In recent years, Iceland has become a popular European tourist destination. With extended layovers, it’s a popular stop for just a few hours or a few days. While we spent over a week in Iceland, we only spent a few days in Reykjavík. So if you are looking for a way to spend just two days in Iceland or two days in the capitol city, this is a great Reykjavík itinerary!
Reykjavík’s capitol city is just a short bus or taxi ride from the airport. And this two day Reykjavík itinerary is perfect for exploring the downtown area of this capitol city! While 48 hours may not seem like a lot of time to explore, it is perfect for Reykjavík. While Reykjavík is the capitol, it is a relatively small city with just over 130,000 people. So while you won’t find the same number of things to do in Reykjavík that you would in other capitol cities like London or Paris, you’ll find enough to fill two days.
So keep reading to find out how we filled our two day Reykjavík itinerary with great food, fun shopping and Icelandic history and culture.
Getting There and Around
You’ll likely arrive in Iceland at the Keflavík airport, which may seem like it is in Reykjavík but it is not. It’s about 45 minutes away. However, you don’t need to rent a car. You can take a taxi or a shuttle bus into the city. Ride share options are not available.
Once in the downtown area, you’ll be able to explore this entire two day Reykjavík itinerary on foot. Admittedly, your feet may get tired but we did it and so can you!
Reykjavík Itinerary
Day 1 – Taste of Reykjavík
Morning – Outskirts of Reykjavík
You have two options for your first morning in Reykjavík. Both options are actually outside of town.
First, you could spend the day exploring the outskirts of town. You’ll need to catch a taxi or take a bus to both of these locations. The Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach is a sandy beach along the sea, but with geothermal water running into the waters. This makes the water temperature here nice for swimming. Then, head to the Árbaer Open Air Museum. This museum explores the history and folklore of Reykjavík.
The second option for your morning is to visit the Blue Lagoon. If this is the morning that you are arriving in Iceland, this is a great opportunity to visit the Blue Lagoon as it is between Reykjavík and the Keflavík airport. You can read all about our experience here to see if it is right for you. There is a shuttle company that will take you from the airport, to the lagoon, and then on to Reykjavík.
After a morning spent exploring the area surround Reykjavík, head into town, stow your luggage and get exploring!
Afternoon – Eating and Shopping
Spend the afternoon shopping in Reykjavík. Wander around the Laugavegur, one of the cities main roads. You’ll find tons of shops selling lots of Icelandic wool.
Make sure to visit the Kolaportid Flea Market if you’re visiting on a Saturday or Sunday. This was an interesting flea market that is worth a visit just to see all the different things for sale.
You’ll also find a lot of great food here. For our first night in Reykjavík we ate a “progressive dinner”. We grabbed the famous Reykjavík hotdogs, had some fish at the pier, tried fermented shark, ate geysir bread, had too much ice cream, stuffed in some waffles, etc. We ate really anything that smelled good… It was a great way to sample the flavors of town. We started eating around 1 PM and were able to get into lots of restaurants that were completely booked for dinner because we stopped in at a strange afternoon hour and only ate one course. I should note that this “progressive dinner” was expensive – it in no way saved us money.
If you’d prefer to do an actual food tour those are available as well.
Reykjavík is said to have a bustling nightlife. We found that it got really quiet around 9 PM so we just went back to our accommodations and slept. Admittedly, we weren’t really looking for a party as drinking in Reykjavík is expensive but if you’re interested in staying out the option is there but it seems to be mainly a bar hopping scene.
Day 2 – Walking Tour of Reykjavík
On the second day of this Reykjavík itinerary, learn about Iceland’s history with a walk through town. You will pass the fun colorful architecture, interesting shops and amazing street art that Reykjavík is famous for.
Start the morning at Hallgrimskirkja. This church is a relatively modern cathedral and is an operational church. You can also visit the top of the tower for sweeping views of Reykjavík. This church is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Iceland and is a national architectural gem. The churches pillared wings are modeled after the columnar basalt that can be seen in natural gems throughout Iceland.
Take photos in front of the church. Then walk in to look at the interior, if it is open to the public. Try to visit when the church is open to the public. Those times vary as there are concerts and services throughout the week. The best time to visit is if you can catch a performer practicing. You’ll be allowed to sit and watch the performer for free as they do their practice run for a future performance. It’s a real treat if you catch someone practicing on the organ!
Then walk to Hljómskála Park. Walk around The Pond here. You’ll see City Hall and the National Gallery. The park itself is beautiful! You’ll also be able to feed the swans if you bring some bread. These swans will take food right out of your hand and not bite your face off (as is typical swan behavior). We didn’t feed the birds but it is a very popular children’s activity and we enjoyed people watching.
Next, spend a few hours at the National Museum of Iceland. This was a really interesting museum! We spent hours here going through Icelandic history one century at a time.
Afternoon – By the Sea
Walk to the piers and grab a light fish lunch. We tried the famous lobster soup at the Sea Barron and it was delicious.
After lunch visit the Phallus (Penis) Museum… because when in Iceland, why not? While we had just eaten lunch, I have since learned that there is a phallic themed bistro there as well. Apparently penis shaped food is good for more than just bachelorette parties.
Then wander along the coastal walk until you get to the Sun Voyager sculpture. This sculpture was commissioned for the 200th anniversary of Reykjavík and is intended to be an ode to the sun. The kiddos in your group will love it as you can interact with it.
Relax for the rest of the day doing whatever pleases you! Honestly, we just really enjoyed people watching in Reykjavík. So we would grab a treat, sit on the street, people watch and relax.
Then have one last amazing meal in Iceland! Go all out and order a side dish of lobster tail just because you can. We ate at Sjávargrillið and it was a great final Icelandic meal.
What To Adjust the Itinerary
If you have extra time in Reykjavík, we recommend you spend it outside of Reykjavík. Our favorite parts of Iceland were all outside of towns. Instead of finding extra things to do in Reykjavík, find a tour to take you out to the Golden Circle or Thingvellir National Park or rent a cart and drive there yourself.
If you have less time in Reykjavík, skip day one of this two day Reykjavík itinerary and go straight to day two. This is the best of the city and will give you a quick preview of all of the top tourist destinations. You probably will even be able to fit some shopping and eating into your day as well.
Where to Stay In Reykjavík?
This two day Reykjavík itinerary is all downtown and all within walking distance of the top tourist destinations. So make sure to stay overnight near these sights in downtown Reykjavík. Most of the popular hotel chains advertise being “downtown” however they are nowhere near the action. So just make sure that where ever you choose to stay, you’ll be within range of the walking tour you’ll go take on day two.
What To Budget?
Iceland is expensive. Or so it seems. You have to look to find deals in Iceland. And you have to be prepared to spend a lot on food. However, you can find reasonable hotel prices and tons of things to do in Reykjavík for free.
We spent $430 US dollars on this two day Reykjavík itinerary. $200 was our hotel, which we stayed two nights in, $180 was our food bill (we splurged) and $50 was our admission for the things we did.
We think this was a great way to spend two days in Reykjavík and we hope that this has helped you to plan your own Icelandic vacation. If you’re looking for more information on things to do in Reykjavík, check out our full post here. If you have any questions about your upcoming trip, please leave them in the comments section below.
