24 Sights in Reykjavik, Iceland (with Map and Images)

Whales of Iceland is a natural history museum located in the Grandi harbour district of Reykjavík, Iceland. First opened in 2015, the museum is dedicated to educating visitors about the various cetacean species that have been sighted in Icelandic waters throughout recorded history.

Wikipedia: Whales of Iceland (EN), Website

The Sheriff's Park is a park on Aðalstræti in central Reykjavik, south of Miðbæjarmarkaðurinn and east of Hotel Uppsala. The Sheriff's Park is one of the oldest parks in Reykjavík. It is the oldest tree planted in Reykjavík, a silver tree planted in 1884. The park is on the corner of Main and Church Street behind the National Telephone House. Today the garden is mostly cavernous but the original trees still stand. The park stands on the site of Víkurkirkjugarður, Reykjavík's oldest cemetery.

Wikipedia: Fógetagarðurinn (IS)

Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland. The opening concert was held on 4 May 2011. The building features a distinctive colored glass facade inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland.

Wikipedia: Harpa (concert hall) (EN), Website

The stone dock is a sloping pier loaded with a stone, which now lies for the most part under Tryggvagata. The part that was previously under the parking lot next to the Customs House near Central Bakki in Reykjavik Harbor has been made visible in connection with construction of Hafnartorg. The dock walked out of the Post Office Street near the house of Eimskipafélag Íslands. The stone dock was clearly visible until the Second World War. The Steinbryggan was originally built by the Reykjavík Municipal Fund in 1884 and was then very expensive, but was a improvement compared to the small wooden docks out of the Reykjavík Fjords lamb, which were privately owned by merchants. Nine years later, in 1893, the pier was damaged in the storm and Tryggvi Gunnarsson was hired to work on repairs. After that, the pier was often called Tryggvasker. Steinbryggjan was the first destination of those who came to the country after it was built and in the early 20th century. When Fridrik 8 came to the country in 1907 he went to land on the stone bridge. Thirteen years later when Kristján 10th King of Iceland and Denmark and Queen Alexandrina came to visit in 1921 they went to land on a red dragon after the stone bridge.

Wikipedia: Steinbryggjan (IS)

The Reykjavik Maritime Museum, formerly Víkin Maritime Museum, is a maritime museum located by the old harbour in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík and run by Reykjavik City. The museum was established in 2005, and it is now one of five sites belonging to Reykjavik City Museum. There are seven exhibitions at the museum displaying Icelandic maritime history from the early settlements to the late 20th century. An important part of the museum is the Coast Guard and rescue vessel Óðinn. In 2008, the ship was transformed into a museum exhibit about the cod wars in the 1950s and 1970s. The ship also tells about its own history. The museum focuses on the history of fishing in Iceland but also displays temporary exhibitions related to the sea.

Wikipedia: Reykjavík Maritime Museum (EN)

Reykjavík Cathedral is a cathedral church in Reykjavík, Iceland, the seat of the Bishop of Iceland and mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, as well as the parish church of the old city centre and environs. It is located at Austurvöllur, and next to it is Alþingishúsið. Since Iceland's parliament, the Alþingi, was resurrected in 1845, each session of parliament has begun with a Mass at the cathedral, and from there the dean of the cathedral leads the members of parliament to the parliament house.

Wikipedia: Reykjavík Cathedral (EN)

ICGV Óðinn is a decommissioned offshore patrol vessel formerly operated by the Icelandic Coast Guard. She is the oldest ship in the coastguard's fleet, and it is believed that her Burmeister & Wain engines are the only such engines that are still serviceable in the world today. Since her withdrawal from active duty, she has served as a floating exhibit at the Reykjavík Maritime Museum in Reykjavík Harbour. The ship is still maintained, and operative as of June 2022.

Wikipedia: ICGV Óðinn (EN)

Safnahúsið, formerly Þjóðmenningarhúsið, is an exhibition space in Reykjavík, Iceland, which houses an exhibition, Points of View, drawn from various national museums and other cultural institutions. It has been part of the National Museum of Iceland since 2013. The director is Markús Þór Andrésson. The building, Hverfisgata 15, was constructed to house the National Library and at one time also housed a number of other museums.

Wikipedia: Safnahúsið (EN)

The Imagine Peace Tower is a memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, located on Viðey Island in Kollafjörður Bay near Reykjavík, Iceland. Installed in 2007, it consists of a tall tower of light, projected from a white stone monument that has the words "Imagine Peace" carved into it in 24 languages. These words, and the name of the tower, are a reference to Lennon's campaign for peace, and his 1971 song "Imagine".

