Reykjavik Sightseeing: Towers and Harbour
Climb Hallgrímskirkja’s tower first. From the eighth floor the whole city is a quilt of painted roofs, with the bay on one side and Mount Esja on the other, and you can plan the rest of the day from there.
Hallgrímskirkja
The 74.5 m church designed by Guðjón Samúelsson echoes the basalt columns found around Iceland, and it houses a 5,275-pipe organ. The nave is free outside services and concerts. An elevator takes you up the tower to open arches with 360 degree views. Winter hours (1 September to 31 May) are 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:45, and summer hours run 09:00 to 20:00. Tickets are sold in the church shop on the day, and cannot be reserved ahead. Fees are listed on hallgrimskirkja.is .
Down Skólavörðustígur to the harbour
The rainbow-painted street under the church is lined with galleries and design shops. Follow it down towards Laugavegur, then continue to the water.
Harpa
Henning Larsen and Ólafur Elíasson designed the waterfront concert hall with a honeycomb of steel and dichroic glass bricks that shift colour with the light. The foyers are free to walk through, open daily from 09:00 to 18:00 with later hours on performance nights. See harpa.is for concerts.
Sun Voyager
A short walk along the Sæbraut promenade leads to Jón Gunnar Árnason’s 1990 steel sculpture of a boat, free and open all day. It is best at sunset or under the midnight sun in June.
Tjörnin and City Hall
The city pond in the centre has a flat 1.5 km path around it and more than 40 bird species, including swans, arctic terns and greylag geese. Inside City Hall is a large 3D relief map of Iceland, free to look at, and a good way to see the volcanic geography before you head out of town.
Perlan for the long view
Perlan sits on Öskjuhlíð hill about 2.5 km south of the centre, with an indoor 360 degree deck and exhibitions open 09:00 to 21:00. Check perlan.is for tickets.
Seeing the sights with a guide
A guide adds history you cannot read on a plaque. If you want one, search guided sightseeing tours and compare start points, because tour buses stop only at 14 numbered Tourist Bus Stops and not at hotel doors.
Getting around
The centre is compact enough to walk. Strætó buses cost ISK 690 for a single ticket valid for 75 minutes, and children aged 11 and under travel free. Pay by card on board or with the Klapp app. There is no train or metro in Iceland.
Light and seasons
Winter days shrink to four or five hours around late December, so do outdoor sights before 15:00. In June the sun barely sets. The attraction tours page lists indoor stops for the dark months.
Verdict: a morning on foot from the church tower to the Sun Voyager costs almost nothing beyond the tower ticket and covers every landmark in one go.