Reykjavík Walking Tour: Walk with a Viking

Meet your guide outside Hlöllabátar at Ingólfstorg 1, facing Ingólfstorg square and the two tall stone pillars, 5 minutes before the start. The walk covers about 3 km in around 2 hours, with plenty of stops.

Reykjavík's story starts here, near where the first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson, is said to have built his farm in the 870s. Your guide sets the scene for the rest of the walk, from the first Viking settlers to the city of today.

Austurvöllur is the city's main square, where locals sit out on sunny days and protests have been held. Alþingi, Iceland's parliament, is one of the oldest in the world, founded at Þingvellir in 930.

Tjörnin, 'the pond', sits at the heart of Reykjavík, bordered by City Hall, the National Gallery and rows of brightly painted old houses. It is very shallow, about 57 centimetres deep on average, which is part of why it attracts 40 to 50 species of water birds and why it freezes over for skating in a cold snap. It is free to visit and never closes.

Fishing built modern Reykjavík, and the harbour is still busy with boats. Next to it is Harpa, the concert hall, with a honeycomb glass facade inspired by basalt columns. You have about 25 minutes here, and there are toilets inside Harpa.

Laugavegur is the main shopping street in downtown Reykjavík and one of the oldest in the city. The name means roughly 'the Water Road', after the route people once took carrying laundry out to the hot pools to wash it. Today it is lined with Icelandic wool and design shops, vintage clothing stores, bookshops, cafés, restaurants and bars. It runs a little over 1.6 kilometres, and the shops are mostly west of Hlemmur. The main street for shops, cafés and bars, and a good place to note down your guide's food tips for later.

Hallgrímskirkja, at 74.5 metres the tallest church in Iceland, stands on Skólavörðuholt hill and dominates the Reykjavík skyline. Architect Guðjón Samúelsson designed the ribbed façade to echo the columnar basalt found around Iceland. Building began in 1945 and finished in 1986. The church is free to enter, and the tower, which has an entry fee, gives the best view over the city.

The walk ends back near the starting point in downtown Reykjavík. Your guide is happy to recommend places to eat and drink nearby, and a few local spots most visitors miss.