It rains in Iceland in every month of the year, usually sideways. Locals don't cancel the day: they go swimming anyway, head underground, or disappear into a museum. Below: eight ways to beat the weather, then the 145 indoor and rain-proof places our editors and The Reykjavík Grapevine picked: our partners first, then what you can book right here.
Straight from the app. Get Icebreaker for rain-proof places on a map, with hours and what's near you.
Locals don't skip the pool when it rains; they go because it rains, and sit in a hot tub while it lands on their heads. Sundhöllin, open since 1937, has some of the best hot tubs in Reykjavík and the city's only proper diving board.
In a lava tube the weather never changes. Raufarhólshellir, formed by an eruption more than 5,000 years ago, is a short drive out of Reykjavík. Víðgelmir, in the west, is the largest lava cave in Iceland, and you see it on a guided tour.
In Best of Reykjavík 2026 the National Gallery of Iceland won Best Art Museum, the National Museum was runner-up for Best Museum, and Hljóðhimnar, a free, shoes-off exhibition about sound for kids and families in Harpa, was runner-up for Best Permanent Exhibition.
Hafnarhús, the Reykjavík Art Museum's harbour branch, is a 1930s port warehouse with six galleries of rotating contemporary shows. One wing is permanent: the collection Erró gave the city in 1989, over 4,000 works now. The museum's three houses were runner-up for Best Art Museum 2026.
The old harbour, ten minutes' walk from Laugavegur, has the Lava Show (real molten lava, poured a few metres from your seat), FlyOver Iceland and Whales of Iceland, all on the same street, Fiskislóð. Three hours of rain, sorted.
Bíó Paradís, Best Cinema 2026, shows arthouse films and Icelandic classics, and its bar means you can take a cocktail in with you. Or browse Skálda, Best Bookstore 2026, in an old house on Vesturgata, with new books in English and a good used shelf.
Or don't hide at all. Put on a proper rain jacket and walk Öskjuhlíð, the Grapevine's Best Park 2025: a wooded hill practically in downtown, where locals hit the trails year-round. Park by Perlan and pick a path.
Tours in Iceland get called off because of wind, not rain, and the same wind closes mountain roads. If the forecast looks wild, check the roads before you drive anywhere.
Featured· Our partner pick
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Vesturvör 44-48, Kópavogur
Nobody thought to compete with the Blue Lagoon’s decades of success until Sky Lagoon opened in 2021, ushering in an ongoing Icelandic trend of building lagoons all over the island.
Featured· Our partner pick
Museums & art · Reykjavík
One card, most of the city: the thermal pools, the zoo and family park, the city buses and the ferry to Viðey, plus the City Museum sites, the Art Museum's three houses, the National Museum, the…
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Öskjuhlíð
Daily 09:00–21:00
Perched on Öskjuhlíð hill, this glass-domed landmark sparked multiple debates among our panel before we finally pinned down the category it fits best.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Fiskislóð 43
Daily 09:00–18:30
This VR experience has been popular since opening in 2019, attracting locals as much as its primary customer base, visitors.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Fiskislóð 73, 101 Reykjavík
Real molten lava, superheated to 1,100°C and poured into the room a few metres from where you sit, while the host explains what it is doing.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Austurbakki 2
With an eruption happening on the very same peninsula as Reykjavík sits on seemingly every other month for the past few years, Lava Express, located in Harpa concert hall, explains all of that from…
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Fiskislóð 23-25, 101 Reykjavík
Daily 10:00–17:00
Twenty-three whales, life size, in a hangar on Grandi, and none of them can leave.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Lyngás 13, 210 Garðabær
Iceland's first and only whisky distillery, in an industrial unit in Garðabær ten minutes from downtown.
Museums & art · Reykjanes Peninsula · Víkingabraut 1, Njarðvík
Daily 09:00–17:00
There are a lot of Viking-themed stops around Iceland, but nowhere else will you find a full longboat replica.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjanes Peninsula · Norðurljósavegur 9, Grindavík
Daily 08:00–22:00
Everyone will tell you it is touristy and overpriced.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Hvammsvík, Hvalfjörður, 276 Kjós
Hvammsvík has topped Grapevine's Best of Reykjavík panel four years running, three times as Best Spa and now as Best Lagoon; "the best lagoon in all of Iceland," one panellist said.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Deildartunguhver, Reykholt
Daily 11:00–21:00
Asking for an Icelander’s favourite bathing spot is sensitive business.
