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What to Do in Reykjavík in Bad Weather
Rain, wind or snow doesn't have to mean a wasted day in Reykjavík. From Perlan and the Lava Show to geothermal pools, world-class museums and food experiences — here's how to make the most of a bad-weather day in Iceland's capital.
Introduction
Bad weather in Reykjavík doesn't have to mean a wasted day. The city is packed with museums, immersive attractions, geothermal pools and food experiences that work especially well when rain, wind or snow makes outdoor sightseeing less appealing.
Spend a few hours exploring Iceland's glaciers, volcanoes and northern lights at Perlan, head to Grandi for Lava Show, FlyOver Iceland and Whales of Iceland, or dive into Icelandic history at the National Museum, the Settlement Exhibition or Reykjavík Maritime Museum.
If the weather is only wet and windy, soaking in a local geothermal pool can be one of the most memorable Reykjavík experiences of all. Food tours, cafés, galleries and Harpa Concert Hall are also good options when you want to stay mostly indoors.
If an official severe-weather warning is active, check SafeTravel, the Icelandic Met Office and current attraction opening hours before heading out — museums, pools and public transport may be affected.
Choose Your Bad-Weather Day
No two Reykjavík rainy days are the same. Here are our editorial recommendations by situation:
- Best overall: Perlan — Iceland's most complete indoor experience covering glaciers, volcanoes, northern lights and an ice cave under one roof.
- Best with kids: Perlan, Lava Show or Whales of Iceland — all interactive, all fully indoors.
- Best for history: National Museum of Iceland combined with the Settlement Exhibition — two hours covers a thousand years of Icelandic history.
- Best for a short indoor stop: The Grandi cluster — Whales of Iceland, Lava Show and FlyOver Iceland are within a short walk of each other and easily combined in half a day.
- Best local experience: Geothermal swimming pool — Sundhöll or Laugardalslaug. Rain doesn't stop locals from going, and warm hot tubs make wet weather irrelevant.
- Best for couples: A geothermal spa session or an Icelandic food tasting tour — both work well when the weather rules out scenic hiking.
- Best budget option: Reykjavík City Card — covers 17 museums and 8 geothermal pools plus unlimited city buses. Can pay for itself in a single bad-weather day if you visit two or three included venues.
Rainy Day or Official Weather Warning?
Normal Icelandic bad weather — rain, light wind, overcast skies or even light snow — is an ordinary sightseeing day. Most indoor attractions, museums and geothermal pools operate as normal. An official severe-weather warning (orange or red) is different. During these events, outdoor travel can be dangerous and some venues may close or reduce hours. Before heading out during a warning, check: vedur.is (Icelandic Meteorological Office), safetravel.is, and the individual attraction's website or social media. Do not rely on pre-planned schedules during orange or red warnings. Public transport may also be affected.
Featured Indoor Experiences
These are Reykjavík's strongest purpose-built indoor attractions — each fully weatherproof and each offering something genuinely Icelandic rather than generic tourist fare.
Perlan — Wonders of Iceland Museum
Perlan is the strongest all-round option for a bad-weather day in Reykjavík. The building itself — a glass dome above six hot-water tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill — has become an Reykjavík landmark. Inside: a real indoor ice cave, a northern lights planetarium show, glacier and volcano exhibitions, and panoramic views from the observation deck. A full visit takes 2–4 hours.
The Lava Show — Real Volcanic Lava in Reykjavík
The Lava Show pours real volcanic lava at 1,200°C in front of a live audience — the only show of its kind in the world. Located in the Grandi harbour district. Sessions are short (30–40 minutes) and fully indoors. Worth booking ahead as sessions sell out.
FlyOver Iceland
FlyOver Iceland is a flight simulation that carries visitors over Icelandic landscapes — waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes and the highlands — without leaving Reykjavík. Fully indoors at Grandi. The ride itself lasts around 20 minutes; allow an hour for the full experience including pre-show content.
