Reykjavik is a small and compact city with so much beauty surrounding it. If you, like us, and aren't into museums but are looking for affordable things to do in Reykjavik, here are 5 ideas to get you started:
1. Go For a Swim
One of the things I was most excited about in Iceland was experiencing their culture of swimming. It was clear driving around the country that swimming is a favourite pastime of Icelanders - every small town we drove through seemed to have an extensive pool complex with heated indoor and outdoor pools (a comfortable 28-30 degrees year-round), hot tubs, saunas, and kid friendly features. Not only is it a great way to spend a day but it is super affordable for families! I would definitely recommend packing your bathing suit and towel no matter where you go in Iceland, you may just find a pool that is calling your name! While we were in Reykjavik we spent two half days exploring two completely different swimming complexes: the inexpensive Laugardalslaug and the more touristy Blue Lagoon.
Laugardalslaug
We spent a half day at Laugardalslaug, which is located in the city of Reykjavik about a 10 minute drive from downtown. It’s essentially a large recreation complex and we absolutely loved the experience. There was a shallow kiddie pool, large indoor and outdoor pools, multiple slides for all ages, hot tubs, a “Wipeout” style obstacle course for older children, a mini golf course and beach volleyball courts. The entry fee was approximately 10 dollars per adult with young children being free. It was a great place to spend a cool and overcast morning, and you barely notice the chill in the air when you’re toasty warm in the water!
Tip: There are lots of swimming facilities in Reykjavik and we thought it was a fantastic way to experience the local culture. Check out some of the other well known and family friendly pools in Reykjavik including Lagafellslaug, Arbaejarlaug and Sundlaug Kopavogs.
1. Go For a Swim
One of the things I was most excited about in Iceland was experiencing their culture of swimming. It was clear driving around the country that swimming is a favourite pastime of Icelanders - every small town we drove through seemed to have an extensive pool complex with heated indoor and outdoor pools (a comfortable 28-30 degrees year-round), hot tubs, saunas, and kid friendly features. Not only is it a great way to spend a day but it is super affordable for families! I would definitely recommend packing your bathing suit and towel no matter where you go in Iceland, you may just find a pool that is calling your name! While we were in Reykjavik we spent two half days exploring two completely different swimming complexes: the inexpensive Laugardalslaug and the more touristy Blue Lagoon.
Laugardalslaug
We spent a half day at Laugardalslaug, which is located in the city of Reykjavik about a 10 minute drive from downtown. It’s essentially a large recreation complex and we absolutely loved the experience. There was a shallow kiddie pool, large indoor and outdoor pools, multiple slides for all ages, hot tubs, a “Wipeout” style obstacle course for older children, a mini golf course and beach volleyball courts. The entry fee was approximately 10 dollars per adult with young children being free. It was a great place to spend a cool and overcast morning, and you barely notice the chill in the air when you’re toasty warm in the water!
Tip: There are lots of swimming facilities in Reykjavik and we thought it was a fantastic way to experience the local culture. Check out some of the other well known and family friendly pools in Reykjavik including Lagafellslaug, Arbaejarlaug and Sundlaug Kopavogs.
Blue Lagoon
We had heard mixed reviews about the Blue Lagoon but were happy that we went! Despite the fact that the lagoon was fully booked, the water didn’t feel overwhelmed with people and there was lots of space to wade and move around. There was also no rush, you were welcome and stay as long as you wanted. We swam around for a bit, took a break for a cup of coffee and a snack, before going back to swim again before we left. We loved that the Blue Lagoon is easy to access in all weather, close to Reykjavik, was family friendly and had good amenities.
Tip: Book your tickets well in advance. We opted to go first thing in the morning so that we could stay as long as we wanted without feeling rushed. Note that children under 2 are not allowed to enter the Blue Lagoon and children under 8 must wear arm floaties. The staff was most concerned about young children ingesting the water which is high in silica. We made sure that Hannah didn’t get her mouth close to the water.
We had heard mixed reviews about the Blue Lagoon but were happy that we went! Despite the fact that the lagoon was fully booked, the water didn’t feel overwhelmed with people and there was lots of space to wade and move around. There was also no rush, you were welcome and stay as long as you wanted. We swam around for a bit, took a break for a cup of coffee and a snack, before going back to swim again before we left. We loved that the Blue Lagoon is easy to access in all weather, close to Reykjavik, was family friendly and had good amenities.
Tip: Book your tickets well in advance. We opted to go first thing in the morning so that we could stay as long as we wanted without feeling rushed. Note that children under 2 are not allowed to enter the Blue Lagoon and children under 8 must wear arm floaties. The staff was most concerned about young children ingesting the water which is high in silica. We made sure that Hannah didn’t get her mouth close to the water.
2. Eat and Drink
While food and drink in Iceland can be quite costly we found some affordable, family friendly options that will appeal to everyone’s taste buds. Here are some of our favourites:
Grab a cup of coffee or a latte at one of the many beautiful coffee shops. We tried Reykjavik Roasters and Te & Kaffi and both were amazing and offered not only great blends but a variety of brewing methods – from traditional drip to chemex and aeropress. With the chill in the air, a warm cup of coffee for our walk around the city is just what we needed. Te & Kaffi has multiple locations all around Reykjavik, Reykjavik Roasters is located just around the corner from Hallgrimskirkja.
