By Monika
Is Perlan Museum in Reykjavik Worth Visiting?
If you’re wondering if Perlan Museum in Reykjavik is worth a visit, this guide is for you!
It will give you all the information you need to have a great visit to this one-of-a-kind attraction: what exactly is Perlan, how to get there and what it offers.
You will find out why it’s also known as “The Wonders of Iceland”.
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What is Perlan?
Perlan is an immersive, interactive natural history museum that gives you a glimpse of Iceland’s main attractions. It’s like Icelandic nature in a pill – you get to see a bit of everything this beautiful country has to offer: the Northern Lights, volcanoes, puffins, even a real man-made ice cave and so much more!
It was built on top of six giant water tanks and opened to the public in 1991. It is definitely considered a landmark of Reykjavik, along with Hallgrímskirkja Church or Harpa Concert Hall.
Perlan is also one of the best places for panoramic views of the city and the surrounding area – more on that a little later in this post.
Where is Perlan?
Perlan is located just outside the city center of Reykjavik, on top of the Öskjuhlíð hill – the highest hill in Reykjavik! You can spot its signature dome shaped roof as you drive towards the city from the main road.
How to get to Perlan?
The museum is easily accessible with a rental car. If we consider Hallgrímskirkja our reference point, it’s only a 5-minute drive and there is plenty of free parking around it.
If you don’t have a car, you can take the Strætó buses – lines 18 and 13 have stops closest to the museum. You can buy tickets from the driver with cash or ahead of time with the Klappið app.
Helpful hint: Strætó buses within the city are included in the Reykjavik Card.
You can also take a walk from the city – it will take you about 30 minutes to get there on foot.
If you purchase a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour ticket, Perlan is one of the stops on their route.
Things to do at Perlan
Here is an overview of Perlan’s exhibits and attractions. Everything listed below is included in your admission fee!
1. Áróra Planetarium Show
This is an amazing show, presented in a dome-shaped planetarium with a surround screen and surround sound. Northern Lights are on everyone’s list of things to do in Iceland, so if nature did not cooperate, this is your chance to see them.
The show is beautiful, very realistic and also gives you a background of how Aurora Borealis comes to life.
2. Volcano Show
It’s a fantastic show explaining volcanic eruptions and lava formation. It is focused on the most recent volcanic eruption, that started in 2021. It’s informative and very engaging – you learn a lot!
3. Puffin Cliffs
If you came to Iceland in the off season for puffins, this is the place to see them! You’ll be standing in front of a giant replica of Westfjords’ Látrabjarg Cliffs (the largest bird cliff in Europe) with life like birds nesting in their burrows.
Don’t skip the interactive kiosks – I’ve seen the puffins in real life and still learned a ton!
4. An Indoor Ice Cave
There is a real ice cave inside Perlan! Built with over 300 tons of snow brought in from the Icelandic mountains, it is 100 meters long, has and ice tunnel and cool ice sculptures and it’s very realistically cold!
Make sure to bring a jacket or you may be chilly. The temperature inside the cave is about 5°C!
5. Glaciers Exhibition
This is a really unique interactive exhibit where you learn all about the Icelandic glaciers, their history, geology and it also explains the definitions of different ice formations you see if you go on a glacier hike.
6. Forces of Nature Exhibition
This is where you can learn about Iceland’s geothermal activity various natural features, like geysers, mud pools and steam vents and of course the Mid-Atlantic Ridge!
There are also exhibits and interactive displays about the ocean and the significance of water in Iceland, fish, animals and rock formations you can see in Iceland
7. Observation Deck
Perlan is famous for is 360-degree observation deck, from which you can get fabulous views of the entire city.
You have information boards explaining the part of the skyline in front of you and on a clear day you can see a lot. The day of my visit the weather was less than perfect but the views were still amazing.
8. Restaurant, café and ice cream shop
The ice cream parlor is located on the same floor as the observation deck. There is also a small gift shop there with local crafts and souvenirs.
Perlan restaurant, the bar and the cafe are located one floor above. Enjoy some fish’n’chips or pizza right under the glass dome of the museum!
Perlan Museum tickets
You can purchase your tickets online for the best deal.
You do have to choose your arrival time slot, so I recommend you get your tickets here for the convenience of easy rescheduling and the 24-hour free cancellation if your plans change.
You can also just buy them onsite (like I did, since I couldn’t commit to a time window), just be prepared to pay a little more. The price difference is 600 ISK on a single ticket and 3000 ISK on a 2+2 family ticket.
Check the price differences here.
Helpful hint: If you have the Reykjavik Card, you get a 10% discount on the admission ticket to Perlan.
Is Perlan worth visiting?
YES – in my opinion absolutely! It’s a unique, fascinating museum, fun for all ages and definitely deserves a place in your Iceland itinerary. It’s also a perfect spot to spend a rainy day in the city.
On a nice day enjoy various walking and bike paths around Perlan’s hill after your visit to the museum.
How much time do I need at Perlan?
I would recommend about 2-3 hours to see all the exhibits and shows and walk around the observation deck. Add time for a meal if you choose to eat at Perlan. If not, at least try the ice cream – it’s delicious!
Nearby attractions
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About Monika
An avid traveler and a passionate trip planner, mildly obsessed with being organized and prepared 🙂
Well aware of how precious travel time is, I’m here to share my experience and help you get the most out of your vacation time.
“Taking the hassle out of trip planning”