Whales of Iceland — Europe's Largest Whale Exhibition
Whales of Iceland is Europe's largest whale exhibition, featuring 23 life-size whale models suspended in a dramatic indoor space in Grandi. Good for all ages. Pairs well with Lava Show and FlyOver Iceland if you're spending a half-day in the Grandi area.
Aurora Reykjavík — The Northern Lights Centre
Aurora Reykjavík — The Northern Lights Centre presents the science and photography of the northern lights through immersive displays. A good option if cloudy skies have frustrated your aurora hunting, or if you're visiting in summer when the lights aren't visible. Located in the Grandi district.
Harpan
Harpa Concert Hall on the Reykjavík waterfront is free to enter and worth visiting just to experience the Henning Larsen-designed glass facade from the inside. The building hosts concerts, events and cultural performances year-round — check the programme in advance if you want to combine a visit with a performance.
Spend a Rainy Afternoon at Grandi
Half-day (3–5 hours)Three of Reykjavík's best indoor attractions — Whales of Iceland, Lava Show and FlyOver Iceland — are within easy walking distance of each other in the Grandi harbour district, west of the city centre. A free shuttle operates from central Reykjavík to Grandi (check the current timetable before travelling, as schedules can change). Combining all three makes a natural half-day programme on a bad-weather day, with food and coffee options nearby.
Whales of Iceland
Start at Whales of Iceland to walk through 23 life-size whale models. Allow around an hour. The exhibition is suitable for all ages.
Whales of Iceland — Europe's Largest Whale ExhibitionLava Show
Book your Lava Show session in advance — sessions run at fixed times and sell out. The show itself is 30–40 minutes.
The Lava Show — Real Volcanic Lava in ReykjavíkFlyOver Iceland
FlyOver Iceland is a short walk from Lava Show. The flight simulation experience runs throughout the day — check departure times on arrival.
FlyOver IcelandFood and coffee in Grandi
The Grandi area has several good cafés and restaurants along the harbour. The Reykjavík Street Food hall is a short distance away in the city centre if you prefer more options.
Museums for a Rainy Day
Reykjavík has a strong museum offering for a capital of its size. These are our recommendations for a rainy day, selected by what each suits best rather than trying to cover every option.
National Museum of Iceland
The National Museum of Iceland tells the story of Iceland from the earliest settlers to the present day, with artefacts, textiles, tools and cultural objects spanning over a thousand years. Best for: visitors who want a thorough grounding in Icelandic history and culture. Allow 2–3 hours.
The Settlement Exhibition – Reykjavík 871±2
Built around a Viking-age longhouse excavated in central Reykjavík in 2001, the Settlement Exhibition offers an unusually immediate encounter with Iceland's earliest Norse settlers. Best for: visitors interested in Viking history or archaeology. More focused than the National Museum — allow 1–1.5 hours.
Reykjavík Maritime Museum
Reykjavík Maritime Museum covers Iceland's fishing history and maritime heritage — an often-overlooked but central part of Icelandic life and economy. The museum includes a docked coastguard vessel you can board. Best for: visitors interested in Iceland's fishing culture or less conventional museum experiences.
Hafnarhús – Reykjavík Art Museum
Hafnarhús is one of three Reykjavík Art Museum venues, housed in a converted warehouse at the old harbour. It focuses on contemporary Icelandic and international art and hosts rotating exhibitions. Best for: visitors with an interest in contemporary art or those looking for a shorter museum stop.
Kjarvalsstaðir
Kjarvalsstaðir is the second Reykjavík Art Museum venue, dedicated to the work of Jóhannes Kjarval — Iceland's most celebrated painter, known for his highly individual depictions of the Icelandic landscape. Best for: visitors with an interest in Icelandic art or landscape painting.
Geothermal Pools in the Rain
There's a local saying that you go to the pool regardless of weather. Rain in Reykjavík doesn't stop anyone from swimming — if anything, a warm geothermal hot tub feels particularly good when it's raining overhead. This is not a tourist experience: Reykjavík's public pools are neighbourhood facilities used by locals every day, and the hot-pot culture (sitting in outdoor hot tubs and talking) is one of the most genuinely Icelandic things a visitor can participate in.
