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Reykjavík
Capital and most populous city of Iceland

Reykjavík

Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland.

Plan a trip to Reykjavík→From Akureyri

It is located on the southern shore of the Faxaflói bay in southwest Iceland and has a latitude of 64°08′ N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Reykjavík has a population of around 140,000 as of 2026, and the surrounding Capital Region has a population of around 252,000, constituting approximately 64% of Iceland's population.

Get in

Getting to Reykjavík

Two airports serve the Reykjavík area, one for international flights and another for domestic flights. They are 50 km away from each other.

  1. 01
    Keflavík International Airport
  2. 02
    Reykjavík Airport
See

Worth seeing

Reykjavík's old town is small and easy to walk around. The houses have some very distinct features, most notably their brightly colored corrugated metal siding. Plan to spend at least a couple hours just wandering around, taking in the city. And for further feasts of the eyes, there are several museums and art galleries in the city, most of them within easy reach of the downtown area.

  1. 01
    Tjörnin

    A small lake in the centre of the city where young and old often gather to feed the ducks.

  2. 02
    Austurvöllur

    A small park (or square, depending on definitions) in the heart of Reykjavík.

  3. 03
    Klambratún

    Klambratún is a park just east of the city centre on an area which remained farmland while the city was built up around it.

  4. 04
    Reykjavík Botanical Gardens
  5. 05
    Viðey

    Viðey is a large island in Kollafjörður, the fjord to the north of Reykjavík.

  6. 06
    Grótta

    At the far western end of the peninsula on which Reykjavík sits there is a small island.

Do

Things to do

There is a lot to do in Reykjavík, despite being a small city. There is a vibrant music scene with concerts most evenings in the centre of the city. For theatre enthusiasts the city boasts two main theatres staging around 10 domestic and foreign plays a year each, and a number of smaller theatre groups specialising in different kinds of modern theatre.

  1. 01
    Nordic House
  2. 02
    Harpa

    Austurbakki 2 (just east of the old harbour), tickets).

  3. 03
    National Theatre of Iceland
  4. 04
    Reykjavík City Theatre
  5. 05
    Vesturport

    Tjarnarbíó, Tjarnargata 12 (on the west bank of Tjörnin), vesturport@vesturport.com.

  6. 06
    Whale
Eat

Where to eat

Food in Iceland can be expensive. In order not to break the bank, you'll need to be smart when eating. On the budget side, you're mostly looking at international-type fast food options common to what you'd find in Europe and America. Alcohol in particular is expensive in restaurants: a pint of beer is typically 1000-1300 kr.

  1. 01
    Bæjarins

    The name of this popular hot dog stand literally means "Town's Best Hotdogs" and, based on the queues, it seems to deserve the name.

  2. 02
    Hamborgarabúllan

    Small hamburger cafe next to the old harbour designed in the traditional American diner style.

  3. 03
    Múlakaffi

    A bit away from the city centre, this place is very like an office cafeteria.

  4. 04
    Perlan

    In addition to its famous restaurant, Perlan also has a café offering food.

  5. 05
    Sægreifinn
How locals move

Getting around Reykjavík the local way

  • Get inReykjavík is not served by any ferries, but if you have an abundance of time it is possible to take the Smyril Line (a cruise company based in the Faroe Islands) from Hirtshals to Seyðisfjörður (a small town on the east of Iceland), via Tórshavn.
  • Get inIf you take the ferry and drive from Seyðisfjörður to Reykjavík, you should plan to spend the night somewhere along the way.

From Wikivoyage: Reykjavík, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.