Twice-Daily English City Walk
9.6/10 · 6,683 freetour.com reviews
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Free Things To Do In Reykjavik
Waterfront and sea, landmarks and architecture, parks and green space, and street art and culture, each with the rule that comes attached. Plus 3 pay-what-you-want walking tours with local guides.
Free today, no condition attached:
- Sun Voyager (Sólfar) open-air, no ticket
- Harpa Concert Hall, interior and foyer
- Tjörnin pond and Hljómskálagarður no ticket
- Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur)
- Heiðmörk nature reserve
- 3 free walks, 2 on GuruWalk and 1 on freetour.com
- 44 places checked against their own rules
- No price anywhere: reserve free, tip at the end
Where The Free Things To Do In Reykjavik Are
11 free places across Reykjavik. Green pins are free outright; amber pins are free with a condition, spelled out beside each one.
Tap or click the map to pan and zoom. Numbers match the list.
Old Harbour and the Grandi waterfront
The public quays and the Þúfa mound, including the view from the top, cost nothing to walk.
Free walk from here: Twice-Daily English City WalkAusturvöllur square
The public square and park in front of Parliament is free to enter with no ticket or gate.
The open-air sculpture on the Sæbraut shoreline path is free, with no fence, gate or ticket.
The nave is free to enter; no ticket is sold for it.
Höfði House
The grounds and exterior are free to visit at any time.
The woods and trails up the hill are free; the Perlan building on top is ticketed.
Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur)
Nothing is charged to walk or photograph the painted public street.
Reykjavík City Library
Entry to the library is free; a borrowing card costs money.
Nordic House library card
The library card itself is free, open to anyone 18 or over, and valid for one year.
Harpa Concert Hall, interior and foyer
Admission to Harpa is free, including the interior and foyer.
Tjörnin pond and Hljómskálagarður
The pond and park are free to walk through with no ticket.
Free Walking Tours Lead The Free Things To Do In Reykjavik
Local guides, no ticket, no fixed price. You reserve a spot for free and tip what the walk was worth at the end.
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
4.6 · 87 GuruWalk reviews
See this free tour
Reserve free on GuruWalk
Narrow The Free Things To Do In Reykjavik List To Your Day
Price is deliberately not a filter here. Everything this site features costs nothing at the door, and the 15 places that do charge are listed with their real prices so they can be told apart rather than quietly mixed in. What actually narrows a Reykjavik day is the kind of thing you want, how free it needs to be once the conditions are read, and whether a season, an opening hour or a child's ticket decides it. Answer the three questions below and the list rebuilds itself.
Showing all 44 verified places. Answer a question and the list narrows.
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Free Landmarks and buildings Miðbær
What is free A public square and park in front of the Parliament building. No ticket, no gate.
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Free Parks and green space Elliðaárdalur
What is free A city park with paved paths, named by the City as one of the free things to do in Reykjavik.
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Free Hikes and nature Heiðmörk
What is free Everyone is welcome in Heiðmörk and nothing is charged. The reserve covers 3,200 hectares.
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Free Landmarks and buildings Harpa ground floor
Hljóðhimnar sound installation
What is free Free to visit on Harpa's ground floor. Harpa states in one sentence that admission to Harpa and to Hljóðhimnar is free.
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Free Shoreline and sea Seltjarnarnes
What is free Open year round, and the city's own service record states there is no entrance fee.
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Free Hikes and nature Esja, north of the city
What is free The hike itself is free. Visit Reykjavik lists Esja with a cost of free.
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Free Street art and culture Skólavörðustígur
Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur)
What is free A public street painted as a City and Reykjavik Pride initiative. Nothing is charged to walk or photograph it.
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Free Street art and culture Across Reykjavik
What is free The City states plainly that you do not have to pay to enjoy street art, and has mapped more than 160 works across the city.
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Free Shoreline and sea Sæbraut
What is free An open-air public sculpture on the Sæbraut shoreline path. There is no fence, no gate and no ticket.
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Free Parks and green space Miðbær
Tjörnin pond and Hljómskálagarður
What is free An open park and pond in the middle of the city, free to walk with no ticket.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Miðbær
What is free No admission and no ticket is named anywhere in the programme. Austurvöllur from 11:00, the parade leaves Hallgrímskirkja at 13:00, and Hljómskálagarður runs 13:30 to 17:00.
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Conditionally free Shoreline and sea Seltjarnarnes
Grótta lighthouse and nature reserve
What is free No fee at any time of year. All access is banned from 1 May to 15 July for arctic tern nesting, and the causeway to the island floods at high tide, so the crossing is only possible on a falling or low tide.
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Conditionally free Landmarks and buildings Skólavörðuholt
What is free The church's published price list covers tower tickets only, so no ticket is sold for the nave.
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Conditionally free Landmarks and buildings Old Harbour and Grandi
Harpa Concert Hall, interior and foyer
What is free Harpa's own page states that admission to Harpa is free. The building is open Sunday to Tuesday 10:00 to 18:00 and Wednesday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00.
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Conditionally free Landmarks and buildings Borgartún
What is free The grounds and the exterior are free to visit at any time.
