Rainy day in Reykjavík: what to book instead

A rainy day in Reykjavík doesn’t have to change much. Rain on its own almost never cancels a tour here. Wind does, and so does a rough sea. So the question isn’t “what can I do indoors” but “which of my plans actually suffers in this weather”. Usually that’s the boat and the northern lights. Move those, keep the rest, and fill the gap with the Lava Show, Perlan or a lava tunnel.

What rain does and doesn’t ruin

Buses and jeeps run in rain. A Golden Circle or South Coast day in the rain is wet and grey, but the waterfalls are just as loud and you’d get soaked at Seljalandsfoss anyway. Lagoons are fine too; you’re already in the water. If you’ve booked one, keep it.

Two things are worth moving. A whale boat in strong wind is uncomfortable and may be cancelled by the operator. And a northern lights tour on a cloudy night will show you nothing. Most lights tours include a retry, so move it to a clearer night rather than going out to look at cloud.

The Lava Show: an hour, indoors, real lava

The Lava Show in Reykjavík from €48 heats real basalt to around 1,100°C and pours it into the room in front of you. It’s 55 minutes, in the old harbour area, and it runs every day of the year. You feel the heat on your face. Children love it, and so do most adults who expected to be bored. It’s short, so it fills a gap rather than a whole day. We’ve compared it with the one in Vík in Lava Show: Reykjavík or Vík.

Perlan: the half-day option

Perlan’s Wonders of Iceland from €52 is the glass dome on the hill above the city. Inside there’s a man-made ice cave, exhibitions on glaciers, volcanoes and the sea, and a planetarium show about the northern lights. Allow two to three hours. The viewing deck on top is outdoors and the least useful part on a wet day, so don’t go for the view. Our longer take is in Is Perlan worth it?.

The Saga Museum: short and cheap

The Saga Museum from €29 is an hour of life-size wax figures telling Icelandic history from the settlers on, with an audio guide. It’s dated in places and the scenes can be grim. It’s also cheap, by the harbour, and an easy add-on to the Lava Show. If you’d rather have Viking history from a person, see Viking history in Reykjavík: museum or walk.

A lava tunnel: the weather stops at the entrance

Raufarhólshellir is a lava tube about 40 minutes from Reykjavík. Once you’re inside, the weather doesn’t exist. Arctic Adventures’ Lava Tunnel from Reykjavík from €117 is three hours with pickup. If you have a car, the same tunnel, meeting on location from €65 is an hour inside, and the drive is the only part you’ll do in the rain. It’s dark, damp and cold, with lit walkways. Bring a warm layer and decent shoes.

Whales plus a museum

If you’re keen to see whales and the forecast is only wet, not windy, Special Tours’ Whale Watching and Whales of Iceland from €121 pairs a boat trip with the life-size whale models at the Whales of Iceland exhibition. You can do the museum first and the boat later in the day. If wind cancels the boat, ask how that part is refunded or rebooked before you rely on it.

Our honest take

Don’t rebuild your day because of rain. Ask whether it’s windy. If it’s only wet, go ahead with tours on land and in lagoons. If it’s windy, move the boat. If it’s cloudy at night, move the lights. To fill the gap, do the Lava Show and Perlan in the same afternoon; between them that’s about four hours and €100 a person. If you have a car and want something you’ll actually remember, drive to the lava tunnel instead. It’s the one place near Reykjavík where the weather is the same every day.