Laugavegur
Laugavegur features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Reykjavík. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Reykjavík Reykjavík guide
About Laugavegur
Reykjavík's busy main shopping street, whose name means 'wash road' for the women who once hauled laundry east to the hot springs; the low, car-free stretch is pure downtown.
Laugavegur is the main commercial street of downtown Reykjavík and one of the city's oldest shopping streets, laid out in 1885. Its name means 'wash road': it was the route along which Reykjavík's women once carried their laundry east to the hot springs of Laugardalur, where clothes were washed in the geothermal water until the 1930s. The lower section is now a permanent car-free pedestrian street.
Lined with shops, wool and design stores, bars, clubs and restaurants, Laugavegur is central to the city's nightlife and remains home to some of Iceland's more exclusive stores, despite competition from suburban malls. It runs roughly two kilometres east from the top of Bankastræti. The side street Skólavörðustígur, the painted 'Rainbow Street' leading to Hallgrímskirkja, branches off near its western end and is often mistaken for Laugavegur itself.
Did you know? Laugavegur means 'wash road', not 'lava road'. The word laug means a warm pool or hot spring, and the street was the path women walked to wash clothes at the Laugardalur springs, until the 1930s.
How long is a visit to Laugavegur?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Laugavegur. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Laugavegur worth your time?
Laugavegur is among the 18 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Reykjavík, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Reykjavík
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Laugavegur and read more:
Day 1 of the Reykjavík in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Laugavegur
Preview the Reykjavík tour free in the Gingerguide app.