Tower Of London History

The Tower of London is a palace and fortress located on the River Themes in London. One of the main buildings, The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, the rest of the tower has undergone expansions under the control of many Kings. The tower has been many things over the years: a royal residence, a prison, an armory, a treasury, the home of the Royal Mint, and more modernly the home of the Crown Jewels. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by more than 2.8 million people annually.

Getting To The Tower Of London

The Tower of London is easily accessible by the underground. The Tower Hill station is a 5 minute walk and accessible by the District and Circle Lines.

Bus routes: 15, 42, 78, 100, RV1 stop close by. Major bus tours will also stop at The Tower Of London.

If you arrive by car, there is no onsite parking.

Opening Hours & Tickets

Summer (01 March – 31 October)
Tuesday-Saturday- 09:00-17:30
Sunday-Monday- 10:00-17:30
Last admission- 17:00

Winter (01 November – 28 February)
Tuesday-Saturday- 09:00-16:30
Sunday-Monday- 10:00-16:30
Last admission- 16:00

They are closed on December 24, 25 and 26, & January 1

Buy your tickets online or at the gate. Note that it is more expensive at the gate! There is a discount for families, seniors and full time students. Check out their current prices here.

Onsite Amenities

The Tower of London has free Wi-Fi onsite, as well as bathrooms, and restaurants. There are places to park your strollers (or buggies if you’re from the UK) as well as baby changing facilities if you are traveling with children.

My Top 6 Tips For Visiting The Tower Of London

1) Buy your ticket in advance or have a London Pass.
Luckily we had the London Pass and we got to bypass the long line. The line for tickets can get quite long so in order to have the most time possible to explore, buy your tickets in advance! You also save 15% off the price of the ticket by planning ahead, a win-win! Buy your tickets on the website, or do like we did, and buy the London Pass.

2) Get there early.
I had planned so much into one day; we didn’t get to the Tower Of London until after lunch. Check the hours before you go! The Tower Of London was closing at 4:30 and we ran out of time to explore, and missed out on the Tower Bridge completely.

By [Duncan] from Nottingham, UK (Tower of London from the Shard) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

4) No photos of the Crown Jewels.
When you head in to see the Crown Jewels, allow lots of time, and sadly, no photos! They are the real deal and so beautiful.

5) You might be a little let down on the execution site.
I was expecting this – possibly still bloody – big deal of an execution site where people like Anne Boleyn lost their heads. Most executions actually took place outside the Tower of London on Tower Hill. There’s a small “coffee table” (that’s how our Yeoman Warder described in on our tour!) to commemorate the area where executions took place.

6) Check the times guide for re-enactments.
There are lots of re-enactments happening throughout the day in different locations. If any of them are of interest to you, check them out! We didn’t get to see any of these but I wish we had made time for it.

Bonus Tip: Take your time to read and enjoy.
There’s so much to see. It was one of the highlights of our honeymoon and I definitely want to visit again!

Have you visited? Let me know your tips in the comments!

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Read more about Iceland:

Things To Do On Your Iceland Stopover

Dos and Don’ts of the Blue Lagoon

Everything You Need To Know About Reykjavik 

So here’s the thing, packing for Iceland can be a challenge. You want to look good for those epic photos but your clothes need to be functional. I’ve been to Iceland twice and I did not pack the right things. Even on my second visit. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did! So here’s my list of things you need to bring to Iceland!

This coat is not waterproof.

Packing For Iceland: The List

• Warm winter coat that’s wind and waterproof – Trust me on this because I clearly did not learn my lesson the first time.
• Warm, waterproof boots – hiking boots especially if you’ll be out enjoying the scenery!
• Fleece lined leggings or thermal underwear for under your pants
• Hat and mittens/gloves – fleece lined or wool
• Shirts for layering
• Scarf – my saving grace was bringing my scarf!
• Warm socks
• Bathing suit – for the hot springs. You don’t want to miss out on this!
• Quick dry towel – the hot springs will either charge to rent one, or not have any available
• Moisturizer and lip balm – the air can be very drying! My poor ears and lips were so chapped from the wind.
• Backpack – to carry things for the day, ideal if this is waterproof too!
• Sunglasses – it’s still going to be bright out! Duh, I didn’t think of this.
• Sunscreen – you can still get burned even if it’s cold out.
• Sleeping mask – it doesn’t get dark in the summer!
• Nice clothes – if you plan to enjoy Reykjavik’s night life
• Plug adapter – if you’re not coming from continental Europe.
• Camera and tripod – you’ll need a tripod if you want to photograph the elusive Northern lights
• Extra batteries / chargers – the cold will drain the batteries of your camera/phone much faster!

