ICELAND

BORGARNES
Sights & Sites
●Barnafossar & Hraunfossar Waterfalls.



BREITHDALSVIK
Hotels
●Hótel Bláfell – 14 Sólvellir; 011-354-475-6770; hotelblafell.is; small, romantic, country hotel.



BUDIR
Hotels
●Hotel Budir – 011-354-435-6700; budir.is; country house in seaside spot, flanked by extinct volcano, glacier, and boulder-strewn lava field, only 2 buildings stand beside water: 19th Century church and Hotel Budir, 28-room property with 2 bright, white wings joined by gleaming wood & glass structure that surprisingly fits in with scenery.

Restaurants
●Hotel Budir – 011-354-435-6700; budir.is; hotel’s restaurant pioneered modern Icelandic cuisine; be brave and try stingray in Cognac sauce or reindeer with pears; view of volcano on which Jules Verne based Journey to Center of Earth.



GARDABAER
Sights & Sites
●Icelandic Institute of Natural History – 6-8, 210 Urrithaholtsstraeti; 011-354-5-900-500; en.ni.is; not open to public for exhibits but interesting architecture.
●Museum Of Design & Applied Art – 1 Gardatorg; 011-354-512-1525; honnunarsafn.is/en; Icelandic crafts & design from 1900 to present day.



GRINDAVIK
Hotels
●Blue Lagoon – 240 Grindavik; 011-354-420-8800; bluelagoon.com; spa hotel.
●Northern Light Inn – Grindavikurvegur, 1 Blue Lagoon Road; 011-354-426-8650; nli.is; wonderful place to watch aurora borealis.

Sights & Sites
●Blue Lagoon – 240 Grindavik; 011-354-420-8800; bluelagoon.com; geothermal spa among Iceland’s most visited attractions; $40 entrance fee; steamy waters are lava formation component; approximately 20 miles from Reykjavík.



GRUNDARFJOROUR
Sights & Sites
●Kirkjufell Mountain – west.is/en/west/place/kirkjufell-mountain; best aurora-viewing in Iceland; go late August to early April.



HAUKADALUR
Hotels
●Hotel Geysir – Golden Circle; 011-354-480-6800; geysircenter.is.

Sights & Sites
●Geysir – Golden Circle; 011-354-898-0355; nat.is/travelguideeng/plofin_geysir.htm; most famous & former largest spouting hot spring in world; created during extended earthquake period in 13^th Century.



HELLA
Hotels
●Hotel Ranga – Sudurlansvegur; 011-354-487-5700; hotelranga.is; popular with Nordic nobility; 44 doubles and 7 suites (themed after continents, e.g., Antarctica is black-and-white study); good for Northern Lights viewing.

Restaurants
●Restaurant 4 – Sudurlansvegur (at Hotel Ranga); 011-354-487-5700; hotelranga.is; local food, like Ranga River salmon.



HOFN I HORNAFJORTHUR
Restaurants
●Pakkhus – 3 Krosseyjarvegi (harborside); 011-354-478-2280; pakkhus.is; restaurant on harbor; highly regarded.



JOKULSARLON LAGOON
Services
●Glacier Lagoon Tours – next to Icelagoon Cafe; 011-354-478-2222; jokulsarlon.is.



REYKJAVIK (includes Kópavogur)
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
●Kaffe Kofinn – 2 Laugavegur; 011-354-551-1855; reykjaviknightlife.is/Cat/Bars/Kofinn; everything from cocktails to coffee to sandwiches to sushi.
●Te & Kaffi Laugavegur – 11 Laugavegur; 011-354-552-6260; teogkaffi.is.
●Laundromat Cafe – 9 Austurstraeti Street; 011-354-587-7555; thelaundromatcafe.com; polished wooden bar lined with used novels; downstairs is actual laundrymat, where can have espresso.

