Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.12.2016, Síða 43

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Experience the history of Reykjavík in a lively
and engaging way at the Reykjavík City Museum.
Comprising five individual sites, the
City Museum was founded to
uphold and preserve Reykjavík’s
cultural heritage, which dates
back to the arrival of the first
settlers in the late 9th century.
Four of the museums are within
walking distance of downtown
Reykjavík, while the Árbær Open
Air Museum is only a fifteen-minute-
drive from the city center. The ferry to
Viðey Island leaves from the Old Harbor in
downtown Reykjavík.
www.reykjavikcitymuseum.is
CHECK OUT THE NEW
REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM
C O M P R I S I N G 5 TO P M U S E U M S
Árbær Open Air
Museum
Viðey Island
The Settlement
Exhibition
Reykjavík Museum
of Photography
Reykjavík Maritime
Museum
Many people’s first encounter
with Iceland is brief. Some come
to visit for a weekend music fes-
tival, or make a short stopover,
having just a day or two in Reyk-
javík before travelling onwards.
So, for those who trying to make
the most of a limited amount
of time, here are some quick ‘n’
dirty tips for covering a lot of
ground by bike, boat, bus, tuk
tuk or helicopter.
Tuk Of The Town
You’ll probably see these
slick-looking little vehicles, tuk
tuks, buzzing around the city
centre like motorised passen-
ger bees. A fairly recent addi-
tion to the bustling street life
of downtown Reykjavík, they’re
an ideal way to see a lot of the
city centre quickly. The tours
on offer vary from a straight-up
taxi ride to a specific place you
have in mind, to zipping around
some of the most noteworthy
sights that the city centre has to
offer, with added information
from your driver. You can pick
up a ride at Harpa, or look for
a parked Tuk Tuk around town.
Hopping Around
If you’d like a little more free-
dom with your schedule, City
Sightseeing runs hop on-hop
off bus tours that go all around
Reykjavík. You can get a day pass
that will allow you to jump out if
you want to go for a soak at Lau-
gardalslaug, or get a meal in the
revolving restaurant at the top of
Perlan. There are plenty of these
buses doing the rounds, so you
shouldn’t have to wait for long.
Keep It Real: Take The Bus
Another way to zip around town
quickly is the Reykjavík city bus
system, Strætó. The bright yel-
low Strætó buses cover all areas
of greater Reykjavík, even going
as far as the base of the Mount
Esja hiking trail. The buses are
great for people watching, too.
Get the Strætó app to pay for
tickets from your phone and look
up timetables and route maps.
Let Your Feet Leave The Ground
Slightly more fancy (and a
touch more heavy on the wal-
let) are air tours, by helicopter
or plane. Norðurflug helicop-
ters leave from Reykjavík’s do-
mestic airport, located next
to Perlan, several times a day.
Trips vary from a short hop to
the top of Mount Esja, to longer
tours that stop at wild geother-
mal hotspots or even on top of
a glacier. You could also take a
plane tour with Eagle Air. Both
are great ways to see the mag-
nificent Icelandic wilderness
from a bird’s eye perspective.
The Life Aquatic
There are many boat trips from
the city, most of them leav-
ing from the old harbour area.
The Reykjavík By Boat trip
started out as a puffin-watch-
ing tour exploring the islands
of the Faxaflói fjord, but has
now evolved into a more gen-
eral pleasure cruise that shows
off Reykjavík’s coastline and
cityscape from the sea. You can
also go whale watching, either
on a cruiser, or a speedboat.
Even if you don’t see any whales,
it’s fun to get out onto the wa-
ter, especially on a clear day.
Cycle City
Reykjavík is a very bike-friendly
town, and there are rentals dot-
ted all over the 101 postcode, in-
cluding at the main tourist infor-
mation centre on Bankastræti.
There are bike lanes throughout
the city, and there’s a great lon-
ger ride you can take around the
Seltjarnarnes peninsula, which
encompasses the viewing plat-
forms of Perlan, the Nauthólsvík
beach, an optional dip in Ves-
turbæjarlaug, and the Grótta
nature reserve and lighthouse.
Seeing The City
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF REYKJAVÍK
Words by JOHN ROGERS
Main photo by ART BICNICK
B E S T T H A I F O O D
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
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