Reykjavik isn’t a large city, but there’s plenty to do. Walk around town and you’ll see colorful, old house, many of which have the year that they were built labeled on them. In the “downtown” area, you’ll find plenty of restaurants and coffeeshops, but keep in mind, Iceland is EXPENSIVE, mainly because a lot of their goods need to be shipped in. A moderately upscale dinner can easily cost around $200 American for two people. However, it’s also easy to find inexpensive foods if you head to the supermarkets. Icelanders also love fast food — especially hotdogs — so there is plenty of that available, as well.
Though there are a number of hotels in the city, the most budget-friendly chain are the Fosshotels, which are similar to Holiday Inns in the United States. You’ll be given small, but comfortable rooms, and a private bathroom (which has a sulfur shower). Most Fosshotels offer a complimentary breakfast that includes cereals, fruits, cheeses, eggs and meats. So staying at one is a great way just to save on at least one meal!
As for activities, Icelanders definitely have a great sense of fun. Here are some of the more interesting things to do:
1. Join The Runtur: Each Friday and Saturday night, hundreds of drunken, rowdy people, mainly young folk, go bar hopping around town in a pub crawl known as the “runtur.” Feel free to join the crowd as they make their quest, and get rid of those winter blues.
2. The Saga Museum: This unusual museum recreates important moments in Iceland’s history, complete with large replicas of historical figures (kind of their version of a wax museum). However, many of the figures were modeled after the current citizens so you might just see some of these people walking around town! There’s an interesting video that shows how the models posed and became the inspirations for these statues. The museum also has a pleasant, albeit pricey, cafeteria and gift shop full of Viking costumes should you ever want to dress like one.
3. The Phallological Museum: Yeah, you read this right. This is a museum dedicated to penises. It houses a collection of genitalia from over 200 species of mammals, though not too surprisingly, none are from human males.
