Reykjavik
Shot in Reykjavik Harbor with Fujifilm X-T3 and 18-55mm f/2.8-4
Many travelers stay in Reykjavik either at the beginning or at the end of their trip. We decided to start and finish with a day there , both to rest a bit before the big road trip, but also because there would be less of a risk of missing our plane if there was any issue with the car—and spoiler alert, there was.
After landing in Keflavik International Airport
We landed late in Keflavik airport on our first day, around 7:30pm and because Iceland is such an expensive country we chose to take a shuttle and then a bus instead of a taxi to go from the airport to the room we rented. There are two companies of shuttles of equivalent prices (about 20€/trip or 40€ both ways) that go from Keflavik International Airport to Reykjavik and that take about 45 minutes to reach the capital city. You don’t have to book them in advance as they leave every 30 minutes and you can buy tickets directly at the airport. Otherwise, the Iceland bus system called Strætó is much cheaper (about 8€ or $9) but only leaves every two hours and stops fairly far away in the suburbs, which might force you to take another bus afterwards. We booked an Airbnb room in an apartment in the suburbs of Reykjavik for our first two nights fairly early on before our trip, in early March, for a total of about 120€ (or about $130). If you are looking for something for yourself in the center, whether a whole apartment or a hotel room, expect to pay much more. There are some hostels but it is recommended to book them very early on, as they were already full in March for a stay in late July.
If you need to take the bus in Reykjavik, you can download the app on iOS or Android, and you can pay directly with it using a credit or debit card, and just show your phone to the driver as you get on the bus.
Reykjavik Day 1
Reykjavik is best discovered walking around to its main sights, as once you are in the center, it is a very walkable city. We first went to Hallgrimskirkja, certainly the most famous church in Reykjavik. Although you have to pay to take the elevator to the top of the building, the sight is definitely worth it as it is one of the highest points of the city because it is on top of a hill, and you will be able to see for miles around and get a rather unique vantage point over the typically colorful Nordic houses around. The view is gorgeous and can be photographed with any focal range, from a wide lens to a telephoto to capture details or the houses.
We went back onto solid ground,to get lunch. We ate at Gló, a healthy restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options which turned out to be the place where I enjoyed having lunch the most in Iceland. The restaurant is located on Logavegur, one of the main shopping streets, but also the most photogenic one in Reykjavik for its colorful houses but also its street art. You will definitely not waste your time walking up and down this street for an hour or so. Moreover, if you enjoy street photography, this street will certainly be one of the best spots you can find in Iceland, as there are very few cities in rest of the country—a third of the mere 360.000 inhabitants that make up this country live in Reykjavik.
In the same neighborhood, you will also find many LGBTQ+ bars; and especially for Pride around mid-August, the city showcases the rainbow flag virtually everywhere, from street art to the poles in front of Hallgrimskirkja.
We then visited the Settlement Exhibition, a highly interactive museum that highlights the history of the first settlers that came to Iceland and how both the city of Reykjavik and its surroundings evolved with time. Located in the basement of an old house, it features unearthed ruins of dwellings as well as VR videos of the way the region of Reykjavik looked centuries ago. If you are interested in history, this often overlooked museum is highly recommended! If you intend on going to other museums while you are in the city, look for combined tickets, as they can be a good deal too.
We then spent most of the afternoon walking around the harbor because yours truly is obsessed with lighthouses and there seemed to be a cool one there. If you really are into lighthouses, its Wes Anderson look and the view over the city are worth checking out, as well as the work of art called Þúfa created by Ólöf Norda next to it, a hill with a small cabin on top where fish apparently dries. The place is also particularly peaceful, but it definitely is a long walk with not much to see on the way.
Before having dinner, we went for a beer. As mentioned already—and will definitely be reminded many a time in the pages on Iceland—the country is one of the most expensive in the world, and even drinks are. Thankfully, the website happyhour.is lists which bars offer happy hours on which day and at what time—because they don’t do it daily. It is worth noting that alcohol is so expensive in Iceland that many tourists buy bottles or packs at the duty free stores at the airport.
And one last thing, if you spend the first day in Reykjavik before going on a road trip where you plan on cooking yourself with a camping stove, I would highly recommend you look for a gas canister in Reykjavik, including at Fjallakoffin in the city center, as we had trouble finding one afterwards, and information was unclear about whether our Primus stove would be compatible with most brands of gas canisters. For more details, check the Preparing your Trip page.