The 411 on 101 Reykjavik

 

 

So you want to know about visiting Reykjavik? It has changed a lot over the years with the increase in tourism, but we still find our way back every fall. Getting around is easy, pretty much everyone speaks English, and it’s small.

There are plenty of resources and blogs online that feature RVK, but we’ve been here a dozen times and this should get you started …. our Google Map is linked and details are below.

Getting to the City

First, Keflavik International Airport is nowhere near Reykjavik – it’s about a 45-minute drive, but you can do it pretty efficiently any time of day or night, any day of the year.

The Flybus+ voucher gets you from the airport in Keflavik to the bus terminal in Reykjavik, then a transfer to various hotels.  Not staying in a hotel, no problem – locate your lodging on the map, then locate a nearby hotel that Flybus services – voilá, almost door-to-door service. I recommend purchasing the voucher online ahead of time so you can go direct to the bus from the Arrivals terminal, but they also have a kiosk outside baggage claim.

GreyLine Airport Express offers a similar service, though we’ve never used it.

We’ve also used Reykjavik Private Tours for car service for airport transfer.

Currency

If your bank or local travel currency exchange carries Icelandic Kroner, get some before you go. Pretty much everywhere takes credit cards but some walking-around money is nice.  You can also use the ATM at baggage claim at KEF however take note, the one inside baggage claim is rarely busy; the one outside Arrivals is always slammed.

What to Pack

Well, that is an interesting question. Packing is a highly personal process, but here are some tips:
  • Regardless of the time of year, be prepared for wind – and probably a lot of it since you are essentially on a rock in the North Atlantic.  You will also need a raincoat; don’t even THINK about an umbrella.
  • The weather can change very quickly so be prepared with layers – it’s cold outside but I guarantee inside it will be about 80 degrees – geothermal heat is cheap and they crank it up.
  • Casual is good – Jeans, boots, fleece, and rainwear are all acceptable.
  • Gloves. Unless you’re glacier touring you don’t need *serious* gloves, but you will want some kind of glove most of the year if you want your fingers to work on demand.

Where to Eat

First off, let me remind you that the “get in, wolf down food, and get out” is an American phenomenon.  Elsewhere in the world, a meal is an event: order, enjoy your drinks and company, enjoy your food, maybe some coffee, and finally signal for your bill. It could be a 30-minute event; it could be a 2-hour affair – there is no hovering waitstaff checking up on you.

We eat our way through vacation – here are our favorites (these are all on our Google map):

Quicker Eats

Noodle Station – fabulous hot noodles – veggie, chicken or beef. No nonsense, but hits the spot when you’re jet-lagged! Laugavegur 103

Hlemmur Mathöll – this used to be the city bus terminal, but as of 2017 it’s a swanky food hall with cafés and restaurants.

Brauð & Co.– THIS IS A MUST! A no-nonsense bakery opposite Reykjavik Roasters with crusty breads, cinnamon buns, and other tasty treats all day. There’s a line out the door most days  but it moves pretty quickly because this isn’t a sit-down establishment.
16 Frakkastígur

Reykjavik Roasters – best latté in the city. Do yourself a favor and get one. Or many. They also have pastries and light breakfast options. If cappuccino is your jam, head to Sandholt for your fix. FYI, you cannot bring outside food into this establishment.
Kárastígur 1 – multiple locations

Sandholt Bakery –  A lovely French bakery with pastry and the city’s best cappuccino. The sandwiches are excellent, but you have to beat the lunch crowd to get your hands on one. Laugarvegur 130

Reykjavik Pizzeria – Pizza! There’s been a pizza joint in this location since we first visited in 2005. Great dine-in location or grab a beer and wait for takeout.
Bragagata 38A

Saegreifinn – The Sea Baron – world-famous lobster bisque as well as some North Sea specialties.
Geirsgata 8 –  harbor-side, opposite downtown

Baejarins Bestu – THE famous Icelandic hotdogs.  Seriously. Order the traditional one that has a beef hot dog with a mayo-like sauce and a peanut-y gravy. It sounds horrible, but it works. Tryggvatagata 1, opposite the flea market.