Caves & lava tunnels · The West · Road 574, Snæfellsbær
It only takes an hour to experience the Vatnshellir cave, but it was the unanimous choice of the panel.
Caves & lava tunnels · The West · Fljótstunga
The West is riddled with caves, but you’ll need a guide to safely explore them.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Húsafell Activity Centre, 311 Húsafell
Three stone pools tucked into a canyon above Húsafell, reached with a local guide who drives you up from the Activity Centre and walks you down into the gorge.
Museums & art · The North · Glaumbær, 561 Varmahlíð
Daily 10:00–18:00
In this precious historical site near the bay of Skagafjörður, rests the farm of Glaumbær, where Þorfinnur and Guðríður, the parents of the first European born in North America, moved to around the…
Pools & lagoons · The North · Jarðbaðshólar, Mývatn
Daily 12:00–22:00
Earth Lagoon is a smaller, quieter version of the Blue Lagoon, with silky white water that seems to coat your skin with geothermal goodness.
Pools & lagoons · The North · Vitaslóð 1, Húsavík
Daily 12:00–22:00
This new luxury spa, opening in Húsavík in June, takes the concept of healing geothermal water to a whole new level.
Pools & lagoons · The North · Vaðlaskógur, 605 Akureyri
Daily 10:00–00:00
A geothermal spa in Vaðlaskógur, the rare patch of real forest across the fjord from Akureyri, and it exists only because tunnel crews hit hot water while boring through Vaðlaheiði.
Pools & lagoons · East Iceland · Urriðavatn, 701 Egilsstaðir
A grass-roofed spa half-buried on the shore of Urriðavatn, five kilometres northwest of Egilsstaðir.
Museums & art · The South · Gerðisbraut 10, Vestmannaeyjabær
Daily 11:00–17:00
In 1973 Eldfell buried around 400 homes on Heimaey.
Museums & art · The South · Austurvegur 14, Hvolsvöllur
Daily 08:30–17:00
Deceptively light and cheery on the outside, this interactive museum is a brilliantly constructed immersive volcanic experience.
Pools & lagoons · The South · Skálholtsvegur 1, Laugarás
Daily 10:00–21:00
While the past few years have seen the rise of “The Lagoons”, nicely designed geothermal pools which can seem expensive, the upside is you get treated like royalty while sipping champagne.
Pools & lagoons · The South · Hvammsvegur, Flúðir
Daily 10:00–19:00
“Of all the geothermal pools, this is the one where you see the process most,” said our panel of this remarkable bathing spot.
Indoor fun · The South · Ægisgata 2, Vestmannaeyjar
Daily 10:00–16:00
The world's first open-water sanctuary built for beluga whales, run by SEA LIFE TRUST.
Caves & lava tunnels · The South · South Iceland
Daily 09:00–17:00
Formed by an eruption over 5,000 years ago, this lava tube is just a short drive out of Reykjavík and makes a great adventure for both the novice explorer and intrepid caver.
Pools & lagoons · The South · Hverabraut 1, 840 Laugarvatn
Fontana sits on the shore of Lake Laugarvatn, about an hour from Reykjavík, and runs on the geothermal water underneath it: hot pools at assorted temperatures and natural steam rooms that do not mess…
Caves & lava tunnels · The South · Ægissíða 4, 851 Hella
Nobody knows for sure how old the caves at Ægissíða farm are, which is most of the appeal.
Caves & lava tunnels · The South · Laugarvatnshellar, 840 Laugarvatn
About a hundred years ago, two separate families made their home in a cave dug into the soft rock of a hillside between Þingvellir and Laugarvatn.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Fríkirkjuvegur 7
Daily 10:00–17:00
Winner of “Best Art Museum” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Sigtún
Daily 10:00–17:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Art Museum”, as one of the three houses of Reykjavík Art Museum.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hamraborg 4, 200 Kópavogur
Daily 12:00–18:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Art Museum”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Flókagata 24, Reykjavík
Daily 10:00–17:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Art Museum”, as one of the three houses of Reykjavík Art Museum.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Suðurgata 41
Daily 10:00–17:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Museum”.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Fylkisvegur 9
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Suburban Árbæjarlaug is a favourite of parents, though the downside is that the view over the pool area from the hot tubs is not ideal for keeping an eye on smaller children.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Hofsvallagata 107, Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Vesturbæjarlaug has frequently made the cut for best pool which is perhaps due to the general downtown bias of our panels, but also due to the appeal of its design and facilities.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hamraborg 6a
Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–17:00
Tucked into the basement of Kópavogur Library, this is a natural history museum that trusts you to have fun.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Grandagarður 8
What would Iceland be without the sea?
