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  • 24 hours in Reykjavik – what to do?
  • finbar
    Free Member

    I’m off to Iceland with work at the end of the month (it’s a hard life) – we’ll be wild camping in the interior for a week, then heading back to Reykjavik for a day’s R&R before we fly home.

    Has anyone been? Anything cool to recommend? I’ll be all hiked out by then so I’m pretty sure I’ll want to stay in the city.

    Posted 10 years ago
    mike-at-dialledbikes
    Free Member

    Blue Lagoon thermal spa
    Gulfoss (sp?) Falls
    Geysers
    Teptonic Plates
    Hard Rock Cafe (the waitresses were stunning when I went there).

    Loved my trip there. Not a cheap place though, so be prepared for things costing twice as much as they do in the UK.

    Posted 10 years ago
    Ro5ey
    Free Member

    Don’t worry about choosing what to do…

    You’ll be able to do ALL of Rey in 24hrs… Vsmall place

    Blue Lagoon spa place is just out of town (on the way to the airport) is cool or should that be warm … whatever, it’s better when there’s snow on the ground and -10c

    Posted 10 years ago
    finbar
    Free Member

    Thanks, the Blue Lagoon is a definite. We’ll be doing all the geotourism stuff in the preceding week too.

    Any good bar/club recommendations?

    Posted 10 years ago
    Ro5ey
    Free Member

    Recommendations …. yeah …. take out a second mortgage.

    Honestly … you have every chance of visiting all Rey’s bars in one night.

    But it’s a cracking place mind …. have fun

    Posted 10 years ago
    nedrapier
    Full Member

    If you’ll be all wildernessed out (and if you aren’t, drive the golden gircle if you didn’t on the way out or back), I’d just mooch about.

    It’s not a big city, so it wont’ take you long to cover it. Have a look in the cathedral, beautiful, clean, understated design. Apparently you can climb the tower. Afternoon: go and find a swimming pool. There are quite a few in town and they’re outdoors, geothermally heated. really nice. There’s one out to the east of town with a waterslide with a dark section with flashing coloured lights, which is awesome.

    If you go want to go “out out” in the evening, don’t start at 7, you’ll wonder where everyone is. Or if you do, pace yourself. The bars don’t really start getting lively until well past 10, there are loads of really cool little bars, front room parlour type things, dancey places (and a couple of pretty awful ritzy-dazzle money flashing untz-untz-untz places) so drink slow, stay perky, stay out till well into the wee hours, lose your friends, talk to people, follow your nose and your ears…

    Posted 10 years ago
    MrBlond
    Free Member

    Get horribly battered on gin in Kaffibarinn and then pray for death the whole flight back the next day :-/

    Posted 10 years ago
    zokes
    Free Member

    There’s always the enis museum

    Posted 10 years ago
    toby1
    Full Member

    Kaffibarinn

    for definite, although don’t rush to get there – it only gets busy round mid-night.

    I spent a great night there, although I stuck to the Viking.

    I stayed in 2 hotels in the city as well and by far the best was the Iceland air hotel down by the harbor, the restaurant in there was really good too.

    Posted 10 years ago
    qwerty
    Free Member

    IIRC the Lonley Planet guide says that the locals are quite open to a bit of wife swapping…

    Posted 10 years ago
    finbar
    Free Member

    Thanks everyone, this is all brilliant. Can’t wait. I’ll start saving now.

    Posted 10 years ago
    Ro5ey
    Free Member

    The girls are are not shy in being forward that’s for sure…

    Never had a girl try to pull me quiet as aggresively as in Rey… she literally boxed me into a corner as I waited for the loo… I made my excuses and made it back to the, now, wife with my nutz intact, my voice slightly higher and a nagging thought of what if….

    Posted 10 years ago
    zokes
    Free Member

    and a nagging thought of what if….

    Threesome?

    Posted 10 years ago
    finbar
    Free Member

    I spent a great night there, although I stuck to the Viking.

