Reykjavik scavenger hunt
The Sun Voyager is a gleaming stainless steel "dreamboat" on Reykjavík's waterfront that symbolizes hope, progress, and the promise of undiscovered territory.
Soaring 74.5 meters above the city, Hallgrímskirkja is Reykjavík's iconic Lutheran church, renowned for its dramatic expressionist design inspired by Iceland's volcanic basalt lava columns.
Painted as a vibrant symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and inclusion, Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur) is a lively pedestrian thoroughfare lined with cafes and boutiques leading directly toward Hallgrímskirkja.
Perched atop the grassy slope of Arnarhóll, the bronze statue of Ingólfur Arnarson honors Iceland's first permanent Nordic settler and the founder of Reykjavík.
Set along the waterfront, Harpa is an architectural marvel celebrated for its striking geometric glass honeycomb facade inspired by Iceland's basalt landscape.
Reykjavik scavenger hunt
The Sun Voyager is a gleaming stainless steel "dreamboat" on Reykjavík's waterfront that symbolizes hope, progress, and the promise of undiscovered territory.
Soaring 74.5 meters above the city, Hallgrímskirkja is Reykjavík's iconic Lutheran church, renowned for its dramatic expressionist design inspired by Iceland's volcanic basalt lava columns.
Painted as a vibrant symbol of LGBTQ+ pride and inclusion, Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur) is a lively pedestrian thoroughfare lined with cafes and boutiques leading directly toward Hallgrímskirkja.
Perched atop the grassy slope of Arnarhóll, the bronze statue of Ingólfur Arnarson honors Iceland's first permanent Nordic settler and the founder of Reykjavík.
Set along the waterfront, Harpa is an architectural marvel celebrated for its striking geometric glass honeycomb facade inspired by Iceland's basalt landscape.

Reykjavik Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.84 out of 5 based on 49 customer ratings
(49 customer reviews)

Explore the city at your own pace with a self-guided experience.
Buy your ticket, download the app, and start instantly.

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Make a day of itInteractive guides by World City Trail, delivered with your tickets.

What is a city guide?

Your own guide to Reykjavik on your phone: hand-picked places, each with why to go, what to order and a practical tip.

  • Tick places off
  • Your own notes
  • One tap to Maps
  • Open now, near me
  • Works offline
  • Print it or save as PDF
See the guides, a short video and all the details →
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Each:

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved by thousands of travelers and locals

  • No time limit – use your ticket whenever you want
  • Secure checkout - Instant confirmation

Included: your personal Trail Map with every city you finish, the kilometres you walk and your flag collection. See an example →

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Everything you need for a flexible self-guided city experience

Explore the city at your own pace

✔ Discover hidden gems & highlights
✔ Enjoy a flexible self-guided experience
✔ Explore freely with no schedule
✔ Perfect for couples, students, companies, friends & families

How your city experience works

✔ Instant ticket purchase
✔ Easy access via the World City Trail app
✔ Quick setup with your booking details
✔ Start anytime and explore freely
✔ Pause and resume anytime

Why travelers choose this tour

✔ Instant access after purchase
✔ Optional AI voice narration — listen instead of read
✔ Discover top attractions & food spots
✔ Customize your route anytime

Sagas, basalt and a rainbow: Reykjavik as a game

The Reykjavik scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. From the seafront to the church on the hill you walk about 41 minutes over 3.1 km and 10 stops, which leaves most of the roughly 2 hours for riddles, sagas and the view across the bay, and you start the moment you are ready.

Highlights include the Sun Voyager sculpture on the seafront, the stone Parliament House, the glass façade of Harpa, the City Hall on Lake Tjörnin, the painted stripes of Rainbow Street and the tower of Hallgrímskirkja. Reykjavik's centre is small, so on foot you move easily between the harbour, the lake and the shopping streets, with views of the sea and the mountains along the way.

