City Break: Reykjavík — TripIt Blog

Metropolis break (noun): a small holiday break spent in a city, these kinds of as when on business journey.

In advance of there was bleisure vacation, there was the city break—the quick space of leisure time that grants you obtain to the cultural and culinary facilities that massive cities give. In this collection from TripIt, we take a look at some of the world’s greatest cities for setting up a swift getaway or extending a get the job done excursion.

Listed here are our tips for creating the most of your metropolis crack in Reykjavík. 

Exactly where to fly in

Reykjavík is served by Keflavik International Airport (KEF), the major international airport for all of Iceland. It’s found 30 miles from Reykjavík. 

After on the ground, travelers have a couple ground transportation possibilities to get to their ultimate vacation spot. If you favor to vacation by bus, ebook a experience with Airport Direct or Flybus. The former runs on a mounted timetable, whereas the latter has no preset timetable, and will wait around for you if your flight is delayed. Equally journeys get about 45 minutes to get to the town middle. 

There is also a public bus support, called Strætó, that runs common routes to and from the airport. Taxis are also available from KEF. Nonetheless, rideshares, this sort of as Uber and Lyft, are not accessible in Iceland. 

Desire to get all over on your own accord? Your very best guess is to rent a car or truck. Support desks are situated inside of the arrivals corridor. 

The place to remain all through your town break

If you like centrally positioned lodging with a contact of luxury, glance no further more than The Reykjavík Edition (pictured over), which offers views of the harbor close by, as properly as Mount Esja and Snæfellsjökull glacier in the length. The lodge is also house to myriad dining and amusement venues, including Tides—a seafood-focused restaurant from Michelin-star chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason.

On the lookout for extra spending plan-welcoming digs? KEX Hostel, also located just minutes from the harbor, is a going on place. Besides offering a position to lay your head, KEX has cultivated some thing distinctive: an easy vibe that draws locals and tourists alike. Even if you are not scheduling to book a place, you will want to shell out some time there. Grab a bite at Flatus, buy a beer or cocktail at DRINX, or peruse the spines of Text. No overnight remain needed. 

Want to remain someplace that falls concerning five stars and shared spaces with strangers? I get that! Here are a several to look at: 

• The 3-star Town Middle Hotel is accurate to its title, found proper in downtown Reykjavík and just a handful of minutes wander to important points of interest, dining establishments, and nightlife. 
• Storm Resort, also a 3-star lodge, is certainly a welcome shelter from the notorious Icelandic weather. Considerate style and snug accommodations make this a good decision for your town break it is also centrally found and going for walks length to most metropolis sights. 
• 4-star Fosshotel Reykjavík is Iceland’s biggest lodge, showcasing 16 floors and 320 rooms—many with spectacular sights of the metropolis, harbor, and over and above. If you are in Reykjavík on business, this is also a fantastic spot to host a meeting or conferences the latter can be held on the top ground of the lodge. 

Family vacation rentals, like people booked by Airbnb, are also accessible in Reykjavík. 

How to get about

Section of Reykjavík’s appeal is its straightforward walkability—yes, even in inclement weather. The city has invested in an underground geothermal heating program for its sidewalks and streets, saving the streets from destructive snow plowing, though also saving pedestrians from falling on slippery surfaces. 

If going for walks is not possible or fascinating, Reykjavík’s town buses will consider you to and from quite a few of the city’s sights and attractions. Pay back for bus fare, prepare your route, and see the place buses are in authentic time with the Klappid application. Bus fare can also be paid for by way of Klapp card or Klapp ten (a 10-pack of tickets). If you want to obtain a card, you can do so at these suppliers in Reykjavík.

As for your micromobility selections, you can hire electrical scooters via Hopp. Down load the application to get begun. At the time of publication, it expenses just 100 Icelandic króna (ISK) to unlock an e-scooter, and then it is 33 ISK per moment to journey. 

Taxis are also accessible for journeys in Reykjavík. 

Even though leasing a car or truck is not actually necessary if you are organizing to stay within the town boundaries, you will want 1 if you strategy to check out a lot more of Iceland throughout your journey. (And you surely should, if you have the time!)