What you still pay for There is no walk-in access to the interior. It is the mayor's reception hall and the City publishes only a request-a-visit form, not opening hours or a ticket.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
What is free Every event is free. The next edition is Saturday 21 August 2027, and Strætó buses run free from 22:00 to 23:00 after the fireworks.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
Midnight sun and near 24 hour daylight
What is free Costs nothing to watch. On 21 June 2026 Reykjavik gets 21 hours and 23 minutes of daylight, with sunrise at 02:47 and sunset at 00:11.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
New Year's Eve bonfires (áramótabrennur)
What is free Ten public bonfires are held across Reykjavik and all are free to attend. Personal fireworks are banned at them.
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Conditionally free Street art and culture Vatnsmýri
What is free The library card itself is free, open to anyone 18 or over, and valid for one year.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
Northern lights from public viewpoints
What is free Free from any dark public viewpoint, in season from September to April. Visit Reykjavik names Klambratún, Öskjuhlíð, Grótta, Elliðaárdalur, Seltjarnarnes, Lake Elliðavatn, Rauðhólar and Úlfarsfell.
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Conditionally free Shoreline and sea Old Harbour and Grandi
Old Harbour and the Grandi waterfront
What is free The public quays and the Þúfa mound cost nothing to walk. The 360 degree view from the top of Þúfa is free.
What you still pay for The harbour museums and the boat trips that leave from the quays are separate businesses with their own tickets.
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Conditionally free Parks and green space Öskjuhlíð
What is free The woods and the trails up the hill are free. Visit Reykjavik names the Öskjuhlíð climb as the free and equally stunning alternative to the ticketed deck on top.
What you still pay for The Perlan building on the summit is a separate ticketed attraction and its observation deck cannot be bought on its own.
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Conditionally free Hikes and nature Hveragerði
What is free The hike up the valley and bathing in the hot river are both free.
What you still pay for Parking at Árhólmar is charged, but no current official tariff is published, so no amount is stated here.
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Conditionally free Parks and green space Laugardalur
Reykjavík Botanic Garden (Grasagarður)
What is free The garden is always open and costs nothing. The greenhouse opens 10:00 to 18:00 in summer and 10:00 to 15:00 in winter.
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Conditionally free Street art and culture Across Reykjavik
What is free Entry to the library is free.
What you still pay for A borrowing card costs 3,300 ISK a year. It is free for anyone under 18 and for anyone 67 or over.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
What is free Genuinely free with no paid pass of any kind. It runs inside the Vetrarhátíð winter festival.
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Conditionally free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
What is free Free from 17:00 to 21:00, and only at the pools taking part.
What you still pay for Outside those hours, and at any pool not taking part, the ordinary pool tariff applies.
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Conditionally free Shoreline and sea Viðey
What is free The island itself has no admission of any kind.
What you still pay for The Elding ferry is the only way across and costs 2,500 ISK for an adult, 1,250 for a child aged 7 to 17 and nothing for children 0 to 6. It sails daily in summer and at weekends only in winter.
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Conditionally free Hikes and nature Þingvellir
What is free Entry to the park is free.
What you still pay for Parking is charged: 1,000 ISK for a car of five seats or fewer, 400 ISK for a motorcycle, 1,200 ISK for 6 to 9 seats and 2,200 to 4,200 ISK for buses. One payment is valid all day across P1, P2 and P5.
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Not free, adult 2,550 ISK Street art and culture Árbær
Free for Free for visitors aged 0 to 17.
What it costs Adults pay 2,550 ISK and an ISIC card costs 1,550 ISK.
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Not free Street art and culture Reykjavik
What it costs 5,690 online and 6,250 at the gate. The figures are printed without a currency and the site's own selector reads ISK.
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Not free, adult 1,500 ISK Landmarks and buildings Skólavörðuholt
Hallgrímskirkja tower and lift
What it costs From 1 June 2026 adults pay 1,500 ISK, students 1,300, visitors 67 and over and disabled visitors 1,300, and children 7 to 16 pay 200 ISK. There is no advance booking.
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Not free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
What it costs A festival pass costs 16,900 ISK and a day pass 11,400 ISK. The festival FAQ states you must hold one or the other.
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Not free, adult 1,500 kr Shoreline and sea Across Reykjavik
Laugardalslaug and the city swimming pools
Free for Children 0 to 9 swim free when they come with an adult.
What it costs Adults pay 1,500 kr and 10 to 17 year olds pay 400 kr. The tariff came into force on 5 May 2026. Cheap, but not free.
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Not free, adult 2,500 kr Street art and culture Fríkirkjuvegur
Free for Free for visitors aged 17 and under.
What it costs Adults pay 2,500 kr and students and seniors 1,250 kr.
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Not free, adult 3,300 ISK Street art and culture Suðurgata
Free for Free for visitors under 18.
What it costs Adults pay 3,300 ISK and students and seniors 1,600 ISK.
