The National Gallery of Iceland

Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland, is a truly unique destination that beautifully blends natural wonders with modern urban life. Despite being one of the smallest capital cities in the world, Reykjavík offers a rich cultural experience, stunning landscapes, and a calm yet vibrant atmosphere. The city is exceptionally clean, safe, and well-organized. Colorful houses, modern architecture, and landmarks such as Hallgrímskirkja Church and Harpa Concert Hall give Reykjavík a distinctive charm. The city’s waterfront views are breathtaking, especially during sunrise and sunset, making it a perfect place for photography and peaceful walks. Reykjavík is also a gateway to Iceland’s natural beauty. From here, visitors can easily access famous attractions like the Golden Circle, geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, and volcanic landscapes. The experience of soaking in geothermal hot springs, especially the Blue Lagoon, is unforgettable and truly relaxing. The local people are friendly, welcoming, and proud of their culture. Reykjavík’s food scene is impressive, offering fresh seafood, traditional Icelandic dishes, and international cuisine. Cafés and restaurants maintain high standards of quality and hygiene. Overall, Reykjavík is an ideal destination for travelers who love nature, culture, and tranquility. It is a city that leaves a lasting impression and offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking adventure, beauty, and peace in one place.

Free to visit with a ticket to Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús this is a smaller shootoff mostly focused on visual art. Approximately 10 minutes walk through a nice area those interested in such may want to take a quick look, though by itself the price would be excessive.

Small museum that houses a few changing exhibitions - the permanent collection is at the other location. The three exhibitions we saw we're all Icelandic / arctic themed and were very well presented. As a couple that often travels to see art exhibitions we were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety. Definitely worth a few hours.

Extremely small exhibit, but with the same ticket you can go to House of Collections which has much more to see.

The National Gallery of Iceland is an art museum which is shared across two locations. This is the main gallery located in the early 20th-century ice house building along Fríkirkjuvegur street facing Tjörnin Lake. The second location, makes use of the Culture House (also referred to as the House of Collections), early 20th-century library on Hverfisgata street just a few minutes walk from here. Opening hours are 10am to 5pm daily while entry ticket (2400kr for adults, 1200kr students) provides access to both locations as well. We visited both the National Gallery of Iceland and the House of Collections during a recent visit to Iceland. Both focus on 19th and 20th century artworks by Icelandic artists which are spaced out across several floors within the two museums. The House of Culture location contains a much larger collection. We found the exhibitions at both museums interesting and worth visiting for art lovers who plan to spend time sightseeing around Reykjavik.

Whether you are an art enthusiast or not, visiting an art gallery when you find yourself in another country is part of the cultural exploration. I visited the National Galery of Iceland a few days ago. The gallery had 3 different exhibitions of modern art, and I was able to view all exhibits and read about the artists in less than an hour. As I am not an art critic, I cannot comment on the exhibits, but on the overall experience: it was fine, but I would expect more. With this being the national gallery, I would expect to see some sections with permanent collections and some temporary ones - to be fair, both aforementioned categories existed but with limited exhibits. There is also a cafeteria and a small area for kids to draw together with the cloakroom. Nevertheless, if you buy a city card, I would suggest putting this as part of your places to visit within the 24/48-hour window available.

Quite small exhibit, but it is a great one nonetheless. Highly would recommend popping in and looking around if you have the time and like paintings and history.

The gallery is quite interesting and I liked the building itself, but there is not so much to see and even stopping to read a lot of the information on each artist we took just around an hour. There is a floor for abstract modern art which I really couldn’t believe some of the pieces. I guess each to their own taste. We had bought the Reykjavík City Card which is great value and allows visits to multiple museum, public transport bus and access to swimming pools. I would highly recommend purchase as it has paid back after visiting two galleries more or less. Valid for 24 hours from time of your first visit.