ICELAND
Iceland's classics.
The 10 most popular museums in Iceland right now, with what each one includes, who runs it and what you can expect to pay.
Perlan Museum in Reykjavik packs an indoor ice cave, volcano show, and an 8K northern lights planetarium into one 2-hour ticket.
“Exceptional shows and exhibits. Very informative and views from platform were superb. Highly recommend trip for all.”
Reykjavík hop-on hop-off bus plus Perlan Museum entry. Choose your stops, ride to 360 views, and explore an ice cave.
“The bus driver on our 1st leg was in a real hurry, he went through a few red lights. The recording used for headset was choppy at times.”
Whales of Iceland in Reykjavík shows life-size models of 23 whale species, interactive exhibits, Fin Whale Theatre films, and a multilingual audio guide.
“My son really enjoyed this museum; he said it was his favorite. We learned so much and were amazed at how big the whales were. Kids get to answer questions about what they are learning and at the end get a certificate.”
Skip the line for the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavík, with an audio guide and Viking to modern history exhibits. $20.
“Very informative, wonderful pieces of old Icelandic relics on show”
Aurora Reykjavík in Reykjavik teaches the northern lights with films, a 7-meter screen, 360° VR, and hands-on photo tips in about 1 hour.
“If you’re visiting Iceland in summer, you won’t have an opportunity to catch them in nature, but you will see them here without any weather concerns. The museum is small but it packs in a lot of history and facts about the northern lights from mythology to science facts. You can listen as you go…”
Lava Centre in Vik is a hands-on volcano and earthquake exhibition with films, simulators, and rooftop views, great for families.
“Great museum! Quite interactive- had vibrating plates to simulate different movements in the earth and a big wheel to turn that took you through the history of the formation of Iceland. Amazing views from the roof where you can see all the volcanoes (which is all mapped out very simply which was helpful). The film…”
Visit four of Ægissíða’s ancient man-made caves near Vik, with a small English-group tour, included entry, and underground history in about 75 minutes.
“Very interesting tour. They are ancient man made caves. Make reservations. Small tour. They Spoke English. Learned a lot.”
Skip the line to Reykjavik’s Phallological Museum with 300 phallus specimens, then enjoy penis-themed waffles and beer at the Phallus Café.
Whale watching from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor in Faxaflói Bay, plus the Whales of Iceland Exhibition with life-size models and VR.
“Very good guide (Lucas), and we saw many humpback whales (and minky whales) :)”
Visit Saga Museum in Reykjavik for a self-paced audio tour, lifelike Viking dioramas, and a chance to dress up, 1–2 hours.
“Very well done. The history comes alive with the well made figures and the scenes they are set in. We really enjoyed it. The staff was very kind and helpful.”
