So, you’ve shopped in the shops, drank the drinks, and eaten all the food you can manage. And whilst those things are all super fun, activities and culture are the missing pieces of the puzzle for a perfect trip to Iceland. Whether it a gleaming museum or a grimy artist-run gallery, a springtime hike or a trip to try and glimpse the aurora, presenting our Best of Reykjavík 2018: Activities winners. Here, we’ll dive into the not-to-miss people-watching spots.
Best People-Watching Spot
Hlemmur Mathöll
Laugavegur 107
Reykjavík’s brand new food hall, located in the old Hlemmur bus station, is the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat and watch the world go by. The various food stands have a lively and bustling seating area where people park up for lunches, dinners, dates and drinks. “It has a fast-moving pop-in-pop-out nature,” said the panel. “There are hotels close by, so there are tourists, but Icelanders go there too, and it’s also a bus interchange. And it’s still not completely gentrified. You can get a drink, and see an absolutely diverse mixture of people passing by.”
Runner-Up:
Lækjartorg
This city-centre square is busy by day, and crazy by night. “If you want to see the real Iceland, come from 5am-6am any Saturday to see a stumbling guy trying to chat up girls whilst hailing a cab back to Kópavogur and inhaling a lobster roll. It’s a vortex of Icelandic life any time of the day or night.”
Runner-Up:
Kolaportið
Tryggvagata 19
Iceland’s largest flea market is the perfect place to pick up a bargain—or just to watch the world go by. “You’ll see old fishermen selling their catch, Icelanders, students, celebrities, locals and tourists all shopping there,” said the panel. “You get a cross-section of Iceland that you don’t find anywhere else.”
Previous Winners
2016: Grandi
2015: Austurvöllur
2014: Eymundsson Austurstræti Café
2013: Booths at Hressó
Other Activities Categories
You can buy a copy of the full Best Of Reykjavík 2018 magazine—an essential guide to having fun in Reykjavík—here, posted worldwide. We also have a Special Offer double-pack that also includes our Best Of Iceland magazine, about places to eat, see, swim, shop and stay, all around the country, here.
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