Capital Region

Two covers the city itself — the old harbour, Hallgrímskirkja, the museums and a swimming pool — without rushing. Most people give it more than that by default, because it is where the day tours pick up and where you sleep between them.

No, and it is usually a liability. The centre is walkable end to end in twenty minutes, day tours collect from central pickup points, and street parking downtown is paid every day of the week. Hire the car for the days you leave town.

About 48 kilometres, 45 to 50 minutes by road. The airport is on the Reykjanes peninsula, not in Reykjavík — allow for that when you book a first-night arrival or an early flight home.

On a strong night, yes — from Grótta on Seltjarnarnes or the shore path at Sæbraut, where the city glow is behind you. Street lighting costs you the faint displays, so a tour out of town or a drive to darker ground sees far more of the season.

Sky Lagoon is in Kópavogur, fifteen minutes from the centre, and faces open sea. The Blue Lagoon is on Reykjanes, about 45 minutes out and roughly halfway to the airport, which makes it an easy first or last stop rather than an evening one. Both need booking ahead.

Yes, by most standards — eating out and alcohol are where it shows most. The swimming pools, the coastal paths and most of the churches and squares cost little or nothing, and the tap water is better than anything you can buy.