A trip to Reykjavik

You won’t believe for how many years I’ve been drafting up travel recommendation/trip review blogs and haven’t published them. I’m hoping this will be my first people can actually read.

The reason this one is first is that I quickly put together some recommendations for a friend who was visiting so I handily have them all written up. I don’t know about you, but I love receiving personal recommendations for travelling, especially when it comes to food as I cannot compromise on food and always want to be eating at the tastiest places.

I first visited Reykjavik back in November 2015 with my Dad, Brother-in-law and just fallen pregnant Sister. I think we stayed for two or three nights and did a mix of exploring the small city and some tours. I fell in love with Iceland from the moment I set foot in it and have been super keen to return since – and this year I did.

Last month I went back with two friends and stayed for three nights before flying onto New York.

This blog is a culmination of recommendations from the two trips to the best of my knowledge and memory. I hope it proves useful for your own trip, but of course I hope you make your own fabulous discoveries too.

Things I like about Iceland

• Cars will stop to let you cross – even if it’s not your right of way
• Icelandic’s sense of humour – check out these videos for an example
• The mountains
• People are really friendly
• Litter? What litter?
• Pedestrian crossing at traffic lights give you 30 seconds to cross – beats London’s 10 seconds!

Places to sleep

On my last visit we stayed at Hotel Klettur. From what I can remember it was a good hotel, and well placed in town so it was easy to walk to the main part of town.

This time we stayed at Raddison Blu Saga which wasn’t too bad. The room was clean and had nice facilities, but what let them down was the attention to detail. There were three of us staying in the room, but yet there was no third bed set up when we checked-in. We had to call down and they brought up a fold out bed which unfortunately wasn’t as comfy as the regular beds. Plus there were only two glasses and mugs on our first and second night which was frustrating! But the views were good, and it was a 10-15 minute walk to town past the lovely Tjörnin and a Narnia-like cemetery.

Places to eat
I have a theory that you could walk into any restaurant or cafe in Reyjavik and not have a bad meal. Of course I haven’t eaten everywhere in the city, but seeing as all the ingredients are sourced from within the country everything is so fresh and delicious as a result.

Íslenski barinn (Icelandic Bar) – best for a sit-down evening meal. I had the reindeer burger which I highly recommend. The waffle fries that came with it were better than any I’ve had before, even the ones we had in New York. They also have a great selection of beers to choose from. The staff were super attentive and friendly, and the ambience was great. They had a piano player performing when we were in there, and there were board games you could help yourself to as well = winning combinations. Not cheap, but no where in Iceland is. They gave us a money off voucher if we wanted to return, so if you do really like it you can have a cheaper meal the second time round.

Here’s a very blurry picture of the pancakes I had for dessert at Íslenski barinn

Baejarins Best Pylsur – best for a quick lunch stop or casual dinner. This little hotdog stand is famous. Why? Because Bill Clinton had a hot dog from there and said it was ‘the best he’d ever had’. So there you go. They put their own spin on it: the sausage itself is made mainly of lamb and they top it with a variety of things including ‘Icelandic ketchup’. It’s the cheapest meal you’ll have in Iceland and it’s damn tasty. In fact I recommend having at least two.

Svarta Kaffid – best for a hearty lunch. I think if you only had time to eat at one place in Reyjavik, I’d tell you to go here. They serve the most delicious soup in bread bowls, which then of course you eat with and after your soup. It’s perfect for warming up any time of day. They have a couple of special soups available per day, usually one meat and one vegetarian. I went here on both trips, and eating here was the most memorable meal both times. It’s still not cheap in here, but far cheaper than other restaurants in the city so it might be a regular stop if you’re on a limited budget.

Icelandic Street Food – best for a casual dinner. We stumbled across this place whilst on limited time before our Northern Lights tour. We were desperately trying to find somewhere to eat, and this place was right by the bus stop where we were getting picked up. We wandered in to be greeted the friendliest barman ever, who recommended us the Fisherman’s pie. It came out quickly, and presented on a paper plate we weren’t expecting much, but it was delicious – tasted like something your Mum would make at home but better. Proper homecooked vibes. I believe they did refills if you wanted more (not sure if they were free or not) and they were also offering up waffles which I’m not sure whether they were free or not. Played great music too so bonus points for that.