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Not free, adult 1,500 ISK Shoreline and sea Nauthólsvík
Nauthólsvík geothermal beach (Ylströndin)
What it costs Adults pay 1,500 ISK year round. Children 0 to 9 are free and 10 to 17 pay 400 ISK. The official tariff is one flat entrance pass with no seasonal split, so the widely repeated claim that the beach is free from 15 May to 15 August is contradicted by the operator's own price list.
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Not free Landmarks and buildings Öskjuhlíð
What it costs The deck is included in every Perlan ticket and cannot be bought separately. Perlan's own ticket price is not published in the page HTML, so no figure is quoted here.
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Not free, adult 2,550 ISK Street art and culture Across Reykjavik
Free for Free for visitors under 18 and for disabled visitors.
What it costs Adults pay 2,550 ISK and students 1,550 ISK. One ticket is valid for 24 hours at all three sites.
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Not free Street art and culture Across Reykjavik
What it costs 24 hours costs 6,100 ISK, 48 hours 8,500 ISK and 72 hours 10,500 ISK. Anything described as free with the City Card is paid for by the card.
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Not free, adult 2,800 ISK Parks and green space Laugardalur
Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo (Húsdýragarðurinn)
Free for Children 0 to 5 enter free.
What it costs Adults pay 2,800 ISK and 6 to 17 year olds pay 1,600 ISK. Prices updated 4 September 2026.
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Not free, adult 3,100 ISK Street art and culture Aðalstræti
Settlement Exhibition (Aðalstræti)
Free for Free for visitors aged 0 to 17, and free on an ICOM card or a Reykjavík City Card.
What it costs Adults pay 3,100 ISK and an ISIC card costs 2,000 ISK. These are the 2026 prices.
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Not free Seasons and events Across Reykjavik
Under 18s at Reykjavik's paid museums
Free for Free for visitors aged 0 to 17 and for disabled visitors at Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Museum, the National Gallery, the Settlement Exhibition and Árbæjarsafn.
What it costs Every one of those five museums charges an adult, from 2,500 ISK to 3,300 ISK.
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Not free, adult 4,000 ISK Street art and culture Reykjavik
Free for Free for children aged 0 to 6.
What it costs Adults pay 4,000 ISK, children 7 to 15 pay 2,000 ISK and a family ticket is 8,000 ISK.
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik, Answered
15 places people ask about, answered the way each operator answers it.
| Place | Verdict | The condition | Free walks within 1 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nauthólsvík geothermal beach (Ylströndin) | Paid | Adults pay year round | 0 |
| Laugardalslaug and the city swimming pools | Paid | Children 0 to 9 with an adult | 0 |
| Hallgrímskirkja tower and lift | Paid | From 1 June 2026 adults pay 1,500 ISK, students 1,300, visitors 67 | 2 |
| National Museum of Iceland | Paid | Free for visitors under 18 | 2 |
| National Gallery of Iceland | Paid | Free for visitors aged 17 and under | 2 |
| Whales of Iceland | Paid | Free for children aged 0 to 6 | 0 |
| FlyOver Iceland | Paid | 5,690 online and 6,250 at the gate | 2 |
| Perlan observation deck | Paid | Included in Perlan ticket only | |
| Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo (Húsdýragarðurinn) | Paid | Children 0 to 5 enter free | |
| Reykjavík Art Museum | Paid | Under 18s and disabled visitors only | |
| Under 18s at Reykjavik's paid museums | Paid | Free for visitors aged 0 to 17 and for disabled visitors at | |
| Iceland Airwaves | Paid | A festival pass costs 16,900 ISK and a day pass 11,400 ISK | |
| Viðey island | Condition | No admission of any kind | 0 |
| Grótta lighthouse and nature reserve | Condition | No fee at any time of year | |
| Northern lights from public viewpoints | Condition | Seasonal, September to April |
Walk counts are the free walks' meeting points within 1 km of each place, measured from their coordinates.
Timing The Free Things To Do In Reykjavik
The free windows worth planning a day around.
Spring
- Northern lights from public viewpointsKlambratún, Öskjuhlíð, Grótta, Elliðaárdalur, Seltjarnarnes, Lake Elliðavatn, Rauðhólar and Úlfarsfell are named.
Summer
- Midnight sun and near 24 hour daylightOn 21 June 2026 Reykjavik gets 21 hours and 23 minutes of daylight.
- Menningarnótt, Culture NightStrætó buses run free from 22:00 to 23:00 after the fireworks.
Cutting The Free Reykjavik List Down To One Day
Real GuruWalk and freetour.com reviews of the guides, quoted as written. They review the walks, not this site.
Possibly the best walking tour I’ve ever had. Goran was informative, knowledgeable, patient, giving, caring. It took 3 hours of walking, listening and sharing his knowledge of the area and the history of the place. I learned so much in such a short span of time. He made my appreciation of Iceland unforgettable. He gave us tips of places to eat, shop etc. couldn’t be more satisfied.
4.6 across 87 GuruWalk reviews
Great guide with great information and stories. Perfect walking tour.
9.6/10 across 6,683 freetour.com reviews
Which Free Things To Do In Reykjavik Fit Your Day?
