Iceland Trip

The cafeteria at the Nordic House offers a spectacular accompaniment to your dining. It has light streaming in from the huge bay windows and a breathtaking view of the shimmering lake. Unlike other cafes in Reykjavik, it offers freshly baked breads, pastries and other snacks. So sip a glass of wine or unwind over a few beers and take in the spectacular surroundings.

The Radisson SAS Saga Hotel Reykjavik offers modern, upscale accommodations on the grounds of the University of Iceland campus in central Reykjavik. The property's amenities include fitness equipment, sauna, whirlpool, massage therapy, solarium, gift shop, salon, 24-hour room service, laundry valet, safe deposit boxes, and free parking. There are 216 rooms at this hotel. Standard room amenities include minibar, satellite TV, trouser press, tea/coffee making facilities, and telephone. Non-smoking rooms and rooms equipped for the physically challenged are available. .

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland, the only city in the country and the world's northernmost national capital. It is also Iceland's tourism capital, with a world-famous nightlife and over 100 different bars and clubs, most located on Laugavegur and its side streets.

However, drinks are very expensive in Reykjavik's bars, and many locals and visitors instead congregate and drink at several outdoor geothermal swimming pools in the city. These are an important part of Icelandic culture and a great way to relax with Icelanders.

Tourists would also be well-advised to take a walk around the Old City, check out the view from Perlan (a rotating restaurant atop the water towers), and visit the Hallgrímskirkja, a hilltop church with a famous statue of Leif Ericsson. Reykjavik is also a great place for outdoor and natural pursuits, such as horseback riding, whale watching, whitewater rafting and snowmobiling. Venture beyond the capital to experience the country's stunningly beautiful strange and surreal landscapes.

While not as novel in its selection of biological specimens as the Phallological Museum, the Museum of Natural History is well worth a visit. The collection hosts the usual suspects, geological, botanical and zoological exhibits displaying the nature of Iceland. In rather crowded rooms a visitor can wander among specimens of most Icelandic animals from insects to polar bears. The bird collection is especially grand, counting among its flock a white raven, an almost mythological fowl. In addition the museum makes journals, papers and geological maps available for those interested. The museum is inconspicuously located by the central bus terminal, Hlemmur. The entrance is from Hverfisgata, and then follows a considerable trek up four flights of stairs.

Hafnarfjörður town is renowned for its mystical lava formations. This little town is one of a few towns circling Reykjavík, and has built up its tourist reputation as a home for folkloric elves and similar mysterious beings. Recently Hafnarfjörður has been acquiring a collection of good restaurants. Restaurant Tilveran is situated at the centre of the town, right by the picturesque harbour. Promising reasonable prices and gourmet food with emphasis on seafood, Tilveran is a colourful place offering personal service in quiet surroundings.

To commemorate the 1989 abolishment of Iceland's 75 year long prohibition, Beer Day is celebrated each year on March 1st. The pubs, bars, and restaurants of the city come alive with revelers, drinking in their freedom of (beverage) choice! It is a must-see event for beer-enthusiasts, as Iceland is now home to many quality brews.

Nýlistasafnið or the Living Art museum is an active exhibition space that has organized exhibitions throughout the year. Here they introduce young Icelandic artists, as well as showcase work done by better known Icelandic and foreign artists. The exhibitions here are always interesting and worth seeing.

The cafeteria at the Nordic House offers a spectacular accompaniment to your dining. It has light streaming in from the huge bay windows and a breathtaking view of the shimmering lake. Unlike other cafes in Reykjavik, it offers freshly baked breads, pastries and other snacks. So sip a glass of wine or unwind over a few beers and take in the spectacular surroundings.

The National Gallery was founded in 1884 and houses the national collection of nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first-century Icelandic and international art. Furthermore, the National Gallery is a center for the study, documentation and promotion of Icelandic art. The Gallery's current location is relatively new, but for many years this central institution of Icelandic art was more or less homeless. However, in 1988 an elegant old ice-house, located by the Reykjavík pond and originally designed by state architect Guðjón Samúelsson in 1916-17, was extensively restored and extended to house the National Art Gallery. The National Gallery regularly exhibits a variety of works from its own collection, as well as holding extensive exhibitions of works by Icelandic and international artists, classic, modern and contemporary, every year, such as the Ásgrímur Jónsson Collection.

When Icelanders stopped whale-hunting several years ago, a new industry and tourist attraction emerged, whale watching. Húni II is a 130-ton oak vessel, built in 1963 as a fishing boat, and is well suited for the present purposes. The guide is English-speaking. There is probably no better way for children to see the largest animals on earth, than to see them in their natural surroundings. The ship follows a regular schedule, leaving in the morning, but afternoon trips can be arranged for larger groups. Sea angling trips are also possible for groups. Húni's scheduled departure is at 10a and the duration of the trip is 3-4 hours.

Sand is an excellent Danish label that makes clothes for both men and women. Sand's characteristics are mainly elegance and class. These are high-level, quality clothes for people from 25 upwards. The prices are also on the upper level.