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Tryggvagata 15
Ljósmyndasafn Reykjavíkur, or the Reykjavík Museum of Photography, is everything you’d expect from a proper photography museum.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Laugarnestangi 70
The captivating atmosphere at Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum together with the art works on display are sure to make for an enjoyable afternoon outing.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hverfisgata 15
Daily 10:00–17:00
Built between 1906 and 1908 for the National Library and National Archives, and part of the National Museum since 2013.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Aðalstræti 16
The Settlement Exhibition is located beneath Hótel Reykjavík Centrum, and is built out around the archaeological remains of a Viking Age longhouse.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Austurberg 3, 111 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Breiðholtslaug’s sauna is actually very good.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Úlfarsbraut 120
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Dalslaug is Reykjavík’s newest swimming pool.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Dalhús 2
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00
Grafarvogslaug is a small, nice, no-frills suburban pool, and the clientele is primarily local.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Kollagrund 4, Kjalarnes, 116 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 09:00–22:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
Klébergslaug is a small, quiet swimming pool located in the Grundarhverfi neighbourhood of Kjalarnes, serving both the local community and visitors who make the trip out there.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Sundlaugavegur 30
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–22:00
The current iteration of Laugardalslaug was inaugurated in 1968, sixty years after the municipality began operating a bathing facility in the area, which has acted as a pool site since 1772.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Barónsstígur 45a
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur—Sundhöllin—is a great piece of history.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Nauthólsvegur
Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–16:00
Ever dreamt of sunbathing in the midnight sun, on an island in the North Atlantic?
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Freyjugata 41
Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–17:00
Winner of “Best Event Space” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Óðinsgata 1
Winner of “Best Newcomer” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Grandagarður 20
Winner of “Best Artist-Run Space” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hafnartorg, Reykjastræti 4, 101 Reykjavík
Daily 10:00–19:00
Winner of “BEST UNCONVENTIONAL EXPERIENCE” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Sæmundargata 11
Daily 10:00–17:00
Winner of “Best Event Space” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Grandagarður 20, Bryggjugata 6
Daily 12:00–17:00
Winner of “Best Gallery” 2026.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Hverfisgata 54
Winner of “Best Cinema” 2026.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Hamraborg 6, 200 Kópavogur
Mon–Fri 12:00–15:00
Winner of “Best Event Space” 2026.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Tjarnargata 12
Daily 17:00–23:00
Winner of “Best Theatre” 2026.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Hofsvallagata 16
Winner of “BEST NEWCOMER” 2026.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Rauðarárstígur 10
Mon–Fri 12:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 12:00–17:00
Winner of “BEST RECORD STORE” 2026.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Vesturgata 10a
Mon–Fri 11:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 12:00–16:00
Winner of “BEST BOOKSTORE” 2026.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Bergstaðastræti 4, 101 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 14:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 13:00–17:00
Winner of “BEST NICHE STORE” 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Ingólfsstræti 6
Runner up 2026 in “Best Artist-Run Space”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Klapparstígur 16
Mon–Fri 11:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 13:00–17:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Gallery”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hverfisgata 4
Runner up 2026 in “Best Newcomer”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Austurbakki 2
Runner up 2026 in “Best Permanent Exhibition”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Tryggvagata 16, Grandagarður 20
Mon–Fri 12:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 12:00–18:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Gallery”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Tryggvagata 17, 101 Reykjavík
Runner up 2026 in “Best Art Museum”, as one of the three houses of Reykjavík Art Museum.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Garðatorg 1, 210 Garðabær
Daily 12:00–17:00
Runner up 2026 in “Best Museum”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Ánanaust 11
Runner up 2026 in “Best Artist-Run Space”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hringbraut 122
Runner up 2026 in “Best Newcomer”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Arngrímsgata 5
Runner up 2026 in “Best Permanent Exhibition”.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Hverfisgata 19
Runner up 2026 in “Best Theatre”.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Listabraut 3
Runner up 2026 in “Best Theatre”.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Fossaleynir 1
Runner up 2026 in “Best Cinema”.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Kringlan 4
Runner up 2026 in “Best Cinema”.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Njálsgata 11, 101 Reykjavík
Runner up 2026 in “BEST BOOKSTORE”.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Austurstræti 18
Runner up 2026 in “BEST BOOKSTORE”.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Hverfisgata 32, 101 Reykjavík
Daily 10:00–18:00
Runner up 2026 in “BEST RECORD STORE”.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Breiðumýri, Garðabær
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00
The only pool in Iceland with artificial waves, which by the way, bankrupted the municipality that built it.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík
Grandi is a ten-minute walk from Laugavegur but feels like a different town — an old industrial harbour zone that fisheries left behind, now filled with immersive experiences (FlyOver, Lava Show,…
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Grandagarður 14
Daily 10:00–19:00
Specifically for Grandinn, we picked Noztra, for its novelty of pottery and pottery painting.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Klapparstígur 25-27, 101 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 13:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 13:00–17:00
A Reykjavík Institution, Best of Reykjavík 2026.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Hallgrímstorg 3, 101 Reykjavík
Runner up 2025 in “BEST ART MUSEUM”.