The right free thing depends on the day you have. New to the city? The CityWalk free tour runs daily at 10:30 and 13:30 and covers the centre in about two hours. Prefer a smaller group with a local guide? Sweet Streets of Reykjavik runs at 11:00 on five days a week and adds Icelandic candy tasting, though it is cash only, so bring notes if you want to tip. The third walk, by Rainbow Tours, is Spanish only. Every walk is free to reserve, with the tip decided at the end.
Day
Language
Showing all 3 free walking tours with the days each platform publishes.
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
4.6 out of 5 from 87 reviews on GuruWalk
Free, pay what you want2 hoursEnglish and Spanish
Meets: Harpa Building concert hall
| Day | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 11:00 | Some dates only |
| Tuesday | Some dates only | Some dates only |
| Wednesday | Some dates only | Some dates only |
| Thursday | 11:00 | Some dates only |
| Friday | 11:00 | None listed |
| Saturday | 11:00 | Some dates only |
| Sunday | 11:00 | Some dates only |
Cash payment only. Accepts bookings of up to 10 people.
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Spanish-Language Legends Walk
No GuruWalk reviews yet
Free, pay what you want2 hoursSpanish
Meets: Arnarhóll, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
| Day | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Monday | 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 17:00 |
| Thursday | 17:00 |
| Friday | 17:00 |
| Saturday | 11:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00 |
Electronic or card payment accepted. Accepts bookings of up to 25 people.
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Twice-Daily English City Walk
9.6 out of 10 from 6,683 reviews on freetour.com
Free, pay what you want2 hoursEnglish
Meets: In front of the Parliament building in Austurvöllur main square
| Day | English |
|---|---|
| Monday | 10:30, 13:30 |
| Tuesday | 10:30, 13:30 |
| Wednesday | 10:30, 13:30 |
| Thursday | 10:30, 13:30 |
| Friday | 10:30, 13:30 |
| Saturday | 10:30, 13:30 |
| Sunday | 10:30, 13:30 |
A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
No free walk is listed for that day in that language. Pick another day, or set the language back to Any language.
These are the days and times each platform's own calendar publishes. Both GuruWalk calendars roll forward a few weeks at a time, so open the listing before planning a morning around one.
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik, At A Glance
- The free walking tour offer is small: 3 walks across 2 platforms, CityWalk on freetour.com and two walks on GuruWalk, one of them Spanish only.
- The most-reviewed walk is Free Tour in Reykjavik, which freetour.com lists at 9.6 out of 10 across 6,683 reviews. On GuruWalk, Sweet Streets of Reykjavik is rated 4.6 out of 5 across 87 reviews, while the Rainbow Tours walk has no reviews yet.
- Reykjavik's genuinely free attractions are mostly outdoor and public: coastline, sculpture, squares, hills and parks. Indoor cultural sights are treated as paid unless an official free-entry rule is confirmed.
- None of these walks is ours. The CityWalk tour is listed on freetour.com, the other two are real GuruWalk listings run by independent local guides, and this site neither operates walks nor is affiliated with either platform. Reserving a place costs nothing; the tip is entirely up to you.
Three Kinds Of Free Things To Do In Reykjavik, Compared
A public square costs nothing and never closes. A sculpture on the waterfront asks nothing of anyone. An indoor museum in Reykjavik usually charges, and the Reykjavik City Card does not change that, because a card you pay for never makes an attraction free. A walk is free the moment you decide what to tip. These kinds of free do not behave alike, so read the condition before planning a day around it.
| Kind of free thing | What it is | What the paid equivalent costs | What is actually free | Best for | Matched free walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free walking tours | On these Reykjavik walks you reserve a free spot and pay nothing upfront. The guide is paid only by the tip you choose at the end, and cash is the safe bet for it. | No ticket exists. Nothing is charged at booking and nothing is taken up front; the guide is tipped at the end. | 3 pay-what-you-want walks across 2 platforms, each with its own page on this site. | Pay what you want suits travellers on any budget, since nothing is owed upfront. English speakers have two walks to pick from here; the third runs in Spanish only. | Twice-Daily English City Walk |
| The waterfront, the islands and the hot water | Reykjavik's shoreline is public space: a walking path along the harbour, open views across the water, and room to sit and watch the boats come and go. | Nautholsvik geothermal beach charges 1,500 ISK for an adult year round, the city pools 1,500 kr, and the Videy ferry 2,500 ISK return for an adult. | 5 of the 7 shoreline and sea records here cost nothing to reach on foot. | The waterfront suits anyone who wants open air and sea views without spending anything. It works for a slow stroll, a photo stop, or an hour of doing very little. | Spanish-Language Legends Walk |
| Landmarks and buildings you can walk into | A few Reykjavik landmarks cost nothing to enter, though most indoor cultural sites are ticketed. The verified records say which doors open without a ticket and on what terms. | The Hallgrimskirkja tower is 1,500 ISK for an adult from 1 June 2026. Perlan's deck is included in every Perlan ticket and cannot be bought separately. | 5 of the 7 landmark records here have no ticket at the door. | Free landmarks suit visitors pacing a budget around the paid museums. They also suit anyone who just wants the city's signature sights without booking anything. | Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips |
