Welcome to Reykjavk
The worlds most northerly capital combines colourful buildings, wild nightlife and a capricious soul to brilliant effect. Imaginative Reykjavikers embrace their sense of community and bring a joy to life, creating captivating museums, cool music, and offbeat cafes and bars. Reykjavk is a superb base for touring Iceland's natural wonders: glacier-topped volcanoes, shimmering falls and black-sand beaches.
Yacht marina and Harpa concert hall | RICHARD CUMMINGS / GETTY IMAGES
Reykjavk & Around: Top Experiences
National Museum
Iceland's National Museum gathers together the country's most priceless artefacts, creating a trail of clues to life at Settlement and beyond. Peruse the finds and gain insight into the hardy hearts of Icelanders.
LONELY PLANET / GETTY IMAGES
Reykjavk & Around: Top Experiences
The Settlement Exhibition
The modern era meets the Viking longhouse at this exhibition centred around Reykjavk's oldest ruins, and souped up with fun, fascinating space-age displays.
ARCTIC IMAGES / ALAMY
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Hallgrmskirkja
The capital's iconic church perches atop the city centre and is visible for miles around. From the heights of its modernist steeple survey the broad sweep of the city, ocean and snow-capped mountains.
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Reykjavk & Around: Top Experiences
Gullfoss
Thundering layers of icy water cascade over tiered rock faces and down an impressively narrow gorge at Iceland's iconic Gullfoss. Literally 'Golden Falls', they, indeed, live up to their name when they sparkle in sunset light.
HEATHER CARSWELL / LONELY PLANET
Reykjavk & Around: Top Experiences
ingvellir
The continental plates part at historic ingvellir, the site of the original (outdoor!) Icelandic parliament. Waterfalls gush off the rift and ancient stones mark the earliest eras of Iceland's history.
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Blue Lagoon
Wash away your cares at the ethereal Blue Lagoon, the flashiest version of Icelandic hot-potting. Set in otherworldly lava fields, with its vibrant geothermal turquoise waters, there's really nothing else like it.
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Geysir
Iceland's impressive Geysir rises from a bubbling, hissing geothermal field surrounded by a contrasting lush valley. Like clockwork, one of the geysers makes a swooshing whoop as it shoots boiling water into the air.
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Snfellsjkull National Park
With its wild beaches, multicoloured lava fields and glittering glacier crown, the Snfellsjkull National Park offers one of Icelands best escapes either as a day trip from Reykjavk or as a relaxing long weekend.
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Reykjavk & Around: Top Experiences
Settlement Centre
Lively Borgarnes was the site of some of Iceland's most dramatic Saga action. Its Settlement Centre brilliantly recounts the country's discovery and settlement, as well as one of its most intriguing heroes, from Egil's Saga.
CHRIS HOWARTH / ICELAND / ALAMY
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Jkulsrln
A sparkling procession of luminous-blue icebergs sheer off of Breiamerkurjkull glacier and drift serenely through the 25-sq-km Jkulsrln lagoon in ever-changing light, before floating by bobbing seals and out to sea.
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Reykjavk & AroundLocal Life
Insider tips to help you find the real Reykjavk & Around
Reykjavk is small, approachable and charming, and in an absolutely gorgeous seaside setting, but its real magic is its people. A lively, creative, unselfconscious group, they live with inspiration and insight, they play hard, and they do it all with an easy aplomb.