Reykjavik Sightseeing From Morning to Midnight
Start at Harpa at nine o’clock, before the coaches arrive. The glass facade throws patterned light across the foyer, and the building opens daily from 09:00 with free access to the public spaces. Reykjavik sightseeing works best if you follow the light through the day.
Morning: Harpa and the harbour
Harpa’s south wall is a honeycomb of steel and glass bricks designed with the artist Ólafur Elíasson. Walk the foyers for free, and see harpa.is for tours and concerts. From there the Old Harbour is minutes away, where whale-watching boats tie up.
Late morning: Hallgrímskirkja
The 74.5 m church is a few minutes’ walk uphill. In winter (1 September to 31 May) the tower opens 10:00 to 17:00, and in summer 09:00 to 20:00. Tower tickets are sold in the church shop on the day and cannot be reserved. Views from the eighth-floor arches span the roofs, the bay and Mount Esja. The nave is free outside services.
Midday: Tjörnin and City Hall
The pond beside City Hall has a flat 1.5 km path and more than 40 bird species. Inside City Hall is a 3D relief map of Iceland, free to see. It is a good place to learn what the countryside looks like before a day trip.
Afternoon: Perlan
Perlan crowns Öskjuhlíð hill with a glass dome, a 360 degree deck and an artificial ice cave, open 09:00 to 21:00. Tickets and show times are on perlan.is . Allow two hours, and go on a clear afternoon for the best view.
Evening: the Sun Voyager
Jón Gunnar Árnason’s 1990 steel boat on the Sæbraut promenade is free and lit best at sunset. In June it glows under the midnight sun. If you want a guide for the rest of the evening, look at guided evening tours and check where they start.
Seasons and daylight
Winter daylight shrinks to four or five hours around late December, so do outdoor sights first. From late May to late July the light lasts almost all night, though the northern lights are not visible then. They return roughly September to April.
Getting around
The centre is compact. A Strætó single ticket costs ISK 690 and lasts 75 minutes, and children aged 11 and under ride free. Pay by card or the Klapp app. There is no railway or metro. The Reykjavik City Card (ISK 6,100 for 24 hours) includes buses, pools and museums, and you can buy it from Visit Reykjavik .
Further afield
Beyond the city, read the day trips page for routes and safety rules, and the two-day itinerary for a worked schedule.
Verdict: the city’s best free hour is the Sun Voyager at sunset, and the best paid one is the tower in the morning.