| Parks, gardens and green space | Reykjavik's parks and gardens are public space, open to walk through at no cost. The verified records carry the published hours where any apply. | The Family Park and Zoo charges 2,800 ISK for an adult and 1,600 ISK for 6 to 17 year olds. Everything else in this group is free to walk. | 4 of the 5 parks and gardens here are free to walk at any hour they are open. | Suits anyone travelling on a thin budget, families needing room to run, and visitors who want a slow hour outdoors between the city's ticketed sights. | Twice-Daily English City Walk |
| Street art, libraries and culture | Reykjavik's no-cost side leans outdoor and public: coastline paths, sculpture in open air, squares and green hills. Indoor culture is ticketed unless a record says otherwise, and the city card never makes a place free. | Reykjavik's museums charge and none has a free day: the Art Museum 2,550 ISK, the National Museum 3,300 ISK, the National Gallery 2,500 kr, the Settlement Exhibition 3,100 ISK and Arbaejarsafn 2,550 ISK. Under-18s are free at all five. | 4 of the 12 culture records here cost nothing, which is the honest shape of this category. | Suits first-time visitors mapping a cheap day, families with children, and anyone who prefers squares, sculpture and shoreline to ticketed museums. | Twice-Daily English City Walk |
| Hikes and nature within reach of the city | The free draws beyond the centre are outdoor: hills with city views, public parkland and coastal walking. Anything indoor and cultural stays ticketed unless the verified record says otherwise, so plan days around open air. | Entry is free at all four, but parking is not: Thingvellir charges 1,000 ISK for a car of five seats or fewer. Esja and Reykjadalur publish no current tariff, so no figure is quoted for either. | All 4 hike and nature records here are free to enter and free to walk. | Suits reasonably steady walkers who want views and open air at no cost, and anyone happy to swap a paid excursion for a hill path or a stretch of coastline. | |
| Seasons and free public events | The aurora season, the midnight sun and the free public spaces of Reykjavik, written only from the verified records and what the official pages actually state, alongside the city's pay-what-you-want walks. | Iceland Airwaves is not free: a festival pass is 16,900 ISK and a day pass 11,400 ISK. Everything else in this group is free to attend. | 7 of the 9 seasonal and event records here are free to attend, with the condition attached to each one. | Suits anyone whose trip dates are still flexible, and visitors deciding whether to chase dark winter skies or accept summer's near-endless daylight instead. |
Outdoor Free Things To Do In Reykjavik
Reykjavik's generosity is outdoors. The coastline walk, the sculpture along it, the public squares and the hills and parks around the city all cost nothing and never close, which suits a capital where the weather changes faster than any opening hour. There is no ticket, no queue and no condition attached: these places are simply public. Bring layers instead of a wallet, and watch the light rather than the clock.
| Landmark or building | Area | What is free | What you still pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harpa Concert Hall, interior and foyer | Old Harbour and Grandi | Harpa's own page states that admission to Harpa is free. The building is open Sunday to Tuesday 10:00 to 18:00 and Wednesday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Hljóðhimnar sound installation | Harpa ground floor | Free to visit on Harpa's ground floor. Harpa states in one sentence that admission to Harpa and to Hljóðhimnar is free. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Hallgrímskirkja, the nave | Skólavörðuholt | The church's published price list covers tower tickets only, so no ticket is sold for the nave. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Höfði House | Borgartún | The grounds and the exterior are free to visit at any time. | There is no walk-in access to the interior. It is the mayor's reception hall and the City publishes only a request-a-visit form, not opening hours or a ticket. |
| Austurvöllur square | Miðbær | A public square and park in front of the Parliament building. No ticket, no gate. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
- Hallgrímskirkja tower and liftSkólavörðuholt From 1 June 2026 adults pay 1,500 ISK, students 1,300, visitors 67 and over and disabled visitors 1,300, and children 7 to 16 pay 200 ISK. There is no advance booking.
- Perlan observation deckÖskjuhlíð The deck is included in every Perlan ticket and cannot be bought separately. Perlan's own ticket price is not published in the page HTML, so no figure is quoted here.
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
Pay what you want English and Spanish
2 hours · 8 stops · Gigi
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Museums And Free Things To Do In Reykjavik
Reykjavik has no monthly free-museum Sunday among its headline sights. Indoor cultural attractions here are treated as paid unless an official free-entry rule has been confirmed, and the Reykjavik City Card does not make any of them free, since the card itself is something you buy. Where a genuine free-entry rule exists, this site states it with its conditions. Everything else stays in the paid column, however often other pages call it free.