If you want a printable version of my list, you can get that here! As you can see, packing for Iceland means lots of waterproof gear. We had such a great time, and mostly good weather, although it did rain quite hard a few days we were there.

Do you have any advise for anyone packing for Iceland?

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It seems Iceland is on everyone’s bucket list and for good reason, because there are so many things to do in Iceland! I LOVED both of my trips to Iceland, there’s something magical in the air there. It’s also the perfect place to have a 3-5 day Iceland stopover from North America to Europe or vise versa. Iceland Air allows you to do a stopover with no extra price on your airfare ticket! So what are you waiting for?! Here are my favorite things to do in the land of fire and ice.

Need to know what to pack for Iceland? Get my list here!

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Reykjavik

The northernmost capital city in the world is one of my favorites. I love the vibe just walking around downtown Reykjavik. Which brings me to my first favorite thing to do:

Enjoy A Coffee At A Café

Café Babalu was my favorite. The location was close to tourist attractions, the inside was cozy, the staff was super friendly and the food and coffee were amazing. I felt so at home here.

Check Out The Views

If you only do one thing in Reykjavik, you NEED to go to Hallgrímskirkja. The view of Reykjavik from the top of the church is amazing. We also enjoyed hearing the pipe organ being played.

Eat A Hotdog

Did you know that hotdogs are the unofficial national dish of Iceland? You can find them the hot dog stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur in Reykjavik city centre. The hotdogs are mostly made of lamb, with some pork and beef. Get one with “the works”. They’re cheap and delicious.

See A Viking Settlement

At The Settlement Exhibition, they built a museum around a Viking Longhouse. You can also see artefacts of the first settlers of Iceland. I’m so interested in Viking history, so this was the top of my list!

Shopping

I enjoyed wandering down Laugavegur Street, stopping in shops and grabbing a coffee. Coffee tastes better in Iceland; I think it’s their crystal clear water! There are lots of stores with cute souvenirs and woollen items to bring home. I got wool socks!

Walk Along The Water Front

Such beautiful views along boardwalk, along Saebraut street. You can check out the Sólfarið – Sun Voyager sculpture. Meant to represent undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom. You can also go in the Harpa Concert Hall; it’s so beautiful, especially on a sunny day!

For more info read Everything You Need To Know About Reykjavik

The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is one of the most popular drives in Iceland, if not the most popular. It’s not far from Reykjavik, which makes it a perfect day trip for your Iceland Stopover!

Golden Circle Half Day

If you’re short on time in your Iceland stopover, you can hit the most popular spots on the Golden Circle in a morning or afternoon:

Þingvellir National Park– This national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home of Iceland’s parliament from 930 to 1798. It’s also a place where you can see two continents at once, as the Mid Atlantic Ridge goes right through Þingvellir. The park has such nice views; I love just walking around here. You can also dive between two continents in the Silfra fissure. The water is crystal clear, and you can even drink it while you dive or snorkel.

Geysir- The Great Geysir has been active for about 10,000 years, however eruptions are infrequent. However Strokkur, close by erupts every 6-10 minutes usually 10-20 metres high! I love the anticipation of waiting for the eruption.

Gullfoss– One of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland doesn’t disappoint! The Hvita river cascades down two cliffs. I could spend so much time here just watching the waterfall. Be prepared to get a little wet from the spray, but there’s usually a rainbow.

Skálholt– Through centuries Skálholt was cultural and political centre, and had Iceland’s first official school to educate clergy. Inside the Skálholt cathedral’s basement you can see many artefacts excavated over the years.

