Reykjavík

Harpa

The new home of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and regularly host to other acts as well. Delayed by the economic collapse, this building was under construction for several years before finally opening in May 2011. This marked the end of a long wait for the symphony orchestra, who had been using a cinema as their main venue the last 50 years. Today the symphony plays a concert every Thursday evening from September through June (although often at other times as well), but the building is rarely empty at other times with Iceland's lively music scene having embraced this new location.

Inside the Volcano

Descend into the magma chamber of the Thrihnukagigur volcano. Transport provided from the city for the 30 minute drive to the starting point, or you can drive yourself.

08:00-17:00, every hour·44 000 kr

Islenski Hesturinn

Operated by a small group of friends and family, Islenski Hesturinn offers excellent service and tours with hotel pickup. Riders of all skills are welcome and matched to horses of their ability and personality, and various tours are available through Icelandic lava fields.

Laugardalslaug

The city's largest pool with extensive facilities, in Laugardalur Valley east of the city centre. It has two large pools for swimming, several hot-pots, a seawater bath, a steam bath, and water slide. It is a well-used large complex that is starting to show its age a little but it is still the best option in the city. It is undergoing quite a lot of renovation work, but the pool remains open.

Mon-Fri 06:30 - 22:00, Sat Sun 08:00 - 22:00·1380 kr

National Theatre of Iceland

Þjóðleikhúsið

A theatre in the centre of Reykjavík, in many ways the focal point of Icelandic theatre. The repertoire is a mix of Icelandic and international plays, both new and old.

Nautholsvík Thermal Beach

Here you can swim in the Atlantic, because they pipe hot water into the ocean. A beach of golden sand has been created and a “pool” has been enclosed nearby, where the water temperature is about 20°C. There are several hot-pots. Refreshments and various services are available at the beach.

15 May-15 Sep: 10:00-20:00

Nordic House

Norræna húsið

A cultural centre in Vatnsmýri designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, just south of the city centre. Art exhibitions, concerts, poetry readings and other cultural events frequently take place here.

Exhibition space open Tue-Sun 12:00-17:00, irregular opening hours for other events but the building is generally open during office hours

Reykjavík City Theatre

Borgarleikhúsið

Like the national theatre, the city theatre puts on a mix of new Icelandic plays and highlights of international theatre.

Reykjavík Domestic Animal Zoo

Fjölskyldu- og húsdýragarðurinn

This small zoo, in the middle of Reykjavík, is a place where city children can come and get in touch with some of the farming heritage of the country, with most species of domestic animals found in Iceland represented. They also have some non-domestic animals including reindeer and seals.

Admission: Adults (12 years +): 450 kr, children (Under 4 years): free, children (4 - 12): 350 kr

Sundhöllin

The city's oldest and only indoor pool (with outdoor hot-pots), located in the city centre. Has a more municipal feel than the other pools, but has a very central location.

Mon-Fri 06:30 - 21:00, Sat Sun 08:00 - 19:00

Vesturbæjarlaug

The city's oldest outdoor pool. Located in a residential area. Of the pools on this list, this is the only one within a moderate walking distance of the city centre.

Mon-Fri 06:30-22:00, Sat-Sun 08:00-20:00·1380 ISK (adult)

Vesturport

This experimental theatre group has toured the world and won many prizes for its daring productions which include Romeo and Juliet, and Woyczek. They have also made films including the acclaimed Children and Parents, in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Whale watching

With the exception of Húsavík in the north, Reykjavík is actually one of the very best places to go whale watching in Iceland. Whales frequently come into Faxaflói, the large bay which Reykjavík sits by and on a typical trip of around 3 hours you can almost be guaranteed to see at least some minke whales and possibly even a humpback. The companies offering whale watching mostly occupy a small area in the old harbour called Ægisgarður, close to the whaling ships. All sail out to the same bay but since conditions there change make sure you are on a good ship.

Around 7000-9000 kr, often half price for children

Árbæjarlaug

A brand new complex on the outskirts of the city, it has nice views over the city centre and is a nice place to watch the sunset. There is an indoor and outdoor pool, a waterslide, several hot-pots and a steam bath. This is a favourite with families and is perhaps the nicest of the city's pools. Buses run here from central Reykjavik.

Mon-Fri 06:30 - 22:00, Sat Sun summer: 08:00 - 22:00, winter: 08:00 - 20:30·1255 kr

Aurora Borealis (Northern lights) watching

Iceland is very favorably located within the aurora belt and chances of observing the beautiful atmospheric phenomenon are rather high between September and March even in the vicinity of the capital; in summer months lack of darkness is the limiting factor. To boost your viewing chances commons sense suggests escaping from the city lights. Due to the tree-free character of the Icelandic countryside only clouds can obstruct your view then. A valuable tool for getting prepared for your observation is the local meteorological office's Aurora site, forecasting both auroral activity and cloudiness. If you don't have a car available, there are plenty of agencies organising short trips who pick you up at your hotel.

Culture Night

Menningarnótt

This is the biggest date in the cultural calendar of Reykjavík. What started out in 1996 as only an evening celebration today starts already in the morning with the Reykjavík Marathon. The day progresses with ever more cultural activities, most of them free, in central Reykjavík and culminates in several huge concerts and a fireworks show by the harbour. Attendance is usually around 100,000 or half of the population of the city.

Third Sat of August

Gay Pride

Hinsegin dagar

Icelanders are proud of their LGBT community, and every August they show it with one of the biggest annual festivals in Reykjavík. Typically a parade will wind its way through the city with floats of varying degrees of outrageousness. It then ends at Arnarhóll with a large outdoors concert. Gay bars and bars that normally don't self-identify as gay tend to be very full this evening. In the preceding days there are various events celebrating LGBT culture.

Early August

Hiking

The immediate vicinity of Reykjavík offers some good hiking opportunities. By far the most popular among these is Esjan, the mountain that dominates the view to the north from much of the capital and is easily accessible by bus nr. 57. It's a relatively easy hike although there is a steep patch early on and at the tops there are some cliffs to climb. You can estimate 4-5 hours to get to the top and back again, although experienced walkers will be quicker. Another popular place to experience nature is Heiðmörk, a green belt to the southeast of the capital. Heiðmörk mostly flat and there are many paths criss-crossing the area, but getting there may be difficult without a car.

Iceland Airwaves

A music festival held in pubs, bars and clubs in downtown Reykjavík. It literally takes over the city for a few days in October. Airwaves prides itself of frequently having artists on the line-up that are just about to make it and become world famous, before you've ever heard of them. They usually have a wide selection of Icelandic and international acts, but keep the "big names" to a minimum. Book early, in 2011 the tickets sold up 5 weeks in advance.

Second weekend in October

National Day

17. júní

It may come as a surprise, but the National Day celebrations on 17 June every year are probably the smallest of the three festivals mentioned here. Nonetheless, it is a public holiday day of festivities in the city where people (especially families with children) celebrate the date Iceland was declared a republic in 1944. The date was selected because it is the birthday of the Icelandic independence hero Jón Sigurðsson.

Puffin Safaris

The same companies that offer whale watching, also offer puffin safaris, about one to one and a half hours in length. A little boat takes you next to islands some 15 minutes out where puffins nest, swim around and catch fish. They have binoculars onboard to borrow so you can get a good look of the birds.

About 5000 kr

Reykjavík International Film Festival

RIFF

Several days of excellent cinema. Screenings of most Icelandic productions of the last year, short and feature length as well as documentaries, and the best of what's happening around the world. The main prize, the Golden Puffin, is awarded in a category called "New Visions" which is limited to directors' first or second films.

Late September