  • Durationabout 2 hours
  • Walkingabout 41 min · 3.1 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese

Riddles from the seafront to the hilltop church

Names carved in stone, panels made of glass

One riddle waits at each stop, with the clue right in front of you: the writers' names carved on the Culture House, the glass panels of Harpa, the statue of Jón Sigurðsson facing the Parliament House. Look closely and reason it out, with no Icelandic needed.

Settlers, a parliament and a dream boat

The answers unlock Iceland's stories: how Ingólfur Arnarson is said to have settled where his high-seat pillars washed ashore, why the Althing counts among the oldest parliaments in the world, and why the artist called the Sun Voyager a dream boat rather than a Viking ship. Listen to the audio narration with Mount Esja across the bay.

41 minutes on foot, uphill at the end

The route covers 3.1 km, about 41 minutes of walking, from the harbour through the old centre and along Lake Tjörnin. The last stretch climbs Rainbow Street to Hallgrímskirkja, and Google Maps guides you all the way.

A hot drink and a pause by the lake

Nothing is timed, so duck into a café on Skólavörðustígur when the wind picks up or watch the birds on Lake Tjörnin, and resume whenever you like, even the next day. Staying near the church? Start there and play the route the other way round.

See the route and attractions →

How it works

  1. Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
  2. Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
  3. Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.

Stopover travellers, families and groups in Iceland's capital

Stopover travellers with half a day

Many visitors spend only a short stopover in Reykjavik before heading into the countryside. In about 2 hours over 3.1 km, the game shows you the harbour, the parliament, the lake and Hallgrímskirkja, with stories that make the small capital easier to understand.

Children who like Vikings and rainbows

Kids love the ship-like Sun Voyager, the stern figure of the first settler on Arnarhóll, the painted stripes of Rainbow Street and Leif Erikson standing in front of the great church. A grown-up joins every team, and the stops stay close together until the final climb.

Groups who meet under the church tower

Teams of up to 5, each player on their own phone, can start from the seafront a few minutes apart and gather at Hallgrímskirkja at the end. All of it happens in public streets and squares, so the tickets are all there is to arrange.

Good to know

  • Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
  • No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
  • Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
  • Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
  • Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.

The route: from the Sun Voyager past Harpa and Lake Tjörnin to Hallgrímskirkja

10 stops · about 41 min walking · start: Sun Voyager (Sólfar) · finish: Hallgrímskirkja

The hunt starts at the Sun Voyager on the waterfront and heads to Harpa and the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson on Arnarhóll hill. It then crosses the old centre past the Culture House, the cathedral, the Parliament House and the City Hall on Lake Tjörnin to the National Gallery, before climbing Rainbow Street to finish at Hallgrímskirkja. Each riddle is read from the outside of a building, a statue or the lakeshore, so nowhere along the way asks for a ticket, and if your guesthouse is closer to Lake Tjörnin than to the sea, the app can open the game at City Hall and line up the rest from there.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Sun Voyager (Sólfar)

    1Sun Voyager (Sólfar)Start

    This stainless steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason was unveiled on the seafront in 1990 and looks like the skeleton of a Viking ship. The artist, however, described it as a dream boat and an ode to the sun. Across the bay behind it rises Mount Esja.

    Read the full story →

  2. Harpa

    2Harpa

    Harpa concert hall and conference centre opened in 2011 by the old harbour and is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Its glass façade, designed by Henning Larsen Architects with the artist Olafur Eliasson, is made of geometric panels inspired by basalt columns that reflect the sky and the sea.

  3. Ingólfur Arnarson Statue

    3Ingólfur Arnarson Statue

    On the grassy hill of Arnarhóll stands the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson, traditionally regarded as the first permanent Norse settler of Iceland in the 870s. It was made by the sculptor Einar Jónsson and unveiled in 1924. According to the sagas, Ingólfur settled where his high-seat pillars, thrown overboard, washed ashore.

    Read the full story →

  4. Culture House (Safnahúsið)

    4Culture House (Safnahúsið)

    This stately building was completed in 1908 to house the National Library and the National Archives of Iceland. Look up at the façade, where the names of great Icelandic writers and scholars such as Snorri Sturluson are carved. Today it hosts exhibitions on Icelandic art and cultural heritage.