Reykjavík's main geothermal pools are open year-round under normal conditions. Entry is inexpensive and changing facilities are included. The Reykjavík City Card includes entry to several city pools.
Recommended Pools
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur
The oldest public pool in Reykjavík, in the heart of the city near Hallgrímskirkja. Sundhöll has both indoor and outdoor pools, and outdoor hot tubs. Easy to reach on foot from most central Reykjavík accommodation.
Laugardalslaug
Reykjavík's largest public pool, in the Laugardalur area east of the city centre. Laugardalslaug has an outdoor 50-metre pool, multiple hot tubs at different temperatures, a waterslide and steam rooms. Reachable by bus. Popular with families.
Vesturbæjarlaug
A popular neighbourhood pool in the west of Reykjavík, a short bus ride from the city centre. Vesturbæjarlaug has outdoor hot tubs and a calm, local atmosphere. Often less busy than Laugardalslaug, making it a good alternative on a rainy weekday.
Important: During an official severe-weather warning, outdoor pool areas and some facilities may close. Check the pool's own website or call before travelling in serious storm conditions.
Food Tours & Cafés
A bad-weather day is a natural opportunity to slow down and eat well. Reykjavík has a strong café culture and a food scene that has evolved significantly — traditional Icelandic cooking alongside modern Nordic cuisine, fish and lamb dishes, skyr-based desserts and some of the best cinnamon buns in the world (snúðurinn).
Reykjavík food walking tours are a practical option when conditions allow short walks between stops. Most tours cover traditional Icelandic tasting dishes, local dairy products, freshly baked goods and fish — giving visitors a genuine sense of what Icelanders actually eat. Check current tour availability and weather conditions before booking an outdoor walking format.
For a quieter indoor alternative, Reykjavík's independent café scene is a reliable rainy-day refuge. The 101 Reykjavík neighbourhood has the highest density of cafés. Reykjavík Street Food at Hafnarstræti 5 is a reliable all-weather option for affordable traditional Icelandic dishes under one roof.
Note: outdoor food tours involve walking between venues. During serious weather warnings, walking between outdoor stops is not advisable. Indoor restaurant visits are the better option in those conditions.
Book a Reykjavík Indoor Experience
Browse current bookable experiences in Reykjavík — indoor attractions, food tours, city sightseeing and immersive shows available directly through GoIceTravel.
4 hoursPrivate City Tour
TripZig ehf.
From
92,243 ISK
1 hour 15 minutesFlóki Whisky Distillery Tour & Tasting in Reykjavík
Eimverk Distillery
From
5,891 ISK
3 hoursIcelandic New Year's Eve Walking Tour
Your Friend in Reykjavik
From
11,990 ISK
3 hoursPrivate Reykjavik LGBTQ+ City Walk
Your Friend in Reykjavik
From
43,090 ISK
4 hoursPrivate Reykjavik City Tour
Icelimo Luxurytravel
From
112,500 ISK
1 hour 30 minutesAurora Reykjavík, The Northern Lights Center of Iceland - Museum Visit
Aurora Reykjavik - The Northern Lights Center
From
4,167 ISK
Reykjavík City Card: Worth It on a Bad-Weather Day?
The Reykjavík City Card is sold by Visit Reykjavík and currently includes entry to 17 museums and attractions, 8 geothermal pools and unlimited city bus travel within Reykjavík.
On a bad-weather day where you plan to visit two or more included museums, plus a geothermal pool in the evening, the card can pay for itself. The National Museum of Iceland, Settlement Exhibition, Reykjavík Maritime Museum, Hafnarhús and Kjarvalsstaðir are all included, as are city pools including Laugardalslaug and Sundhöll Reykjavíkur.
The 24-hour card was priced at 6,100 ISK at the time of writing. Prices change — check the current official price at visitreykjavik.is before purchasing. Note that Perlan, Lava Show, FlyOver Iceland and Whales of Iceland are not currently included in the City Card and are priced separately.
