Photos: Michal Gorski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Xfigpower, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Michal Gorski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Xfigpower, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Settlement Exhibition's longhouse ruins
Your local guide
Guðrún Ágústsdóttir
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Highlights
- A Viking longhouse under the street
- Ruins found during 1970s building work
- One of the city's oldest known sites
- A modern street built above history
- Settlement-era Reykjavik, seen from outside
About this tour
This session looks at the earliest known settlement in Reykjavik, viewed from the street-level window above the excavated longhouse rather than from inside the ticketed museum. You see the ruins as they were uncovered and the modern street built directly above them. It stays outside on public ground, working from what is visible through the window.
After a short sound check by the window, I explain what the excavation revealed and how the ruins were dated, then move along the street to show how the modern city sits directly on top of the settlement. I take questions live and send a short note afterwards on the exhibition inside for anyone who wants to visit further.
It suits anyone interested in archaeology and early settlement history, and anyone deciding whether to visit the exhibition itself afterwards.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Reykjavik before heading out.
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The exhibition from the street window 15 min
The camera looks down through the street-level viewing window at the excavated remains of a Viking-age longhouse, and I explain how the ruins were found during building work in the 1970s.
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Aðalstræti above the ruins 15 min
You see the street built directly above the excavation, and I point out how it traces one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the city.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Reykjavik: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Lamb soup (kjötsúpa) and Old Harbour, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Reykjavik time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Reykjavik, showing you The exhibition from the street window and Aðalstræti above the ruins live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Reykjavik live with my phone.
Times shown in Reykjavik time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Tue 27 Oct · 8 seats left From 20,00 €
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