5 things I LOVE & HATE about Reykjavík 🧡 Told by a Local from Iceland 🇮🇸

In this video Gudny covers the things she LOVES and HATES about the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík! 🧡 What do you think!?

Do you need more helps or suggestions for your upcoming Iceland trip? Comment below if you wish to see more videos covering other Icelandic related tips or mistakes👇

00:00 - Intro
00:28 - 5 things Gudny HATES 😡 about Reykjavík
00:21 - Puffin Shops 🐧
01:28 - Late Opening Times 🕰️
01:50 - Public Transportation 🚌
02:51 - Parking 🅿️
03:55 - Expensive 💸
04:32 - 5 things Gudny LOVES 😍 about Reykjavík
04:45 - Walkable City 🚶‍♀️
05:24 - Food and Drink Scene 🥩🍻
07:08 - Swimming Pools 🏊
07:48 - Close to Nature ⛰️
08:22 - Quirkiness 🤡
08:59 - Outro

Follow us on Instagram 📲 @reykjavikfood & @wakeupreykjavik

Activities mentioned in video:

[timothyhedrick]

@5:55 Couldn't agree about this more! Food is really expensive but also crazy good! Spent 12 days there in April and every meal was just exceptionally good (even the gas station hot dogs 🤣). The hot lagoons were fantastic (did 4 as we drove around the country)! So worth it. My favorite (and also longest) vacation in my whole life.

[psoup]

Opening late? The bigger issue is things closing relatively EARLY! Just spent a week there and loved our trip but man... If you're driving out to see the sites out of town, the same gas station you stopped at outside of Borgarnes at 1pm might be CLOSED for the day when you pass it at 6:30pm on the way back!
So make SURE you're back in Reykjavik by 8pm for dinner because pretty much ALL restaurants close by 10pm. Hey, it's not a complaint so much as something everyone should be aware of before visiting. Don't expect to drop in for a late 10:30pm dinner at a diner. Everything is closed. I respect it but it's important info. Don't let the summer daylight fool you. Once it's dark, the lights are out!

Parking: Agreed. If you're renting a car and hoteling in Reykjavik, make a plan to be back in time to park. Perhaps the more annoying thing is how people double park or don't park within the lines. It reduces a lot's space by 15%.

Gift shops: We tourists KNOW we're stepping in mass manufactured tourist traps/stores. But think about it. We WANT to come back with a plain shirt that says "ICELAND" on it. No one's going to see the expensive locally crafted necklace 3 months later and say "Oh, they could ONLY have gotten that in Iceland!". We've only got enough loot for maybe ONE of those genuine, $400 (61, 650 ISK) sweaters, okay? (and even if we wear it back home, people wouldn't know whether the thing is Icelandic, Swedish, or Norwegian without having to tell them.
Any tourist visitor to New York wants that I heart NY tee to take home. The one-of-a-kind jewelry bought in SOHO? I guess, but no one who sees it on you will identify it with NY.
So yes, I did indeed spend money in several IceWear shops.

Food: So... this might be controversial but ... unless you're really going to spend high end, the food is... average and sometimes disappointing. I told people that when Iceland stays to what they do EXTREMELY well (Arctic Char and Lamb), that fare is truly delicious! Problems arise with the restaurants attempting to cover other fare (American, Italian, Mexican etc.). Cream cheese for Italian? Seriously? No place there could even get a Cesar salad right (yes, one came with pasta noodles and egg bits!). To Iceland/Reykjavik... DO YOUR OWN FARE! Do NOT try and do YOUR spin on cuisine.
To visitors: Eat only the Icelandic fare and skip the Thai/Mexican/Italian/Bistro attempts. You will thank me. Also, if you want salmon, go eat early because the few spots that sell it sell out.
ON A POSITIVE FOOD NOTE... we were quite pleasantly surprised with "Dirty Burger & Ribs" in Borgarnes. Maybe we were THAT hungry but those ribs were pretty darn tasty!!!

Last one I can't put on Reykjavik.
When you are leaving, make SURE to get to KEF airport FOUR... yes... FOUR hours early. You will need every single minute of that four hours. That airport was not made to handle the volume of people it needs to serve and the overall management is fit for Barnum and Bailey. Just trust me on this one. Getting in to Iceland is easy. Getting out will drive you nuts.

Oh, sorry. ONE last thing I discovered? It doesn't matter WHERE you shop. You will NOT FIND any long sleeve t-shirts in Reykjavik or its outskirts!!! Everything is either going to be a short sleeve t-shirt, a hoodie, and then next step up is a parka. LOL I love long sleeve tees and over the course of seven days and infinite shops, I couldn't find a single one.

[TheChessViking]

Geggjað vídeó! Fyrsta YT vídeó sem ég sé frá ykkur....hef séð ykkur á TT með foodie content....rosalegt flott content, vel skipulagt, editað og b-roll og læti. Love it!

[patricklyke]

I love shopping on the rainbow street, found so many great souvenirs there!

[smajd]

Day tours with Wake Up Reykjavik are the best❤❤❤

[katesommerville]

I’m planning my 3rd trip for next Sept/Oct & cannot wait. Want to spend 2-3 weeks, I don’t drive so will be travelling my bus a bit!

[TheFauveever]

Went to Iceland last June and I loved, loved, ❤❤❤❤❤ it. My personal thing I hated was the lack of public restrooms in Reykjavik. Apart from that I loved everything about it.

[destrierofdark_]

for the parking problem: I've got a few words of advice.

instead of trying to find spots right next to wherever you're visiting, try looking a little further afield and just covering the extra few meters on foot. in fact, for the city center, you might need to park a little further away, but you also get to experience the city as fast as you wish, and also, thanks to being on foot, won't have to deal with any of the parking crap.

and that's the inverse problem with reykjavík; it's become so focused on walking and biking that it's becoming hostile to cars in general, and automotive mobility. if you need a motorized mode of transport, you're much better served with a scooter or vespa or something of the nature than a car, if you ask me.

[Elysia_Fields]

Oh man, parking WAS a nightmare! I managed to park at Hallgrímskirkja long enough to drop my stuff at the Hotel Loki across the street, but I drove around the surrounding streets for AGES trying to find a place to park. 😮‍💨 I returned my rental car that afternoon and just walked the city for the next few days.

[Sutivarazs]

is there any free parking option for locals? :)

[MEGACAB]

Counting down the days until my flight.

[LowerTheBoom]

Do they have a lot of mosquitoes in Reykjavik.

[iceniss]

Ég verð því miður að vera ósammála þessum hlutum sem þú hatar, þeir fara bara alls ekkert í taugarnar á mér. Maður á ekkert að láta hlutina fara í taugarnar á sér, það er ekki hjálplegt, frekar að vera jákvæður og horfa á björtu hliðarnar

[DALILAJOSEFINAUBILLUSRAM-upce]

Hola linda muy buenas tardes una ? Como esta actualmente la seguridad en islandia espero su respuesta saludos desde chiclayo Perú 🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊😊

[chrisure]

There's that Darthvader helmet again.

[lanuca]

Why don't you ever mention Netto as a store in your videos? It's cheaper than Kronan.