  5. Reykjavík Cathedral (Dómkirkjan)

    5Reykjavík Cathedral (Dómkirkjan)

    This small Lutheran cathedral, consecrated in 1796, is the seat of the Bishop of Iceland. Each year the opening of parliament begins with a service here, after which the members walk next door to the Parliament House.

  6. Parliament House (Alþingishúsið)

    6Parliament House (Alþingishúsið)

    Iceland's parliament, the Althing, was founded in 930 at Þingvellir and is one of the oldest parliaments in the world. Since 1881 it has met in this building of dressed Icelandic stone, designed by the Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl. In front lies Austurvöllur square with a statue of the independence leader Jón Sigurðsson.

  7. City Hall (Ráðhús)

    7City Hall (Ráðhús)

    Reykjavík's City Hall, designed by Studio Granda and opened in 1992, stands on the northern shore of Lake Tjörnin and seems to rise straight out of the water. Inside the concrete and glass building is a large relief map of Iceland.

  8. National Gallery of Iceland

    8National Gallery of Iceland

    Founded in 1884, the National Gallery holds Iceland's national art collection, with a focus on Icelandic artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Its white building beside Lake Tjörnin was built in the early 20th century as an ice house that stored ice cut from the lake.

  9. Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur)

    9Rainbow Street (Skólavörðustígur)

    Skólavörðustígur was first painted in rainbow colours in 2015 for Reykjavík Pride, and the stripes were kept as a sign of the city's support for LGBTQ+ rights. Lined with design shops, galleries and cafés, the street climbs towards Hallgrímskirkja.

    Read the full story →

  10. Hallgrímskirkja

    10HallgrímskirkjaFinish

    Designed by the architect Guðjón Samúelsson, this Lutheran church was begun in 1945 and completed in 1986, and at about 74 metres it is one of the tallest buildings in Iceland. Its stepped concrete façade is said to recall basalt columns. In front stands a statue of Leif Erikson, a gift from the United States in 1930.

49 reviews for Reykjavik Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    Anonymous (verified owner) –

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Romania –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Tina– Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Garcia– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Vraiment très bien, à faire en équipe

  6. Rated 5 out of 5

    Petra– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Das waren gut ausgesuchte 10 Stationen mit Rätseln, welche mit Beobachtung der Sehenswürdigkeit und Beachtung der Himweise gut gelöst werden konnten. Der Weg war annehmbar, keine Anstrengung. So etwas werde ich in anderen Städten zukünftig auch buchen! Toll!

  7. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Interaktiv, spannend

  8. Rated 5 out of 5

    Uruguay –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nos divertimos mucho recorriendo la ciudad con este juego.

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Did t have a lot of time. Gave a quick overview of the city and culture

  10. Rated 4 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    3 ?nigmes un peu difficile ? trouver (exemple le puzzle de la mairie et les rameurs du du voyageur)

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra– United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was the perfect way to start our trip. Easy to use, learned a lot about the history and culture of Reykjavik, and it took us to some of the key attractions.

  12. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuk om op een simpele manier in je eigen tempo door Reykjavik te lopen en ook nog het een en ander van de geschiedenis te leren.

  13. Rated 5 out of 5

    Petya– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nice way to go around the city and learn a bit about Iceland. Most of the riddles were fun.

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    I enjoyed every minute of it trying to solve puzzles for the next location.

  15. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sylvia– Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Erg leuk om op deze manier de stad door te lopen. Vind het wel zonde om per persoon te betalen. Wij liepen samen met een telefoon en dat is prima.

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    The route took us around Reykjavik seeing lots of different sites that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great worth doing

  18. Rated 5 out of 5

    Matthew– United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    I did not know this sort of thing was available. The self-guided tour was enjoyable and gave me some information about the area around me. It was a wonderful way to finish off my day and learn something new. I’ll definitely be looking for more of these self-guided tours for other places I’ll be visiting.