Fridheimar – most tours of The Golden Circle will take you here. It’s a tomato farm, in Iceland. Yes – I know it may sound bizarre but it’s true and you’ll understand if you visit. We had a lunch stop here on our tour. They offer a wide range of tomato-based dishes, and although they’re not cheap it’s some of the freshest food you’ll ever have. We had the bottomless soup and bread which was amazing.

Ísbúðin litla Valdís – best for a sweet treat! These guys do delicious ice creams of flavours you may never heard of or tried before, and you have the option to have them on a waffle too.

Recommendations from elsewhere…

Just a few doors up the hill is a bakery called Braud & Co which we missed (it closed by the time we got there) but we drooled through the window at the site of their pastries.

We didn’t get to it – but Lobster Hut which is a food cart is supposedly the best place to try lobster according to Lonely Planet’s Eat List! Worth noting it’s only open Friday and Saturday. 

Things to do and see

Reykjavik is such a quirky and understated little city, I’d honestly just recommend putting some time aside to follow your nose and wander around because there’s so many hidden gems to discover. But if you’re after the main sites…

CityWalk “Free” Walking Tour – a two hour walking tour around Reykjavik. Perfect for getting to know the city and the country a little better, and discovering a few things you probably would have walked past if you were on your own. If you’ve been on a free walking tour before, you’ll know it’s not really free and is based on tips as to how much you think the tour was worth. Don’t worry about bringing cash, you can donate online afterwards. The funny and knowledgable Nanna lead ours. Book in advance.

Harpa Concert Hall – you can’t miss it. It’s worth a look around (there’s nice views from 5th floor) to admire the architecture and there’s a few nice shops in there too.

Tjörnin – the lake of Reykjavik. It’s really pretty, and during the winter frozen over so you can walk on it if you’re brave enough! If you go on the free walking tour, you make a stop here, but it’s worth having a wander around in your own time to really take it in.

Hallgrímskirkja – the beautiful church. It’s gorgeous inside and out, so it’s worth stopping by during opening hours to take a peek inside, and paying the reasonable fee to get up to the tower to get some great views across Reykjavik (on a clear day!)

Whales of Iceland – this has just opened when we went over in 2015 so we were keen to check it out. Think of it as a museum of whales with life-size models of whales that can be found in Icelandic waters. If you’re a whale lover, or perhaps visiting outside of whale-spotting season I recommend a visit. I loved learning lots of different facts about whales and actually getting a feel for how big these mammals are.

The Sun Voyager – a striking sculpture along the seafront. Worth walking along to – maybe not during a snowstorm like we did. Beware: the granite underneath it is slippery, as I found out when I went arse over tit posing for a photo next to it.

Thufa – explore the harbour area and walk up to this little spiral pathway on a little hill, coz it’s cute.

Reykjavik is full of amazing street art which is hidden round corners, in car parks and on the side of tall buildings. Just wander around and see what you can find!

We didn’t get to it, but if the weather is nice and you have time for a long walk you can walk to a lighthouse called Grotta. If you don’t have time to go on a Northern Lights tour, it might be worth a walk out here on a clear night with a good chance of seeing them.

Places to shop/Things to buy

The famous Icelandic lopapeysa is a beautiful wool sweater which is practically a uniform in Iceland. Each one is different, and they are beautifully crafted but they are not cheap. We’re talking £150+ at least. But if you’re going to buy one thing and you want it to be Icelandic made, this is a probably a good one.

Red Cross Shop – second hand shop a.k.a. charity shop. I’m mostly bigging this up because I found the amazing backpack in here, so I’m hoping you can find some hidden treasures too. If you’re set on getting an lopapeysa but it’s not in your budget, it’s worth checking in here for a second hand one.