| Season or event | Area | What it costs | What is free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern lights from public viewpoints | Across Reykjavik | Nothing at all | Free from any dark public viewpoint, in season from September to April. Visit Reykjavik names Klambratún, Öskjuhlíð, Grótta, Elliðaárdalur, Seltjarnarnes, Lake Elliðavatn, Rauðhólar and Úlfarsfell. |
| Midnight sun and near 24 hour daylight | Across Reykjavik | Nothing at all | Costs nothing to watch. On 21 June 2026 Reykjavik gets 21 hours and 23 minutes of daylight, with sunrise at 02:47 and sunset at 00:11. |
| Menningarnótt, Culture Night | Across Reykjavik | Nothing at all | Every event is free. The next edition is Saturday 21 August 2027, and Strætó buses run free from 22:00 to 23:00 after the fireworks. |
| Safnanótt, Museum Night | Across Reykjavik | Nothing at all | Genuinely free with no paid pass of any kind. It runs inside the Vetrarhátíð winter festival. |
| Sundlauganótt, Pool Night | Across Reykjavik | Outside those hours, and at any pool not taking part, the ordinary pool tariff applies. | Free from 17:00 to 21:00, and only at the pools taking part. |
| 17 June National Day | Miðbær | Nothing at all | No admission and no ticket is named anywhere in the programme. Austurvöllur from 11:00, the parade leaves Hallgrímskirkja at 13:00, and Hljómskálagarður runs 13:30 to 17:00. |
| New Year's Eve bonfires (áramótabrennur) | Across Reykjavik | Nothing at all | Ten public bonfires are held across Reykjavik and all are free to attend. Personal fireworks are banned at them. |
| Under 18s at Reykjavik's paid museums | Across Reykjavik | Every one of those five museums charges an adult, from 2,500 ISK to 3,300 ISK. | Free for visitors aged 0 to 17 and for disabled visitors at Reykjavík Art Museum, the National Museum, the National Gallery, the Settlement Exhibition and Árbæjarsafn. |
| Iceland Airwaves | Across Reykjavik | A festival pass costs 16,900 ISK and a day pass 11,400 ISK. The festival FAQ states you must hold one or the other. |
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
Pay what you want English and Spanish
2 hours · 8 stops · Gigi
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Squares And Sculpture: Free Things To Do In Reykjavik
The squares and the waterfront sculpture cost nothing and always have. You can walk the shoreline, cross the main squares and climb the city's hills without ever opening a wallet, and nothing along the way asks for a ticket. The same goes for the parks. These are the places locals actually use, which is part of why they stay free: public space in Reykjavik is treated as public. For a visitor, they are also the cheapest way to see the city at its own pace.
| Shoreline spot | Area | What is free | What you still pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Voyager (Sólfar) | Sæbraut | An open-air public sculpture on the Sæbraut shoreline path. There is no fence, no gate and no ticket. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Old Harbour and the Grandi waterfront | Old Harbour and Grandi | The public quays and the Þúfa mound cost nothing to walk. The 360 degree view from the top of Þúfa is free. | The harbour museums and the boat trips that leave from the quays are separate businesses with their own tickets. |
| Grótta lighthouse and nature reserve | Seltjarnarnes | No fee at any time of year. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Kvika foot bath | Seltjarnarnes | Open year round, and the city's own service record states there is no entrance fee. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Viðey island | Viðey | The island itself has no admission of any kind. | The Elding ferry is the only way across and costs 2,500 ISK for an adult, 1,250 for a child aged 7 to 17 and nothing for children 0 to 6. |
- Nauthólsvík geothermal beach (Ylströndin)Nauthólsvík Adults pay 1,500 ISK year round. Children 0 to 9 are free and 10 to 17 pay 400 ISK.
- Laugardalslaug and the city swimming poolsAcross Reykjavik Adults pay 1,500 kr and 10 to 17 year olds pay 400 kr. The tariff came into force on 5 May 2026. Cheap, but not free. Children 0 to 9 swim free when they come with an adult.
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik Indoors
Reykjavik's genuinely free attractions are mostly outdoors: the coastline path, public sculpture, squares, hills and parks carry no ticket window at all. The indoor cultural spaces are a different story, and most of them charge. A few open free under a stated condition, an age rule or a scheduled day, and this site keeps the always-free and the conditionally-free apart, because that difference is where most free-in-Reykjavik lists go wrong.
| Street art or culture stop | Area | What is free | What you still pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik street art | Across Reykjavik | The City states plainly that you do not have to pay to enjoy street art, and has mapped more than 160 works across the city. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur) | Skólavörðustígur | A public street painted as a City and Reykjavik Pride initiative. Nothing is charged to walk or photograph it. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Reykjavík City Library | Across Reykjavik | Entry to the library is free. | A borrowing card costs 3,300 ISK a year. It is free for anyone under 18 and for anyone 67 or over. |
| Nordic House library card | Vatnsmýri | The library card itself is free, open to anyone 18 or over, and valid for one year. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
Often Called Free, But Not
Some Reykjavik museums and galleries get repeated as free on lists that never checked the rule. The city's major cultural institutions charge standard admission, and the Reykjavik City Card, though useful, is a paid product: anything described as included with it is not free. No entry rule appears on this site without a verified source behind it. When a place is genuinely free, or free under a condition, the condition is stated in the same breath.
- Reykjavík Art MuseumAcross Reykjavik Adults pay 2,550 ISK and students 1,550 ISK. One ticket is valid for 24 hours at all three sites. Free for visitors under 18 and for disabled visitors.
