Reykjavík is a compact, walkable city for shopping, where the pleasure is finding something genuinely Icelandic. Browse design shops and galleries along Laugavegur and the rainbow-painted Skólavörðustígur, pick up a hand-knitted lopapeysa sweater or a 66°North jacket built for Atlantic storms, rummage the weekend Kolaportið flea market, or gather local design under one roof at Kraum. This guide covers the best shopping streets, stores and markets, with what to buy where, opening-hours tips and advice on tax-free shopping.
Main Shopping StreetLaugavegur
Area
City Centre
Type
Main Shopping Street
“The main drag for design, fashion and souvenirs — open daily, many shops until late.”
Design & GalleriesSkólavörðustígur
Area
City Centre
Type
Design & Galleries
“The rainbow street up to Hallgrímskirkja — design shops, jewellers and galleries. Closed Sundays for many.”
Flea MarketKolaportið Flea Market
Area
Old Harbour
Type
Flea Market
“Iceland's only flea market, weekends only — vintage finds and a fermented-shark stand for the brave.”
Icelandic FashionGeysir
Area
City Centre (Skólavörðustígur)
Type
Icelandic Fashion
“Premium Icelandic wool and heritage-inspired fashion — sweaters from around $250.”
Wool / KnitwearHandknitting Association of Iceland
Area
City Centre (Skólavörðustígur)
Type
Wool / Knitwear
“The place for authentic hand-knitted lopapeysa sweaters — made by members across Iceland.”
Outdoor Clothing66°North
Area
City Centre (Bankastræti)
Type
Outdoor Clothing
“Iceland's best-known outerwear brand, built to survive Atlantic storms — practical and stylish.”
Shopping MallKringlan Mall
Area
Kringlumýri
Type
Shopping Mall
“Iceland's largest mall — 180 shops under one roof, open Sundays. Handy on a rainy day.”
Design StoreKraum (Icelandic Design)
Area
City Centre (Aðalstræti)
Type
Design Store
“Around 200 local designers under one roof — the best single stop for Icelandic design souvenirs.”
Reykjavík shopping in detail
1.Laugavegur
Laugavegur is Reykjavik's main shopping street and the natural starting point for any retail wander in the city. Running through the heart of the old town, it's lined with a lively mix of Icelandic design shops, fashion boutiques, wool stores, bookshops, record shops and souvenir outlets, interspersed with cafés and restaurants for when you need a break. This is the place to find Icelandic design labels alongside the ubiquitous lopapeysa sweaters, and its length means the character shifts as you go, from tourist-focused souvenir shops at one end to quirkier independent stores and design galleries further along. Most shops keep generous hours, many open daily and some until late, which suits Reykjavik's long summer evenings. It's free to browse and endlessly walkable, and because the city centre is so compact, you can easily combine a shopping stroll here with the main sights, cafés and the connecting Skólavörðustígur. It's touristy in parts, certainly, but it remains the city's retail heart and a genuinely enjoyable street to explore, with plenty of genuinely Icelandic products among the magnets and puffin toys. Come with comfortable shoes, keep an eye on opening hours, and treat it as the spine of your Reykjavik shopping.
Hours
Shops ~10:00–22:00 daily
Price
Free to browse
Getting there
The central spine of the old town, fully walkable
Insider tip: The main drag for design, fashion and souvenirs — open daily, many shops until late.
2.Skólavörðustígur
Skólavörðustígur, the rainbow-painted street that climbs from Laugavegur up to Hallgrímskirkja, is Reykjavik's most characterful shopping lane and the best place to find genuinely Icelandic design. Away from the busiest tourist crush, it's lined with independent art galleries, jewellery designers such as Aurum, the celebrated shoe and clothing label KronKron, ceramics studios and specialist boutiques, making it the go-to street for original, locally made pieces rather than mass-produced souvenirs. The rainbow paving itself, a symbol of the city's LGBTQ+ pride, gives it a cheerful, photogenic backdrop, and the view up to the towering church at the top is one of Reykjavik's most iconic. Most shops keep late-morning-to-evening hours, though many close on Sundays, so it's worth planning around that. It's free to browse and a genuine pleasure to wander, with the added draw of Café Loki for traditional Icelandic food at the top. Because it connects the main shopping street to the city's most famous landmark, it slots naturally into a day's sightseeing. For design lovers and anyone wanting to bring home something authentically Icelandic — jewellery, ceramics, art or knitwear — Skólavörðustígur is the most rewarding street in the city.