Golden Circle Whole Day

The whole day includes the 4 stops in the half-day plus more fun stops:

Laugarvatn Fontana– My favorite geothermal bath that I’ve been to in Iceland is conveniently located between Þingvellir and Geysir. I love how you can bathe in the lake, or one of the many pools of different temperatures! You can choose the right pool for you. They have a Finnish style sauna, and serve lunch and dinner. They also bake traditional Rye bread, baked buried in the hot black sand! Note that you will have to bring your own towel, bathing suit and robe or else pay to rent one.

Faxi Waterfall- A smaller waterfall between Geysir and Skaholt, it’s much less popular than Gullfoss and we had it all to ourselves! It’s full of salmon if you want to catch your dinner.

See The Northern Lights

If you’re headed to Iceland between early September and late April you should be able to see some aurora if you head outside the lights of the city. It does depend on the solar forecast, so some luck is involved. On my first trip we took a boat tour out of the Old Harbor in Reykjavik, but sadly didn’t see the lights. On my last trip we took a bus tour and were able to see the aurora. It was such an amazing experience; I’ll never forget it.

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon inspires images of relaxation and warmth. It’s close to the Keflavík International Airport, only about a 20-minute drive; and it’s 40-45 minutes to Reykjavik. It’s the perfect stop on the way to the airport to fly home! I had the best massage ever floating in the water. The Blue Lagoon is not a natural hot spring but it has a lot of amenities including a restaurant and a hotel!

Read more about the dos and don’ts of the Blue Lagoon

So, It’s Time To Plan Your Iceland Stopover!

There are so many things to do in Iceland you’ll need at least a few days. Luckily you can fly direct from many cities in Europe and North America!

Tell me your favorite thing to do in Iceland in the comments!

Dos And Don’ts Of The Blue Lagoon

Do

Pre book your tickets. It is required that you buy a ticket online before you go. You can buy them on their website.There are three levels of tickets; Comfort, Premium and Luxury. I would personally go with the Premium because of the robe and slippers but here’s a bit about them:

Comfort (6990ISK): Entrance to the lagoon, a silica mud mask, use of towel and 1 drink of choice

Premium (9990ISK): Entrance to the lagoon, a silica mud mask, use of towel and 1 drink of choice, algae mask, use of bathrobe, use of slippers, optional reservation at LAVA, and sparkling wine if dining at LAVA

Luxury (79000ISK): Entrance to exclusive lounge, private change rooms, entrance the lagoon, a silica mud mask, use of towel and 1 drink of choice, algae mask, use of bathrobe, use of slippers, optional reservation at LAVA, and sparkling wine if dining at LAVA

Note: Prices fluctuate depending on the time of day you select to arrive. Some time slots may book completely.

Don’t

Don’t stay in the main area of the lagoon. It can get very crowded at the entrance but the lagoon is very large so spread out! Also different parts can be different temperatures so you can find the spot that feels just right to you.

Do

Have a shower without a bathing suit before entering the Blue Lagoon. The change rooms have a main shower area and some private stalls to shower in before and after you leave the lagoon.

Find out what to pack for Iceland!

Don’t

Don’t get your hair wet. Or if you do, load up on conditioner in the shower before and after you leave the lagoon. The water is very drying to hair, even though it is great for your skin! Trust me on this; it took a while for my hair to recover. The showers in the change room have free shampoo and condition: use as much as you want!

Do

Get a massage. It was one of the best travel splurges I have ever done on vacation. The massage was done while I was floating in the water. It was so relaxing and 100% worth the money.

Don’t

Don’t forget to eat! The LAVA restaurant is beautiful and the menu looks amazing. We opted to eat at the (much cheaper) Blue café. The wrist band you get to use your locker is connected to your credit card, so don’t worry about carrying cash, they just scan your band! There’s also a swim up bar so you don’t even have to leave the water!

Do

Remember it is not close to Reykjavik City Centre. It is about 45-50 minute drive from Reykjavik, and about 20 minutes from the Keflavik Airport. You will have to drive yourself or book a tour that will bring you, you are able to add round trip bus service when booking your Blue Lagoon ticket for a fee. We booked a tour through Greyline on our last day in Iceland. They picked us up at our hotel, stored our luggage while we were at the Blue Lagoon and then dropped us off at the Keflavik airport for our evening flight, it was perfect! The Blue Lagoon has an onsite hotel if you wish to stay near the Lagoon.

