Reykjavik on Foot in 1, 3 or 6 Hours
The centre is small enough to cover on foot, so the real question is how long you have. Pick the hour count, then add the matching route. Prices are in ISK, and cards work everywhere.
One hour: harbour promenade
Begin at the Sun Voyager on Sæbraut and follow the paved coastal path west. The route passes Harpa, whose foyers are free to enter from 09:00 to 18:00, and reaches the working piers of the Old Harbour. Whale-watching boats tie up here, and the whole stretch is flat. Go at sunset in summer or on a clear winter afternoon, when the light on Mount Esja across the bay is sharp.
Three hours: the old town loop
This 3.5 km route takes about 2.5 hours. Begin at Austurvöllur square, which is flanked by the Parliament building and the cathedral. Continue past the Tjörnin pond and City Hall, where a relief map of Iceland is free to see. Walk up Skólavörðustígur, lined with design shops and galleries, to Hallgrímskirkja. Look for houses wrapped in painted corrugated iron and for Guðjón Samúelsson’s stonework. The tower tickets are sold in the church shop and cannot be reserved. Check hallgrimskirkja.is for hours.
If a guide sounds better than a map, browse Reykjavik walking tours and compare meeting points and durations.
Six hours: harbour, Grandi and the valley
Start with the 4 km waterfront walk, which takes two to three hours, from the Sun Voyager along the harbour into Grandi. Former fish-packing houses now hold Omnom chocolate, Valdís ice cream and the Grandi Mathöll food hall, a good place for lunch. Then take a bus to Laugardalur, about 3 km east of the centre, for a 1.5 hour loop through the free Botanical Garden and past the old wash-houses, where Reykjavik women washed laundry in hot springs until the 1930s. Strætó runs the city buses, and children aged 11 and under ride free.
Finish in the water
A pool is the traditional end to a long walk, and the city pools are everywhere. Laugardalslaug is at the end of the valley route. Sundhöllin, on Barónsstígur, has rooftop hot tubs and is close to the old town loop. Vesturbæjarlaug is in the west end. Adults pay ISK 1,500, ages 10 to 17 pay ISK 400, and ages 0 to 9 swim free with a guardian. Everyone showers with soap, without swimwear, first. Fees are on the city pools page . The Blue Lagoon is 50 km away and is not a walking-day add-on.
What to wear
Wind is the main enemy. Take a windproof shell, a hat and shoes with grip, since pavements ice over in winter. Daylight shrinks to four or five hours in late December, so start the old town loop at 10:00 and be done before the light fades.
Verdict
With only one hour, walk from the Sun Voyager to Harpa and back. With three, add the old town loop, and with a full day, let the pool decide your finish line. See the sightseeing page to match each stop with its opening hours.