Pro tip: Use TripIt’s Navigator attribute to search transportation choices offered to you. It will present you the approximated expenses and travel moments for each and every selection, so you can make your mind up which is effective finest. For illustration, if you increase a cafe reservation to your itinerary (more on exactly where to eat, beneath), Navigator also can help you come across the ideal transportation possibilities for acquiring to your table. You can come across Navigator in just your system details screens. 

Where to consume

If you only have time for 1 meal in Reykjavík, dine at Snaps Bistro (pictured earlier mentioned). The dishes are delectable, the wine checklist is outstanding, and for a metropolis that is generally short on daylight, you’ll appreciate the eating-in-a-greenhouse vibes. You will need to have a reservation, so ebook 1 as early as you can. 

Expending a handful of meals in the capital city? Like seafood? Put Tides (talked about earlier mentioned) and Fish Marketplace on your dining itinerary. Furthermore, you will need a reservation for equally. 

Want a lot more relaxed eating solutions? KEX Hostel’s cafe Flatus (also mentioned above) is a fantastic location for pizzas and other informal fare. Icelandic Street Foodstuff is a different great place for informal eats. Just want some thing you can seize and go (especially soon after the pub)? Check out “the greatest hotdog in Europe” at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur—open late (late!) evening, and notably, considering the fact that 1937. 

Talking of pub culture, in Iceland, Prohibition on beer (but not wine or spirits) was in impact until finally 1989—and microbreweries have been making up for misplaced time at any time due to the fact. You can try out nearby craft beers at quite a few of the city’s bars and pubs, together with Microbar, Reykjavík’s to start with craft beer bar Kaldi Bar and Skúli – Craft Bar. 

Tip: Alcoholic beverages is pricey in Iceland, so stretch your króna at pleased hour(s). Many pubs and bars provide discounted charges. Check out their social media accounts for promotions and hrs. 

Less night time owl, additional early riser? For breakfast, head to Brauð & Co for freshly baked items, or Café Babalú for sweet and savory crepes. The latter’s colorful exterior is challenging to miss out on, and the cafe is also one particular of the very best destinations for a cup of coffee in the city. Other solutions for a cup of joe consist of Reykjavík Roasters, Mokka Kaffi, and Kaffibrennslan. 

What to do on your metropolis crack

If you only have a shorter total of time in Reykjavík, be confident to tick the boxes on some of the city’s most spectacular sights, like Hallgrimskirkja (tip: climb to the top rated of the tower to snap that legendary pic of the vibrant buildings fanning out beneath) Harpa, the city’s glass-windowed concert corridor and meeting middle and the Sun Voyager, pictured higher than. 

For a dose of the country’s background, head to the Perlan, a museum—and an working geothermal water storage facility it is very well value a take a look at. The fourth flooring features a 360° observation deck that lies on the major of the warm drinking water tanks, and presents a a person-of-a-form see of Reykjavík and the encompassing place. 

Want to up your Nordic design? Head to Laugavegur, one of Reykjavík’s oldest streets and its major procuring district, to peruse the myriad merchants showcasing all the things from superior-stop boutiques, classic clothing retailers, dwelling decor, cozy cafes, and a lot additional. 

Organizing to investigate far more of Iceland all through your excursion? Several of the country’s most wonderful points of interest, together with the Blue Lagoon, Silfra (where by you can snorkel in between two tectonic plates) in Thingvellir Nationwide Park, Gullfoss (waterfall), Strokkur (geyser), Reynisfjara (black sand beach), Skógarfoss (waterfall), and Seljalandsfoss (waterfall) are within just a few hrs travel. 

Be aware: As places reopen all-around the environment, be guaranteed to seek advice from and adhere to all nearby guidelines and travel limitations, as they fluctuate greatly and will go on to alter. A person way to remain on leading of modifying recommendations is to check with the COVID-19 journey assistance feature in the TripIt app for place-specific information, including tests and vaccination requirements, recent infection costs, quarantine regulations on arrival, and other details you need to have to know right before visiting the area.