Related Post: Your Iceland Stopover: The Best Things To Do

That’s all my tips! Have you been to the Blue Lagoon before? Any tips I have forgotten?

Disneyland Paris

I know it seems a little crazy to be in Paris and go to Disney but it’s such a great park and it’s so nice to get out and play! We had spent so much time at museums it was so fun just to ride some rides and enjoy a fun day!

Disneyland Paris

 How to get there: You will be taking the RER A Train (red) in the direction of Marne-la-Vallée (RER line A4). You will first have to find the station closest to you that you can leave from:

The stations in Paris where you can get on this train are Charles de Gaulle Etoile, Auber, Chatelet Les Halloes, Gare de Lyon, and Nation.

It will cost about €7.60 per adult, one-way and €3.80 per child, one-way (October 2017).

Disneyland Paris is the last stop so you can’t miss it! Once you get off the train it is fairly easy to follow the signs to the parks!

Tickets: I would recommend buying your tickets online in advance if you know what day you will be going. The price of the ticket depends on the time of year/day of week. There are two parks at Disneyland Paris; Disneyland Park (with the castle, similar to Disneyland in California/Magic Kingdom in Florida) and Walt Disney Studios Park. It is possible to do both parks in one day if you buy the park hopper pass.

Walt Disney Studios Park

What to do/see: I would recommend going on the Disneyland Paris website and deciding which rides and attractions you are most interested in. When you walk in the park you can grab a map and also a timetable for the day that will have the times and locations of character meet and greets, parades, fireworks and shows.

Don’t skip rides just because you have done them in the US Disney parks, some of the rides like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, two of my favorites are slightly different and it’s fun to see how they’ve done it differently or reimagined it!

Phantom Manor : Disneyland Paris’ version of The Haunted Mansion

Food: There aren’t as many restaurants as Disney World in Florida but there are lots of options for every taste and price point! You have to call to make dining reservations up to 2 months ahead. Most restaurants open at 11:30 or 12:00, we were hungry at 11:00 and had to wait for places to open.

Stained Glass Window inside the castleView From The CastleWalt Disney Studios Park

Palace of Versailles

Probably one of the most popular day trips from Paris, The Palace of Versailles or Château Versailles in French is such a lovely place to spend a day!

Palace of Versailles

How to get there: You will be taking the RER C train in the direction of Versailles-Rive Gauche. You will have to find the station closest to you to leave from:

The stations in Paris where you can get this train are St. Michel-Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay, Invalides, and Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel.

It will cost €7.10 round trip per adult (October 2017). Don’t lose your return ticket!

Once you get off the train it is a short walk to the palace.

Tickets: There are several different types of tickets available. The Passport gets you access to the whole estate (€20-27 online), the Palace gets you access to the Palace and the gardens if there isn’t a Musical Fountain Show or Musical Garden days (€18 online). Admission is free if you are under 18, an EU resident under 26, disabled or accompanying a disabled person, school children, or teachers in a French establishment with a Pass Education. See here if you qualify for free entrance. Versailles is also included on the Paris Museum Pass

We did not buy tickets ahead of time and spent a while waiting in line to buy tickets, don’t be like us.

Note that the Palace is closed on Mondays

What to do/see: There is so much that it will take you several hours. In the Palace you can see several rooms including The Kings State Apartments, The Queen’s Apartments, and of course The Hall of Mirrors. The Garden’s are beautiful and worth a wander. There is also the Estate of Trianon and the Coach Gallery that we did not tour.

View of the garden from a Palace Window

King’s Bedchamber where King Louis XIV slept and possibly where he died in 1715

Hall of Mirrors

Food: There are several restaurants on property ranging in food style and price. See here for all the options.

Have you done any day trips from Paris?

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We went to London on our honeymoon & we LOVED it. I didn’t think my husband would get on the plane back home. Here is our 5 day itinerary, of course you can take out and add places depending what you want to do!

