Iceland City Breaks: Reykjavik (Summer)

The world’s most northerly capital city, and one of the smallest, Reykjavik is clean, crisp and refreshingly different. It is a place of many facets: the cosy timber dwellings of its historic heart are clustered around the city’s centre piece - a lake and bird sanctuary. In the bustling streets surrounding the cathedral and Parliament, Reykjavik’s cafés radiate inviting warmth and an aroma of freshly brewed coffee – the national drink. This compact city is easy to explore and almost everyone speaks English so directions are simple to follow. We provide all of our city break bookings with an excellent pocket-sized city guide, which retails at £6.99. It is packed full of information, maps and great ideas about where to go and what to see – don’t leave your hotel without it!

At home in this youthful and growing city is the contemporary architecture of its church - Hallgrimskirkja, a skyline sentinel whose profile mimics nature’s own basalt columns. Perlan, the other major landmark, is a shimmering glass dome housing a revolving restaurant which serves amongst other things, quality seafood and lamb dishes. Sitting above the tanks that store the city’s natural hot water, the ‘Pearl’ stands on a hill overlooking Reykjavik and beyond - the outside viewing platform offers some wonderful photographic opportunities across the city and out to sea.

Where architecture leaves off, art takes over. Reykjavik’s street sculpture is a memorable feature. Its galleries and an unusual array of museums are complemented by a lively theatre and concert scene. Reykjavik’s varied nightlife is legendary for a city of this size and on Friday and Saturday nights, the 120 or so bars and clubs generally fill up around midnight, with the good-natured party crowd having fun through until breakfast time! And everyone is welcome!

Mentioning food, Reykjavik has more than its fair share of top class restaurants with many internationally-known chefs preparing all manner of cuisine to the highest standards. Presentation is impeccable as is the décor of most of the well known restaurants in the centre. Some notable places are attached to hotels such as Siggi Hall at Hotel Odinsve and Vox at the Nordica. These are just two of the highly recommended eateries – you’ll find others in the guide book or our staff will be happy to tell you about their personal favourites. There are cheaper alternatives in the more casual establishments and of course there are many cafés, several internationallyknown fast food outlets and snack bars etc. One of the cheapest of Icelandic foods visitors are always encouraged to try is Pylsur – the Icelandic hot dog, and very tasty they are too!

OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS

Reykjavik has an unlimited supply of nature on its doorstep making it an ideal base from which to explore. Head down to the sea and let your eyes wander to the broody mountains across the bay for a taste of what you can expect on one of our day trips out of the city. There are many options to pick from please visit our our optional excursion pages.

EXTRA VALUE BONUS CARD

Our ‘bonus card’, issued free to all Iceland passengers, can offer you substantial savings of between 5% and 15% on goods and services purchased locally including shopping and eating out.

SPECIAL EVENTS

For a relatively small capital, Reykjavik has more than its fair share of festivals and special events, with new ones popping up almost yearly. Here are details of some of the more popular…

Further Information

Please find further information about your Reykjavik City Break in the top left hand menu and/or contact a member of our expert staff on 01737 218 800 to discuss your holiday plans further.