In July and August 2024, Jill and I journeyed through Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice. We spent two days in Reykjavik and then sailed around the island on a 7-day cruise aboard the Windstar Star Pride. Iceland, a bucket list cruise, was everything we had hoped for and more!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our adventure.
This story, part of a series, is about our guided walking tour through the historic center of Reykjavik.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our adventure.
This story, part of a series, is about our guided walking tour through the historic center of Reykjavik.
Jill and me on Skólavörðustígur
Reykjavik, Iceland (July 31, 2024) Jill and I have travelled overseas many times together, and every time—and I mean every time—we must take a red eye flight from a way point in the States to reach our overseas destination. And so it was on this trip, when we left the States last evening—Jill from Seattle, me from Chicago—and arrived in Reykjavik early this morning, with no more than 30 minutes of sleep on our overnight flights.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: To more quickly acclimate to the local time zone—Iceland was a seven-hour jump forward from our home state, Arizona—we had to hit the ground running and stay busy throughout the day. It has worked every time.
And so, to keep busy this day, we booked two excursions—one in the afternoon, one in the evening. This story is about our afternoon excursion, Walk with a Viking.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: To more quickly acclimate to the local time zone—Iceland was a seven-hour jump forward from our home state, Arizona—we had to hit the ground running and stay busy throughout the day. It has worked every time.
And so, to keep busy this day, we booked two excursions—one in the afternoon, one in the evening. This story is about our afternoon excursion, Walk with a Viking.
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Delve into Viking history and heritage in the Icelandic capital on this Reykjavik small group walking tour. Follow your guide through the streets and parks of Reykjavik, and gain insight into the city’s strong Viking influences. Discover top city attractions, including the Harpa Concert Hall and Hallgrímskirkja Church.
~ Viator.com
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Our two-hour tour was guided by Helgi, an affable guy and fount of knowledge. And although he looked Nordic, I’d bet dollars to donuts he wasn’t a Viking!
I’ll get to our tour in just a bit, but first…
I’ll get to our tour in just a bit, but first…
After we cleared customs and collected our bags, we headed to Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel—‘1919’ because this was the year the original hotel was built. Located in the heart of Reykjavik, it proved to be a great choice—near the meeting points for our excursions and within easy walking distance of the port from which the Star Pride sailed.
And get this: Our room was ready when we arrived late morning—almost unheard of, in my experience—which meant we could freshen up after our all-night flights.
“Hungry?” I asked Jill soon after we got to the room.
“Famished!” she replied.
Jill asked the young man at the front desk—his name was Christopher, and while I was certain he was in his 20s, he didn’t look a day older than 16—where we might grab lunch before our tour. He recommended Fjallkonan—in English, the ‘Lady of the Mountain,’ who is the female personification of Iceland. (I’ll have more to say about her in my story on Isafjordur, so stay tuned!). This newer restaurant—it opened in 2019—was just down the block from Radisson Blu.
And get this: Our room was ready when we arrived late morning—almost unheard of, in my experience—which meant we could freshen up after our all-night flights.
“Hungry?” I asked Jill soon after we got to the room.
“Famished!” she replied.
Jill asked the young man at the front desk—his name was Christopher, and while I was certain he was in his 20s, he didn’t look a day older than 16—where we might grab lunch before our tour. He recommended Fjallkonan—in English, the ‘Lady of the Mountain,’ who is the female personification of Iceland. (I’ll have more to say about her in my story on Isafjordur, so stay tuned!). This newer restaurant—it opened in 2019—was just down the block from Radisson Blu.
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As you can see from my attire—t-shirt, shirt, and windbreaker—the weather was relatively mild: The ambient temperature was 59 degrees, the sky was partly sunny, and there was a steady, comfortable breeze from the southeast. In other words, the weather was typical of a midsummer day in Reykjavik.
Our waiter, Alexander, left two menus when he seated us at a table by the window—one was a set menu, the other a full menu. Jill and I perused the set menu, which included four starters, three entrees, and three desserts priced at 4,900 krona (about $35) for two courses and 5,990 krona (about $43) for three courses. |
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As an aside, I found the prices for food and beverages to be a bit on the high side everywhere in Iceland we traveled—especially alcohol. Here’s an example: I paid about $14 for this beer, which was maybe 12 ounces. Why? Because Iceland has a state monopoly on alcohol sales, and it imposes one of the highest alcohol taxes in Europe. Our tour guide in Isafjordur, who works part time in a state-owned liquor store, said, “The state tax is 70%.”
Now, back to lunch… |
“Everything sounds delicious,” I said to Jill. “What caught your eye?”
“I’m torn between fish and lamb, as both are mainstays of Icelandic cuisine,” she replied.
