO ‘RIDESHARE’.
9. LOOK FOR FREE THINGS TO DO: Like all the things listed below, most of which are free.
10. OPT FOR SHOULDER SEASON: Sep/Oct and April/May is the time when tourists disappear and prices fall. So choose wisely.

ONE DAY IN REYKJAVIK ITINERARY : WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN 24 HOURS

The whole point of your day in Reykjavik city is to relax before getting started on your Iceland adventures. So make sure you are well rested after a good night’s sleep. Here are my suggestions on all the things you should do in 24 hours in Reykjavik.

Start the morning with a visit to one of Reykjavik’s most famous symbol: Hallgrimskirkja church. It is the tallest church in Iceland (244 ft high) and visible throughout the city. Designed by architect Gudjon Samuelsson, it’s construction took forty one years. The design is certainly unusual and resembles something of an alien structure in my opinion.

Take note of the outer columns in the church: they were meant to be inspired from Iceland’s famous basalt columns dotting the landscape. The statue in front of the church is of of Leif Erikson, an Icelandic explorer. He was the first known European to have set foot on continental America (before Christopher Columbus).

After visiting the interior, ride the elevator to the top to get expansive views of Reykjavik city. You can see the colourful houses spread all over the city. Check out the first picture of this post : it has been taken from the rooftop.

Note: Entry to the church is free but going upto the roof costs 1000 ISK per person. Opening hours are from 9 am to 5 pm (October to April) and from 9 am to 9 pm (May to September).

Culture lovers can spend the afternoon checking out some museums and galleries. Prominent among them is The National museum of Iceland, Reykjavik art museum, national gallery of Iceland and the very quirky ‘Iceland Phallological museum’ ! If you are more of an outdoors person, visit Vesturbaejarlang, a large swimming complex with hot tubs and pool. Another option is the Reykjavik botanical gardens and beautiful Lake Tjornin. Grotta Lighthouse is also great for a scenic coastal walk. it’s also a great place to view Northern lights away from the city, so come back here at night if you are visiting during Northern lights season.

Another modern day icon of the city is the ‘Sun Voyager’ statue located on the waterfront. With the majestic Mt Esja in the background of the the bay, the place is a perfect photo spot, especially at sunset. Created by sculptor Jon Gunnar Arnarson, the sculpture is meant to represent a dream boat and pays homage to the Sun, symbolizing light and hope. Maybe you can go crazy clicking selfies here like us ! Harpa concert hall and ‘The Pearl’ are two other great places to end the day especially if you wanna catch a concert. Even without one, they are worth checking out for the architecture itself which looks beautifully especially during and after sunset.

OPTIONS FOR ONE DAY TOURS FROM REYKJAVIK

If you have more than one day in Reykjavik, these are some of the activities and excursions you can do depending upon your preferences and the season.

• Golden Circle: The most popular choice for a day trip from Reykjavik. The triangle comprises 3 of Iceland’s famous attractions: the magnificient Gulfoss waterfall, Stokkur Geyser and Pingvellir national park. Add a visit to stunning Kerid crater lake to round off your day.
• Whale Watching tours: these are very popular during summer (mid may to mid August) and boats depart from the old harbour. During this season you can also sight plenty of puffins.
• Northern lights tour: Aurora hunting tours run from mid September till mid February and are a good option for those who come for very short visits and do not venture deeper into the country. Remember that Northern lights are NEVER guaranteed though tours offer free spots on other days in case of bad weather.
• Horse farm and riding tours: Icelandic horses are famous and many such tours cater to those who would love this experience.
• Blue Lagoon: Very Pricey but so worth it ! The milky blue hot waters are great for a relaxing soak either at the beginning or at the end of your trip. be prepared to empty out your wallet but that feeling of having a cocktail while soaking in arguably the most famous hot spring in the world is unmatched !

So that’s a round up of all the things to see in Reykjavik in one day with everything you need to know before landing in Reykjavik. Hopefully you found this 1 day in Reykjavik guide helpful and got inspired to plan a future trip ! For more travel inspiration and guides, subscribe and join our travel community.

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