Museums & art · Reykjavík · Marshall House, Grandagarður 20, 101 Reykjavík
Daily 12:00–18:00
Runner up 2025 in “BEST ART MUSEUM”.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Grófin, Tryggvagata 15, 101 Reykjavík
Runner up 2025 in “BEST PLACE TO TAKE THE KIDS”.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Ármúli 23, 108 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 11:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 12:00–18:00
Runner up 2025 in “BEST PLACE TO SPEND A RAINY DAY”.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Glæsibær, Álfheimar 74, 104 Reykjavík
Runner up 2025 in “BEST GODDAMN STORE”.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Suðurlandsbraut 48, 108 Reykjavík
Daily 11:00–22:00
Runner up 2025 in “BEST DATE PLACE”.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Laugarás, 104 Reykjavík
Runner up 2025 in “BEST CINEMA”.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Ásgarður, Garðabær
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
Ásgarðslaug, which locals still call Garðabæjarlaug, used to be the only pool in Garðabær, until the municipality swallowed bankrupt Álftanes along with its luxurious pool.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Ásvellir 2, Hafnarfjörður
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
Ásvallalaug opened in September 2008, just as the great Icelandic financial bubble was deflating.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Borgarholtsbraut 17, Kópavogur
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:00
Kópavogur’s two swimming pools are unquestionably among the best in the capital region; large, comfortable and well designed.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Íþróttamiðstöðin Lágafell, Lækjarhlíð 1a, 270 Mosfellsbær
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–19:00
Lágafellslaug is hands-down one of the very best pools in the Reykjavík area.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Versalir 3, Kópavogur
The newer of the two Kópavogur pools is among the best family pools in the capital region.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Suðurströnd 8-10, Seltjarnarnes
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–19:30
Situated in a well-off suburb, Seltjarnarneslaug is one of the nicest pools in the capital region.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Hringbraut 77, Hafnarfjörður
Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–21:00
Suðurbæjarlaug is a great pool to visit on hot summer days, its large grounds making it ideal for sunbathers.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Herjólfsgata 10, Hafnarfjörður
Mon–Fri 06:30–21:00
Sundhöll Hafnarfjarðar is one of the capital’s oldest public swimming pools.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjavík · Skólabraut, Mosfellsbær
Mon–Fri 06:30–21:30 · Sat–Sun 08:00–17:00
Varmárlaug allows you to experience the feel of a classic Icelandic small-village pool—in the capital region.
Indoor fun · Reykjavík · Dalvegur 10-14, 201 Kópavogur
Mon–Fri 16:00–19:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
A trampoline park in Kópavogur, formerly called Rush, whose slogan is “if they can walk, they can bounce”.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Austurbakka 2, 101 Reykjavík
Daily 10:00–20:00
Harpa opened in 2011 on the edge of the old harbour, wrapped in Ólafur Elíasson's honeycomb glass facade.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Hagatorg, 107 Reykjavík
Reykjavík's university cinema on Hagatorg showed films for more than sixty years, and it was home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra until Harpa opened in 2011.
