6 things to do in Reykjavik

I’ve been to Iceland on multiple occasions and each time I’ve ended up visiting the rainbow road and standing outside the church and that was pretty much the extent of it. There’s actually a lot to do, especially if you’re trying to visit on a budget.

Sundhöllin public swimming pool

The public swimming pool is definitely worth a visit any time of year, especially if you’re travelling on a tight budget but still wanting to get the ‘Lagoon’ experience without the price tag. The swimming pool costs around £7.50 for as long as you’d like and includes access to an indoor and outdoor pool, a steam room, a sauna, a plunge pool and multiple hot tubs of varying temperatures. It essentially offers the Sky Lagoon’s famous 7 step ritual for more than half the price! I would recommend visiting earlier in the day to encounter fewer people, or if visiting with children, the afternoon seems more popular for kids.

Icelandic Phallological Museum

Yes, there is a museum in Iceland dedicated to that organ. Costing around £18, this unique activity is a MUST in Reykjavik, so much so, it’s even advertised as ‘good for kids’!

The museum is fairly small and depending on how much information you want to learn it will take between 20 minutes – 1 hour. There is also a cafe and gift shop that I recommend getting your souvenirs for people from, purely for the novelty. You can however buy many of the odd gifts in many of the souvenir shops along the main walking street in Reykjavik for a similar if not slightly cheaper price.

It can get busy so I’d recommend going around opening hours or late afternoon to avoid having to wait to view some of the displays as it’s a very small building, however as of February 2024 they are expanding.

Personally, my favourite thing about this museum is reading the ‘oddities’ section on each animal’s description.

Disclaimer: as the exhibit are real anatomy displayed in glass jars, it’s probably not the place for you if you’re squeamish (you can see on their Google map profile if you would like an idea).

Go to the top of Hallgrimskirkja Church

Visiting the Church in Reykjavik is a very popular activity, however before visiting Iceland for the second time, I didn’t realise you could go up to the top of the steeple. For around £8, you can take the lift to the very top on the Church for 360° views of the city and if the sky is clear you can see the mountains in the distance, and sometimes even whales in the harbour.

The church is closed to the public during mass, which means some days it’s busier than others. I recommend however, visiting in time to hear the bell chime whilst you’re at the very top. It’s VERY loud and if you’re not expecting it can be a fright, just try to make sure you’re not dangling your phone out of the bars!

Street art tour

I haven’t actually managed to find any official street art tours however there are several blog posts you can find on Google with recommendations and routes.

If you wish to simply try to spot as many as possible on your own, it’s very easy to do. I’d recommend walking along the Main Street and keeping your eyes peeled. Every single time I walked down the street (which was more times than I can count!), I would spot more murals than the time before, there are so many!

City sightseeing tour

Like many cities around Europe, Reykjavik had a city sightseeing hop-on-hop-off bus which is a great way to explore and get around if you have limited time.

Most of the main attractions are within walking distance of the Rainbow Street and Church, however the cruise harbour where you’re most likely to spot the whales is a fair walk away. You can get a public bus to here, however if you’re wanting to visit everywhere and hear information this is the best way to go about it.

Sky lagoon

Having been to 3 lagoons around Reykjavik, I can say the Sky lagoon is my favourite and definitely the one most worth visiting, especially out of the sky and blue.

They have a few options to choose from, I’d recommend the pure pass which is the basic changing facility with access to the 7-step spa ritual. This is 100% worth it if you have the budget for it, the experience and scenery were incredible. It entails alternating between hot and cold rituals like a plunge pool, sauna, steam room and more.

If you don’t have the budget however, the pure lite pass is much more affordable and if you want the ‘spa’ experience without the price tag, the public swimming baths is definitely the way to go.