“Not me—it’s fish all the way for my first meal in Iceland! And since I’ve never had whale—and you know I’m an adventurous eater—I’ll order minke whale as my starter and the pan-fried halibut as my main.”
“Great choices!” Jill said. “I’ll also order the halibut, but I’ll start with Arctic char.” And then she added with a sigh, “I guess lamb will have to wait.”
She didn’t wait long, though, as we both had a taste of lamb on our Foodie Tour this evening.
“I’m torn between fish and lamb, as both are mainstays of Icelandic cuisine,” she replied.
“Not me—it’s fish all the way for my first meal in Iceland! And since I’ve never had whale—and you know I’m an adventurous eater—I’ll order minke whale as my starter and the pan-fried halibut as my main.”
“Great choices!” Jill said. “I’ll also order the halibut, but I’ll start with Arctic char.” And then she added with a sigh, “I guess lamb will have to wait.”
She didn’t wait long, though, as we both had a taste of lamb on our Foodie Tour this evening.
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For 15 minutes or so, we watched mostly fellow tourists walk this way and that past our window, and then Alexander set our starter plates in front of us.
I wish I had a photo of the Arctic char to share with you…but I don’t. I do, though, have this pic of my charred minke whale—six or seven thin slices served atop a celeriac puree. It was love at first bite—a bit gamey but with a melt-in-my-mouth texture and taste! I’d rate it right up there with the best cuts of beef I’ve ever had. |
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“I can tell by your face you’re enjoying the whale,” Jill said.
I smiled as I took a second bite, which I chewed slowly. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say a word until I finished, and then…
I smiled as I took a second bite, which I chewed slowly. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say a word until I finished, and then…
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“That was delicious!” I exclaimed. “And how about your Arctic char?”
“It tastes a bit like salmon,” Jill said, “but better.” “Are you ready for your entrees?” Alexander asked as he cleared the plates from our table. “We are,” Jill said. The halibut was pan-fried in Charmoula butter and served with grilled zucchini, asparagus, and pine nuts over a beer hollandaise sauce. We LOVED the overall presentation…and the character and taste of the halibut, sides, and sauce. |
As we finished our meals, Jill said, “This was the best first day meal I’ve ever had while traveling!”
That’s quite a statement, I thought, from a foodie who has traveled the world.
That’s quite a statement, I thought, from a foodie who has traveled the world.
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We chatted a bit with Alexander after lunch, and something that struck me was his near-perfect English…and by ‘near perfect,’ I mean he spoke English with no accent. I thought he was from the States—a transplant, if you will—so I asked him which state he hailed from.
“I’m a native Icelander,” he replied with a smile. “Born and raised here.” |
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“But you have no accent. How can that be?”
“We begin to learn English in the second grade,” Alexander answered, “and with American television and movies, many of us lose our Icelandic accent.”
Hmm…imagine that!
“We begin to learn English in the second grade,” Alexander answered, “and with American television and movies, many of us lose our Icelandic accent.”
Hmm…imagine that!
Fun Fact
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Over 90% of Icelanders are proficient in English—about the same percentage as in the States, where English is the first language!!
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“Time for our tour,” I said to Jill.
We met Helgi and a handful of fellow travelers on this small group tour in Ingólfur Square—literally a stone’s throw from the restaurant.
We met Helgi and a handful of fellow travelers on this small group tour in Ingólfur Square—literally a stone’s throw from the restaurant.
The description for Walk with a Viking listed a dozen or so attractions and points of interest we would see on our two-hour tour, including Iceland’s oldest graveyard, Reykjavik’s city hall, and Austurvöllur Square. I can’t tell you whether Jill and I ‘saw them all,’ but I can say we saw a lot, which made this THE perfect tour for our first day in Reykjavik—a great introduction to the capital city, which was first settled in 874 AD.
(Don’t worry. I’ve included only the highlights from our tour, a handful of stops of greatest interest to me.)
After Helgi introduced himself, he said, “The city’s name comes from two Icelandic words—reykur, which means smoke, and vik, which means bay—because this was what the Norse settlers saw when they first came to Iceland: A smoky bay, where the smoke was steam from a nearby hot springs.
(Don’t worry. I’ve included only the highlights from our tour, a handful of stops of greatest interest to me.)
After Helgi introduced himself, he said, “The city’s name comes from two Icelandic words—reykur, which means smoke, and vik, which means bay—because this was what the Norse settlers saw when they first came to Iceland: A smoky bay, where the smoke was steam from a nearby hot springs.
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“We are standing in Ingólfur Square, which got its name from Ingólfur Arnarson, a Viking who was the first permanent settler in Iceland and the one, many believe, who gave Reykjavik its name.”
