Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Reykjavík audio tour, Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin) is a stop worth about ~60 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Reykjavík Reykjavík guide
About Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)
The harbour Reykjavík grew up around, still landing fish on one side while whale and puffin boats leave the other; a rare Icelandic railway once built its breakwaters.
The Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin), officially Reykjavíkurhöfn, is the original working harbour on Reykjavík's central waterfront; the city grew up around it. Construction of its breakwaters began in 1913, and a narrow-gauge railway, the Reykjavík Harbour Railway, ran from 1913 to 1928 to haul quarry rock for the work, one of only two locomotive railways ever built in Iceland. The name 'old' came only after cargo shipping moved to Sundahöfn from 1968.
Today the western side remains a fishing and working port, while the eastern basins host whale-watching and tour boats, yachts and cruise ships, with cafés and galleries in former warehouses. Puffin-watching boats sail out in summer to the islands of Akurey and Lundey. Nearby stand the Reykjavík Maritime Museum, with the Cod Wars cutter Óðinn, and the Marshall House art complex in a converted 1948 herring factory.
Did you know? Iceland has never had a public railway, but that is not quite 'no railways ever': a narrow-gauge industrial line ran here from 1913 to 1928, hauling quarry rock to build the harbour's breakwaters.
How much time do you need at Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)?
Around ~60 min works well for Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)?
Yes — Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin) made the cut as one of 18 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Reykjavík. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Reykjavík
Day 1 of the Reykjavík in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Old Harbour (Gamla höfnin)
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