Grasagarður Botanical Garden

The point of the place is the walking. Beds of flowers, shrubs and trees run along the paths, with a pond in the middle and grey geese grazing its edge. The planting is dense for a garden this far north, and it is kept clean and tidy. Tropical species grow under glass. The café is in the greenhouse, and it is a full restaurant with a wide menu, not a kiosk by the gate. Flowering peaks in summer, and that is when the beds carry most of their colour.

• Open air: apart from the greenhouse, there is no cover, so rain cuts a visit short.
• Season: the flower beds are at their fullest in summer.
• Café: the greenhouse holds a café with a wide menu, and cards are accepted.
• Dogs and bikes: both are allowed on the paths.

The garden is in the Laugardalur district of Reykjavík. Drivers park at the garden itself, and there is street parking around it. From either, the last stretch is a walk in through the grounds. Finding the main entrance takes some looking. Once you are inside, the layout is easy to follow and the paths lead round the pond.

Best: summer, when the flower beds are at their fullest.

Avoid: wet days — the garden is open air, and the greenhouse is the only cover.

In summer, daylight in Reykjavík lasts well into the evening, which leaves plenty of the day for a slow walk round the collections.