Then Helgi pointed to two columns made of basalt—the ones in the photo to the left. “These are reproductions,” he began, “of the pillars placed on each side of the high seat where Arnarson, as the head of his household, sat. He carried the high-seat pillars on his Viking ship, and when he first spotted Iceland, he threw them into the sea.” According to Icelandic folklore, Arnarson vowed to settle where the pillars landed, “as this would be the place the gods chose for him.” He searched for three years, and then found them on land near a smoky bay. The rest, as they say, is history. |
It was a lovely story about a Viking explorer and the founding of Iceland—a story that Helgi shared with enthusiasm!
From the square, we walked along Fishersund, Mjóstræti (“The houses here, which are made of timber, date from the early 20th century,” Helgi said), and Brattagata—charming streets made from cobblestones and other materials, each with a rich heritage—as we made our way to our next stop, which was…
From the square, we walked along Fishersund, Mjóstræti (“The houses here, which are made of timber, date from the early 20th century,” Helgi said), and Brattagata—charming streets made from cobblestones and other materials, each with a rich heritage—as we made our way to our next stop, which was…
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…Fógetagarður Square, where we stood before a bronze statue of Skuli Magnusson (1711-94), often referred to as the Father of Reykjavik.
“He was instrumental in bringing factory production to the city,” said Helgi, “which led to its urban development.” This bigger-than-life bronze statue was created by Gudmundur Einarsson, a 20th century Icelandic artist and author. “By the way,” Helgi added, “this square was the site of Reykjavik’s oldest burial ground, which had been used since Viking times.” |
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“I don’t see any headstones,” someone in our group said.
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“Ahh...that is because this burial ground was closed in 1838, and many of those buried here were moved to Hólavallagarður Cemetery, which opened the same year.
“Please follow me.” And this we did, past Reykjavik Cathedral—a Lutheran church built in the mid-1800s—to Austurvöllur, a public square near Parliament House. The original building was built in 1880-81 and expanded in 1908 and 2002. It was, I thought, rather modest looking for the seat of Icelandic government. |
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As we stood in the square, Helgi called our attention to the low reliefs over four second-floor windows—a giant, great bird, bull, and dragon.
Perhaps it was just my imagination, but the great bird looked like an eagle—like the eagle, with its wings spread and wingtips pointing down that is on the tails side of Washington quarters. “These are the four guardians of Iceland, representing the south, north, west, and east.” According to Icelandic folklore, these guardians thwarted a planned invasion by Denmark more than a millennium ago. |
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But we weren’t in the square to see Parliament House. Rather, Helgi wanted us to meet Jón Sigurðsson (1811-79) in the form of a life-size statue.
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“Sigurðsson is another of Iceland’s many heroes,” Helgi began, “but perhaps one who stood above most, as he was instrumental in Iceland’s movement towards independence from Denmark.
“In fact, we celebrate his birthday, June 17, as the date in 1944 when modern Iceland gained its independence.” How interesting, I thought, that a country nearly 1,600 years old gained its independence just 80 years ago. From Austurvöllur, Helgi led us toward the harbor; we passed Radisson Blu on the way. There, he pointed out Harpa Concert Hall, a modern-looking concert hall and conference center, opened in 2011, with a colored glass facade "inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland." |
I thought it was one of the most interesting buildings I saw throughout my travels in Iceland.
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Earlier, Helgi promised he would introduce us to Ingólfur Arnarson, and he was ready to make good on his promise. We found Arnason on Arnarhóll, a grassy green hill near Stjórnarráðið, the Prime Minister’s office.
In this statue, created by sculptor Einar Jonsson (1874-1954), Arnarson is standing by his high-seat pillar, decorated with a dragon’s head. “Look at his helmet,” Helgi said. “Do you see anything unusual?” 
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No one answered, and after another moment he said, “There are no horns, because horns were a legend that originated with Scandinavian artists in the 1800s—an attempt to make the Vikings look fierce.”
My mind raced to Hägar the Horrible, the rather unkempt comic strip Viking created by cartoonist Dik Browne. Well, that revelation burst another bubble. |
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From Arnarhóll, we walked to and up Skólavörðustígur (the “arts, crafts, and gourmet street of Reykjavik,” pictured in the photo at the top of my story)—and by “up” I mean up, as this street climbed a gentle hill to Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church and one of the tallest buildings—it is 244 feet tall—in Iceland.
