What should i do in Reykjavík, Iceland for new years eve?

December 27, 2005 1:07 PM

LastMinuteTripFilter: What should i do in Reykjavík, Iceland for new years eve?

I just got some last minute tickets to Iceland. I'll be staying in central Reykjavík, but am not 100% sure what to do yet. I'll be there for 4 days through new years eve/day. I've checked out the iceland posts, and done some external research, but most of the guides i've found are about iceland during the summer. Do you think i'll require a car to get around? Can i go see any of the natural stuff there (Gullfoss, central iceland volcanos) in the winter? (particularly considering the short days) Any particular bars/clubs in Reykjavík good for a 20something couple? Any other advice or must-see's are much appreciated. Thanks!

posted by jba to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

C'mon! The answer is obvious: Clubs!
posted by p3on at 4:07 PM on December 27, 2005

This was, surprisingly, asked before.

I was hoping to spend New Year's Eve in Reykjavik, but I'm just connecting through en route to Paris. Have a blast, and stay warm!
posted by rfordh at 4:21 PM on December 27, 2005

Thanks rfordh - i missed that. You both get a check for answering at all!... :)
posted by jba at 7:23 PM on December 27, 2005

Hmm, although this might be in some of the previous threads, I don't see it. The best place to watch the fireworks from at midnight is the highest spot in the city - Hallgrimskirkja. At midnight the entire city explodes - everyone buys fireworks for the two weeks or so prior. I recommend getting a flask as mentioned somewhere else in one of those threads. And if you want to pretend to be a genuine Icelander, fill it with brennivin - it's really not so bad. After the first hour or so of fireworks, make your way to any of the clubs downtown and just get as drunk as you possibly can. This is what Icelanders do. It's been over five years, so I'm sure the clubs have changed by now, but they'll be very crowded and the partying will go on until the 3rd or so, so drink up.

As for the other days, I'm pretty sure Gulfoss is unreachable and anything else inland is unreachable unless you have a monster truck. The Blue Lagoon is certainly reachable, though, since it's on the way to the airport.
posted by greasepig at 12:34 AM on December 28, 2005

Thanks greasepig. Sounds like a plan. ;-)
posted by jba at 1:04 PM on December 28, 2005

Nope, Gullfoss is very reachable. Allthough the guy asking the question has since come and gone, i'd still like to answer it. On New Years Eve there's not so much fun going to bars and clubs. Everything is overpriced, and most people just skip it. Try to hook up with some locals, either via places like myspace before you come over, or during your stay, and you'll probably find a much more interesting New Years Eve.

There's also a service called Reykjavik Nightlife Friend, that "knows the best places, gets you a VIP entrance into the hottest clubs, helps you "break the ice" with the locals and shows you the good times to be had in the “Cool” capital", but I don't know if they're any good. If you have a shitload of money it probably doesn't hurt to check it out.
posted by svenni at 7:41 PM on October 8, 2006