See

871±2

The Settlement Exhibition

Run by the Reykjavík City Museum, this exhibition in central Reykjavík was built around the oldest archaeological ruins in Iceland. As the name indicates, these ruins date to around the year 870. This interactive exhibitions brings you the early history of the area that today forms central Reykjavík.

Address: Corner of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata
Hours: Daily 10:00-17:00
Price: 1000 kr, free for children under 18
Website: minjasafnreykjavikur.is (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Reykjavík, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Eat
Fjalakötturinn
Mostly focuses on fish and seafood, though there are a couple of meat alternatives to choose from. There are also different three and four course menus to choose from and the wine list is more extensive than you would expect on Iceland. The service can be slow, but the food is tasteful and the servings are beautiful - in other words, if you want a large serving of fast and cheap grub you'd better go elsewhere.
4000-6000 kr
Eat
Shalimar
A small family-owned Pakistani restaurant packed into a tiny building in the oldest part of town. Delicious food, and a very friendly staff.
3,000-4,000 kr
See
City Hall
Ráðhúsið
One of the best examples of late 20th-century architecture in Iceland, built into Tjörnin (The Pond). On the ground floor, which is open to the public, there is a large relief map of the whole country as well as a café and an exhibition hall.
See
Alþingi
On the southern edge of Austurvöllur is a small building of hewn stone, but don't let its size fool you. This is the building of the Icelandic parliament, known as Alþingi. The institution has in fact long since outgrown the building which was built in 1881 for a nation of a little over 60,000. Today the upper floors of most houses on the north and west sides of the park also house parliamentary offices. The Alþingi building today houses only the debating chamber of the unicameral institution and the party meeting rooms. When Alþingi is in session it is possible to go up to the viewing platforms and watch the debates, otherwise only groups affiliated with educational institutions are permitted to tour the inside of the building.