We stopped to admire the church—its curved spire and side wings reminded me of a Saturn V rocket—but our primary purpose was to learn more about the country’s Viking past by meeting yet another Icelandic hero: Leifr Eiricsson, AKA Leif Erikson, a Scandinavian explorer who lived in Iceland in the 10th and 11th centuries. |
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As an aside, the name ‘Eiricsson’ identified Leifr as the son of Erik, AKA Erik the Red (970-1018), who went into exile in Iceland when he was banished from Norway for manslaughter.
The inscription on the back of the pedestal said, “Son of Iceland (and) Discoverer of Vinland.”
“The name Vinland is Old Norse,” Helgi said. “It was a coastal area of North America explored by Vikings, and it is believed that Erikson with others landed there around 1000 AD—nearly five centuries before Columbus came to the New World.”
This statue, created by American artist Alexander Stirling Calder, was commission by the United States government and gifted to the Icelandic people in 1930 on the 1,000th anniversary of Alþingi, the “supreme national parliament of Iceland and one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world.”
Later I read, “Icelanders interpreted the gift as an official recognition that Leifur was Icelandic, not Norwegian, and thus an important victory over the Norwegians who were trying to claim Leifur as theirs.”
No wonder, I thought, that Helgi seemed proud as he told us about Leif Erikson.
I have one more stop to share with you, and it was the last stop on our tour: The Einar Jonsson Museum, dedicated to Iceland's first sculptor, and "first Icelandic sculptor to gain international recognition." Hopefully his name is familiar to you, as he was the artist who sculpted the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson, which I spoke of above.
The inscription on the back of the pedestal said, “Son of Iceland (and) Discoverer of Vinland.”
“The name Vinland is Old Norse,” Helgi said. “It was a coastal area of North America explored by Vikings, and it is believed that Erikson with others landed there around 1000 AD—nearly five centuries before Columbus came to the New World.”
This statue, created by American artist Alexander Stirling Calder, was commission by the United States government and gifted to the Icelandic people in 1930 on the 1,000th anniversary of Alþingi, the “supreme national parliament of Iceland and one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world.”
Later I read, “Icelanders interpreted the gift as an official recognition that Leifur was Icelandic, not Norwegian, and thus an important victory over the Norwegians who were trying to claim Leifur as theirs.”
No wonder, I thought, that Helgi seemed proud as he told us about Leif Erikson.
I have one more stop to share with you, and it was the last stop on our tour: The Einar Jonsson Museum, dedicated to Iceland's first sculptor, and "first Icelandic sculptor to gain international recognition." Hopefully his name is familiar to you, as he was the artist who sculpted the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson, which I spoke of above.
Thor Wrestling with Age
The museum was closed, so instead we walked through the sculpture garden, where 26 of his works were on display for the public to view for free.
“Jónsson was a prolific sculptor,” Helgi began. “In 1909, he offered his work as a gift to the Icelandic people, PROVIDED the government built a museum to house them.”
Work began in 1916, and the museum, which included an upstairs apartment for Jónsson and his wife, was opened in 1923.
The sculpture to the left is titled Crucible, and the one to the right is Spring.
“Jónsson was a prolific sculptor,” Helgi began. “In 1909, he offered his work as a gift to the Icelandic people, PROVIDED the government built a museum to house them.”
Work began in 1916, and the museum, which included an upstairs apartment for Jónsson and his wife, was opened in 1923.
The sculpture to the left is titled Crucible, and the one to the right is Spring.
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I overheard someone in our group say, “This garden is a hidden gem,” and you know what, she was right!
Jill and I hoofed it to the Radison Blu—a one-half mile walk—and by the time we reached the hotel, we had a little more than an hour to rest up before our evening tour, which I’ll share with you in my next story.
So, here are my final thoughts about Walk with a Viking, which I highly recommend when you visit Reykjavik:
There was no doubt in my mind that Walk with a Viking was a great choice, and that Jill and I were most fortunate to have Helgi as our guide!
Jill and I hoofed it to the Radison Blu—a one-half mile walk—and by the time we reached the hotel, we had a little more than an hour to rest up before our evening tour, which I’ll share with you in my next story.
So, here are my final thoughts about Walk with a Viking, which I highly recommend when you visit Reykjavik:
- In the end, I HAD walked with a Viking...or rather two Vikings: Ingólfur Arnarson and Leifr Eiricsson. And maybe it was three or four, as Skuli Magnusson and/or Jón Sigurðsson might be descendants of Vikings.
- Beyond ‘meeting’ these historical figures, I loved hearing the Viking history and folklore that Helgi shared with us, which made Arnarson, Eiricsson and others come alive.
- And finally, through this guided tour—and I stress the word ‘guided’—I experienced places I might have overlooked had I walked the city on my own.
There was no doubt in my mind that Walk with a Viking was a great choice, and that Jill and I were most fortunate to have Helgi as our guide!