A Christmas Weekend Itinerary in Reykjavík

A slow, winter-bright journey through festive traditions, warm pools, and quiet wonder.

Reykjavík in December invites you to wander gently, to follow the glow of lights through short days, to linger in museums, and to warm yourself in geothermal pools as steam swirls into the cold air.

Your Reykjavík City Card (72 hours) is your key to the weekend: free access to museums, geothermal pools, and unlimited bus travel across Reykjavík and its neighbouring towns.
And remember: Your City Card activates the moment you present it at your first museum.

Morning / Early Afternoon - Arrival & Hafnarhús

Settle into your accommodation, then make your way to the City Centre. Begin your journey at Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús, where you both enter the museum and activate your City Card.
The art inside feels especially still and contemplative on a winter afternoon.

Afternoon – Reykjavík Röst & Ice Skating

Stroll to Reykjavík Röst, where boats drift quietly outside the café’s large windows. With warm drinks in hand, settle into the pace of your weekend.
Afterwards, wander toward Ingólfstorg Square and enjoy the seasonal ice rink — full of twinkling lights, music, and the playful rhythm of skates on ice.

Evening – Christmas Market & Festive Buffet

Explore the Reykjavík city-centre Christmas market, where wooden huts glow with local crafts, winter treats, and holiday scents.

Finish the evening with a festive buffet close by, choosing Hjá Jóni, Haust, or VOX — each warmly lit, inviting, and easy to reach from the city centre.

After dinner, enjoy an evening wander under the lights. Look out for the Northern Lights (weather permitting) - as we always say, remember to look up.
 

Morning - Museum & Laugardalslaug

Use your City Card to visit another museum of your choice — perhaps the National Museum, Kjarvalsstaðir, or the Settlement Exhibition.
Afterwards, travel on to Laugardalslaug for a geothermal soak; your City Card includes entry to the pool. Steam rises into the cool morning air as locals drift unhurried between hot tubs and saunas.

Pro tip: Make sure to try out the saltwater tub. Soaking in salt water can relax muscles and is said to improve circulation, soothe and cleanse the skin, reduce inflammation, draw out impurities, and promote deep relaxation and stress relief.

Afternoon - Travel to Hafnarfjörður & Christmas Village

From the pool, take bus route 2 or route 5 toward downtown, then change to route 1 heading south to Hafnarfjörður, a town nestled in lava fields. The Christmas Village awaits with wooden stalls, music, warm drinks, crafts, and an unmistakably cosy small-town atmosphere.
If the Christmas ice rink - Hjartasvellið -  is open, enjoy a glide beneath Hafnarfjörður’s winter lights.

Evening – Dinner at Sól Restaurant

Stay in Hafnarfjörður for dinner at Sól Restaurant, a welcoming and local favourite.
Afterwards, return to Reykjavík by bus, the windows glowing softly as you pass through the winter night.

Morning - Christmas Walking Tour

Start your day with a Christmas Walking Tour with Your Friend in Reykjavík, a delightful cultural and gastronomic walking tour through the heart of the city. This tour offers an enchanting alternative to traditional sightseeing, immersing you in the festive atmosphere of Reykjavík while sharing the history, traditions, and flavours of Iceland during the holiday season.

Afternoon - Árbær Open Air Museum Christmas Program

From the city centre, take bus route 12 or route 24 to Árbær for the museum's special Sunday Christmas Programme - a favourite among locals. Entry is included in the City Card. 

The historic buildings come alive with: 

• visits from the Yule Lads
• singing and dancing around the Christmas tree
• a Christmas service in the old church
• candle-making in the stable
• laufabrauð (leaf-bread) decorating
• wool-spinning, wood-carving, printing
• tastings of traditional festive foods, including smoked lamb

If you’d like to warm up afterwards, Árbæjarlaug is close by and included in your City Card.

Evening – Final Festive Dinner & Night Walk

Return to the city centre for a last Christmas dinner — perhaps another buffet or a cosy à-la-carte meal. Check out our various restaurants.
Close your day with a quiet winter wander: along the harbour, past Tjörnin (the Pond), or down softly lit streets.
 

A slow breakfast at Grái kötturinn, a last look at the mountains, and one final stroll through the city.
Reykjavík sends you off with warmth, calm, and a little winter wonder tucked into your pocket.

Money-Saving Note

If you follow this itinerary with a 72-hour Reykjavík City Card, you may save around a third of your total costs. For example, visiting three museums, enjoying two geothermal pool visits, and taking the bus several times a day (around four rides) can add up quickly when purchased separately. With the City Card, many of these experiences are included, along with unlimited travel on the local buses.

Your exact savings will depend on which museums you choose and how often you use the buses — the more you explore, the more the card gives back. It’s an easy, flexible way to move through Reykjavík at your own pace while keeping costs comfortably in check.