Exploring Reykjavík, Iceland (July 26) ~ Wisetrips Travel Blog

Saturday, July 26, 2025

Starting: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland

Ending: Hotel Island & Spa, Reykjavik, Iceland

Highlights: Hallgrimskirkja Church, Einar Johnson Museum, Harpa Concert Hall, Magic Ice Reykjavík, Sky Lagoon

After a restful night of sleep, I woke at 07:30, showered, shaved, and dressed. After Inna awoke and dressed, we decided to try following a one-day program, as suggested by ChatGPT. It meant that we ate breakfast at the Sandholt Bakery (far away), so we used local buses to get there.

The bus stop for bus #5 was nearby, and we boarded it (paying using Apple Pay, which is widely accepted in Iceland). We walked part of the way, down the busy city center in downtown Reykjavik.

After finding Sandholt Bakery, we joined a long line, waiting to be seated. The pastries looked divine, and both Inna and I were tempted to order more than one. After waiting about 15 minutes, we sat down and ordered the following items:

Coffee (excellent)
Moss Black Tea (tastes like Earl Grey)
Skyr Yogurt with Granola
Lamb Tiga Sandwich
Eplavinarbraud (Apple Danish)

The Skyr Yogurt was exceptional, and the Lamb Tiga Sandwich was excellent as well. The Apple Danish was delicious, too!

After breakfast, we walked a few blocks to the beautiful Hallgrimskirkja Church. We purchased tickets to use the elevator, rode to the top, and took photos of the stunning skyline with both the iPhone and the Canon R8 mirrorless camera with the 28-70 f/2.8 lens.

After exploring the church, we sat down and listened to the organ playing (hoped for J.S. Bach). The organ is the largest in Iceland, with 5275 pipes, and it sounded fantastic. I was expecting the organist to play something more in line with my musical tastes.

We stopped by the nearby Sculpture Garden at the Einar Johnson Museum to photograph some intriguing outdoor sculptures (for some reason, Google Maps listed the Museum as closed, but the garden was actually open). Fortunately, we ignored Google Maps, which we found to be frequently mistaken.

Feeling a bit sleepy, we stopped by Reykjavik Roasters for two cups of drip coffee. Initially, we wanted to order a pour-over for two, but it was not available. There was a mix of interesting people, including one young lady knitting.

We decided to explore the shoreline and headed there, with a stop at the Harpa Concert Hall. We inquired about tours and performances and learned about a 13:00 tour (for which we purchased tickets). We marveled at the beautiful building and took lots of photos.

At 13:00, we toured the Harpa Concert Hall with the talented Ragnheidur Ingunn Johannsdottir, who was also our tour guide. Ragnheidur sings classical lieder, plays the violin, and conducts orchestras. She is considered one of Iceland's rising young stars.

She was dressed very casually, and you wouldn't be able to tell (at first glance) that she is a serious classical musician.

Here is a short clip of her singing lieder:

The main concert hall is gorgeous, with beautiful mood lighting.

Initially, the desire for a new concert hall in Reykjavik was championed by the famous conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, who conducted the Iceland Symphony. Due to his effort, collaboration between the government and industry led to its eventual construction.

Design & Concept (2004–2007):
Harpa was designed by Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in collaboration with Icelandic firm Batteríið Architects. The façade was created by Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson, inspired by Iceland’s basalt landscapes and the play of light.
Construction Start (2007):
Work began in 2007 but faced delays when the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis halted the project. The Icelandic government stepped in to fully fund and complete the building.
Engineering & Materials:
The hall’s structure includes a steel frame and a glass façade of 714 irregularly shaped panels of glass and steel, designed to reflect and refract natural light. The façade also integrates LED lighting to create a shimmering, dynamic appearance.
Completion (2011):
Construction resumed under state support, and Harpa officially opened in May 2011. It became Iceland’s first purpose-built concert hall, housing the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.

After the tour, we decided to have lunch at the Hnoss Restaurant inside Harpa Concert Hall. It was easy and convenient. We ordered the following items:

Inna: Eggs Benedict
Boris: Catch of the Day (Link)

The entrees were expensive but not too bad, and the service was fast and efficient.

After lunch, we decided to walk around the shoreline, stopping in various shops along the way. We also walked to the Reykjavík City Hall, which is located near a small lake. We saw a famous statue of the "Unknown Bureaucrat" and watched all the pigeons being fed.

We headed back toward the central downtown area with all the shops. While walking around, we noticed the Magic Ice Reykjavík - Ice Bar & Gallery, and decided to try it out.

Before entering the ice chamber, we donned extra layers of warm clothes. We entered the subzero chamber and looked at a few ice sculptures. At the bar, we ordered the following drinks for Inna and me:

Blue Curacao, Lemon, and Vodka on ice

The drink was excellent, and the Magic Ice tour guide helped us get unique photos with all the interesting ice sculptures. After about 30 minutes, we exited the ice chamber and stopped by for some hot Earl Grey tea. We had had enough of the cold! We talked briefly with the owners of Magic Ice; many spoke Russian. They told us that many Ukrainians and Poles live in Reykjavik.

Inna wanted to look around a few stores, so we split up for a few hours. I looked for a grocery store to purchase a small can of shaving cream. I finally found a grocery store, but only a large, bulky can of shaving cream was available (there wasn't much selection, unlike in U.S. stores). I purchased the larger can. In general, even the larger grocery stores have a much narrower selection of products.

