This Icelandic capital city is absolutely packed with history, culture, and fascinating landmarks. So let’s start exploring it all! We’ll walk in a wonky sort of loop to take it all in. Note: The tour is over 1.6 miles long, with more than 30 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours per tour to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

If you’ve seen basalt in the wild, it often takes on these oddly geometric, pillar-like shapes! You can see some great examples of basalt like this on my Snæfellsnes Peninsula tour or my Volcanic Beaches tour.

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking the artist of this sculpture was trying to replicate a Viking Ship. After all, you are in the land of the Vikings and, well, this is a ship! But this isn’t actually the intention behind the sculpture.

Maximus is a popular children’s book character. In his first adventure, he’s a fairly normal rodent who just happens to find his way into a music hall. He likes what he hears and hangs around, going on many adventures in the vast hall. These thrilling hijinks are all set to the background of rousing orchestral music.

According to Viking lore, a dragon head was used to scare away enemies and provide a mystical connection to the gods. It provided protection from evil spirits of both the land and water. In fact, when dragon heads were carved into the masts of Viking ships, there was a law that stated the heads had to be removed before the ship could return to its homeland.

The dragon, the eagle, the giant, and the bull are the spirits who guard Iceland. Each relief represents protection of a specific region. The dragon guards the Eastfjords, the eagle watches over the north, the bull protects the west, while the giant watches over the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest.

If you’re looking for a fun little easter egg most people miss, look for the green wall. See how City Hall is divided into two buildings? Look for the wall in the space between the two.

But we won’t get the chance to fish off of it. According to an old legend, two elderly women once lived on opposite sides of the lake. Both used its waters to wash their clothes.

That’s Menntaskolinn, or the Old Grammar School. And old really means old… it’s nearly a thousand years old! Menntaskolinn traces its roots all the way to 1056.