- National Museum of IcelandSuðurgata Adults pay 3,300 ISK and students and seniors 1,600 ISK. Free for visitors under 18.
- National Gallery of IcelandFríkirkjuvegur Adults pay 2,500 kr and students and seniors 1,250 kr. Free for visitors aged 17 and under.
- Settlement Exhibition (Aðalstræti)Aðalstræti Adults pay 3,100 ISK and an ISIC card costs 2,000 ISK. These are the 2026 prices. Free for visitors aged 0 to 17, and free on an ICOM card or a Reykjavík City Card.
- Árbæjarsafn open air museumÁrbær Adults pay 2,550 ISK and an ISIC card costs 1,550 ISK. Free for visitors aged 0 to 17.
- Whales of IcelandReykjavik Adults pay 4,000 ISK, children 7 to 15 pay 2,000 ISK and a family ticket is 8,000 ISK. Free for children aged 0 to 6.
- FlyOver IcelandReykjavik 5,690 online and 6,250 at the gate. The figures are printed without a currency and the site's own selector reads ISK.
- Reykjavík City CardAcross Reykjavik 24 hours costs 6,100 ISK, 48 hours 8,500 ISK and 72 hours 10,500 ISK. Anything described as free with the City Card is paid for by the card.
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
Pay what you want English and Spanish
2 hours · 8 stops · Gigi
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik Outdoors
Reykjavik hands out its best views without a ticket. The shoreline path along the bay costs nothing to walk, public sculpture stands in the open air, and the hill park above the centre gives the widest look over the city and the water. This section covers where to stand, what each green space holds, and which indoor attractions nearby do charge.
| Park, garden or valley | Area | What is free | What you still pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tjörnin pond and Hljómskálagarður | Miðbær | An open park and pond in the middle of the city, free to walk with no ticket. Visit Reykjavik calls it one of the simplest free things to do in Reykjavik. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Reykjavík Botanic Garden (Grasagarður) | Laugardalur | The garden is always open and costs nothing. The greenhouse opens 10:00 to 18:00 in summer and 10:00 to 15:00 in winter. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Elliðaárdalur valley | Elliðaárdalur | A city park with paved paths, named by the City as one of the free things to do in Reykjavik. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Öskjuhlíð woods and trails | Öskjuhlíð | The woods and the trails up the hill are free. Visit Reykjavik names the Öskjuhlíð climb as the free and equally stunning alternative to the ticketed deck on top. | The Perlan building on the summit is a separate ticketed attraction and its observation deck cannot be bought on its own. |
- Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo (Húsdýragarðurinn)Laugardalur Adults pay 2,800 ISK and 6 to 17 year olds pay 1,600 ISK. Prices updated 4 September 2026. Children 0 to 5 enter free.
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik On Foot
Reykjavik is small enough that the free walks cover nearly everything worth seeing on foot. CityWalk's city walk, listed on freetour.com, runs daily at 10:30 and 13:30 and is the oldest and largest of the three. The Sweet Streets walk on GuruWalk runs Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 in English, and the Rainbow Tours walk, Spanish only, runs Monday to Friday at 17:00 and weekends at 11:00. For an English speaker that leaves two real choices, and both circuits stay central.
| Hike or nature site | Area | What is free | What you still pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Esja hiking trails | Esja, north of the city | The hike itself is free. Visit Reykjavik lists Esja with a cost of free. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Heiðmörk nature reserve | Heiðmörk | Everyone is welcome in Heiðmörk and nothing is charged. The reserve covers 3,200 hectares. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
| Þingvellir National Park | Þingvellir | Entry to the park is free. | Parking is charged: 1,000 ISK for a car of five seats or fewer, 400 ISK for a motorcycle, 1,200 ISK for 6 to 9 seats and 2,200 to 4,200 ISK for buses. |
| Reykjadalur hot river | Hveragerði | The hike up the valley and bathing in the hot river are both free. | Parking at Árhólmar is charged, but no current official tariff is published, so no amount is stated here. |
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
Pay what you want English and Spanish
2 hours · 8 stops · Gigi
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik On A Budget
Once the sights cost nothing, a day in Reykjavik turns on food, coffee and getting between places. The centre is compact enough that most free attractions sit within a short stroll of one another, and the walks all start centrally, which keeps transport costs near zero. If you drive, city parking charges by zone: the central P1 area costs 660 ISK per hour on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., while outer P3 and P4 zones charge less and are free on weekends. Meters and apps such as Parka and EasyPark take the payment.
Note: the Reykjavik everyday-cost figures are not verified yet, so no table is shown here. Nothing is estimated.
