Discover Arts and Culture Guide to Reykjavik, from world-class museums and design stores to restaurants and music venues, with this convenient guide.
While Reykjavik is not a sprawling capital, the city has managed to host an impressively diverse set of arts and culture within a relatively compact area. Partly a result of Iceland’s unique literary history but with a significant contribution from the music scene, Reykjavik’s creative landscape has a feel that is distinctly its own.
It is this environment that draws travelers seeking more from an Icelandic vacation than just the dramatic landscapes the country is famous for: a city that combines a concentration of design shops and galleries, music that has an incredible amount of international success for such a small country, and a literary culture at the heart of the nation’s identity.
Where to Start: Essential Museums in Reykjavik
National Gallery of Iceland
Home to the country’s largest collection of paintings and sculptures, the National Gallery is the perfect place to begin exploring Icelandic art. From naïve folk paintings and sculptures of the 19th century to 20th and 21st-century modern masterpieces, the National Gallery gives valuable insight into the country’s visual art heritage.
Reykjavik Art Museum
Reykjavik Art Museum is a network of three separate exhibition spaces, the main of which is dedicated to the works of Erró, an iconic Icelandic modern artist. Due to the variety of exhibitions on display, from traditional sculptures to experimental contemporary art, it is a good idea to research what happens in the museum before planning your visit.
Whales of Iceland and Perlan
These two cultural centers have the unique distinction of being both museums and architectural masterpieces. From the inside, they offer a fascinating insight into biology and national history, while from the outside, they represent the best of Iceland’s love of dramatic design.
What to See: Architecture in Reykjavik
Reykjavik has a unique architectural heritage that combines the restrained practicality of traditional Northern European design with elements uniquely found nowhere else outside Iceland.
Hallgrímskirkja
This bold and dramatic church is instantly recognizable in any photograph of Reykjavik. The inspiration for its construction was the local lava fields, and the view from the top of the Hallgrímskirkja is equally breathtaking. While the interior of the church is beautiful, it is best experienced from a higher vantage point.
Harpa Concert Hall
Another of Reykjavik’s dramatic modern buildings, Harpa’s hexagonal glass façade is the result of an impressive design experiment. Harpa is one of the city’s main concert venues and hosts performances spanning from traditional music to modern operas, making it an essential stop for any visitor.
From Music to Books: The Literary Culture and Music Scene in Reykjavik
From its status as the UNESCO City of Literature to its role as a breeding ground for many famous Icelandic musicians, Reykjavik has a long history of fostering the country’s love of the written and the performed word. The city is not only home to unique museums and independent bookstores but also boasts a local music scene where performances are common in small intimate settings.
Visiting Reykjavik During Iceland Airwaves
For a unique insight into the local music culture, visitors should consider planning their trip around the annual Iceland Airwaves music festival. Taking place in the fall, the event features local music performances that can be found all over the city, from traditional concert halls to bars and bookstores.
Unique Attractions in Reykjavik: Street Murals, Sculptures, and Public Art
Public art plays a significant role in Reykjavik’s cultural offerings, from the colorful and surreal street murals to the sculptures that line the seaside paths of the capital. Street art in particular has seen a surge in popularity in recent years: large-scale murals fill the facades of buildings all over the city.
With many of them the result of special projects that saw Icelandic and international artists invited to paint a wall. This makes exploring Reykjavik on foot all the more rewarding, as every corner has the potential to reveal a new artistic masterpiece. The sculptures hidden in the capital’s harbors are also a unique experience that cannot be missed.
Reykjavik’s Independent Cinemas and Film Culture
While local filmmakers have long struggled to gain critical acclaim, recent years have seen Iceland’s cinematic productions gaining wider and well-deserved recognition. Reykjavik’s independent cinemas are the place to discover the local film culture, with many of the city’s film enthusiasts congregating to discuss cinema over a film.
The annual Reykjavik International Film Festival, which takes place in the fall, also draws notable European and international names. Even outside of the festival, Reykjavik’s independent film culture has enough to keep a visitor engaged for a full day of exploring.
Other Specialized Museums and Design Stores
Besides the National Gallery and the Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik is home to a number of other museums and design shops that provide a broad overview of the country’s cultural history. The Reykjavik Museum of Photography is one such example, with a collection of works created by local photographers who have made a name for themselves around the world.
Those interested in exploring the local design scene should look out for the smaller, more specialized galleries and shops that line the streets of Reykjavik. Popular local attractions include small shops made in Iceland, showcasing the local resources used to create traditional handicrafts.
Unique Places to See in Reykjavik: An Essential Neighborhood Guide
Downtown Core 101 Reykjavik
The postal code that gives this district its alternate name is the beating heart of Reykjavik’s art and culture. This is where the city’s galleries, music venues, and bookstores are found, making it the starting point for any cultural exploration in Reykjavik. Within the district, most of the city’s museums and music venues are within walking distance of one another.
Grandi Harbor District
This former fishing district is now the center of the city’s design and art scenes, with a number of interesting stores and galleries located within the area. It is also a great place to seek out local independent shopping experiences.
Hlemmur and Laugavegur East
The eastern half of Laugavegur takes on a markedly different feel, being home to a number of interesting alternative venues and independent stores.
Coffee Shops and Culture: Coffee Shops as a Local Cultural Experience
As the cultural hub of Iceland, Reykjavik sees a variety of cultural events unfold in its cozy and welcoming cafes. The city’s independent restaurants and cafes play a crucial role in the local culture, offering a venue for poetry readings, music performances, and art exhibitions. For visitors looking to get a true sense of Reykjavik, getting to know the city’s cafes is a must.
