Downtown Reykjavik (Reykjavik) Travel Guide - Free

Explore Downtown Reykjavik in Reykjavik with Evendo's free guide. Find the best shops, historic streets, restaurants, and gems on web or mobile.

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Downtown Reykjavik
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Downtown Reykjavik blends colourful timber houses, Hallgrímskirkja, harbour walks, Icelandic food, cafés, museums and lively evenings in the capital.

A Compact Capital Centre

Downtown Reykjavik occupies the city’s historic central area around the old harbour, Austurvöllur, Tjörnin lake and the lower stretches of Laugavegur. It is a compact district where brightly painted timber houses, modern concrete buildings and corrugated-metal roofs reflect the capital’s changing fortunes and distinctive architectural language. Distances are short, making it easy to move between the waterfront, Parliament House, Reykjavík Cathedral, the National Museum area and the cafés and shops of the central streets on foot.
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History in Everyday Streets

The neighbourhood grew from Reykjavík’s early settlement and later development as Iceland’s administrative and commercial centre. Austurvöllur remains a symbolic civic space, while the Alþingishúsið and Dómkirkjan anchor the historic core. Nearby, the old harbour retains its working maritime identity, even as former industrial and warehouse spaces have gained restaurants, galleries and cultural venues. The city’s early wooden houses and later post-war buildings sit alongside contemporary landmarks such as Harpa Concert Hall, creating a varied streetscape rather than a single architectural style.

Culture, Food and Evening Life

Central Reykjavik is the city’s most concentrated area for museums, galleries, bookshops, bakeries, restaurants and bars. Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur are the principal browsing streets, while Hverfisgata and the lanes around Ingólfstorg bring together dining, design and nightlife. Visitors can watch harbour traffic, pause beside Tjörnin, explore Icelandic art and history, or use the centre as a base for discovering the wider capital. The atmosphere changes noticeably through the day: commuters and shoppers dominate earlier, cafés fill in the afternoon, and the central streets become more sociable after dark.

Best landmarks in Downtown Reykjavik

The Alþingishúsið on Austurvöllur is one of Downtown Reykjavik’s most important civic landmarks, housing Iceland’s parliament in a stone building completed in 1881. Opposite it, Reykjavík Cathedral, or Dómkirkjan, is a modest but historically significant church whose origins in the present building date to the eighteenth century. Austurvöllur itself functions as a symbolic public square for national ceremonies and civic gatherings. The old harbour preserves the physical memory of Reykjavik’s trading and fishing economy, while Harpa introduces a distinctly contemporary waterfront landmark through its patterned glass envelope. Further uphill, Hallgrímskirkja is a major visual reference for the centre, although it stands just beyond the lower historic core. Colourful timber houses, corrugated façades and surviving older commercial buildings add local architectural character between these better-known structures.

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Explore Downtown Reykjavik on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Downtown Reykjavik, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Downtown Reykjavik

Central Reykjavik has the city’s broadest concentration of places to eat, from bakeries and coffee shops to contemporary restaurants, casual Icelandic kitchens and international dining rooms. Laugavegur, Hverfisgata, Skólavörðustígur and the streets around Ingólfstorg are the principal areas for browsing menus, while the old harbour has restaurants shaped by the city’s maritime setting. Traditional tastes may include seafood, lamb, dairy and Icelandic-style hot dogs, with Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur near the harbour among the best-known casual food stops. Sandholt is associated with central bakery culture, and places such as Café Loki, Íslenski barinn, Apotek Kitchen + Bar and Dill represent different approaches to local ingredients and modern dining. The scene ranges from quick counter service to ambitious tasting menus, so advance planning can be useful for sought-after restaurants without assuming that every venue operates on the same schedule.