    You stuck to a viking? Ro5ey’s experience sounds more appealing…

    Posted 10 years ago
    disco_stu
    Free Member

    Yeah you can get a lift to the viewing platform at the Cathedral, it was blowing a gale when I went in January, stunning views of the city and surrounding mountains.
    As other people have mentioned the Blue Lagoon is well worth a trip

    Posted 10 years ago
    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    I’d get the Lonely Planet Guide and have a look. Reykjavik is quite small but there is loads to see so don’t spend all day getting battered in a bar. Gullfoss, Blue Lagoon, Geyser etc are all well out of town.

    In Reykjavik I’d go try and see Solfar

    go up the bell tower of this

    and wander up to Perlan for a coffee and cake

    Posted 10 years ago
    Ambrose
    Full Member

    It’s the Hallgrimskirche tower you can ascend, not the cathederal. Try to time it for when the bells ring:)

    Mooching around the harbour is great, the fleamarket is always good for a laugh.

    Tjorninn (the lake in the park) is fun if you like being mobbed by tame ducks- take some bread. Then go and visit the Radhaus (Town Hall) to look at the enormous 3d map of where you have spent the previous week.

    The National Museum is very good. The displays about the Settlement are quite evocative, esp the outline of the boat on the floor.

    There is a fair bit of interesting architechture to be seen, Harpa (on the waterfront), The Hallsgrimkirche on the hill and Perlan (Oskjahlid), the Hot water tanks all spring to mind. the latter has a exhibition inside, a great viewing platform and stunningly expensive cakes. Good coffee (like everywhere else). The willy museum has now moved to Husavik.

    Arbaer, out of town, is the ‘Museum of life’ type place, old buildings and similar.

    And, as everyone else has said- nightlfe starts later than here and is absurdly expensive! Nurse that Viking Gul. Viking is the local beer, Gul= Gold, the brew.

    Posted 10 years ago
    finbar
    Free Member

    Thanks Harry the Spider, those photos are fantastic. Are they yours? Amazing light for the first two.

    And Ambrose, that’s exactly the kind of recommendations I wanted, thank you. Have you spent much time in Reykjavik?I’ve just checked how long it takes to get to the Blue Lagoon (an hour on the bus apparently), and given that I’ve only got a day I think I’d rather spend it in the city proper.

    Posted 10 years ago
    nedrapier
    Full Member

    here’s mine of the same. Needs a crop!

    Posted 10 years ago
    sandal100
    Full Member

    The Perlan does a really nice four course set menu that is quite well priced, compared to the rest of town, which is mega money compared to home! It’s also revolving and you get a nice view over all the city while eating.

    For some reasonably priced food the restaurant called vegamot, on a road called vegamotastigur which is down the hill into town from the hallsgrimkische. Normal uk priced food with a wide selection!

    Posted 10 years ago
    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Not my pictures, but it is hard to take a bad photo there.

    Posted 10 years ago
    Ambrose
    Full Member

    I’ve visited Iceland many times. It’s my favorite place TBH- after Wales. I’d happily live there. Save the Blue Lagoon for the trip out to Keflavik, it is a great way to unwind. It also has a waterside bar, seen here in use as a DJ booth.
    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUxjZlOa358[/video]

    Posted 10 years ago
    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Me.

    Posted 10 years ago
    Steelfreak
    Free Member

    The blue lagoon is great – just don’t examine the white mud on the bottom too closely as its full of pubic hairs. Would recommend shelling out for a floating massage though – very relaxing.

    Posted 10 years ago
    johndoh
    Free Member

    Eat as much puffin as your stomach will allow.

    Posted 10 years ago
    vdubber67
    Free Member

    Anyone done any mtb-ing out from Reykjavik? Going end of the month and am able to take a bike….

    Posted 10 years ago
    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Reykjadalur. Take your bathers too. Hot springs galore. The descent to Hveragerdi is awesome I’d imagine. I’ve walked it loads but yet to ride it.

    Guide not really necessary, get a map instead.

    https://www.google.co.uk/#safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=reykjadalur+hike&oq=Reykjadalur&gs_l=hp.1.3.0l10.10628.14792.1.24716.11.11.0.0.0.0.125.992.9j2.11.0.eappswebvhl..0.0…1.1.12.hp.9j9IYqAoELw&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45960087,d.d2k&fp=f44ff88c20c2177f&biw=981&bih=714

    Posted 10 years ago
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