For couples · Reykjavík · Iceland
Romantic things to do in Reykjavík
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang, Public domain
Quick answer
Romance in Reykjavík is about the elements: soaking in steaming water under the sky, chasing the northern lights or walking the harbour in endless summer light, then retreating to a cosy restaurant. Couples tend to stay in Skólavörðuholt.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- Skólavörðuholt
- Best months
- June–September
Romantic ideas
1.Sky Lagoon at dusk
Soak in the infinity pool as the light fades over the ocean, then work through the sauna and cold-plunge ritual together.
2.Aurora night at Grótta
Drive or walk out to the Grótta lighthouse on a clear winter night, dip your feet in the small geothermal foot bath and watch the sky.
3.Midnight sun walk
In June, walk the shoreline from Harpa past the Sun Voyager late in the evening while the sun hangs low over Mount Esja.
4.Concert at Harpa
Catch the Iceland Symphony Orchestra or a smaller show, with harbour views from the glass foyers.
5.Hallgrímskirkja tower at sunset
On winter afternoons, sunset comes early enough to see the city turn pink from the tower before dinner downtown.
Sights couples love
Landmark · Sæbraut
Sun Voyager
Walk the shoreline path from Harpa to the sculpture around sunset, which in winter happens mid-afternoon.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Couples
Experience · Outside the city
Northern lights tour
Check the Icelandic Met Office aurora and cloud forecast, and book early in your trip so a rebooking is still possible.
- Time needed
- 3–5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Nature
- Couples
- Iconic
Experience · Kópavogur
Sky Lagoon
Book an evening slot in winter for a chance of northern lights from the water on clear nights.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- Views
- After dark
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, first-timers and culture
Skólavörðuholt
The hill crowned by Hallgrímskirkja is a residential pocket of guesthouses and apartments a few minutes uphill from Laugavegur. Skólavörðustígur, the rainbow-painted street that leads down from the church, is lined with knitwear, ceramics and design shops, and the Einar Jónsson sculpture garden sits beside the church.
- Good
- Quieter than the bar streets; Central and walkable; Good apartment choice
- Watch out
- Uphill walk with luggage; Some streets are steep and icy in winter
- Nearby
- Hallgrímskirkja, Skólavörðustígur, Einar Jónsson Museum, Laugavegur
Romantic day trips
- Golden Circle (A 6–8 hour loop by car or tour) — The classic loop links Þingvellir National Park, where the Alþingi parliament met from 930 and the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart; the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes; and the two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall.
- South coast waterfalls and Vík (About 2.5 hours each way by car) — Route 1 east passes Seljalandsfoss, which you can walk behind, and the 60-metre curtain of Skógafoss before reaching the black-sand beach of Reynisfjara and the village of Vík.
- Blue Lagoon (About 45 minutes by car or coach) — Iceland's most famous geothermal spa sits in a lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula, with milky-blue mineral water and silica mud masks.
- Snæfellsnes Peninsula (About 2.5 hours each way by car) — Often called Iceland in miniature, the peninsula has the much-photographed Kirkjufell mountain, the Snæfellsjökull glacier volcano, the black church at Búðir, seal colonies at Ytri Tunga and sea cliffs at Arnarstapi.
- Hveragerði and Reykjadalur hot river (About 40 minutes by car) — Above the greenhouse town of Hveragerði, a hike of about 3–4 km each way through the steaming Reykjadalur valley leads to a warm river where you can bathe surrounded by mountains, with simple wooden changing screens.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Icelandic lamb soup, Fish stew and Langoustine and seafood. Book popular restaurants a few days ahead in summer and on Friday and Saturday nights.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Reykjavík romantic?
Romance in Reykjavík is about the elements: soaking in steaming water under the sky, chasing the northern lights or walking the harbour in endless summer light, then retreating to a cosy restaurant.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Reykjavík?
Sky Lagoon at dusk: Soak in the infinity pool as the light fades over the ocean, then work through the sauna and cold-plunge ritual together.
+Where should couples stay in Reykjavík?
Skólavörðuholt: Hilltop streets around Hallgrímskirkja with wool shops and galleries on Skólavörðustígur.