Shows & cinema · Reykjavík · Hagasmári 1, 201 Kópavogur
The country's largest cinema, by its own account, sits inside the Smáralind mall in Kópavogur and has been a Best Cinema runner-up at Grapevine seven times, most recently 2024.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Sæmundargata 4, 102 Reykjavík
Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00
Inside the main building of Háskóli Íslands, this university bookshop runs the gamut from specialist academic texts to classics, new fiction, notebooks and much more.
Books & records · Reykjavík · Klapparstígur 35
Mon–Fri 12:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 13:00–18:00
Small independent music store with a curated selection of vinyl from Icelandic, American & international artists.
Museums & art · Reykjanes Peninsula · Hjallavegur 2, Keflavík
Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00
Icelandic music aficionados can have an informative and fun time at “Rokksafn”.
Museums & art · Reykjanes Peninsula · Garðvegi 1, Sandgerði
Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00 · Sat–Sun 13:00–17:00
For anyone interested in wildlife and natural sciences, the Sudurnes Science and Learning Centre could prove to be a mecca.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjanes Peninsula · Austurvegi 1, Grindavík
Iceland’s standard-issue municipal swimming pools are amongst the best in the world.
Pools & lagoons · Reykjanes Peninsula · Hafnargata 17, Vogar
Mon–Fri 06:15–21:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00
An all-but forgotten hamlet located just off Route One between Reykjavík and Keflavík, Vogar has a lovely little swimming pool.
Museums & art · The West · Bjarnarhöfn
Daily 10:00–17:00
Iceland is known for its bizarrely specific museums, but Bjarnarhöfn’s Shark Museum is easily the most charming.
Museums & art · The West · Bjarnarbraut 4-6, Borgarnes
Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–14:00
Safnahús Borgarfjarðar is one of the most locally-focused museums in the country.
Museums & art · The West · Haukdalsvegur, Buðardalur
Daily 10:00–17:00
Eiríksstaðir is the farmstead of Erik the Red, the birthplace of Leifur Eriksson, a.k.a.
Museums & art · The West · Bókhlöðustígur 17, Stykkishólmur
Vatnasafn—or The Library of Water—is an eye-opening museum and the best museum in West Iceland.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Þorsteinsgata 1, Borgarnes
The family-friendly Borgarnes swimming pool boasts a clean and modern feel as well as a great view out to the ocean.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Langisandur, Akranes
These beachside hot pots are brand new, and they’re an impressive piece of design.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Snæfellsbær
Organic, locally-run pool with naturally green water coloured by Chlorella algae — silica and iron may help skin conditions.
Pools & lagoons · The West · Borgarbraut 4, 340 Stykkishólmur
Mon–Fri 07:05–22:00 · Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00
Stykkishólmur’s pool benefits from a local geothermal water supply that’s higher in some minerals than either the Blue Lagoon or the Mývatn Nature Baths, as signs at the pool proudly proclaim.
Museums & art · The Westfjords · Eyrardalur, Súðavík
Daily 09:00–16:00
For those who want an experience based more on fact than legend, the Arctic Fox Centre has everything you need to know about the first inhabitants of Iceland.
Museums & art · The Westfjords · Þingeyri
Although the Blacksmith Museum in Þingeyri is less of a traditional museum than a fully functional blacksmith studio where people are actually bending and hammering iron every single day.
Museums & art · The Westfjords · Höfðagata 8, Hólmavík
Daily 10:00–18:00
A weathered wooden structure with a turf roof, Hólmavík’s main tourist attraction may look underwhelming, but like its subject, it’s got some magic.
Museums & art · The Westfjords · Selárdalur
Just along the south shore of Arnarfjörður, in one of the most isolated areas of Iceland, lies a cartoonish house and church surrounded by a number of bizarre plaster sculptures.
Museums & art · The Westfjords · Strandgata 7, 450 Bíldudalur
Daily 10:00–18:00
After driving over the mountains and pulling into the tiny village of Bíldudalur, the last thing you’d expect to find is a state-of-the-art interactive exhibition.
Pools & lagoons · The Westfjords · Tálknafjörður
A few kilometres outside of Tálknafjöður, this idyllic fjordside bathing spot offers an unforgettable, jaw-dropping view of the surrounding mountains.
Pools & lagoons · The Westfjords · Route 63
Being a bit out of the way, these pools are more likely to be deserted.