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
Pay what you want English and Spanish
2 hours · 8 stops · Gigi
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
How The Free Things To Do In Reykjavik Add Up
Every walk on this site is pay-what-you-want: reserve a free spot, join, and tip the guide whatever the walk was worth. The guiding itself never carries a price. Two details matter before you set out. The Sweet Streets walk includes an Icelandic candy tasting and is cash only, so a visitor with no cash cannot tip the guide at all. The Rainbow Tours walk runs in Spanish only. Everything beyond the tip, and the candy, costs nothing.
| Walk | Duration | Language | Meets at | Stops | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips | 2 hours | English and Spanish | Harpa Building concert hall | 8 | Gigi |
| Spanish-Language Legends Walk | 2 hours | Spanish | Arnarhóll, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland | 7 | Rainbow Tours |
| Twice-Daily English City Walk | 2 hours | English | Austurvöllur | CityWalk Reykjavik |
Free Things To Do In Reykjavik: A Weekend Plan
Reykjavik rewards a tight budget better than its reputation suggests. The bay walk, the outdoor sculpture, the public squares and the hill park above the centre all stand in the open, free to anyone who walks up. The city's indoor culture mostly charges, but the outdoor list is long enough that a full weekend can pass with very little spent at the door. Add a pay-what-you-want walking tour and the city explains itself for the price of a tip.
Sleeping Close To Reykjavik's Free Sights
Where you sleep decides what you can walk to. A base in or near the centre puts the shoreline path, the main squares and every free walking tour meeting point within reach on foot, while a room out by the ring road turns each free morning into a bus ride. The hotels below are real listings booked through Travelpayouts, and this block is the only paid element on the site.
Loft HI Hostel
Bankastraeti, at the foot of Laugavegur
It sits where Bankastraeti runs into Laugavegur, putting the Parliament square, Tjornin and the Old Harbour within a short stroll, with Hallgrimskirkja uphill at the top of Rainbow Street. Dorm beds keep the nightly cost down, and the rooftop terrace adds a free view over the rooftops.
Check ratesHotel Leifur Eiriksson
Skolavordustigur, facing Hallgrimskirkja
Hallgrimskirkja stands directly across the street, so the city's most photographed sight costs you no travel at all. From the door, Skolavordustigur runs downhill through shops and cafes toward Laugavegur and the lake beyond. The hotel is family run and long established on this spot.
Check ratesCityHub Reykjavik
Hverfisgata, one street back from Laugavegur
A pod property set one street back from Laugavegur, a few minutes from the old town's main run and an easy walk down to the Sun Voyager on the waterfront. It has the newest rooms of the three hotels listed here.
Check ratesFree Things To Do In Reykjavik: Start On Foot
Twice-Daily English City Walk
Pay what you want English
2 hours · CityWalk Reykjavik
See this free tour →A freetour.com walk led by an independent local guide
Morning Walk From Harpa, Cash Tips
Pay what you want English and Spanish
2 hours · 8 stops · Gigi
See this free tour →A GuruWalk walk led by an independent local guide
Reykjavik Questions, Answered
Do Reykjavik's pay-what-you-want walks cost anything to reserve and join?
Yes, in the way that matters. Reserving a place costs nothing, there is no set fee and no minimum tip. The guides work on a pay-what-you-want basis: when the walk ends, you hand over whatever you felt the two hours deserved. One practical caveat. The Sweet Streets walk takes cash only, so a visitor carrying no notes cannot tip Gigi at all, while the CityWalk tour accepts ISK, other exchangeable currencies or card.
How much should you tip on a Reykjavik free walking tour?
Do the free walking tours really cost nothing? The guiding itself does. Every walk here is pay what you want: you reserve a free spot through the guide's GuruWalk page or the freetour.com listing, join the group, and tip at the end whatever the walk felt worth. The Sweet Streets walk is cash only, so a visitor carrying no notes has no way to tip the guide at all.
Which Reykjavik museums and galleries can you enter for free?
Yes, both GuruWalk walks here cost nothing to reserve. Book a free spot, take the walk, then tip the guide whatever it felt worth. Sweet Streets of Reykjavík, run by Gigi, is the English option and is rated 4.6 across 87 GuruWalk reviews. The Rainbow Tours walk covers history, culture and legends but runs in Spanish only, so an English speaker has one GuruWalk choice here, plus the CityWalk walk listed on freetour.com.
Can you get into any Reykjavik museums without paying for a ticket?
Yes, genuinely free options exist, and the walking tours here are the clearest example. The CityWalk classic is listed on freetour.com and the other two walks are GuruWalk listings run by independent local guides, so you reserve a spot at no cost and tip at the end whatever the walk was worth. Beyond the tours, Reykjavik's coastline, public squares, sculpture and hilltop views cost nothing, though the major museums and galleries charge admission.
Do free walking tours in Reykjavik need booking in advance?
You do not need to pay anything up front. Reserving a place on any of the three walks in this directory costs nothing, because each one is pay what you want, listed on GuruWalk or freetour.com. The CityWalk tour caps each booking at six people and opens bookings roughly five days ahead, so reserve early if you are a group. Sweet Streets takes tips in cash only.
What languages are Reykjavik's free walking tours given in?
The walks cover the old centre most thoroughly. The CityWalk tour runs from Austurvöllur by the Parliament building past Laugavegur, Lake Tjörnin, Grjótaþorp and Rainbow Street to City Hall, while the Sweet Streets walk adds Icelandic candy tasting to its history and culture route. The Rainbow Tours walk covers the city's history, culture and legends, and it runs in Spanish. That makes three walks in total, two of them available to an English speaker.