Hours
Shops ~10:00–18:00; many closed Sun
Price
Free to browse
Getting there
Running up to Hallgrímskirkja from Laugavegur in the centre
Insider tip: The rainbow street up to Hallgrímskirkja — design shops, jewellers and galleries. Closed Sundays for many.
3.Kolaportið Flea Market
Kolaportið is Iceland's only flea market, a much-loved weekend institution held in a large warehouse by the old harbour. It's a wonderfully rummage-worthy jumble of second-hand and vintage clothing, books, records, toys, jewellery and general bric-a-brac, drawing bargain-hunters, students and the simply curious every Saturday and Sunday. Part of its charm is the food section, where you can buy traditional Icelandic products — including the notorious hákarl (fermented shark) sold from a stand for brave visitors to sample, alongside dried fish, rye bread and Icelandic sweets. It's a lively, unpretentious, thoroughly local scene rather than a polished shopping experience, and the stock varies wildly from stall to stall and week to week, which is exactly the appeal. It's free to browse, open only at weekends from around 11am to 5pm, and its harbourside location makes it easy to combine with the Grandi museums and fish restaurants nearby. Bring a card (Iceland is almost entirely cashless, even here) and an open mind, and go earlier in the day for the best pickings. For vintage hunters, the curious and anyone wanting a genuinely local weekend experience — and a chance to try fermented shark — Kolaportið is a characterful Reykjavik must.
Hours
Sat–Sun ~11:00–17:00
Price
Free to browse
Getting there
By the old harbour in the city centre
Insider tip: Iceland's only flea market, weekends only — vintage finds and a fermented-shark stand for the brave.
4.Geysir
Geysir is one of Iceland's most stylish home-grown fashion labels, and its flagship on Skólavörðustígur is a beautiful place to shop for premium Icelandic knitwear and heritage-inspired clothing. Where the tourist shops sell mass-market lopapeysa sweaters, Geysir offers a more refined, design-led take: high-quality wool jumpers, coats, blankets and accessories in muted, sophisticated colours, drawing on traditional Icelandic patterns and craftsmanship but with a contemporary, fashion-forward sensibility. Prices reflect the quality, with sweaters from around $250, so this is very much the upscale end of Icelandic knitwear, aimed at travellers who want a genuinely well-made, lasting piece rather than a cheap souvenir. The store itself is a pleasure to browse, beautifully merchandised and full of the kind of pieces that work as well back home as they do against an Icelandic landscape. It's open daily, in a prime spot on the city's best design street, making it easy to combine with the galleries and boutiques nearby. For visitors who want to invest in a quality piece of Icelandic wool — the sort of jumper you'll actually wear for years — Geysir is the definitive address, and one of the most covetable shops in Reykjavik for design-conscious travellers.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–18:00
Price
Free to browse; sweaters from ~$250
Getting there
On Skólavörðustígur in the city centre
Insider tip: Premium Icelandic wool and heritage-inspired fashion — sweaters from around $250.
5.Handknitting Association of Iceland
The Handknitting Association of Iceland is the place to buy a genuine, hand-knitted lopapeysa — the traditional Icelandic wool sweater with its distinctive yoke pattern. Unlike the machine-made versions sold in many tourist shops, these are knitted by hand by the association's members across the country, using Icelandic lopi wool, and the shop channels the proceeds back to those knitters, so your purchase directly supports a genuine local craft. The result is an authentic, warm and durable garment with real provenance, in a range of traditional and updated patterns and natural wool colours, with prices from around $150 depending on size and design. Beyond finished sweaters, the shop also sells the wool, patterns and needles for those who want to knit their own, along with hats, mittens and other woollen accessories. It's a straightforward, unpretentious store rather than a fashion boutique, but for authenticity it's unbeatable, and staff can help you find the right size and style. Set on Skólavörðustígur, it's easy to combine with the street's galleries and design shops. For travellers who want the real thing — a hand-knitted Icelandic sweater that supports local makers rather than a factory copy — this is the definitive address in Reykjavik.
