Iceland Adventure

A modern 4 star hotel located in a beautiful quiet area only 10 minutes walk from city centre. Hotel features one of Reykjavik s best restaurants located on the 8th Floor with panoramic views of the city, a garden restaurant.

One of those reliable Asian restaurants, offering authentic food for moderate prices. Running for close to ten years now, this place was one of the heroic first to offer eastern food to rather conservative Icelandic taste buds, and has now become a classic. It is atmospheric and ever popular amongst all kinds of people. The menu has a wide range of Asian food - Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese - and was for a long time one of the only two places for sushi. The lunch menu is simple and efficient, while in the evenings more sumptuous food is on offer, including a sound but unadventurous sushi.

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.

All you fish lovers can head to this eatery to satisfy your seafood cravings. Located in the city centre, Humarhúsið is Reykjavik's most popular restaurant for mouth-watering lobster and other fruits of the sea. If lobster doesn't tempt your taste buds, then you can try one of the other excellent preparations like the sashimi, tuna and salmon, or the guillemot smoked in tea leaves. Reaching here early is highly advisable in order to ensure a seat. Or else you can always start with a drink at the lounge while you wait for your table.

Hallgrímur Pétursson is one of Iceland's best loved personalities in the history of the Lutheran church. The most noticeable features about the Hallgrímskirkja are its size on one hand, and its location on the other. Along with its height, the location makes it possible to see this church from almost everywhere in Reykjavík. The church tower is almost 75 meters high and the panoramic view from the top is spectacular. The church took decades to build. The church owns quite a few pieces of religious art, worth seeing. Amongst them is a beautiful statue of Christ by one of Iceland's most famous sculptors, Einar Jónsson. The church belongs to the Lutheran State church.

While mainly a takeaway/delivery place, this Chinese restaurant also offers seating in its comfortable corner location. The décor is simple, in accordance with the takeaway function, and the location off the city centre secures a steady clientèle from the surrounding area, mainly consisting of office buildings, shops and hotels. With windows on two sides, the impression is at once spirited and relaxed, capturing an urban atmosphere in the lively lunch hour. The food is standard Westernised Chinese, excellent if unadventurous, and reasonably priced - all of which has contributed to the lasting popularity of Nings.

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.

Popular for power lunches and quiet dinners, this seafood restaurant known as Humarhúsið actually has a very innovative menu at a reasonable price, compared to others in its class. The place is blessed with perfect service and smart design, and is situated in a row of the oldest buildings in Reykjavík, called the Bernhöftstorfan. The restaurant itself is housed in a 1838 Norwegian timber-framed building, offering a view over Lækjargata. Humarhúsið is a very presentable example of Reykjavík's best. As the name indicates, lobster is the speciality, but apart from that the menu consists of a variety of dishes, meat (including an excellent whale dish) and fish (a very elegant sushi is a favourite).

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.

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.

Dómkirkjan is located in the centre of Reykjavík, next to Alþingishúsið (house of Parliament) and Hótel Borg. It is thought that a church has been in this place since the beginning of Christianity in Iceland. The present church is made of stone, and was built between 1788 and 1796. Dómkirkjan has played a part in Icelandic latter-day history. Iceland's national anthem was first played there in 1874, and Iceland's sovereignty was celebrated in the church in 1918, as well as its independence in 1944. Since Alþingi was re-established in 1845, its sessions have started with a mass in the church every year.

Dómkirkjan has many old and distinguished objects and pieces of art. Its baptismal font, for instance, was made and given to the church by the famous Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1839.

This sparkly, hip restaurant called Iðnó is located in an old theatre, and still functions as such, offering some of the best shows on offer in Reykjavík. Overlooking the pond, complete with birds and baby birds, this is the place for an idyllic view of the old city centre. To be particularly recommended for late dinners. The menu is interesting, with a variety of Icelandic seafood and lamb dishes and some international main courses. The ground floor has a coffee house/bar and a little veranda, where guests can enjoy the quacking birdlife and feed hungry ducks and elegant swans with breadcrumbs.

The National Museum of Iceland is the definitive historical and archeological museum of Iceland, illustrating the cultural tradition of this cold country's thousand years of settlement. It has recently undergone a sweeping renovation, and reopened its doors to the public in September of 2004. The new permanent exhibit, titled 'Making of a Nation - Heritage and History in Iceland', depicts the history of Iceland, commencing from when the medieval settlers first arrived here, to the modern day.

One of those reliable Asian restaurants, offering authentic food for moderate prices. Running for close to ten years now, this place was one of the heroic first to offer eastern food to rather conservative Icelandic taste buds, and has now become a classic. It is atmospheric and ever popular amongst all kinds of people. The menu has a wide range of Asian food - Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese - and was for a long time one of the only two places for sushi. The lunch menu is simple and efficient, while in the evenings more sumptuous food is on offer, including a sound but unadventurous sushi.

Bónus is a very good supermarket whether you are on a tight budget or you want to spend your money wisely. The selection here is not as good as in a regular supermarket but it is quite sufficient. You also have to settle for less service and to buy things in bigger packages. Note that in Bónus you can only pay in cash, no credit cards are accepted! There are Bónus stores all over Reykjavík, but this one is in the centre.

Take family and friends to the National Theatre of Iceland to see premier Icelandic and foreign classics, new works, musicals, operas and children's productions. Opened since 1950, the theatre offers three different venues: the 500-seat Main Stage, 180-seat Black Box, and 150-seat Workshop Stage. This is the place to see both upcoming Icelandic artists and playwrights showcasing their works along with more internationally-known shows. Check their website for further details and a full listing of upcoming productions.