66 Degrees North – seems to be a brand that Iceland bigs up and advertises everywhere. They make good quality outdoor wear, but if you can’t afford the big token items you can settle for one of their Fisherman’s hats.

Enjoy Our Nature condoms – I remember seeing these years ago when I was last in Reykjavik. They are “quality condoms” and the packet features something from Iceland’s nature that resembles a penis basically – see the picture to understand what I mean! Some of them even double up as a magnet.

SoBo trolls – I fell in love with these troll dolls called ‘SoBo’ that I had to stop myself from buying on two occasions. Each one features a different little jumper made from wool offcuts, and she wears a ‘magical protection pebble’ around her neck from Iceland’s black beaches. Each doll is unique and so freakin’ cute, but very expensive – which is half the reason why I had to stop myself buying one. They’re sold on Etsy too though so I’ll have to continue to resist.

Keflavik Airport has a great duty-free, so if you regret not buying something whilst out and about in Reykjavik or even at the Blue Lagoon, don’t panic because you’ll find it at the airport, or they will sell it on the plane if you’re flying with IcelandicAir.

Tours

This time, we did both our tours with East West Iceland.

They’re offering 20% off all their tours in 2020 with the code on their website, so that was an extra selling point for us.

They take smaller groups out, as opposed to the big buses. I did a big bus tour when I went a few years ago with Reykjavik Excursions, and this is MUCH better.

We did the ‘Golden Circle and Waterfalls with Efstidalur, Laugarvatn, Friðheimar and Kerið crater‘ tour with them which was really good – a teensy bit rushed IMO but it’s probably because we fit so much in. As I’d been to most of the stops before, I didn’t mind too much but not ideal if you really wanted to take it in.

If it’s your first time in Iceland, I’d recommend doing The Golden Circle whether independently if you’ve hired a car or on a tour. It takes you to the main three sites, Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park which are all amazing, and it’s a great way to see some nature close to the city if you’re on a short trip.

We also did the Northern Lights tour with them. They really went the extra mile to help us see them, and we did! They provided hot chocolate & kleina (Icelandic pastries) and take pictures of you with the lights which are available online shortly after the tour to buy for a small cost. Plus if you don’t see them, they offer you to do again for free on another night.

They offer a range of other tours to places like Snaefellsnes, the ‘Secret’ Golden Circle or the South Coast (which I’d love to do another time!)

If you’re not a fan of tours, want to do everything at your own pace or want a cheaper option, hiring a car is probably a good shout. Iceland’s roads are basically traffic free, but the road surfaces can vary and icy if it snows.

Now, The Blue Lagoon. Everyone wants to go to the Blue Lagoon. It’s hella expensive, and touristy in many ways but it shouldn’t put you off going. It’s wonderfully relaxing, and even if it’s busy there’s plenty of space to spread out. I personally wouldn’t bother booking onto it as part of a tour – although admittedly that’s what we did five years ago and I didn’t feel rushed – but more because it’s close to the airport so it’s probably worth going on your way to or from there. There’s different packages available and it’s cheaper in the evenings, but you won’t get as much time there. I’d allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy it, at least four hours. Book directly on their website, and you can also book a transfer to/from your hotel and/or the airport there too. My only criticism of it this time round was that the luggage room near the entrance didn’t open on time (I believe because of staff shortage) and the queue had become so big, it took nearly an hour to drop off our bags there. I’m sure this isn’t the norm though!

I have a friend who also visited The Secret Lagoon (which is a bit further out so you’d probably have to drive or maybe book on a tour) and said it was amazing. It’s also much more affordable.

If I went back? Glacier hiking, snowmobiling, riding an Icelandic horse, snorkelling between tectonic plates, Seljalandsfoss waterfall and maybe a visit to the penis museum! Plus much more – Iceland’s an amazing country. 

Here’s a Google Map of all my recommendations which may be useful:

Hope this was useful – please let me know whether you have any qustions or if you want more detail on anything I’ve written about!