  19. Rated 5 out of 5

    Kerrie– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We decided to do this self led tour on our first day in Reykjavik to help us get our bearings and it was definitely a fab idea! We saw lots of sights and got a feel for the layout of Reykjavik

  20. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war sehr interessant und sch?n gemacht.

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    Emma– Denmark –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Fun and easy way to the see the city and learn something about it!

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Gut

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was great! I got to see a lot of the city and l went along 🙂

  24. Rated 5 out of 5

    Pierre– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    A la fois ludique et p?dagogique. Permet de d?couvrir les principaux points d’int?r?t de la ville.

  25. Rated 5 out of 5

    Marie– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tr?s sympa, permet de visiter les sites touristiques sans en manquer, en apprenant des choses et en jouant. Toute la famille ? ador?. Peut-?tre mettre une carte avec le sens de la chasse aux indices car au d?but, nous avons pas mal marche sur nos pas

  26. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    The puzzles were fun and the fact sheets about each location were interesting, but it was more like a treasure hunt than a scavenger hunt. You have to do each puzzle in order before being allowed to move on to the next one and you can’t go back, so it’s not something you can download and do in any order as you wander the city. It was still fun; I just wish I had known about having to do it in order.

  27. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Fun and great to learn new things

  28. Rated 4 out of 5

    Denmark –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    God m?de at f? overblik over Reykjavik p?. Den engelske stemme oplevede jeg lidt maskinel s? jeg valgte at l?se teksterne. God ide med en s?dan guide.

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    Iceland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We really enjoyed this hunt, we learnt alot about Iceland in a short space of time. I would recommend this to everyone of all ages.

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    Steffi– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es macht Spa? und so lernt man die Stadt gut kennen.

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    Peter– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    A good way to get to know the area without stress

  32. Rated 5 out of 5

    Nick– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    A brilliant way to see the city – we did it as a couple on a quite Tuesday night and combined a lovely little pub crawl into the mix – make sure to stop for a cocktail in PUNK!

  33. Rated 5 out of 5

    Iceland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Lovely way to get our bearings in the city and to find out about the sights.

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    jennifer– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Absolutely brilliant! We loved having the time to spend looking round and going to learn about each point, we took our time in the bad weather and it took us about 2hours, its great that you can go on and off and do it in your own time scale!

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    Cheryl– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    A really nice simple self paced way to gather your bearings of Reykjavik. Taking in the sights as you go.

  36. Rated 4 out of 5

    Julie– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tr?s bien pour d?couvrir les lieux de la ville. Apr?s chaque r?solution d’enigme une explication qui ne correspond pas ? ce qu’on est en train de voir mais au prochain spot, dommage pour ?a

  37. Rated 5 out of 5

    Diane– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great fun

  38. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    it was fun!

  39. Rated 4 out of 5

    Jennifer– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    une superbe exp?rience ? faire pour comprendre les principaux monuments de Reykjavik en resolvant des ?nigmes. J’enl?ve une ?toile pour le prix (7 francs)

  40. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Really chill tour of Reykjavik that you can take your time doing, exploring different parts of the city and learning a few fun facts and a bit of history.

  41. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Super way to explore the city !

  42. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    A really fun activity for our first day in Iceland! It was a great way to get to know Reykjavik and see some of the sights. It shared some fascinating insights into the history of Iceland along the way. The clues were the right level of challenging so we had to think a little to work them out, without being frustratingly difficult!

  43. Rated 4 out of 5

    Attila– Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nice alternative way to explore a city when you don’t want to go on a guided tour. The questions itself could be more exciting, but as a way to tour it works well

  44. Rated 4 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Attivit? carina anche se speravo in qualche informazione pi? dettagliata dei punti che si visitano. Gli enigmi sono molto semplici, per dei ragazzi di 10/11 anni sono risultati un po’ banali, quindi la consiglio per chi ha bambini pi? piccoli

