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.
“A very short but thoroughly enjoyable Museum. The atmosphere is very peaceful and chill. The exhibits are breathtaking. And there is a coffee shop at the end :)”
Skip the line for the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavík, with an audio guide and Viking to modern history exhibits. $20.
“I will show the photos i’ve taken in this museum to my future generations.”
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.
“My solo traveling experience at Reykjavik’s Northern Lights Museum was fantastic. Self tour guide was great. Very informative information provided about northern lights from its history to discovery and how they are formed etc. Virtual reality experience was okay could have been bigger in room space instead of sitting down better to stand up to…”
Lava Centre in Vik is a hands-on volcano and earthquake exhibition with films, simulators, and rooftop views, great for families.
“The lava centre offers two options. A 20 min film and and exhibit. Both helped us understand Icelandic volcanos better. The exhibit is an interactive walk thru. Go early while it is still quiet because once it’s busy having to wait in line to see each part would be frustrating.”
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.
“Well worth the drive out from Rekyavik. Even better if you're driving the golden circle and book this just before you head out to the first stop. Bundle up because it's super chilly out at this site.”
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.
“Our Tour Guide Oskar did a really great job at finding minky whales, explaining everything to us and entertaining us. Highly recommend this tour. Afterwards we went to the whale museum where you can see whales (models) up close and get an impression how large they really are and learn a lot of interesting facts…”
Visit Saga Museum in Reykjavik for a self-paced audio tour, lifelike Viking dioramas, and a chance to dress up, 1–2 hours.
“Great way to learn more about the history of the Vikings. The figurines were life-like! Hats off to the curators!”
