Question 1

Reykjavík on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Reykjavík's center is compact, so once you are in town you can walk between the old harbor, the settlement ruins and the hilltop church. A morning on foot and an hour in a geothermal pool make a simple independent day. The waterfront: The Sun Voyager, a sculpture described as a dreamboat and made for the city's 200th anniversary, stands beside Sæbraut, the seafront road. Harpa, the concert hall with a facade of colored glass, is just east of the old harbor. The old harbor: Whale-watching trips are sold at the old harbor, around Ægisgarður. In the center, the Settlement Exhibition, built around the oldest ruins found in Iceland, is at the corner of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata. Hallgrímskirkja: The 74.5-meter church on the hill above the center is the largest in Iceland, and its tower is open to visitors. A swim: Sundhöllin, near Hallgrímskirkja, is the city's oldest pool, and Laugardalslaug, in Laugardalur east of the center, is the largest. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Iceland keeps the same time all year, with no summer time, so check your phone against the ship's clock. Carry some ID: You need not carry your passport, but it is sensible to have photo ID or a copy of your passport's photo page with you.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Strætó city buses reach most of Reykjavík, and the center itself is small enough to walk. You can pay on the bus by contactless card, with the Klappið app or in cash. A single ride was 670 kr in cash in March 2025. Check before you go. A transfer ticket lets you change buses for 75 minutes. The last buses leave around 23:00, and on Sundays there are no buses before about noon. Taxis can be ordered by phone or found at ranks, including one on Lækjargata and one by Hallgrímskirkja. Driving off road is forbidden in Iceland and heavily fined.

Question 3

Food

Accepted Answer

Fish and lamb are at the center of Icelandic cooking, and a few local foods are easy to try in a single day ashore. The hot dog, pylsa, is the everyday quick meal. Skyr, a yogurt-like fresh cheese, comes plain or flavored and is sold everywhere. Harðfiskur is dried fish, eaten as a snack with butter. Hangikjöt is smoked lamb, and kjötsúpa is lamb soup. Rúgbrauð is a dense, sweetish rye bread. At weekends, Kolaportið, the flea market in a harbor warehouse, has a food section selling Icelandic specialties and fresh fish.

Question 4

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not customary in Iceland and is never expected, in restaurants or anywhere else. In rare cases an attempt to leave a tip can even cause offense. Tour guides sometimes invite tips, but you are under no obligation. The currency is the Icelandic króna (ISK), and cards are accepted almost everywhere, so you need little cash.

Question 5

Culture and Customs

Accepted Answer

Icelanders address one another by first name in nearly every situation, because most last names are formed from a parent's first name. English is widely spoken, and the tap water is safe to drink. A family of four can have four different last names under the naming system. Geothermal swimming pools are a central part of daily life, and Icelandic pool culture is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Reykjavík has public pools in eight places around the city.

Question 6

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

By tradition, Iceland's first settler made his home in Reykjavík in 874, but the place stayed a farm for more than 900 years. It became a trading town in 1786 and the capital of an independent country in the 20th century. The first settler, 874: The medieval Book of Settlements records that Ingólfur Arnarson arrived from Norway in 874 and settled here. Excavated remains show people living on the site around 871. A farm for centuries: For centuries Reykjavík was a large farm, while power in Iceland lay elsewhere. Wool workshops, 1752: The king of Denmark gave the estate to the Innréttingar company in 1752, and its wool workshops became the start of a town. A trading town, 1786: Denmark ended its trade monopoly in 1786 and granted Reykjavík a trading charter, the date now taken as the city's founding. The capital, 1801: In 1801 Reykjavík, then the largest town in Iceland, became its capital, when a new supreme court was set up there. The parliament returns, 1845: The Alþingi, Iceland's assembly founded in 930, was re-established in Reykjavík in 1845 as an advisory council. Sovereignty, 1918: On 1 December 1918 Iceland became a sovereign kingdom sharing its king with Denmark. Occupation, 1940: British forces occupied Reykjavík on 10 May 1940. The republic, 1944: Iceland became a republic in 1944. A landmark church: Hallgrímskirkja, designed by Guðjón Samúelsson and commissioned in 1937, was completed in 1986. To learn more ashore: The National Museum of Iceland at Suðurgata 41 tells the country's story from settlement to today, and the Settlement Exhibition on Aðalstræti shows the Viking-age ruins themselves.

Question 7

Traveling With Children

Accepted Answer

Reykjavík is easy with children because the center is small and the public swimming pools welcome every age group. A pool visit, a zoo of Icelandic farm animals and a view from the church tower fit into one port day. Younger children: The Family Park and Zoo in Laugardalur keeps Icelandic farm animals and a few from abroad, with rides in the park section. City buses 2, 5, 15 and 17 stop at Laugardalshöll nearby. A pool afternoon: Laugardalslaug, in the same valley, has two large pools, hot pots and a water slide. School age: The Settlement Exhibition is interactive and built around real Viking-age ruins, and the Hallgrímskirkja tower gives a view over the whole city. Teenagers: A whale-watching trip from the old harbor is a longer outing, so check its length against your all-aboard time. Season: The bigger rides run daily in summer and at weekends in spring and autumn, weather permitting, and the other attractions are open all year. Check before you go.

Reykjavik, Iceland

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