Bars & Nightclubs
●Boston – 28b Laugavegur; 011-354-517-7816; main room, through barely marked entrance and up narrow staircase, is part Victorian bordello, part hunting lodge, with both candles and taxidermy among its adornments; primarily beer; open late.
●Faktory – 6 Smiðjustíg; 011-345-551-4499; faktory.is; high-wattage nightclub.
●Kaffe Kofinn – 2 Laugavegur; 011-354-551-1855; reykjaviknightlife.is/Cat/Bars/Kofinn; everything from cocktails to coffee to sandwiches to sushi.
●Kaffibarinn – 10 Miðbær; 011-354-551-1588; kaffibarinn.is; some celebrity cachet (Björk stops in, scenes from cult film 101 Reykjavík shot here, and Britpop entrepreneur Damon Albarn owns share); DJs spin Wednesday-Saturday, but you can converse upstairs.
●Laundromat Cafe – 9 Austurstraeti Street; 011-354-587-7555; thelaundromatcafe.com; polished wooden bar lined with used novels; downstairs is actual laundrymat, where can have espresso.
●Olstofan – 4 Vegamotastigur; 011-354-552-4687; mod and stylish; popular with local intellectuals.
●101 Bar – 10 Hverfisgata (at 101 Hotel); 011-354-580-0101; 101hotel.is; among Iceland’s best cocktails; all-white, torpedo-shaped bar with leather chairs and fireplace.
●Prikid – 12 Bankastraeti; 011-354-551-3366; prikid.is; bar restaurant; notable for “hangover killer“ breakfast.

Hotels
●Apótek Hotel – 16 Austurstræti; 011-354-512-9000; keahotels.is/en/hotels/apotek-hotel; upscale; boutique hotel in 1917 building by former state architect Gudjón Samúelsson; brightly decorated rooms include free WiFi & flat-screen TV; each room has tiled bathroom with shower, hairdryer & free toiletries; in-house restaurant & bar; Hallgrímskirkja Church is 10-minute walk away & Reykjavík Harbor is 650 meters away; guests have access to in-house spa & gym at next door Hotel Borg for additional 15 EUR fee.
●Hotel Borg – Pósthússtræti; 011-354-551-1440; keahotels.is/en/hotels/hotel-borg; luxe hotel in landmark Art Deco building; rooms with custom-made furniture feature free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minibars & tea & coffeemakers; multi-level suite with panoramic city views & bathroom with heated floors.
●101 Hotel – 10 Hverfisgata; 011-354-580-0101; 101hotel.is; described as Iceland’s answer to Dazed & Confused, all artsy hipsters.

