5 Epic Things to Do Near Reykjavík
We traveled in a camper van around Iceland for 14 days and ended our trip in Reykjavík, spending 5 days exploring the the city and finding the best attractions near the area.
Explore Downtown on Foot
We started off our downtown Reykjavík adventure near the famous Hallgrímskirkja church, where we found free parking. It is difficult to drive downtown as the roads are narrow and there is very little parking available once you get farther in. By exploring on foot we found a lot of great coffee shops, bars, shops, and restaurants. One of our favorite places was Emilie and The Cool Kids, for the atmosphere, best scones we have ever had, and delicious coffee drinks. To check out more of the places we visited downtown, read our 14 day Iceland itinerary.
2. The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is the most famous geothermal spa in Iceland, due to its vibrant blue waters and proximity to Reykjavík. Although there are several other luxury spas around Iceland (we also visited GeoSea), this is the most popular. If you travel around ring road, there are other much smaller and less crowded geothermal spas you can visit, but they all are unique and will give you a different experience. Although there were a lot of people at Blue Lagoon on the day we arrived, we never felt crowded, as it is so vast. An alcoholic beverage and silica mask is included in your ticket price and you can stay at the spa as long as you desire.
3. Hike to Glymur Waterfall
While this hike may not be for everyone, it is every bit worth the effort; this happened to be our favorite waterfall in Iceland and our second favorite hike. After driving one hour north of Reykjavík, you can reach Glymur waterfall by hiking a 4.3 mile loop from the trailhead and back, but there are some obstacles along the way. You will have to walk over a fallen log to cross the river, crawl down through a cave, and lastly (if you want to make it a loop), you will wade through ice cold water. But the views are spectacular throughout the entire hike.
4. Reykjadalur Valley
If you would like to take advantage of soaking in a natural geothermal area, I suggest hitting up the nearby Reykjadalur Valley. After a 25 minute drive from Reykjavík you will arrive to the parking area. There is paid parking near the restaurant or a free parking area before you reach the restaurant. This hike took us less than an hour and was fairly easy as there was not much elevation gain. This was our first time bathing in a natural geothermal area in Iceland, and this spot is very popular. We went early in the day before it got too crowded. You will know that you have arrived to the bathing area once you see a boardwalk and several changing stations. We heard that the farther along the river that you walk, the warmer the water. We chose a spot in the middle, and it was bliss.
5. Mt Esja
Mt. Esja is a great place to visit if you want to see aerial views of Reykjavík. Most people decide to hike about halfway up to Steinn, rather than going to the summit. We decided to continue up to Þverfellshorn (a 4.8 mile round trip) because it had not yet snowed at the top. There are chains that help lead the way up and as long as you continue to follow the chains, you will not get lost. We happened to hike into the clouds and were unable to get good views of the city. Once we summited, we found a cache of mementos that fellow hikers had left behind, to commemorate their summit. This cache included student IDs, photographs, business cards, and a ripped dollar bill. We searched for something to leave from our packs and found a green guitar pick, which we placed into the cache.