Pools & lagoons · The Westfjords · Reykjanes við Ísafjarðardjúp
This one is technically the oldest natural pool in the country, is built like a swimming pool and has facilities like a swimming pool…so it must be a swimming pool.
Museums & art · The North · Kaupvangsstræti 8-12, Akureyri
Daily 12:00–17:00
Akureyri's art museum shows contemporary work by Icelandic and international artists alongside pieces from its own collection, and runs A!, a festival given over entirely to performance art.
Museums & art · The North · Strandgata, Akureyri
The new kid in town, Into The Arctic, rests right at the Akureyri harbour, enjoying a spectacular view over Eyjafjörður.
Museums & art · The North · Snorragata 10, Siglufjörður
The only Icelandic winner of the European Museum Award, the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjörður is Iceland’s largest maritime museum.
Museums & art · The North · Hafnarstétt 1, Húsavík
Daily 09:00–18:00
Located in an abandoned slaughterhouse in the middle of Húsavík, this Whale Museum takes matters one step further than its Reykjavík counterpart.
Pools & lagoons · The North · Skólastígur 4, 600 Akureyri
Mon–Fri 06:45–21:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
Iceland’s second city is home to a modern swimming palace that’s the envy even of Reykjavík.
Pools & lagoons · The North · Ægisgata 31, 621 Árskógssandur
If you’re looking for something different from the classic Icelandic pools and geothermal spas, you’re in for a treat at the Beer Baths.
Pools & lagoons · The North · Hofsósbraut, Hofsós
Hands-down our panel’s favourite, Hofsós Swimming Pool was praised for its spectacular views across the North Atlantic to the island Drangey.
Museums & art · East Iceland · Bustarfell, Hofsárdalur
Daily 10:00–17:00
Just outside Vopnafjörður, is this really informative and charming little museum.
Museums & art · East Iceland · Egilsbraut 2, Neskaupstaður
Daily 13:00–17:00
The museum in the remote and peaceful town of Neskaupstaður is a three-for-one offering with something for everyone.
Museums & art · East Iceland · Fjarðarbraut 21, Stöðvarfjörður
Daily 09:00–17:00
The tiny town of Stöðvarfjörður was once a thriving fishing village, but has recently reinvented itself.
Museums & art · East Iceland · Austurvegur 42, 710 Seyðisfjörður
Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 12:00–17:00
This far-flung gallery maintains a year-round arts programme in a tiny eastern town, with a surprising and cutting-edge programme that relates to the town’s artistic history.
Museums & art · East Iceland · Skriðuklaustur, Egilsstaðir
Daily 10:00–17:00
This visitor centre located in the first BREEAM certified—meaning it’s sustainably built— building in Iceland offers a great museum about the Eastern part of the Vatnajökull National Park, and its…
Pools & lagoons · East Iceland · Tjarnarbraut 26, 700 Egilsstaðir
Mon–Fri 06:30–20:30 · Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00
Egillsstaðir’s smart and modern town pool is a perfect example of Iceland’s bathing culture.
Pools & lagoons · East Iceland · Skólavegur 39, Fáskrúðsfjörður
This small rural pool comes complete with a mini-sauna that fits just a handful of people, and an outdoor hot tub.
Pools & lagoons · East Iceland · Miðstræti 15, Neskaupstaður
Mon–Fri 07:00–20:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00
Neskaupstaður pool is small, but it has everything you need—a steam room, hot pots, and a swimming pool—with the added bonus of an epic mountain view right across the fjord.
Pools & lagoons · East Iceland · Selárdalur, Vopnafjörður
This remote country pool is like a time capsule.
Museums & art · The South · Austurmörk 21, Hveragerði
Daily 12:00–17:00
The Listasafn Árnesinga art museum brings local and international contemporary art to Hveragerði year round.
Pools & lagoons · The South · Tryggvagata 15, Selfoss
Quite possibly the largest swimming pool in South Iceland, the Selfoss pool is the perfect spot for a family outing.
Pools & lagoons · The South · Seljavellir, Route 242
This run down, barely serviced pool is located in a wild valley with natural hot water, built right into the mountainside.
Pools & lagoons · The South · Reykjamörk, Hveragerði
Mon–Fri 06:45–21:30 · Sat–Sun 09:00–19:00
An understated architectural classic, Laugaskarði stands head and shoulders above the municipal pools in South Iceland, boasting a reception building that’s perfectly curved to shield the water from…
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