45 Best Sights in Reykjavík, Iceland

The most impressive murals in Reykjavík are the work of Australia-born artist Guido van Helten, who carried out a series of commissions on buildings throughout Iceland between 2013 and 2014. His most noted works are those painted on the walls of an old theater building in the hip Grandi Harbor area of the city, featuring characters from a 1961 staging of Sartre’s No Exit. Guido frequently uses old photographs to guide his work; those used for this epic mural were sourced from the Reykjavík Museum of Photography.

Completed in 1986 after more than 40 years of construction, the church is named for the 17th-century hymn writer Hallgrímur Pétursson. It has a stylized concrete facade recalling both organ pipes and the distinctive columnar basalt formations you can see around Iceland. For ISK 1,000, you can climb to the top of the church for incredible views of greater Reykjavík. You may luck into hearing a performance or practice on the church's huge pipe organ. In front of Hallgrímskirkja is a statue of Leif Erikson, the Icelander who discovered America 500 years before Columbus. (Leif's father was Eric the Red, who discovered Greenland.) The statue, by American sculptor Alexander Calder, was presented to Iceland by the United States in 1930 to mark the millennium of the Alþing parliament.

The shimmering queen of the country's performing arts scene and home of both the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, this venue is an amazing modern labyrinth of stunning concert halls, event spaces, and places to dine or purchase designer souvenirs. Many of the city's most popular annual events, such as Airwaves, Sónar, and the Reykjavík Fashion Festival, are now hosted inside these glorious glass-paneled walls. Eldborg, the main hall, is a marvel of visual and acoustic design that wouldn't be out of place in a Star Wars movie.

This iconic museum could easily be described as the city's most interesting attraction, to say the least; it's exactly what it sounds like: an ode to the male genitalia of mammals from around the world. But don't come just for laughs, as this is truly an educational experience. The museum houses more than 215 specimens from 93 different species. The gift shop is not to be missed.

Established in 1984, there are now more than 100 members creating work in the Icelandic Printmakers Association community. This is their gallery, studio, and event space, which is located inside of the Reykjavik Art Museum and has a bustling calendar of exhibitions, workshops, and studio hours.

This tinier-than-tiny museum is crammed into what used to be a set of public bathrooms at the bottom of a stairwell right off a city sidewalk. Somehow it all seems fitting for a museum focused on punk rock. Photos, posters, handbills, equipment, and instruments line the walls and displays at this subterranean memorial to one of the country's favorite music genres.

A powerful light installation on Viðey Island, created by Yoko Ono, the Imagine Peace Tower is dedicated to the vision of world peace the artist passionately shared with her late husband, John Lennon. The artwork features a large stone wishing well with the words "imagine peace" etched into its white, shiny surface in countless languages. Inside the well are 15 powerful beams that merge into a magnificent force of light when switched on. Yoko visits every year on John's birthday (October 9) to lead the lighting ceremony, where about 2,000 people gather to watch and sing along to Lennon's "Imagine." The impressive tower of light illuminates the skyline until the date of John Lennon's death on December 8th. Yoko provides a free ferry service for those who wish to attend the annual lighting ceremony. The ferry departs from Skarfabakki pier, less than a 10-minute drive from the city center.

Actually several parks in one large area, Laugardalur Park has one of the best swimming pools in the city as well as a recreational expanse that includes picnic and barbecue areas. There's also an amusement park and a botanic garden with an extensive outdoor collection of native and exotic plants.

Viking treasures and artifacts, silverwork, wood carvings, and some unusual whalebone carvings are on display here, as well as maritime objects, historical textiles, jewelry, and crafts. There is also a coffee shop.

Glittering like the upper hemisphere of a giant disco ball, Perlan (the Pearl) is a grand construction of steel and mirrored glass. Perched atop Öskjuhlíð, the hill overlooking Reykjavík Airport, it's also one of the first landmarks to greet visitors when they arrive to the city. Supported by six massive water tanks and illuminated by 1,900 light bulbs, this impressive building opened in 1991 as a monument to Iceland's invaluable geothermal water supplies. It has since become a major tourist attraction, offering guests a host of amenities beneath its shiny surface, including souvenir shops, a café, an ice cave, a massive exhibition space, and a viewing platform with telescopes. Its crowning glory, though, is its revolving restaurant—it's pricey, but the panoramic views of the city and beyond are second to none.

Also known as Hafnarhús, this former warehouse of the Port of Reykjavík now houses the city's main art museum. The six galleries occupy two floors, and there's a courtyard and "multipurpose" space. The museum's permanent collection includes a large number of works donated by the contemporary Icelandic artist Erró. There are also regular temporary exhibitions. Admission is free with the Reykjavík City Card.

In addition to exhibits that explore important moments throughout Iceland's history, this museum also lets you try on clothing from Viking times. The wax models illustrating events of the Sagas are oddly endearing.

