Reykjavik

Though we opted to rent a car and stay more remotely, one of the joys of Iceland travel is that much of western Iceland is accessible as a day trip from Reykjavik. Every place we visited also had travelers joining us with included transportation to/ from Reykjavik. If car rental intimidates you, staying in Reykjavik and using this included transportation is an easy solution. Often it doesn't cost any extra to include the shuttles as day tours are priced with this expected.

The only downside to this strategy is that Reykjavik is particularly expensive for both food and accommodations. There are dozens of great restaurants to choose from, but the cost for a basic dinner can be jaw dropping (I paid $30 for a bowl of soup!). You'll want to budget accordingly and take advantage of the free snacks/ meals that are often provided with the day tours. 

Reykjavik certainly has highlights worth exploring in its own right. Hallgrímskirkja Church is an operating Lutheran Church that has a 244 ft bell tower. Outside of church service and event times, the tower can be accessed via elevator, for a fee, and offers outstanding views of the city. The church itself has free admission and with its concrete facade and clean lines, it looks very much like you might picture a quintessential Iceland church.

Another unique stop in Reykjavik is the Cat Coffee House, a sweet little pink walled cafe with coffee, sweets, and several resident cats that visitors can pet. There's a list of rules to allow the cats to lead the interaction and it was a 'must stop' for my cat loving son. 

For our other kids, the highlight in Reykjavik was 'Fly over Iceland'. It's essentially like the 'Soarin' ride in Disneyland where you sit in a row of seats that lift off the ground in front of a large, 3d screen complete with water and scent effects. You 'travel' across Iceland courtesy of drone videography that brings to life areas that would be virtually inaccessible any other way. The scenes are spectacular and, though it also had a hefty price tag for the 20 minute experience, we all really enjoyed it. There are also a couple other surprises enroute to the film ride itself that I won't spoil here, but that add to the ambiance and overall experience.