HAMBORGARABÚLLAN (The BurgerJoint) – We go to the location by the harbor and it’s actually more of a shack. No-nonsense burgers and fries.
Geirsgata Geirsgötu 1

Sit-down Spots

Solon Bistro – excellent “nice” restaurant, on the main shopping street just before crossing to the old town. Good variety on the menu.
Geirsgata 8

Shalimar – excellent middle eastern food – seriously, the ethnic food is amazing!  We have dinner here every year and it never disappoints.
Austurstraeti 4

Ban Thai – a little farther up the main drag from the usual “shopping” area, but worth the walk. Just opposite the city transit terminal. Their website is a little weird right now but the jist of the rhetoric is that this isn’t fast food. I can attest to that; it does take a while to get an entree, but it is really good.
Laugavegur 130

Slippbarinn – great bar/restaurant by the harbor in the Reykjavik Marina hotel. They make tons of oddball craft cocktails, draft beer and small plates. We typically hit this location at least twice on any trip.
MÝRARGATA 2

Café Babalu – ex-pat central. Great little indie café with pastry, cakes, and bistro sandwiches. Again, close to the Cathedral. Seating is limited and don’t be put off if the proprietor asks you to move to a more appropriately sized table when it’s busy. Plenty of free wi-fi.
Skolavoroustigur 22a.

Ítalía veitingahús – great Italian food – pastas and wood-fired pizza. A bit nicer the Eld Smidjan, but if you’re after pizza, go to Eld Smidjan. It gets busy after about 7pm but if you get there when they open around 5pm, you can easily get a table.
Laugavegur 11

Yuzu Burger – a nice little burger spot with an Asian flair in a modern interior space. Pósthússtræti 3

Islanski Barrin does a nice burger, but also has more adventurous options if that’s your jam. 1a Ingólfsstræti

Groceries

Bonus or 24/7 – the local grocery stores.  Pretty easy to navigate – economical by Iceland standards. Pretty easy to identify most foods, though dairy products can be confusing.  As a side note, if you like yogurt, the Icelandic skyr is amazing! The odd hours can be annoying but the 24/7 and the mini-mart by the Cathedral are generally open when you’d expect them to be.

Kronan Supermarket – this particular location is great if you’re staying in a vacation rental with some kitchen amenities. It carries a wide selection of prepared meals as well as staples in smaller portions.
Hallveigarstigur 1

Sightseeing

You certainly don’t need a car in Reykjavik – it’s relatively flat and not very big.  If you want to get out of the city to see some sites, consider one of the day trips offered by Reykjavik Excursions or Gray Line.

In the city, there’s Harpa, the music hall by the port and it’s amazing. The architecture is stunning. During the week sometimes when the orchestra is practicing you can sit in for free.

There are a number of locations to check out “urban art” – it’s seriously impressive

On a clear day, the view from Perlan is nice too.

The boutiques on Laugarvegur and Sklavoroustigur are lovely – even just for window shopping. The Icelandic twist on European design is functional and that makes it much more approachable the other mainland European cities.

Iceland is famous for the Blue Lagoon (www.bluelagoon.com) and it’s worth the hype. Unbelievable scenery; incredible outdoor spa experience. Totally worth it if it’s the only thing you see outside the city.

For other sites, Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir are amazing places within 2 hours of the city. Reykjavik Excursions does nice tours including one or all of them. www.rei.is.

If you do have a car:

  • Stykkishólmur makes for an interesting, though aggressive, day trip, to get a feel for the fjords.

  • Jökulsárlón, a famed glacial lake with floating icebergs and wildlife sightings, is amazing though a seriously aggressive day trip from Reykjavik (about 5 hours each way – yes, done it).

Activities

We’ve done a few adventure-y things over the years – most outfitters have tours running several hours to a full day at various  “adventure” levels. Since we’re usually in town for Iceland Airwaves, we’ve only checked out the 2 – 4 hour options.

Horseback riding is a classic – we’ve been out to Laxnes multiple times with first-timers to Iceland.

Amazing black sand beach tour out of Grindavík with 4×4 Adventures Iceland

We did another 4×4 tour with nearby ATV Reykjavik – great views of the city and bay. Turns out our guide was the guitarist for a band we were planning to see later that night!