District · Reykjavík
Old Harbour and HarpaGamla höfnin
Quieter at night than Laugavegur, but open to the wind; tour desks and boat kiosks line the piers.
Key facts
- Suits
- Whale-watching, the concert hall, harbour restaurants
- Room prices
- $$$
- price band of 5
- Sights here
- 2
- Eats here
- 2
What it's like
- Feels:
- Windy, salty and lively with boat kiosks
- Suits:
- Whale-watching, the concert hall, harbour restaurants
- Best time:
- Morning and dusk
- Watch out for:
- Cruise-ship days.
- In short:
- Quieter at night than Laugavegur, but open to the wind; tour desks and boat kiosks line the piers.
About these names
A first visit fits inside a 2 km box: Hallgrímskirkja on the hill to the south-east, Laugavegur and Bankastræti running down from it, Austurvöllur and the old centre in the middle, and the Old Harbour and Harpa on the north-west shore. The Sun Voyager sits on the north shore path east of the centre. Anything further (Perlan, Laugardalur pools, Grandi, Höfði) is a bus or taxi ride.
Where exactly
This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Old Harbour and HarpaGamla höfnin
sleepseeeatPrice $$$
Quieter at night than Laugavegur, but open to the wind; tour desks and boat kiosks line the piers.
Suits: Whale-watching, the concert hall, harbour restaurants
On the map: Harpa, Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)
District guideWalk: Harpa & Old HarbourSleep: Old HarbourIn the districts table
Off the map: Keflavík International Airport (KEF) (50–75 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Tjörnin and the old west side, Vesturbær and the Grandi harbour, Perlan and Öskjuhlíð, Laugardalur. See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Downtown 101 and Laugavegur (Miðborgin): The main shopping street and the densest choice of cafés, bars and restaurants; noisy on Friday and Saturday nights. Suits: First visit, shops, cafés, nightlife. Price band $$$.
- Hallgrímskirkja and Skólavörðustígur (Skólavörðuholt): A short climb from Laugavegur; windy at the top, quiet in the side streets. Suits: The church tower, small shops, cafés, the oldest pool.
- Old Harbour and Harpa (Gamla höfnin): Quieter at night than Laugavegur, but open to the wind; tour desks and boat kiosks line the piers. Suits: Whale-watching, the concert hall, harbour restaurants. Price band $$$.
- Sólfar and Hverfisgata (Sæbraut): The Sun Voyager on the shore path; Hverfisgata behind it has cafés and small galleries. Suits: A shore walk and a coffee stop.
- Tjörnin and the old west side (Tjörnin): A small city lake with birds; a flat, calm loop of about 30 minutes. Suits: A pond walk, the City Hall, the National Gallery.
- Vesturbær and the Grandi harbour (Vesturbær): A residential quarter west of the centre with the Vesturbæjarlaug pool; Grandi has cafés and the whale museum. Suits: Longer stays, a local pool, food halls.
- Perlan and Öskjuhlíð (Perlan): A bus or taxi ride south of the centre; the dome sits on hot-water tanks. Suits: A dome with a view, a museum, forest paths.
- Laugardalur (Laugardalur): East of the centre; the pool complex is the largest in the city. Suits: The main swimming complex, the botanic garden and the family zoo.
- Sleep area Downtown 101: suits First visit, shops, cafés, nightlife, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Old Harbour: suits Whale-watching, the concert hall, harbour restaurants, price band $$$.
- Keflavík International Airport (KEF), 50–75 min by the usual route.
Stay here?
How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Reykjavík districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.
First visit
2nd of 2
Harpa and the piers on the doorstep; the church is a 20-minute walk.
Better for this: Downtown 101 and Laugavegur
Families
best of 2
Flat and near the whale-watching piers.
Light sleepers
best of 2
Quieter than Laugavegur at night.
Night owls
2nd of 2
Harbour restaurants; Laugavegur is 10 minutes on foot.
Better for this: Downtown 101 and Laugavegur
On a budget
best of 2
Mid-range and upmarket hotels.
See
Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.
- HarpaGo
Concert hall with a glass foyer: free to enter, warm, with toilets and a café; use it as the wet-day stop and check the concert schedule if you want a ticket.
- Hours:
- Public foyer hours change by season and events; check the official page.(check)
- Entry:
- Free
The working harbour, where whale-watching and puffin boats leave: 30–45 minutes on the piers, a boat trip on top, and a warm café on the way back.
- Hours:
- Open air; boat trips follow the operators' timetables.(check)
- Entry:
- Free
Eat
What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.
- Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Well-known hot-dog stand near the harbour: a fast, cheap bite; order 'with everything' and eat standing.
Order: Pylsa (pylsur): Ask for ‘eina með öllu’ (one with everything).
Price: Locals pay the same posted price, about ISK 700–1,100 a hot dog (2026 estimate).
- Old Harbour fish and soup counters
Fish and lamb soup counters near the Old Harbour: a warm, quick lunch before or after a boat trip; confirm the counter is open and read the price board first.
Order: Fiskisúpa: Say ‘fiskisúpa, takk’.
Price: A soup is about ISK 2,800–4,500 (≈ US$25–40) (2026 estimate).
Sleep
- Old Harbour$$$
Quieter by the water: a hotel near the Old Harbour with a 24h desk; close to Harpa and the whale-watching piers, a 10-minute walk to Laugavegur.
Rooms: ISK 30,000–60,000 (≈ US$250–500) per room per night (mid-range) (check)
Pick this if: Whale-watching, quiet evenings, Harpa concerts
Skip this if: You want cafés and bars at the door
3–6 min walk to Harpa & Old Harbour · 9–13 min walk to Laugavegur & Austurvöllur
Getting there and around
Where to get off
- Walk to the main entrance on Austurbakki · for Harpa
- Old Harbour, north of Geirsgata and Tryggvagata · for Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)
- Tryggvagata, near the harbour · 4 min walk to Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
- Old Harbour quays, near the tour kiosks · 2 min walk to Old Harbour fish and soup counters
Walks inside the district
- Harpa concert hall → Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur: 3–5 min on foot (Walk south to Tryggvagata)
- Old Harbour piers → Old Harbour fish and soup counters: 2–3 min on foot (Walk along the quay)
- Harpa concert hall → Old Harbour fish and soup counters: 6–9 min on foot (Walk west along the quay)
On to the next area
- Walk south: about 8 min to Laugavegur & Austurvöllur
- Walk east along the shore: about 12 min to Sólfar & Hverfisgata
From other sleep areas
- From Downtown 101: 8–12 min walk to Harpa & Old Harbour
Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.
Walking loop
A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.
About 86 min in all: 16 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 4 stops, back to where you started.
- HarpaStart here · stop about 20 min
- Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)5 min walk (estimate) · stop about 20 min
- Old Harbour fish and soup counters2 min walk · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
- Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur6 min walk (estimate) · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
- Back to Harpa: 3 min walk
Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.
Half-day walk
In the day plans: Day 3 — Austurvöllur and the Old Harbour, car to Keflavík at 11:00 (Reykjavík in 3 days)
Photo and sunset spots
Light: Golden hour
Stay behind barriers in wind.
Old Harbour boats and mountains
Light: Blue hour
Wind is strong at the water; hold your phone tight.
Safety at night and noise
Old Harbour and Harpaday: oknight: ok
Wind and waves on the piers; stay behind barriers in storms.
Quiet nights
Quieter than Laugavegur at night.
Nightlife
Harbour restaurants; Laugavegur is 10 minutes on foot.
Late arrival
24-hour desks at hotels; taxis are easy at the rank.
Nearby districts
Built from this guide’s Reykjavík districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.