20 of the best · Reykjavík, Iceland
The National Gallery and the three houses of the Reykjavík Art Museum, Alvar Aalto’s Nordic House, the Symphony at Harpa, the National Theatre, Bíó Paradís and the festivals: Airwaves, RIFF and the Arts Festival.
Our 20 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
Browse by type
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Reykjavík.
The national collection
The national art museum: Icelandic and foreign art of the 19th and 20th centuries, by the Tjörnin pond.
Thursdays to 22:00
The Reykjavík Art Museum’s harbour house: contemporary art in a former warehouse on Tryggvagata.
Tryggvagata 17, 101 ReykjavíkExplore View on map
Alvar Aalto, 1968
Alvar Aalto’s cultural house of 1968, by the university and the Vatnsmýri wetland.
In-depth stories behind the list.
The back story
Kjarval and Ásmundur Sveinsson, Alvar Aalto’s Nordic House, the Symphony at Harpa, Iceland Airwaves and the knitters of Skólavörðustígur.
Visual arts
The national collection, the city’s three art houses and the sagas.
Ásmundur Sveinsson
The sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson’s studio-home, now part of the Reykjavík Art Museum.
Thursdays to 22:00
The Reykjavík Art Museum’s harbour house: contemporary art in a former warehouse on Tryggvagata.
Tryggvagata 17, 101 ReykjavíkExplore View on map
On Flókagata
The Reykjavík Art Museum’s house for the painter Jóhannes Kjarval, by Klambratún park.
Flókagata 24, 105 ReykjavíkExplore View on map
The national collection
The national art museum: Icelandic and foreign art of the 19th and 20th centuries, by the Tjörnin pond.
Making of a Nation
The nation’s story from the settlement to today, in the permanent exhibition “Making of a Nation”.
Guðjón Samúelsson’s church, Harpa and Alvar Aalto’s Nordic House.
Tower 73 m
The largest church in Iceland, rising 73 metres over the city: climb the tower for the view, and hear the great Klais organ.
Hallgrímstorg 1, 101 ReykjavíkExplore View on map
Opened in 2011
The glass concert hall on the harbour, home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, opened in 2011.
Austurbakki 2, 101 ReykjavíkExplore View on map
Alvar Aalto, 1968
Alvar Aalto’s cultural house of 1968, by the university and the Vatnsmýri wetland.
Performing arts
The Symphony at Harpa.
The National Theatre, home of the new national opera, and the City Theatre.
Þjóðleikhúsið
The national stage on Hverfisgata, now also home of the new national opera.
The art-house cinema.
Folk & cultural traditions
Hand-knitted Icelandic wool.
Since 1977
Hand-knitted lopapeysa sweaters of Icelandic wool, since 1977.
Skólavörðustígur 19, 101 ReykjavíkExplore View on map
Film in October, music in November, the arts in early summer.
Every November
The November festival that fills the city’s venues with new and established artists.
Early summer
The city’s festival of the arts, held in 2026 from 30 May to 14 June.
Every autumn
Iceland’s biggest international film festival, with screenings in pools and caves.
