On the world map, Iceland looks tiny, but when you finally come to this country and find yourself on a lava field or on the glacier, you understand the immensity and uniqueness of Iceland, which is symbolized by two elements – ice and fire. There are so many beautiful places here, that it is just impossible to see everything, and you could endlessly travel through the uninhabited fjords of the northwest, or the endless lava expanses of the highlands. In addition, Reykjavik is popular among fans of nightlife and hangouts – the city is full of clubs and bars.
It is possible to see the polar glow in Iceland. You will not see it within the city, but if you rent a car at Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport, you could make a trek to the country, where it is more likely to meet the polar glow.
Here are 10 more useful travel tips for your future trip to Reykjavik.
- The peak of the tourist season in Reykjavik is the period from early June to early September, when it is mostly warm and cloudless weather. At the same time, during the winter period, several major festivals and national holidays are held in the city, during which, the number of foreign guests is also quite large.
- All entertainment centers and attractions are situated close to each other. When you are walking in the center of the city, there is always a chance to find a new place, which you would appreciate.
- If you decide to use municipal transport-the only kind of it in Reykjavik is a bus, by which you can reach any place of interest. It is necessary to pay for a ride directly to the driver, so always borrow small change with you. The matter is that, according to local rules, the driver does not give change to passengers.
- In shops, restaurants and other public places, it is mostly favorable to pay, using the domestic currency. You can exchange the money in one of the banks, which are working from 9.00 to 16.00, every day, except Saturday and Sunday.
- The stores are also operating from about 9.00 to 18.00, a reduced workday is Saturday, and Sunday is a general weekend in Iceland. Large trading pavilions and supermarkets could provide service to visitors until 23:00.
- The travelers, who are planning a rich entertainment and excursion program, should buy a welcome card of the city, which is called a ‘Reykjavik Card’. It gives the right to use the local pools for free, gives benefits for visiting cultural venues and the right to travel by municipal transport for free. The card can be calculated for 24, 48 or 72 hours, its cost is 12, 18 and 24 euros respectively.
- Vacationers should take into account that in local bars and nightclubs the alcohol is quite expensive. The cost of a pint of beer will be about 8-10 USD, on weekdays many bars and nightclubs are closed. In the working nightclubs and bars, the abundance of visitors is usually observed.
- Everyone is buying woolen items of clothing in Iceland -sweaters, hats, socks.
This small country is crossed by a polar circle, the climate is subarctic there, the population does not wear fur coats and sheepskin coats. However, everyone is wearing beautiful Icelandic sweaters, as here, on the fields, the amazing sheep with beautiful long wool, are grazing. Their wool is used to knit fine sweaters, hats, socks, mittens, which would warm you in the frost and protect from the cold wind. These are the most common souvenir among the tourists in Reykjavik. They can be purchased in specialized shops in the city center, which are working even on weekends. In addition, guests of the city should pay attention to the ceramic products, which are of high quality.
Talking about the souvenirs- bring your friends a tin can with the ash of the volcano. On each can, the name of the volcano is written, so you may bring ashes from several volcanoes at once, as in Iceland, they regularly erupt.
- If you want to see the northern lights, the greatest chance to do this appears from 22.00 to midnight in frosty, fling weather. The sky must necessarily be cloudless. In the city, it is often almost impossible to observe that miracle- the city lights too much hinder in it. Get out of town, where streetlights will not compete with the sky. As the best time to see the northern lights is from October to January, it is necessary to remember that at the polar regions of the northern countries, you should be prepared for very low temperatures.
- Our very last advice is to visit Reykjavik Family park and Zoo! The zoos in Iceland are very unusual in general, because you will not find ostriches, monkeys and other exotic animals there. All animals in the Reykjavik zoo are ‘Native inhabitants of Iceland’. Under the Icelandic laws, the importation of foreign and exotic animals to the island is prohibited. In the zoo, you will see cows, sheep, chickens, wild birds and so on. It will be especially interesting for children. The most amusing animals here are seals. They are sleeping, basking in the sun, on a rock protruding from the water, not caring about what is going on around them.
The area of the zoo is not big, but it is nice and interesting to wander around here. There is also a children’s park near the zoo with many small leisure-time entertainments for kids and teenagers.