  45. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Was toll war, dass wir in Ecken von Reykjav?k gekommen sind, die wir sonst wohl nicht besucht h?tten. Was uns nicht so gut gefallen hat, ist das die App scheinbar im original in englischer Sprache ist – manchmal holpert es im deutschen Text ziemlich und auch die Erkl?rung der App Nutzung ist nicht so einfach (besonders bei den Hilfestellungen) – die L?sungen m?ssen in englischer Sprache eingegeben werden, was es unn?tig erschwert…. Was sehr schade ist, dass die App etwas oldschool daher kommt und nicht sehr interaktiv bzw intuitiv ist. Die Ziele sind auch wenig aktuell (viel Geschichte, kaum Modernes wie zB Harpa, Infos zur Musikszene usw) und k?nnte inhaltlich etwas ausgewogener sein. Klar sind 13 Euro f?r zwei Personen in Reykjav?k nicht viel Geld, aber man bekommt eben auch nicht viel geboten…. Zumindest hatten wir anderes erwart Insgesamt ein nettes Erlebnis (durch die spannenden Orte) mit Luft nach oben (was technische Umsetzung und korrekte, moderne Inhalte angeht).

  46. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Very nice and funny way to explore the city with imaginative riddles. Highly recommended. Excellent customer service; Maria helped us to sort out a login issue instantly. Thank you

  47. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was amazing experience!! We saw the city through the game!!!! Excellent!!

  48. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great experience!

  49. Rated 5 out of 5

    Will –

    Very nice activity for those who stay in Reykjavik for one or two days before they start the must activities. This was a very nice way to explore the city of Reykjavik and learn info about the attractions and Iceland in general. If you like riddle solving, this activity will fit you for sure !

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Frequently asked questions

Is a short Reykjavik stopover enough for the hunt?

For most travellers it is: allow about 2 hours in total. Only 41 minutes of that is walking, over 3.1 km and 10 stops from the Sun Voyager to Hallgrímskirkja, and the rest is riddles, sagas and stopping to look at the bay. Break off whenever the weather demands it and carry on later.

Why does the game start at a steel boat and end at a church?

The Sun Voyager on the seafront is one of the best-known sights in the city, and Hallgrímskirkja towers over the centre from its hill, so the route runs from the water up to the skyline. If your accommodation is nearer the lake or the church, the app lets you begin at another stop.

Do we have to be at the Sun Voyager at a set time?

No, nobody waits beside the steel ship and no slot is reserved. Your booking reference comes by email, and once it is in the World City Trail app, the day and the hour are up to you, so you can wait for a dry spell before setting off. Buy one ticket for every player; nobody has to share a screen, as each of you plays on your own phone.

Does anything on the Reykjavik route cost money to enter?

Only if you go inside, since the game is played entirely outdoors. The lift up the tower of Hallgrímskirkja, the National Gallery and the exhibitions in the Culture House have their own tickets, and concerts at Harpa are booked separately.

Which parts of Reykjavik do children remember?

With an adult in their team, usually the Viking-looking Sun Voyager, the rainbow stripes on Skólavörðustígur, the birds on Lake Tjörnin and the statue of Leif Erikson in front of Hallgrímskirkja. This is no route for a wheelchair, and Skólavörðustígur makes the last part an uphill push with a pushchair.

Is the Reykjavik game available in French or Dutch?

Both are there, alongside English, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. Each player chooses in the World City Trail app while standing by the Sun Voyager, before its riddle appears.

Could a company play the hunt between Harpa and Hallgrímskirkja?

Yes: get a ticket for each colleague, form teams of no more than five and send them off from the Sun Voyager a few minutes apart, with the church tower as the meeting point at the end. Harpa, a concert hall and conference centre, lies right on the route if you want to combine the game with a meeting there.

What should we wear for Reykjavik's wind and rain?

A windproof, waterproof jacket in any season, a warm layer underneath and shoes with grip, since the last stretch climbs to the church. Each team also needs a charged phone with mobile data, and a power bank is worth carrying on cold, windy days.

Your first riddle is at the Sun Voyager

When the whole team is booked online, the booking reference lands in your email. Then pick your day, walk down to the seafront path and open the first riddle in front of the steel ship, with Mount Esja across the bay.

Book your tickets →

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