Perlan is a natural history museum on top of Öskjuhlíð hill in Reykjavík. A glass dome sits on six hot water tanks that supply the city. Four of them still hold hot water, one holds an ice cave, and one has been turned into a planetarium. The exhibitions cover glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, birds and the place of water in Icelandic nature. A 360° observation deck runs around the dome, with views over the city, the mountains and the Atlantic. The building opened to the public in 1991.
Perlan
The glass dome rests on six hot water tanks: four still hold hot water for Reykjavík, one holds a 100-metre ice cave, and one has become a planetarium.
- Entrance
- Paid admission. Tickets are sold online and at the door.
- Accessibility
- Step-free entrance, accessible parking spaces and accessible toilets.
- Parking
- Free car park at the building, plus free street parking.
- Transport
- Taxi, or a 20–25-min walk up Öskjuhlíð
- Advance booking
- Recommended in summer
- Hours
- Open daily, 9:00–21:00.
- Address
- Varmahlíð 1, 105 Reykjavík
What makes it special
Perlan puts most of Iceland's nature under one roof, and all of it indoors. The ice cave is a 100-metre tunnel built from around 400 tonnes of ice, snow and ash, inside one of the old hot water tanks. An indoor geysir rises through the building to the top floor. The planetarium runs Áróra, a show about the northern lights. There is also a Lava Show about recent eruptions and a ten-metre replica of the Látrabjarg seabird cliff. The labelling is detailed throughout, and the exhibitions reward reading rather than walking past.
Good to know
- Buy online: tickets at the door cost more than the same tickets bought online, and admission here is not cheap.
- Allow at least two hours: the exhibitions, the ice cave and the planetarium show add up to more than a quick look.
- The ice cave is cold: it is a real one, 100 metres of ice, snow and ash. Take a jacket in with you.
- With children: the ice cave, the lava show and the indoor geysir hold young children. There are toilets and a café in the building.
Getting there
Perlan stands on top of Öskjuhlíð hill, above Reykjavík, and the road runs up to the building itself. There is a free car park on site and free street parking around it, so you arrive at the door rather than at a trailhead.
Best time to visit
Better: a clear day, if the observation deck is part of why you are coming.
Avoid: low cloud and rain for the deck — the panorama over the city, the mountains and the ocean goes with it.
The exhibitions, the ice cave and the planetarium are all indoors, so the weather changes the view and not the visit.
Things to do nearby
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Frequently asked questions
What is inside Perlan?
Exhibitions on glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, birds and water in Icelandic nature, a 100-metre ice cave, the Áróra planetarium show about the northern lights, a Lava Show, a ten-metre replica of the Látrabjarg seabird cliff and a 360° observation deck. There is also a café, an ice cream parlour, a restaurant and a gift shop.Is Perlan good for children?
Yes. The ice cave, the lava show, the planetarium and the indoor geysir that rises to the top floor all work for young children, and the museum is set up for family visits.What can you see from the observation deck?
The deck runs a full 360° around the dome, with Reykjavík below, the surrounding countryside, the mountains and the Atlantic. The restaurant and café on the top floor revolve through the same full circle.What was the building before it was a museum?
A group of hot water tanks. The first was built on Öskjuhlíð hill in 1939, high enough to push water anywhere in Reykjavík, and five more followed. The tanks were rebuilt in the late 1980s, and the building on top of them opened to the public on 21 June 1991.