Things to do in Reykjavík

Reykjavík is the northernmost capital in the world and holds about two thirds of everyone who lives in Iceland — roughly 140,000 people in the city, 240,000 across the wider area, out of a national population smaller than most European suburbs. It is heated entirely by geothermal water piped in from Nesjavellir, which is why the tap runs hot in seconds and the whole city smells faintly of sulphur near the showers.

The city itself is small and low. Hallgrímskirkja and the Harpa concert hall are the two landmarks, the old harbour still lands fish alongside the whale-watching boats, and Laugavegur runs a few hundred metres of shops and bars that get genuinely busy after midnight on Fridays. The public pools matter more than the museums here: every neighbourhood has one, they are outdoors and open year-round, and the hot tubs are where the city actually talks to itself.

But most things to do in Reykjavík happen outside it. The Golden Circle, the south coast waterfalls, the Blue Lagoon, glacier walks, ice caves and whale watching all leave from here as half- or full-day trips. Summer gives you daylight around the clock and open highland roads; winter gives short days, the northern lights and weather that cancels things without warning. Tours in Reykjavík are worth booking ahead in June to August and around New Year — the rest of the year a day or two is usually enough.