Tip: Skip breakfast at your and head to the AMAZING bakery Braud and Co. on your way to Reykjavik Roasters. Sit outside if the weather allows it before walking the half block to Hallgrimskirkja.
While food and drink in Iceland can be quite costly we found some affordable, family friendly options that will appeal to everyone’s taste buds. Here are some of our favourites:
Grab a cup of coffee or a latte at one of the many beautiful coffee shops. We tried Reykjavik Roasters and Te & Kaffi and both were amazing and offered not only great blends but a variety of brewing methods – from traditional drip to chemex and aeropress. With the chill in the air, a warm cup of coffee for our walk around the city is just what we needed. Te & Kaffi has multiple locations all around Reykjavik, Reykjavik Roasters is located just around the corner from Hallgrimskirkja.
Tip: Skip breakfast at your and head to the AMAZING bakery Braud and Co. on your way to Reykjavik Roasters. Sit outside if the weather allows it before walking the half block to Hallgrimskirkja.
We heard a lot about Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, a hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik that has a line up at all hours of the day. While it wasn’t the best hot dog that Chris has *ever* had, he agreed that the unique toppings made for a great (not to mention affordable) lunch.
A course that all 3 of us are into is dessert and while it may seem weird to eat ice cream in Iceland, we indulged on more than one occasion. We loved the amazing flavour selection at Valdi’s and it was a beautiful walk along the waterfront from there to Harpa and along to the Sun Voyageur statue.
If you’re wanting a sit down meal, we enjoyed Reykjavik Fish and Chips and found the service was quick and efficient and the setting family friendly. We also went to the Laundromat Café where the food was good and the bonus was being able to do our laundry while Hannah took full advantage of the free play space complete with a huge selection of toys and books. The food was good, not great, but the play space and laundromat made it a worthwhile stop!
Tip: Only wash the essentials: one wash and a dry was approximately 15 Canadian Dollars. In spite of the price, the laundromat had a line up for washers and dryers and seems like quite a busy place! I would also recommend going earlier in the day, the play area doesn't seem to get tidied very often and we found that it was a bit of a mess come 5 p.m.
A course that all 3 of us are into is dessert and while it may seem weird to eat ice cream in Iceland, we indulged on more than one occasion. We loved the amazing flavour selection at Valdi’s and it was a beautiful walk along the waterfront from there to Harpa and along to the Sun Voyageur statue.
If you’re wanting a sit down meal, we enjoyed Reykjavik Fish and Chips and found the service was quick and efficient and the setting family friendly. We also went to the Laundromat Café where the food was good and the bonus was being able to do our laundry while Hannah took full advantage of the free play space complete with a huge selection of toys and books. The food was good, not great, but the play space and laundromat made it a worthwhile stop!
Tip: Only wash the essentials: one wash and a dry was approximately 15 Canadian Dollars. In spite of the price, the laundromat had a line up for washers and dryers and seems like quite a busy place! I would also recommend going earlier in the day, the play area doesn't seem to get tidied very often and we found that it was a bit of a mess come 5 p.m.
3. Take a Day Trip
There are so many beautiful spots to see within an hour or two of Reykjavik. We did multiple day trips in all directions including the Golden Circle Tour, Vik and the South Coast and the Bogarnes area just north of Reykjavik. We loved the lava tube in Hveragerdi and if the weather had been better we would have returned a second time to hike to a natural hot spring. We did enjoy having a base in Reykjavik and found that with just 8 days, taking day trips was the best use of our time.
Interested in what we saw on our day trips? Check out our 8 Day Trip Summary of Iceland
There are so many beautiful spots to see within an hour or two of Reykjavik. We did multiple day trips in all directions including the Golden Circle Tour, Vik and the South Coast and the Bogarnes area just north of Reykjavik. We loved the lava tube in Hveragerdi and if the weather had been better we would have returned a second time to hike to a natural hot spring. We did enjoy having a base in Reykjavik and found that with just 8 days, taking day trips was the best use of our time.
Interested in what we saw on our day trips? Check out our 8 Day Trip Summary of Iceland
4. Take in the View
Reykjavik seems to have stunning views no matter what direction your facing. We enjoyed going up the iconic church tower of Hallgrimskirkja to get a 360 degree view of the city. We also loved walking along the water front between Harpa (the concert hall with the beautiful glass mosaic windows) and the Sun Voyageur statue. It was particularly magical at sunset, but make sure you’re wearing lots of layers though, it cools down quickly at dusk!
5.Enjoy a Walk
Reykjavik is a small and walkable city with lots of pedestrian only zones, beautiful book shops, cute souvenir shops and lots of coffee houses, bakeries and ice cream shops. We loved wandering around and enjoying the laid back vibe of the city. One of our favourite walks was along Lake Tjornin where we had great views of the city, access to a cute little playground and we even packed some bread to feed the ducks. The pathway winds all the way around the lake and there are beautiful gardens, statues and even a little mermaid replica. If it’s chilly you can cut through city hall at the south end of the lake.
Reykjavik is a small and walkable city with lots of pedestrian only zones, beautiful book shops, cute souvenir shops and lots of coffee houses, bakeries and ice cream shops. We loved wandering around and enjoying the laid back vibe of the city. One of our favourite walks was along Lake Tjornin where we had great views of the city, access to a cute little playground and we even packed some bread to feed the ducks. The pathway winds all the way around the lake and there are beautiful gardens, statues and even a little mermaid replica. If it’s chilly you can cut through city hall at the south end of the lake.
