Reykjavìk, Iceland - Things to do? Places to see?

[MoneyGuy]

Reading this thread I have questions; I’ll try to limit them to two at a time.

-I have an e-sim on my iPhone. Will that give me all of the online access I’ll need, or should I get a regular SIM card (or just use free wifi)?
-We were going to have 2.5 days in Reykjavik. This is likely our last time here so I’m thinking of flying in earlier and adding 1-2 days? It seems there is lots to see and do in the city and area.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Reading this thread I have questions; I’ll try to limit them to two at a time.

-I have an e-sim on my iPhone. Will that give me all of the online access I’ll need, or should I get a regular SIM card (or just use free wifi)?
-We were going to have 2.5 days in Reykjavik. This is likely our last time here so I’m thinking of flying in earlier and adding 1-2 days? It seems there is lots to see and do in the city and area.

We bought sim cards at a gas station, they were cheap for data-only. Worked well and cell service is excellent.

I didn’t think Reykjavik itself was that interesting. Two days would be more than enough. We had some nice food, went to some hot / cold pools near our campsite, walked along the waterfront to the whale bones statue, pick up some Icelandic wool merch.

Maybe you can go to the Yoko Ono / John Lennon thing? We missed that, so I don’t know if it was worth it?

[MoneyGuy]

Yeah, a couple of days in Raykjavick combined with side trips out of the city is what I have in mind.

[MoneyGuy]

Will we need kronos or will our cards suffice? We have U.S. dollars but they may not be accepted for tips. If not I guess we could get kronos at the airport.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Will we need kronos or will our cards suffice? We have U.S. dollars but they may not be accepted for tips. If not I guess we could get kronos at the airport.

Pretty much everywhere will take your cards. I usually take a bit of cash out just in case but I don’t remember ever needing it honestly.

[MoneyGuy]

What about tips?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

What about tips?

Tipping is not customary in Iceland.

[MoneyGuy]

We’re taking two full days for the Golden Circle then a full day in Reykjavik. Is it worth taking out 2.5 hours for a side trip to the bridge between the continents? I think it’d be very cool to be on both continents but don’t want to sacrifice Reykjavik. I know it’s a matter of preference but I’d love to do both but don’t want to miss out on Reykjavik. Maybe it’s a game-day decision but we could do it at the end of the Golden Circle tour if there’s time.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Okay, we’re taking two full days for the Golden Circle then a full day in Reykjavik. Is it worth taking out 2.5 hours for a side trip to the bridge between the continents? I think it’d be very cool to be on both continents but don’t want to sacrifice Reykjavik.

Just for that? No, not unless there are other stops, like if you're doing the highway 425 & 43 loop. If you're planning on going to the Blue Lagoon, you could combine the trips potentially.

It's literally just as described - a bridge between the two continents. There is also some educational signage.

I looked at some of our photos from our trip, and we drove around the loop and judging by the timestamps we spent about 30 minutes at the bridge for some photos and walking around. There are some neat spots to visit if you're doing that little loop.

[MoneyGuy]

We are doing the Blue Lagoon. I mapped it out as 55 minutes from Reykjavik but not from the Blue Lagoon. I’ll do that and maybe consider doing it after the lagoon at the end of day 2 on the Golden Circle.

Edit: 22 minutes from the Blue Lagoon to the bridge. It’s looking good.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Blue lagoon is in Grindavík, so it’s a bit of a schlep to get to. Also something you might consider skipping if you’re pressed for time at all—locals don’t really go there, for good reason. It’s literally just a man made lagoon that uses geothermally heated water after it has passed through the heat exchangers in the Svartsengi power station.

I’ve been once, at the request of my (non-Icelandic) wife. The experience is not unlike swimming in the effluent wastewater of a power plant, while standing in a thick layer of white mud that for some reason people think has medicinal properties….

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Blue lagoon is in Grindavík, so it’s a bit of a schlep to get to. Also something you might consider skipping if you’re pressed for time at all—locals don’t really go there, for good reason. It’s literally just a man made lagoon that uses geothermally heated water after it has passed through the heat exchangers in the Svartsengi power station.

I’ve been once, at the request of my (non-Icelandic) wife. The experience is not unlike swimming in the effluent wastewater of a power plant, while standing in a thick layer of white mud that for some reason people think has medicinal properties….

Thank you. I read your post to my wife. You don’t make it sound appealing, lol.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Will we need kronos or will our cards suffice? We have U.S. dollars but they may not be accepted for tips. If not I guess we could get kronos at the airport.

When I went to tip, I was told by my server that it was not the custom.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Thank you. I read your post to my wife. You don’t make it sound appealing, lol.

You should probably do what makes you guys happy. especially if you’re not planning on going back again, then make the most of the time there. I would probably trade it for the time in Reykjavik, just cause, as a city it didn’t come across as interesting as the surrounding areas. If you are planning on just free-wheeling it around Reykjavik and thinking that you’ll have an extraordinary time, you might be better off sticking with plans to go to Blue Lagoon and Bridge between Continents instead. Assuming that is what you’re choosing between.