Day One

This is a full day in London, so if you arrive in the middle of the day you might not be able to fit everything in!

Start with breakfast in your neighborhood and head to the Natural History museum, it opens at 10am and it’s free! I love any natural history museum, we have been to several, especially the dinosaurs. We spent about 3 hours here, and ate lunch in their cafeteria

Lobby of The Natural History Museum

After you’re done with the natural history, a short walk down the road is the Victoria and Albert Museum (also free!) The art was amazing and almost overwhelming. We spent around 2 hours here.

lobby of Victoria and Alberts

A short walk (0.8K or ½ a mile) down the road is Harrods, a luxury department store. It’s worth checking out even if you are window-shopping like we were! The food section had us drooling and we picked up some souvenirs to take home. There are also 27 restaurants if you’re ready for dinner! You could spend as much time as you want here, there are 7 floors!

After dinner I definitely recommend checking out a local pub for a drink.

Day Two

Grab breakfast and take the tube (or taxi, or walk!) to Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery opens at 10am and is free (noticing the trend? Museums are free in London!). After spending some time in Trafalgar square start walking down Whitehall, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant along the way. It is about 1km or 0.7mile to Westminster Abbey.

The National Gallery

Trafalgar Square

One of the highlights of our trip to London, I loved Westminster Abbey! It is £20 if bought in advance or £22 at the door. I recommend buying in advance (or getting the London Pass) to cut down on waiting in line to get in. Be sure to check the opening times for your specific date because the hours change! We spent about an hour and half here.

Walk across the Westminster Bridge, getting the best view at Big Ben along the way. Fun fact: Big Ben is actually the Great Bell of the clock. The tower is called the Elizabeth Tower, which is all part of the Palace of Westminster, the home of the Parliament.

Parliament Building

Right over the bridge you’ll spot the London Eye. If that’s your thing, the price is about £35-40 and it takes about 30 minutes to go around.

We enjoyed the half an hour walk (2.25km or 1.4miles) along the south bank all the way to the Tate Modern Museum (also free!).

Tate Modern Museum

There are lots of places for dinner along the waterfront.

Day 3

Start your day at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. This happens only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and it starts at 10:45. I would get there early to get a good spot to see! The ceremony is about 45 minutes. If your there during the summer Buckingham palace is open to the public, the rest of the year it is closed. We missed it, but a short walk away we toured the Royal Mews (£10). I LOVED seeing all the carriages, we spent about 2 hours here.

Gold State Coach, which was built for George III in 1762. Weighing almost four tonnes and requiring eight horses to pull it, it has carried every monarch to their coronation since 1821.

It’s also worth taking the time to wander the parks surrounding the palace. Especially with a coffee!

Take the tube to the British Museum (free!). I love the architecture of this building! We spent about 2 hours here.

The Rosetta Stone (The British Museum)

If a play is your thing, book a ticket to a show after dinner!

Day 4

Start your day at the Tower of London (£21.50, buy online to save time), probably my favorite place in London! It opens at 10:00am Sunday and Monday, and 9:00am Tuesday through Saturday. Start with the tour from the Yeoman Warder, aka Beefeater! Tours start every 30 minutes and last an hour. There is so much to do here we spent about 4.5 hours walking around exploring. The Crown Jewels were of course a highlight!

Memorial To The Executed

Leaving the Tower it’s a very short walk to the Tower Bridge. Tickets are £8.70 online or £9.80 at the door. You can check out the engine rooms, a museum and the super cool glass floor, which is the walkway between the two towers. Plan to spend about 2 hours here

Tower Bridge

There are plenty of places for dinner close by if you’re ready to eat!

Day 5

Grab a coffee and walk through Hyde park and then head to Kensington Palace, it opens at 10am! Buy your tickets online (£15.50) because there are a limited amount of general admission at the door (£17.00). I loved our visit here. The Kings staircase and King’s State Apartment were a highlight! Right now there is a super popular exhibition of Diana: Her Fashion Story. We spent about 2 hours here.

