Reykjavik is the capital and the largest city of Iceland. However, it is quite a small city, one full day is enough to explore its major attractions. Like most of the inhabited areas on the island of Iceland, Reykjavík is located on the coast, adding that to its charm.

We started our visit of Reykjavík with the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church. Right in the city center, the curch is situated on a small hill and has a striking design inspired from Iceland’s landscapes. It is possible to climb in the church high tower to admire Reykjavík from above.

Laugavegur is the main street in the Reykjavík and runs throught the city center. It's lined with beautiful typical Icelandic colourful houses and buildings, cafes, restaurants and shops. 

Austurvöllur Square is the main square in the city. It's a nice qreen area surrounded by some important buildings, like Reykjavík Cathedral and the Icelandic Parliament, and also restaurants and shops.

In front of the Parliament, there's an interesting monument, The Black Cone, Monument to Civil Disobedience standing for a reminder for members of Parliament that it's peoples' duty to act and protest when the government violates their rights.

Lake Tjörnin is a nice urban lake, a relaxing place for residents, where you can admire the cityscape from.

We paid a short visit to National Museum of Iceland. It's where you can learn more about Iceland's history and its heritage, with exhibitions taking visitors from the Viking days to modern period.

Reykjavík is a cultural hub, with many nice cultural events happening there. Harpa Concert Hall is a new addition to the city. It's a fabulous glass building hosting top music performances, located right on the waterfront.

Also on the waterfront, there's a fine sculpture of a Viking longship called Sun Voyager. It's a nice place for watching the sunset as well. 

After exploring the city of Reykjavik on the previous day, today we took the most popular day tour from Reykjavík, Iceland’s Golden Circle. We booked a tour for the Golden Circle, but you can visit the sites on your own if you rent a car.

Thingvellir National Park is the first spot of three included in the Golden Circle. It's Iceland’s first National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It'a fascinating geological site sitting between the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia. You can actually see the two plates.

We then stopped at Gullfoss Waterfall, one of Iceland’s best waterfalls with multiple step cascade, situated on Hvitá River.

And the last stop of the circle is Geysir Geothermal Area. We witnessed occasional eruptions of the geysir. The eruption reaches around 20 meters in height and happens every 10 minutes or so. 

We returned to Reykjavík in the evening.

On the last day we headed to one of the most famous attractions in this part of Iceland, Blue Lagoon. It was a wonderful experience on this outdoor geothermal pool of pale blue water set against volcanic black rocks. 

Back to Reykjavík and back home from here.

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