Restaurants
●Baejarins Beztu Pylsur – 1 Tryggvatagata; 011-354-511-1566; bbp.is; best hotdogs, maybe on planet.
●Dill – 5 Sturlugotu; 011-354-552-1522; in “Nordic House” (designed by Alvar Aalto), which is also exhibition space, library, and museum; Dill serves as museum’s cafeteria; experimental kitchen’s output described as “poetry”; only 10 tables.
●Fish Company – 2A Vesturgotu; 011-354-552-5300; fishcompany.is; International menu that is locally sourced.
●Fish Market – 12 Adalstraeti; 011-354-578-8877; fiskmarkadurinn.is; Asian-inspired seafood.
●Kaffe Kofinn – 2 Laugavegur; 011-354-551-1855; reykjaviknightlife.is/Cat/Bars/Kofinn; everything from cocktails to coffee to sandwiches to sushi.
●Kaffismidja Islands – 1 Karastigur; 011-354-517-5535; kaffismidja.is.
●Laundromat Cafe – 9 Austurstraeti Street; 011-354-587-7555; thelaundromatcafe.com; polished wooden bar lined with used novels; downstairs is actual laundrymat, where can have espresso.
●Naestu Grosum – 20b Laugavegur; 011-354-552-8410; anaestugrosum.is; 1^st-rate vegetarian restaurant; in cheerful orange room overlooking Laugavegur; several daily specials; Friday and Saturday are Indian nights.
●Nautholl Bistro – 106 Nautholsvegir; 011-354-599-6660; nautholl.is; modern; try langoustine chowder.
●Noodle Station – 21a Skolavordustigur; 011-354-551-3199; Thai with emphasis on noodle soup.
●Prikid – 12 Bankastraeti; 011-354-551-3366; prikid.is; bar restaurant; notable for “hangover killer“ breakfast.
●Saegreiffin – 8 Geirsgotu; 011-354-553-1500; saegreifinn.is; name means “Sea Baron”; on harbor in “rustic shack”; go for lobster soup; moderately expensive.
●Silfur – 11 Posthusstraeti; 011-354-578-2008; silfur.is; Icelandic exotic meats (puffin, reindeer).
●Sjavarkjallarinn – Athalstraeti 2; 011-354-511-1212; name means “Seafood Cellar”; reservations strongly recommended; Asian-influenced restaurant in city’s oldest cellar; “exotic” menu features anything from kangaroo to salted cod with chili; atmosphere is sophisticated but casual.
Shopping
●Fru Lauga – 20 Langalaekur; 011-354-693-7165; frulauga.is; gourmet food shop.
●Geysir – 7 Skólavörðustígur; 011-354-519-6000 ; geysir.com; attractive knit clothes for men & women.
●Hrím Hönnunarhús – 25 Laugavegur; 011-354-553-3003; hrim.is; home goods.
●Kraum – 7a Bankastræti (basement); 011-354-517-7797; kraum.is/is/english; highend design shop; clothing, glassware & jewelry.
●Kron – 48 Laugavegur; 011-354-552-3485; kron.is or kronkron.com; shoes.
●KronKron – 63B Laugavegur; 011-354-562-8388; kron.is or kronkron.com; high-end women’s wear; large boutique combines upstart designer crop with established names like Vivienne Westwood and Fred Perry.
●Olgerdin – 7 Grijothalsi; 011-354-412-8000; olgerdin.is; mammoth brewery built in 1913, before beer prohibition (which lasted until 1989), made non-alcoholic malt extract drink; now microbrewery.
Sights & Sites
●Golden Circle – runs from 30 miles to 78 miles northeast of Reykjavik (from Thingvellir to Gullfoss); route neither circular nor golden but is country’s most popular day tour; regardless of minor variations, must include 3 major sights, namely, Thingvellir (where 1^st Icelandic parliament convened in 930), Geysir, geothermal hotspot for which all geysers named, and Gullfoss, majestic waterfall; other sights often incorporated into route include Nesjavellir power plant, Kerid crater, and Skalholt, once south Iceland’s most dominant settlement.
●Grótta Island Lighthouse – Grótta Island (Seltjarnarnes); 011-354-595-9100; embark.org/iceland/reykjavik/adventures/grotta-lighthouse; for aurora viewing (late August to early April is best).
●Harpa-Reykjavik Concert Hall & Conference Centre – Austurstraeti 17; 011-354-569-6700; harpa.is/en; opera and symphony house with stunning glass façade.
●Hveragerdi – Ring Road 1; surrounding area is Hengill central volcano part; geothermally active area experiences very frequent (usually minor) earthquakes; town known for greenhouses heated by volcanic hot springs; infrequently erupting geyser, Gryla, at Olfusdalur valley entrance; borehole Leppaludi on way to Gufudalur valley erupts continuously; close to church is Sandholshver hot spring, formed during violent 1896 south Iceland earthquake; fenced-off geothermal area has numerous hot springs and fumaroles; to south is Thorlakshofn, small departure port for ferry to Westman Islands.
●Natural History Museum – 6 Hamraborg (Kópavogur); 011-354-441-7200; nmsi.is/english; .
●Seljalandsfoss – Road 249 (about 15 miles west of Skogafoss, on southern ring road to Vik); pretty waterfall.
●Skaftafell National Park – Route 1 (Öræfi); 011-354-470-8300; vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/english; waterfalls in volcanic setting.
●Sundhollin Swimming Pool – 16 Baronsstigur; 011-354-551-4059; Reykjavik’s oldest swimming pool (with definite "municipal baths" feel to it); city’s only indoor pool.
●Vik – 300 person settlement notable for picturesque nature on black sand beach.



SEYDISFJORDUR
Hotels
●Hotel Aldan – 2 Nordurgata; 011-354-472-1277; hotelaldan.com.



SKÁLHOLT
Hotels
●5 Million Star Hotel – 2 Hrosshagi; buubble.com; watch Northern Lights from inside bubble.



THORSMORK
Sights & Sites
●Seljalandsfoss – Ring Road; 011-354-483-4601; infoiceland.is/seljalandsfoss.html; beautiful waterfall.



TROLL PENINSULA
Hotels
●Deplar Farm – Fljot Valley; 970-349-7761; elevenexperience.com/experiences/hideouts/deplar-farm/step-inside; 12-room lodge, 90-minute drive along coastal road from Akureyri; spa, Hobbit-house sauna (covered in turf) & heated outdoor pool with bar where guests mingle in bathrobes; 3K acres amid heli-skiing terrain; in April & May snow not mush; bespoke pursuits include going by helicopter to fly-fish for Arctic char or skiing to private après lodge at neighboring farmstead.



VESTMANNAEYJAR ISLANDS
General
●Island Information – vestmannaeyjar.is/en.



VIK I MYRDAL
Hotels
●Hótel Dyrhólaey – 1 Brekkum; 011-354-487-1333; dyrholaey.is; for Northern Lights viewing.