King’s Staircase

Princess Diana’s Dresses

Take the tube to the Borough Market to walk around and grab lunch! I loved how colorful the market is, and there are lots of treats to try!

A short 10 minute walk will take you to Shakespeare’s globe (£17.00). Tours depart every 30 minutes but be sure to check the schedule in case there is a performance going on! We sadly missed the tour by not checking ahead of time!

End your evening in Piccadilly Circus for dinner and some shopping

Hope this helps you plan your time in London! There are SO many other things to do you can definitely add on quite easily.

What is your favourite thing to do in London?

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Language

• Icelandic is the national language of Iceland, so learning a few word is appreciated! Hello – Halló. (Ha-low) Thanks – Takk (Tahk).
• Most people speak English fairly well.
• Most places have English signs or menus.

Accommodations

• My number one piece of advice on where to stay is in the City Centre! It is so much easier to get around when you can walk to everything you need. If you’re renting a car you may not mind but we liked the convenience of walking to shops and restaurants
• Staying somewhere with a kitchen will help you cut down on the cost of food. Eating out is rather expensive so it’s helpful if you can cook a little for yourself.
• Book early! Iceland has become so popular that when I was last there in 2015 they were building more hotels to accommodate everyone! We booked in June for our October honeymoon and many hotels were sold out already.

Visiting Iceland with Kids? Check out this post!

Getting Around

• The Keflavik Airport is about 45 minutes from Reykjavik. We took a Grayline bus but there is also a Flybus or a taxi, however a taxi is about 15.000Kr or $159.48 Canadian! Both the Grayline and the Flybus are around $35 Canadian.
• Walk! Most things are close together in the city centre.
• Renting a car can be expensive and gas is around 236 kr/litre (September 2019), that’s about  $2.51CAN per litre.
• Public Transportation buses are easy to use, but a single fare is 440kr or about $4.67 Canadian.

Headed to the Blue Lagoon! Check out my Dos and Don’ts list here!

Money

• We went to the bank to exchange Canadian dollars for Icelandic Króna It was no problem. Major credit cards are accepted almost everywhere we went as well.
• You may want to write down or have a currency converter on your phone, as it can be a little confusing. For example right now (September 2019) 1000kr is $10.47 Canadian.

Clothing

• If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes! When we went in October the temperature was around 5-10 degrees Celsius during the day, and a bit cooler at night. It is quite windy so it can feel colder. Definitely check out the average weather for the time of year you will be there.
• Bring waterproof shoes and jacket! It rains a lot.
• Don’t forget mittens and a hat! Or just buy some beautiful Icelandic wool ones when you get there

Need a packing list for Iceland? I got you one right here!

Food

• Prepare yourself for price shock! Restaurant prices are expensive. Alcohol is particularly expensive.
• McDonald’s and Burger King are nowhere on the island!
• Fish is fresh and plentiful.
• Have a hotdog; they are jokingly referred to as the National dish of Iceland. Bæjarins beztu pylsur or in English – The Best Hotdog in Town is delicious and cheap.

Things To Do & See

• Go up the highest building in Reykjavik at the Hallgrímskirkja. The views of the city are unmatched and the church is beautiful. If you’re lucky enough that someone is playing the organ, stay a while and enjoy!
• Harpa Concert Hall on the waterfront is beautiful. You can explore inside as well.
• The Sun Voyager or Sólfar is a sculpture that represents undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom
• The Settlement Exhibition is one of the coolest “museums” I’ve ever been to. Build around a discovered Viking Longhouse you can see the layout of the building and various tools and artefacts that were found.
• The Iceland Phallological museum wins the prize for the weirdest museum I have been to. You just have to go, I mean it’s just too unique to miss.
• Go shopping on Laugavegur Street. Lots of cool places to stop into. Grab a coffee and enjoy!
• Kolaportið flea market is open Saturdays and Sundays for some cool second hand finds and also has a food section.

Related Post: Your Iceland Stopover: The Best Things To Do

Hallgrímskirkja

 View From Hallgrímskirkja

Harpa Concert Hall

The Sun Voyager or  Sólfar

   Settlement Museum

Have you been to Reykjavik? What were your favourite things to do?