What to Do in Your Free Time

Short tours and adventure trips Iceland has countless attractions if you have some spare time on your hands, even only a day or a few hours. For one day or more, we recommend an adventure trip or sightseeing tour to admire Iceland’s unique and breathtaking scenery. Besides classic coach excursions, a wide selection of adventure trips, some within close reach of Reykjavík, are arranged by experienced, professional travel companies. Specialities in Iceland include river rafting, horse trekking, glacier snowmobile tours and whale watching. See pp. 37-38 for details and pp. 45-46 in the Yellow Pages for names of operators. For a shorter trip, geothermal bathing is an unforgettable experience, at outdoor swimming pools or in the natural setting of the Blue Lagoon.

Thingvellir National Park

Shopping in Iceland
Shopping in Iceland is relaxed and convenient and offers the chance of some good souvenirs and surprises. Visitors will find a wide selection of goods both downtown and in Kringlan shopping mall – the largest in Iceland – in the new city centre.

Most stores offer tax-free shopping for tourists and all accept VISA, Europay (Mastercard) and sometimes other credit cards. A good range of duty-free shopping is also available at the Leifur Eiríksson terminal at Keflavík International Airport, for incoming travellers as well as outgoing and stopover passengers.

Traditional main souvenir items are woollens, Icelandic food, books and arts/crafts. Recently, more unusual souvenirs have been appearing: natural health products such as geothermal minerals and arctic herbs, and eiderdown. Imported designer labels can also be found at attractive prices.

Culture
Museums and art galleries are always worth a visit to see traditional and flourishing modern Icelandic culture, and concerts with internationally known performers are regularly held in both Reykjavík and neighbouring Kópavogur.

Recent additions to the museum scene are the Culture House in Reykjavík, the Saga Museum, with its several exhibition halls, and the Geysir Centre on the site of the spouting hot spring that gave the name “geyser” to this phenomenon around the world.

Wining and dining in Reykjavík
High-quality specialities and fine service have become the hallmarks of Reykjavík’s flourishing dining scene. Favourite ingredients include freshly caught seafood, meat from naturally reared animals and prize game from the unspoilt wild countryside.

A night out in Reykjavík is an experience you will never forget. There are pubs and nightspots everywhere you look downtown. Slip out for a drink and you’ll meet warm and friendly people who take a delight in making your stay in Iceland enjoyable.

Have a pleasant stay in Iceland!