Museums · Reykjavík · Iceland
5 best museums in Reykjavík
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Helmut Seger, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with National Museum of Iceland, Perlan and Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 7–10 hours across 5 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–10 hours
- Areas
- Vesturbær, Öskjuhlíð and Downtown (101 Reykjavík)
Museums in Reykjavík
Museum · Vesturbær
1.National Museum of Iceland
The permanent exhibition 'Making of a Nation' runs from the Viking-age settlement to the present day, with carved church doors, drinking horns, early Christian artefacts and everyday objects that show how Icelanders survived on a remote island.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Öskjuhlíð
2.Perlan
A glass dome built on top of hot-water storage tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill houses the Wonders of Iceland nature exhibition, with a man-made ice cave, exhibits on glaciers and volcanoes and a planetarium show about the northern lights.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Views
- Nature
Gallery · Downtown (101 Reykjavík)
3.Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús
The Reykjavík Art Museum spreads across three sites; Hafnarhús, a former harbour warehouse near the Old Harbour, shows contemporary art and a large collection by pop artist Erró.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Árbær
4.Árbær Open Air Museum
More than 20 relocated buildings, including turf-roofed farmhouses, a turf church and 19th-century town houses, form a small village showing how Reykjavík lived before the 20th century.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Museum · Grandi
5.Whales of Iceland
Life-size models of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters hang in a dimly lit hall in the Grandi harbour district, including a blue whale model of around 25 metres.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Vesturbær | National Museum of Iceland | 1.5–2 hours |
| Öskjuhlíð | Perlan | 2–3 hours |
| Downtown (101 Reykjavík) | Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús | 1–1.5 hours |
| Árbær | Árbær Open Air Museum | 1.5–2 hours |
| Grandi | Whales of Iceland | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 4 mid-priced, 1 expensive. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Perlan; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Vesturbær and Öskjuhlíð): National Museum of Iceland → Perlan, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Downtown (101 Reykjavík), Árbær and Grandi): Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús → Árbær Open Air Museum → Whales of Iceland, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- April: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. A quieter shoulder month with fast-lengthening days; the last aurora chances come early in the month.
- November: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Short, stormy days and quiet sights, but a lively music scene.
- January: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds. Dark days with about four to five hours of daylight, icy pavements and storms; northern lights chances are good on clear nights.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown (101 Reykjavík) — Laugavegur shops, small bars and colourful corrugated-iron houses around the Tjörnin pond
- Old Harbour and Grandi — Whale-watching docks, fish restaurants and converted warehouses on the waterfront
- Vesturbær — Residential west end with Vesturbæjarlaug pool, the university and sea walks to Grótta
More of Reykjavík
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Reykjavík?
National Museum of Iceland. The permanent exhibition 'Making of a Nation' runs from the Viking-age settlement to the present day, with carved church doors, drinking horns, early Christian artefacts and everyday objects that show how Icelanders survived on a remote island.