Built in 1880–81, this is one of the country's oldest stone buildings. Iceland's Alþingi (Parliament) held its first session in AD 930 and therefore can lay claim to being the oldest representative parliament in the world. You can view its modern-day proceedings from the visitor's gallery here. Depending on the urgency of the agenda, any number of Iceland's 63 members of parliament, from five political parties, may be present.

At the Open-Air Municipal Museum, 19th- and 20th-century houses furnished in period style display authentic household utensils and tools for cottage industries and farming. During the summer you can see demonstrations of farm activities and taste piping-hot lummur (chewy pancakes) cooked over an old farmhouse stove. To get to the museum, take Bus 12 or 19.

Some of Ásmundur Sveinsson's original sculptures, depicting ordinary working people, myths, and folktale episodes, are exhibited in the museum's gallery and studio and in the surrounding garden. It's on the southwest edge of Laugardalur Park, opposite the traffic circle at its entrance. Entrance is free with the Reykjavík City Card.

An absolute must-see for northern lights seekers, here visitors get to play with technology simulating the intensity and color spectrum of the auroras while panels explain the physical variations. A high-definition movie of the extraordinary lights in action over Iceland is the highlight of the exhibition, but perhaps even more useful is the practice booth where you can (with the help of detailed instructions) learn the exact settings required to successfully photograph the northern lights.

This museum and exhibition space was put together by the National Museum of Iceland and the Reykjavík City Museum to help celebrate the country's 100th anniversary as a sovereign state. Aðalstræti 10 is the beginning of a five-location museum that covers Icelandic life through the ages and includes turf houses.

A place of worship has existed on this site since AD 1200. The current small church, built 1788–96, represents the state religion, Lutheranism. It was here that sovereignty and independence were first blessed and endorsed by the church. It's also where Iceland's national anthem, actually a hymn, was first sung in 1874. Since 1845, members and cabinet ministers of every Alþingi (Parliament) have gathered here for a service before the annual session. Among the treasured items inside is a baptismal font carved and donated by the famous 19th-century master sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, who was half Icelandic.

Adjacent to Laugardalur Park, Fjölskyldugarðurinn has rides and games, such as Crazy Bikes—a driving school complete with miniature traffic lights—and a scale model of a Viking ship. You can also purchase joint admission to both the Farm Animal Park and Family Park.

The free Grasagarður botanic garden in Laugardalur Park has an extensive outdoor collection of native and exotic plants. Coffee, cakes, and other snacks are sold at the cozy Flóran Café, which is open only in summer and on weekends in December.

This free botanic garden in Laugardalur Park has an extensive outdoor collection of native and exotic plants. Coffee, cakes, and other snacks are sold at the cozy Flóran Café, which is open only in summer and on weekends in December.

Located on the tip of Seltjarnarnes Peninsula, this nature reserve is a fantastic destination for lovers of nature, life, and romance. Here you can look beyond the outline of a lighthouse and take in Iceland’s seasonal natural wonders: the northern lights and the midnight sun.

The University of Iceland is the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. The campus is known for a statue of Sæmundur Fróði, a symbol of learning. Legend has it that after studying abroad, Sæmundur made a pact with the devil to get himself home, promising his soul if he arrived without getting wet. The devil changed into a seal to carry him home. Just as they arrived, Sæmundur hit the seal on the head with his Psalter, got his coattails wet, and escaped with soul intact.

This historic house stands out for both its architectural and historical importance. It was here, in 1986, that President Ronald Reagan and President Mikhail Gorbachev met and officially marked the end of the Cold War. The house is not open to visitors, but it's worth spending some time exploring the exterior.

Both Icelandic and international artists display their work at this gallery near the harbor. Exhibitions rotate constantly, and there are often events held at this location featuring local artists.

Ingólfur Arnarson is renowned as the first Nordic settler in Iceland. Beyond this statue lies the city's architectural mélange: 18th-century stone houses, small 19th-century wooden houses, and office blocks from the 1930s and '40s.

Inside this modernist building you'll find an impressive permanent exhibit dedicated to the life and works of Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland's most beloved landscape painters. In addition to Kjarval's key works, there's also a rotation of temporary exhibits featuring the works of both local and international artists. Entrance is free with the Reykjavík City Card.

Traditionally the city's main shopping street, Laugavegur now has stiff competition from the Kringlan and Smáralind malls. But this short stretch is packed with eateries, coffeehouses, and bars, and becomes a hot spot after dark.

Now a focal point in Reykjavík's otherwise rambling city center, this square opens onto Austurstræti, a semi-pedestrian shopping street. A brook, now underground, drains Tjörnin Pond into the sea (hence the street's name).

Many graduates from the country's oldest educational institution, established in 1846, have gone on to dominate political and social life in Iceland. Former president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and numerous cabinet ministers, including Iceland's former prime minister, Gunnlaugsson Davíð Oddsson, are graduates, as are film producer Hrafn Gunnlaugsson and well-known author Þórarinn Eldjarn.