Hours
Mon–Sat ~09:00–18:00; closed Sun
Price
Free to browse; sweaters from ~$150
Getting there
On Skólavörðustígur in the city centre
Insider tip: The place for authentic hand-knitted lopapeysa sweaters — made by members across Iceland.
6.66°North
66°North is Iceland's most famous clothing brand, founded in 1926 to make protective workwear for fishermen and rescue crews facing the brutal North Atlantic, and now a byword for high-quality outdoor gear that's as stylish as it is functional. Its Reykjavik flagship on Bankastræti is the place to pick up seriously weatherproof jackets, fleeces, base layers and accessories, all engineered to cope with exactly the wind and rain you'll encounter on an Icelandic day trip. The brand has evolved from pure workwear into a fashion label too, with sleek, contemporary designs that look good in the city as well as on a glacier, which is part of its broad appeal. Prices reflect the quality and the technical performance, placing it at the premium end, but a 66°North jacket is a genuine investment piece that will last for years and prove its worth the moment the weather turns. The store is open daily and well located on the main shopping strip, making it easy to browse between sights. For travellers who want to buy something quintessentially Icelandic that's also genuinely useful — outerwear built to survive Atlantic storms — 66°North is the obvious choice, and a practical souvenir you'll actually keep wearing long after the trip.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–19:00
Price
Free to browse
Getting there
On Bankastræti in the city centre
Insider tip: Iceland's best-known outerwear brand, built to survive Atlantic storms — practical and stylish.
7.Kringlan Mall
Kringlan is Iceland's largest shopping mall, gathering around 180 shops, restaurants, a cinema and services under one roof in the Kringlumýri district, a short bus ride from the city centre. For visitors it's less about atmosphere and more about practicality: it's the place to find international high-street brands, department stores, electronics, a supermarket, a pharmacy and everything else you might need, all in one warm, dry place — genuinely useful on one of Reykjavik's frequent wet and windy days, and handy for anything you can't find in the boutiques downtown. It's open on Sundays, when many of the smaller central shops close, which makes it a reliable fallback for weekend shopping. There's a good food court and casual restaurants for a break, and it's easy to reach on the Strætó city bus. It won't win any prizes for charm compared with the design shops of Skólavörðustígur, but it does exactly what a big mall should, and its scale means you'll find things that simply aren't available in the small specialist stores of the old town. For travellers who need practical shopping, a rainy-day refuge or Sunday opening hours, Kringlan is Reykjavik's most comprehensive and convenient option.
Hours
Mon–Sat ~10:00–19:00, Sun ~13:00–18:00
Price
Free entry
Getting there
In Kringlumýri, a short bus ride from the centre
Insider tip: Iceland's largest mall — 180 shops under one roof, open Sundays. Handy on a rainy day.
8.Kraum (Icelandic Design)
Kraum is a design store in the heart of Reykjavik that gathers work from around 200 Icelandic designers under one roof, making it perhaps the single best place in the city to shop for genuine local design. Rather than trawling individual boutiques, you can browse a beautifully curated selection of homeware, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, fashion accessories, toys and gifts, all created by Icelandic makers, in a range of styles and price points. Housed partly in one of Reykjavik's oldest buildings on Aðalstræti, it champions the country's strong contemporary design culture, and the emphasis on local, often small-batch or handmade pieces means you'll find distinctive, high-quality items you won't see everywhere else. It's an ideal stop for souvenirs and gifts with real substance — something designed and made in Iceland rather than a mass-produced trinket — whether that's a piece of minimalist jewellery, a woollen accessory or a beautifully made homeware object. Open daily and centrally located, it's easy to combine with the main sights and shopping streets. For design-minded travellers who want to support Icelandic creativity and bring home something genuinely representative of the island's design scene, Kraum is a rewarding and reliable choice, and a one-stop showcase of what the country's makers do best.
Hours
Daily ~10:00–18:00
Price
Free to browse
Getting there
On Aðalstræti in the city centre
Insider tip: Around 200 local designers under one roof — the best single stop for Icelandic design souvenirs.