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Best bars in Downtown Reykjavik

Downtown Reykjavik is the capital’s main evening district, with bars and late venues concentrated along Laugavegur, Hverfisgata, Austurstræti and the lanes around Ingólfstorg. The atmosphere often begins quietly in cafés and hotel bars before shifting towards pubs, cocktail rooms, music venues and dance floors later in the evening. Reykjavík’s nightlife is known for compact distances and a tendency for people to move between venues on foot rather than remain in one large entertainment complex. Concerts and cultural performances at Harpa provide a more formal alternative, while smaller central venues reflect the city’s interest in live music and local creative work. Noise levels vary sharply from one block to the next, and the district also contains homes, so visitors should leave bars considerately and avoid treating residential doorways or squares as extensions of nightlife venues.

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Best nightclubs in Downtown Reykjavik

Downtown Reykjavik is the capital’s main evening district, with bars and late venues concentrated along Laugavegur, Hverfisgata, Austurstræti and the lanes around Ingólfstorg. The atmosphere often begins quietly in cafés and hotel bars before shifting towards pubs, cocktail rooms, music venues and dance floors later in the evening. Reykjavík’s nightlife is known for compact distances and a tendency for people to move between venues on foot rather than remain in one large entertainment complex. Concerts and cultural performances at Harpa provide a more formal alternative, while smaller central venues reflect the city’s interest in live music and local creative work. Noise levels vary sharply from one block to the next, and the district also contains homes, so visitors should leave bars considerately and avoid treating residential doorways or squares as extensions of nightlife venues.

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Best shops in Downtown Reykjavik

Shopping in Downtown Reykjavik is centred on Laugavegur, Skólavörðustígur and adjoining streets, where independent fashion stores, Icelandic design shops, bookshops, galleries, souvenir retailers and cafés occupy a mixture of historic and modern buildings. The range is more distinctive than that of a conventional shopping centre: visitors may find woollen goods, jewellery, ceramics, homeware, outdoor clothing, art prints and books reflecting Icelandic landscapes and design traditions. Hverfisgata and the streets near the old harbour add smaller specialist businesses and galleries, while central supermarkets are useful for everyday provisions rather than sightseeing. Retail changes regularly, so particular stock and opening arrangements should be checked locally. The shopping experience is shaped by the compact street plan and the presence of working residents, offices and cultural institutions, with several quieter side streets rewarding exploration away from the busiest stretch of Laugavegur.

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Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHalló[HAH-loh]
GoodbyeBless[BLESS]
YesJá[YOW]
NoNei[NAY]
Please/You're welcomeTakk fyrir[TAHK fur-EAR]
Thank youTakk[TAHK]
Excuse me/SorryAfsakið[AHF-sah-kith]
How are you?Hvernig hefur þú það?[KVER-nik HEH-ur THOO thad]
Fine. And you?Í lagi. Og þú?[EE LAH-gee. Ohg thoo]
Do you speak English?Talar þú ensku?[TAH-lar thoo ENS-koo]
I don't understandÉg skil ekki[Yeh shkil EHK-ki]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseÉg myndi vilja sjá matsedilinn, væri það svo snjallt?[Yeh MIN-dee VIL-yah shah mat-SEH-dil-inn, VAI-ri thahth SVOH SNAHYT?]
I don't eat meatÉg borða ekki kjöt[Yeh BOR-tha EHK-ki chyot]
Cheers!Skál![SKOWL]
I would like to pay, pleaseÉg væri að greiða, væri það svo snjallt?[Yeh VAI-ri ath GREY-tha, VAI-ri thahth SVOH SNAHYT?]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Hjálp![HYOWLP]
Go away!Farðu í burtu![FAR-thoo EE BUR-too]
Call the Police!Hringdu í lögregluna![HRING-doo EE LUR-eg-loo-na]
Call a doctor!Hringdu í lækninn![HRING-doo EE LAGH-nin]
I'm lostÉg er týndur[Yeh air TEEN-thur]
I'm illÉg er veikur[Yeh air VAY-kur]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Ég myndi vilja kaupa...[Yeh MIN-dee VIL-yah KOY-pa...]
I'm just lookingÉg er bara að skoða[Yeh air BAH-rah ath SKOH-tha]
How much is it?Hvað kostar það?[Kvath KOS-tar thaht]
That's too expensiveÞað er of dýrt[Thath air off DEER-t]
Can you lower the price?Getur þú lækkað verðið?[GEH-tur thoo LYE-kath VER-dith]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Hvað er klukkan?[Kvath air KLUK-kahn]
It's one o'clockKlukkan er eitt[KLUK-kahn air eyt]
Half past (10)Hálftíu[HOWLFT-yoo]
MorningMorgunn[MORE-gun]
AfternoonEftirmiðdagur[EFT-ir-MITH-thah-gur]
EveningKvöld[KVEWLT]
YesterdayÍ gær[EE GYI-ar]
TodayÍ dag[EE dahg]
TomorrowÁ morgun[OW MORE-gun]
1Einn[AYTHN]
2Tveir[TVAIR]
3Þrír[THREER]
4Fjórir[FYOR-ir]
5Fimm[FIMM]
6Sex[SEKS]
7Sjö[SYOH]
8Átta[OWT-ta]
9Níu[NEE-yu]
10Tíu[TEE-yu]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Hvar er...[Kvar air]
What's the address?Hvað er heimilisfangið?[Kvath air HAY-mil-is-fan-gith]
Can you show me (on the map)?Getur þú sýnt mér (á kortinu)?[GEH-tur thoo SOWNT mair (owr KOR-ti-noo)]
When's the next (bus)?Hvenær er næsta (strætisvagn)?[KVER-nair air NIGH-sta (STRY-teess-vahn)]
A ticket (to ....)Einn miði (til ....)[AYTHN MEE-thee (til ....)]

