cathedral
Hallgrímskirkja
Reykjavik's towering expressionist church inspired by Iceland's basalt lava formations.
2 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeIcelandCapital Region
Reykjavík
Capital Region, Iceland · Europe
About Reykjavík
Reykjavík works well as a base: 10 minutes from Seltjarnarnes, 3km from Northern Lights: Reykjavik.
Reykjavík is in Capital Region, Iceland, with about 120,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Seltjarnarnes, about 5 km away.
Where to Stay in Reykjavík
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Reykjavík?
Within an hour or so of Reykjavík: Hallgrímskirkja (2 km), Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (2 km), Northern Lights: Reykjavik (3 km), Ring Road Iceland (3 km).
Are there any good drives near Reykjavík?
The nearest famous roads are Ring Road Iceland, Golden Circle Route and Golden Circle, Iceland.
Where is Reykjavík?
Reykjavík is in Capital Region, Iceland, about 5 km from Seltjarnarnes.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 118,918
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Iceland
- Region
- Capital Region
- Timezone
- Atlantic/Reykjavik
- Coordinates
- 64.1355, -21.8954
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Iceland
F-roads (mountain roads) require 4x4 and are closed much of the year. Safetravel.is for conditions.
Full driving guide for IcelandTags
Worth the detour from Reykjavík
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
restaurant
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Reykjavík's harbourside hot-dog stand, family-run since 1937 and still serving lamb-based dogs 'with everything': crispy onions, remoulade and sweet mustard. Bill Clinton and virtually every Icelander have queued here.
2 km · about 5 min drive
natural wonder
Northern Lights: Reykjavik
Iceland's capital offers accessible Northern Lights viewing from September to March, with tours departing nightly to dark-sky areas.
3 km · about 5 min drive
famous road
Ring Road Iceland
Iceland's Route 1 circles the entire island over 1,322 kilometers past volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, and black sand beaches.
3 km · about 5 min drive
tunnel
Hvalfjörður Tunnel
A 5.7 km road tunnel diving 165 m below sea level under Hvalfjörður on Iceland's Ring Road, saving an hour over the old fjord loop. The country's first subsea tunnel, opened in 1998 and now toll-free.
19 km · about 20 min drive
national park
Thingvellir National Park
A UNESCO site where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly drift apart, and the site of Iceland's ancient parliament.
39 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Blue Lagoon
Iceland's most famous geothermal spa, a milky-blue pool of mineral-rich water set amid a black lava field near Keflavík airport.
39 km · about 45 min drive
film location
Thingvellir National Park (Arryn and the Bloody Gate)
The rift valley of Almannagja was the pass to the Eyrie and appears in the Hound and Arya's journey through the Riverlands.
39 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Reykjavík
- Right hereRing Road IcelandIceland's Route 1 circles the entire island over 1,322 kilometers past volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, and black sand beaches.
- 19 kmHvalfjörður TunnelA 5.7 km road tunnel diving 165 m below sea level under Hvalfjörður on Iceland's Ring Road, saving an hour over the old fjord loop. The country's first subsea tunnel, opened in 1998 and now toll-free.
- 57 kmGolden Circle RouteIceland's most famous day-drive: a 300 km loop from Reykjavik linking Thingvellir's rift valley, the erupting Strokkur geyser and the double cascade of Gullfoss, with hot-spring bakeries and craters en route.
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
Nearby Destinations
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