Wikipedia: Imagine Peace Tower (EN), Website

The Hljómskálagarður is a park in central Reykjavik, named after its Hljómskáli. Part of the pond is also within the park. There are several statues in the Hljómskálagarður, among them a statue of Jónas Hallgrímsson, which used to stand at Lækjargata, and another of Bertel Thorvaldsen, which originally stood in Austurvöllur. There are facilities in the garden for barbecues and a children's playground.

Wikipedia: Hljómskálagarðurinn (IS)

The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2 is an exhibition on the settlement of Reykjavík, Iceland, created by the Reykjavik City Museum. The exhibition is based on the archaeological excavation of the ruin of one of the first houses in Iceland and findings from other excavations in the city centre. The exhibition is located in 101 Reykjavík, on Aðalstræti 16, on the corner of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata.

Wikipedia: The Settlement Exhibition (EN)

The Icelandic Phallological Museum, located in Reykjavík, Iceland, houses the world's largest display of penises and penile parts. As of early 2020 the museum moved to a new location in Hafnartorg, three times the size of the previous one, and the collection holds well over 300 penises from more than 100 species of mammal. The museum also holds 22 penises from creatures and peoples of Icelandic folklore.

Wikipedia: Icelandic Phallological Museum (EN), Website

Perlan is a natural history museum in Reykjavík, Iceland. It is situated on the top of Öskjuhlíð hill. It was initially only a cluster of hot water tanks, but on June 21st, 1991, the building was opened to the public. The building consists of a glass dome resting on top of six district heating tanks. Four of them are still in use, one hosts an ice cave, and one has been turned into a planetarium.

Wikipedia: Perlan (EN), Website

Höfði is a house in Reykjavík, Iceland, best known as the location for the 1986 Reykjavík Summit meeting of President Ronald Reagan of the United States and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. This meeting was an important step towards ending of the Cold War. Within the building, the flags of the United States and the Soviet Union are cross-hung to commemorate the meeting.

Wikipedia: Höfði (EN)

Klambratún is a recreational area in Reykjavík's Hlíðahverfi. The area is roughly square and about 10 hectares in size. It is bounded by Red River Road in the west, Florida Street in the north, County Road in the east and Miklubraut in the south. In the northern part of Klambratún stand Kjarvalsstaðir, an art museum dedicated to the art of Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval.

Wikipedia: Klambratún (IS)

Háteigskirkja stands at the intersection of Háteigsvegur and Långuhlíð / Noatún in Reykjavik and is the church of Háteigssafn. A high -ranking priest was established by the Act on July 17, 1952, but in 1963 the offensive line changed with the establishment of the border priesthood. Háteig Church was dedicated on Advent 1965.

Wikipedia: Háteigskirkja (IS)

Reykjavík Museum of Photography, in Reykjavík, Iceland, preserves about five million photographs by professional and amateur photographers, from around 1870 to the present century. The collection includes studio portraits, and industrial, advertising, press, landscape and family photographs.

Wikipedia: Reykjavík Museum of Photography (EN)

Landakotskirkja, officially named Basilika Krists konungs and often referred to as Kristskirkja, is a basilica located in the western part of the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík and is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavík. It is the sole Catholic cathedral in Iceland.

Wikipedia: Christ the King Cathedral (Reykjavík) (EN)

Reykjavik Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. It occupies three locations in Reykjavík; Hafnarhús by the old harbour (64.1490°N 21.9406°W), Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún (64.1378°N 21.9135°W) and Ásmundarsafn in Laugardalur (64.1416°N 21.8853°W).

Wikipedia: Reykjavik Art Museum (EN)

Árbæjarsafn is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavík as well as an open-air museum and a regional museum. Its purpose is to give the public an insight into the living conditions, work and recreational activities of the people of Reykjavík in earlier times.

Wikipedia: Árbæjarsafn (EN), Website En, Website Is

The National Theatre of Iceland (NTI) in Reykjavík, is the national theatre of Iceland. The theater, designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, was formally opened on 20 April 1950. Since 2020, the artistic director of The National Theatre is Magnús Geir Þórðarsson.

Wikipedia: National Theatre of Iceland (EN), Website

The National Gallery of Iceland is an art museum in Reykjavík which contains a collection of Icelandic art. The gallery features artwork of famous Icelandic artists and artwork that helps explain the traditional Icelandic culture.

Wikipedia: National Gallery of Iceland (EN)

The parliament courtyard is a garden behind the Althingi building. The park is one of the first planned parks in Iceland. The parliament garden was largely the handiwork of Tryggvi Gunnarsson and there he chose a gravesite.

Wikipedia: Alþingishúsgarðurinn (IS)

Arnarhóll is a hill next to the centre of Reykjavík, Iceland's capital city. It is named after Iceland's bequeathed first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson. Icelandic ministries are situated near it and events take place on it.

Wikipedia: Arnarhóll (EN)