A visit to one of Reykjavik’s independent cafes is a unique insight into the city’s cultural life. Due to the close ties between Iceland’s creative communities, the city’s cafes offer a chance to see different types of art, from music to poetry to visual media, all in one place.
It is this sense of a shared cultural experience that distinguishes Reykjavik’s cafes from those of other European capitals. In many ways, a relaxing and unhurried visit to one of these cafes is more representative of a trip to Reykjavik than a more traditional cultural tour of the city’s museums and galleries.
Finding Interesting Books and Literature in Reykjavik
With Iceland’s status as the land of the Northern Lights and dramatic volcanoes, it can be easy to overlook Reykjavik’s cultural heritage as the cradle of the country’s literacy. Fortunately, the city has a number of bookstores that serve as both local landmarks and cultural touchstones.
Many of Reykjavik’s local bookstores have a long history of serving the local communities, with some family-run shops seeing generations of locals pass through their doors. While the Icelandic language may be foreign to many, most stores have a selection of English language books featuring both local literature and translations of classic Icelandic novels and poetry.
In fact, Iceland has a tradition of jólabókaflóð, or Christmas book flood, which sees new books published and gifted throughout the holiday season. As such, a visit to Reykjavik in December offers a unique opportunity to experience Iceland’s love of reading and literature.
Unique Day Trips Around Reykjavik
While this itinerary focuses on Reykjavik, there are a number of day trips around the capital that are well worth considering. Only a short drive from Reykjavik, the city of Hafnarfjörður boasts its own unique cultural heritage. Chief among its attractions is the annual Viking festival that takes place in the town.
With limited time to explore Reykjavik and its surroundings, travelers may also be interested in visiting one or more local museums outside of the capital. These smaller institutions serve as both local cultural heritage sites and points of national pride, with each of them housing exhibits of a specific type of local history and traditional artifacts.
Due to the short duration of many trips to Iceland, these smaller museums can be excellent cultural touchstones that complement a larger exhibit found in the capital.
Getting Around Reykjavik and Visiting the City’s Culture and Museums
Since many of Reykjavik’s cultural institutions are located within the downtown core district, most of them are easy to reach on foot. As such, planning a day around visiting one or two of the city’s museums followed by an evening of entertainment at one of the many local venues is ideal.
A note of caution should be made regarding visiting hours for many of the smaller galleries, as they tend to close earlier during the off-season. In addition to that, be sure to remember that many of the museums and galleries in Reykjavik close early on weekdays. If exploring Reykjavik’s arts and culture, a city pass may also be a good investment, as it allows visitors to get a significant amount of value for their money.
Due to the capricious nature of the Icelandic weather, it is also a good idea to be flexible with plans to visit open-air exhibitions or sculptures, as foul weather will cancel outdoor excursions. On the other hand, days spent visiting museums can be scheduled around longer periods of rain or wind, which are common in Iceland during the summer.
Planning Your Arts and Culture Itinerary in Reykjavik
The best itinerary in Reykjavik will depend on how much time one has at their disposal. Since most of the city’s museums and galleries are located within the downtown core, a two or three-day visit can be sufficient for culture-focused visitors. Day one can be spent exploring the city’s museums, with evening options including either a visit to one of the city’s music venues or an open-air exhibition.
Day two can see visitors exploring the city’s design, including a visit to the local shopping street to browse the unique local shops. Finally, a third day in Reykjavik should ideally be spent visiting the city’s sculpture path, which can stretch into a full day of exploring on foot. It is advisable to research what exhibitions are on before deciding on which museums to visit, as many of the institutions in Reykjavik have rotating exhibitions.
Sustainability and Local Resources
It is a known challenge for small countries to build a reputation abroad for their domestic design and products, with most of the domestic production sold on the local market. Iceland is not an exception to this rule, with most of the local designer clothes and accessories made in limited numbers and therefore not widely available.
However, this does have the advantage of being able to find high-quality unique items that combine traditional Icelandic motifs with modern design. This is also true for other materials, including wool and fish leather, which can be found across the design stores in Reykjavik. As such, shopping in Reykjavik is an opportunity to support local producers while finding unique souvenirs.
Exploring Reykjavik and the Arts After the Pandemic
Like the rest of the cultural world, Reykjavik has seen a number of disruptions to the arts and culture due to the COVID pandemic. However, as the local restrictions begin to ease, a new wave of creative energy has swept through the city. With many local art institutions beginning to reopen and host regular exhibitions, museums, and public displays, Reykjavik has seen a cultural boom due to both local and international travelers.
Additionally, many of the city’s arts institutions have joined forces, with independent galleries organizing joint events and performances with local music and art venues. Such collaboration, spurred on both by local initiative and international travelers’ interest, has allowed Reykjavik to offer a wider variety of cultural experiences, and visitors should take advantage of the increased opportunities that come with it.
FAQ
How many days do I need in Reykjavik for arts and culture?
How much time do you need in Reykjavik? A visit to the capital of Iceland can be as short or as long as one desires, but for a true cultural immersion, two to three days is a good amount of time to spend in Reykjavik. This will give you enough time to see the city’s museums and other cultural institutions, as well as enjoy an evening of traditional music in one of the city’s many venues.
What is Reykjavik best known for?
What is Reykjavik famous for? Reykjavik is famous for being an Icelandic capital with a rich cultural and music history. The city boasts traditional Northern European architecture, a dramatic modernist design, impressive literature, and an underlying love of the visual arts.
Is Reykjavik expensive?
Is Reykjavik expensive to visit? Compared to the rest of Europe, most things in Iceland are on the higher end of the price spectrum. This is particularly evident in the city: while most museums charge an entrance fee, most of them are reasonably priced, and some, including many of the city’s sculptures, are completely free.