History of Downtown Reykjavik

Settlement beside the Bay

Reykjavík’s origins are traditionally associated with Ingólfur Arnarson, who is said to have established his farm here around 874. The settlement’s name, commonly translated as “smoky bay”, is linked in tradition to steam rising from nearby geothermal springs. The modern downtown area developed around the sheltered bay, freshwater resources and agricultural land that later became part of the growing town. For centuries Reykjavík remained a small settlement rather than an urban centre, but its location on Faxaflói made the waterfront important to fishing, trade and communication.

A Capital Takes Shape

Reykjavík expanded rapidly after it became Iceland’s administrative centre and the Alþingi, Iceland’s parliament, was re-established there in 1845. The present Alþingishúsið on Austurvöllur was completed in 1881, giving the emerging town a prominent civic focus. Reykjavík Cathedral, or Dómkirkjan, had already been consecrated in 1796 on the same central square. Around them, merchants, officials and craftspeople helped form the streets, houses and institutions that still define the historic core, while the harbour strengthened the city’s role as Iceland’s principal trading centre.

Fire, Concrete and Expansion

A major fire in central Reykjavík in 1915 destroyed many buildings and accelerated the replacement of older timber structures with more fire-resistant construction. During the twentieth century, the capital spread well beyond the compact centre, but downtown remained the focus of government, commerce, entertainment and public life. The surviving wooden houses, later apartment blocks and functional commercial buildings record successive phases of urban growth. The waterfront also changed as harbour infrastructure, warehouses and maritime workplaces were adapted to the needs of a modern capital.

A Cultural Waterfront

In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, central Reykjavík acquired a stronger cultural and visitor role as shops, restaurants, galleries and creative businesses occupied streets near Laugavegur, Hverfisgata and the old harbour. Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre opened on the waterfront in 2011, becoming a major contemporary addition to the historic centre. Redevelopment brought new attention to former industrial areas and public spaces, while debates about housing, tourism and the character of the centre reflected broader changes affecting Reykjavík. Downtown today combines government institutions, residents, local businesses and visitors within a small historical core.

Downtown Reykjavik in Photos

Browse through our photo collection highlighting the charm and character of the destination.

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Neighbourhoods near Downtown Reykjavik

The closest neighbourhoods to Downtown Reykjavik, if you have time for more than one stop.

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Reykjavik
More of the region

Explore more of Reykjavik

Reykjavík combines Icelandic history, Hallgrímskirkja, coastal walks, museums, geothermal culture and access to dramatic landscapes beyond the capital.

Explore Reykjavik
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