The Land of Ice, Snow—and Murders by John J. Miller, WSJ, June 16, 2026
The Capital of the North
HAFNARFJÖRÖUR
Fjörukráin Viking Restaurant
NJARDVIK
Viking World
- Viking history museum whose star attraction is a climb-aboard replica of a 9th-century ship.
Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant
Arbaer Open Air Museum
People typically spend up to 1.5 hours here (Google)
The Culture House
People typically spend up to 1.5 hours here (Google)
The National Gallery of Iceland
National Museum of Iceland
People typically spend up to 2 hours here (Google)
Saga Museum
People typically spend up to 1.5 hours here (Google)
Settlement Exhibition 871 +/-2
People typically spend up to 1.5 hours here (Google)
Elf School
Friday from 3-7
REYKHOLK
Snorrastrofa
Books:
The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland: Tips, tricks, and what the Icelanders really think of you
Maps:
Iceland (Adventure Map)
Race Calendar
Article:
How to Tour the Most Bookish Island in the World
Black Ice and White Knuckles: Braving the Elements on Iceland’s Ring Road by Eric A. Taub, New York Times, December 22, 2022
Bright Trip
GOLF
Contact the club in advance: Edwin Roald, Iceland’s top golf architect, tells us there aren’t really any private clubs as such. “There are 61 golf sites, or facilities, within the Golf Union of Iceland (GUI), and all of them are what I would call ‘semi-municipal,’” he says. “The clubs that have members are sports clubs within the National Sports and Olympic Association.” However, in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, it’s typical for clubs to give members three-day advance tee-times, so it’s always worth a phone call to make sure the time you want isn’t already taken.
Go online or just show up: “You can walk onto any course,” says Roald. Keilir Golf Club, renovated by Martin Ebert and Tom Mackenzie in 2017, is a linksy course with two distinct halves—one set in a black lava field, the other on a peninsula overlooking Hafnarfjordur Harbor. But our first stop would be at Roald’s own 12-hole Brautarholt Golf Course, half an hour north of Reykjavik, which puts you in mind, if only for a moment, of Cruit Island and Cape Wickham.
