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From old to new. Closest is part of downtown Reykjavik while further out you see parts of the suburbs stretching for miles. PIC axshuzaifa

Relax. It is common enough to think Iceland´s capital Reykjavik is the hottest thing to hit the planet since the term Hot was coined. Naturally, no smooth local tour operator is inclined to tell you differently. But the Total Iceland team will.

Reykjavik is really no different from any other modern city. Sure, there are a few interesting museums, the surroundings are pretty and the nightlife is relatively wild at times. But the very same thing can be said of Helsinki in Finland, Nairobi in Kenya, Montevideo in Uruguay and even Dayton, Ohio. Well, maybe not Dayton but you get our point.

For detailed information about the real treats of Reykjavik see our Reykjavik guide but in the meantime let us remind you that it is people that make any place special. And unless you already have local friends or spend your time in bars you will probably not meet any Icelanders during your stay in Reykjavik. Most of us are the shy and hard Nordic types and only mellow after tons of alcohol run down our throats.

For a trip to remember you will have to visit either during the months of may to october or during special days like over the New Years. If you visit Reykjavik outside of these dates you will mostly rub shoulders with other foreigners since locals stay indoors. You will be cold and chilly most of the time you stay outside and there is no sign of the famous nightlife unless its weekend. Worse yet there is much darkness and most days grey and uneventful.

This changes over the warm months when locals actually go outside in droves and also over the New Years which is a fantastic time to stay if liquor and fireworks are your thing. That is probably the only time of the year when the frozen-feeling Icelanders dare to touch and even hug total strangers.

What we´re saying in essence is that Reykjavik is by no stretch of the imagination unique in any way. It is just a small city. By keeping your expectations low you´ll enjoy it much more.

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