I also spent some time browsing books at Penninn Eymundsson Skólavörðustíg, a local bookstore. Most of the books were in Icelandic, but there was a small section of books in English. There was also a large section of books on Icelandic nature photography, which I found impressive.

Since I had made dinner reservations at Skal! At 17:30, we met up with Inna there. After being seated, we looked at the menu and ordered our dinner.

Appetizers: Ceviche (Ocean Perch), Bread, Cod Cheeks
Main: Lamb Fillet
Dessert: Skyr Mousse

The small and large plates were delicious, but the portions were tiny. Were they intended for hobbits? (because they could not have been intended for Vikings). In addition, we were charged for one alcoholic drink, which we did not purchase. Skal! was not a bad restaurant, but it's one you visit after eating somewhere else first.

After dinner, we caught a taxi (after some effort in trying to find one) to Sky Lagoon. Inna had pre-purchased tickets for 19:30.

I was very impressed by the Sky Lagoon. It was modern, well-organized, and efficiently run. We swam in the main thermal pool, then followed the 7-Step Ritual.

Inna purchased the Ser Package, which included private changing facilities, showers, and the 7-Step Ritual, which included the following steps:

One journey through the seven-step Ritual

Enter the Lagoon
Cold plunge - the water is ice cold
Enter the Turf House (Sauna) - The Sauna is not very hot
Cold Mist
Body Scrub
Steam Room
Icelandic Elixir (delicious)

The Sky Lagoon was a definitive highlight of our stay in Reykjavik. The thermal baths were amazing! We loved it so much that we stayed there until closing time (22:30).

We rode a taxi back to our Hotel Island. Although it was only 12 minutes by car, the taxi charged about USD 40. Taxis are costly in Iceland.

Inna wrote a lovely summary about our first day in Reykjavik in Russian:

Мы замечательно провели первый день в Рекьявике. Очень вкусно позавтракали в прекрасной пекарне - вообще здесь вкуснейший хлеб, выпечка, местный йогурт (скир), отличный кофе и атмосферные кофейни. Послушали органный концерт в церви Хадльгримскиркья - очень интересная архитектура в форме шлема викинга, а также самый большой орган в Исландии сделанный в Бонне - 5275 труб, рядом отличный сад скульптур, потом прогулка по городу и набережной, ещё сходили на экскурсию в концертный зал Харпа - местная жемчужина современной архитектуры - потом постараюсь отдельно написать о нем, произвел впечатление и у нас была потрясающая девочка экскурсовод - скрипачка, сопрано и дирижёр в одном лице - и она нам даже спела по моей просьбе :) Потом пришлю видео где она поёт. Рейкьявик нам очень понравился - очень красочный, компактный удобный город, много художественных галерей и мастерских, прекрасная керамика местная. Ещё заглянули в ледяной бар и галерею ледяных скульптур. Очень много русскоговорящих людей здесь Вечер провели в великолепной термальной спа - очень красивые виды, натуральные камни, водопад и шикарные сауны прямо над океаном. Потом пришлю фотки. Всё, кажется отчиталась :)

Sunday, July 27, 2025

I woke at 06:30, showered, dressed, and packed my bags. Inna also woke up and dressed. After our bags were packed, we took the elevator downstairs to try our prepaid breakfast.

The Hotel Island's one large breakfast room was already packed with travelers and hikers. Most tables were already taken, and the buffet was pretty crowded. We found a free table and selected a few items from the breakfast buffet:

Boris: Skyr Yogurt with nuts & granola, scrambled eggs, cold cuts, cappuccino
Inna: Skyr Yogurt with nuts & granola

The breakfast buffet was mediocre and lacked the wide variety of deli meats and pastries that are common in more luxurious hotels. After finishing breakfast, we returned to our room, picked up our luggage, and then rode downstairs to check out.

Our Arctic Adventures Mercedes-Benz mini-bus was already there, and our guide and driver, Bjorn, was waiting for us. He expected us to leave before 08:00 (but no one had warned us about it).

We quickly loaded our luggage on the mini-bus and boarded. Our large suitcases and backpacks would ride in a trailer, towed behind the bus. We took our personal items (rain coats) and cameras with us on the bus (as there was minimal storage space for large items like backpacks).

Bjorn had to make a few more stops to pick up the rest of the tour. All 19 seats on the bus were filled, and we began our tour of Iceland's Golden Circle.

Reykjavik Trip Review (July 25-26)

Highlights

Bathing and relaxing at Sky Lagoon Hot Spring Spa
Eating at excellent bakeries & restaurants (although expensive)

Touring the modern Harpa Concert Hall with Ragnheidur Ingunn Johannsdottir (and getting a sample of her operatic singing)
Listening to Baroque Music played on one of the largest organs at Hallgrimskirkja Church.
Viewing beautiful sculptures in the Einar Jónsson Museum (Sculpture Garden)
Using public transportation. Buses accept Apple Pay, and getting around is relatively straightforward (so a car is not really needed in Reykjavík)
Paying using Visa/MasterCard credit cards or Apple Pay (no need for ISK cash)
Eating Skyr yogurt (widely available)

Lowlights

Using taxis is very expensive ($40 per 10-minute ride)
UberX and Lyft are unavailable (so getting picked up can be difficult)
Keflavik Airport (for international flights) is quite far away from Reykjavík's downtown area.