Hallgrímskirkja tower tickets: price, hours, closures and the organ

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: The church nave is completely free to enter. The tower lift to the open-air viewing deck costs 1,500 ISK for adults and 200 ISK for children aged 7 to 16 (under-7s free), purchased at the church shop inside the entrance lobby. Tickets cannot be reserved online or booked in advance, even for tour groups. Winter hours, from 1 September, are 10:00 to 17:00, with the last tower admission at 16:45; in summer the church opens at 09:00 and closes at 20:00. The church and tower close for services, weddings, funerals and concerts. Or book a tour: when you want guided historical commentary through the surrounding old town and city landmarks before heading up the tower, the small-group city walking tourad (from 6,000 ISK, 4.8 stars from 623 reviews) meets in central Reykjavik. The Reykjavik City Card does not cover tower admission.

⚠️ Services close the church. The church and tower shut during Sunday services and on days with weddings, funerals or concerts. The parish publishes each week’s closures on its opening-hours page, so check before you climb the hill.

The official tickets and admission prices

Tower tickets are sold exclusively in the church gift shop, located immediately to the left as you enter through the main entrance lobby (hallgrimskirkja.is). No online booking portal exists, and third-party agencies cannot sell tower tickets in advance.

• Validity: a tower ticket is valid for one ascent on the day of purchase.
• Queues: on busy summer mornings and when cruise ships are in, the line for the lift can fill the lobby. Early or late in the day is quieter.
• City Card exclusion: The Reykjavik City Card covers municipal thermal pools and city museums, but does not include Hallgrímskirkja.

The nave of Hallgrímskirkja. Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Guided walking tours of the district

While the church requires you to buy tower tickets in person, several guided walking tours begin or finish on Hallgrímstorg. A guide provides architectural and social context on Reykjavik’s expansion, the history of the Lutheran reformation, and the street layout of Skólavörðustígur.

Reykjavik city walking tour in a small group

From 6,000 ISK · 4.8 stars from 623 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group walking tour

Reykjavik: City Walking Tour in a Small Group with a Local Guidead: meets near Ingólfstorg and walks through the historic core to Hallgrímskirkja. A local historian explains the street names, the settlement history from Ingólfur Arnarson, and the architecture of the church and Parliament House (Alþingishúsið). Tower tickets are purchased independently at the end of the walk.

Reykjavik sightseeing walking tour with a Viking

From 6,300 ISK · 4.7 stars from 497 reviews · 2 hours · guided historical walk

Reykjavik: Sightseeing Walking Tour with a Vikingad: led by an Icelandic guide in traditional Norse attire, tracing Reykjavik’s transformation from a turf-hut fishing hamlet to a modern capital, incorporating folklore, sagas, and Icelandic cultural traditions before arriving on the church plaza.

Reykjavik guided folklore walking tour

From 6,300 ISK · 4.7 stars from 375 reviews · 1.5 hours · local folklore expert

Reykjavik: Guided Folklore Walking Tourad: focuses on Icelandic ghost stories, the Huldufólk (hidden people), and elven myths associated with the rocky knolls of Skólavörðuholt and Lake Tjörnin.

Independent visit vs guided city tour

Comparing an independent visit to Hallgrímskirkja with joining an organized downtown walking tour.

The Klais organ in Hallgrímskirkja. Photo: Rémih, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Climbing the tower: elevator logistics and viewing deck

The church stands on Skólavörðuholt hill at 74.5 metres high, making it one of the tallest architectural structures in Iceland. The ascent process follows a specific layout:

1. The turnstile: Scan the barcode on your paper ticket at the automated barrier adjacent to the shop.
2. The lift: it takes you to the 8th floor.
3. The final staircase: from the 8th floor a short staircase leads up through the clock room to the open-air platform on the 9th.
4. The clock mechanisms: On the upper landing, the clockwork gearing of the four tower clock faces is visible behind transparent safety glass.
5. The viewing deck: The viewing balcony features open arches protected by industrial wire safety mesh. Arches face all four cardinal directions:
   • West: Overlooks the rainbow-painted strip of Skólavörðustígur, the red and green tin roofs of central postal code 101, Lake Tjörnin, and Faxaflói bay.
   • North: Looks directly toward Harpa Concert Hall and across the water to the flat-topped table mountain Mount Esja.
   • East: Spans the residential eastern suburbs, the domestic airport runway at Vatnsmýri, and the distant Blue Mountains (Bláfjöll).
   • South: Faces the geothermal dome of Perlan on Öskjuhlíð hill and the North Atlantic ocean horizon.

[!NOTE] The viewing platform is 73 metres up and open to the elements through protective mesh. Sub-zero winds blow off Faxaflói even during sunny summer afternoons. Keep gloves, a windproof outer layer, and a neck warmer in your daypack, as the viewing platform is unheated.

Architecture and the Great Klais Pipe Organ

Commissioned in 1937, the church was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson (1887–1950), Iceland’s first formally trained state architect. Samúelsson sought to forge a distinctive national architectural vernacular by mimicking Icelandic geological formations:

• Basalt column facade: The stepped exterior wings replicate hexagonal cooling columns of basalt lava found in nature at Svartifoss waterfall in Skaftafell and the sea caves of Reynisfjara.
• Construction timeline: Ground was broken in 1945. The crypt below the choir was completed first in 1948, the prominent tower was finished in 1974, and the soaring main nave was consecrated on 26 October 1986, coinciding with Reykjavik’s bicentennial celebration.
• Namesake: The sanctuary is named after the 17th-century Icelandic Lutheran pastor and poet Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passíusálmar (Passion Hymns), which remain central to Icelandic spiritual literature.

Inside the sanctuary, the focal point opposite the altar is the monumental mechanical pipe organ:

• Builder: Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn, Germany.
• Dimensions: Stands 15 metres tall, weighs over 25 tonnes, and encompasses 5,275 pipes across 72 stops and 4 manual keyboards and pedalboard.
• Installation: Completed and voiced in December 1992.
• Acoustics: The church’s concrete vaults create a natural acoustic resonance of roughly five to six seconds, making it an internationally recognized venue for organ recordings and choral performances.
• Regular recitals: The parish hosts a weekly meditation with organ music on Thursdays at 12:00 (free admission) and a Saturday midday organ recital from June through August (ticketed through the church shop and tix.is).

The Leifur Eiríksson statue in front of Hallgrímskirkja. Photo: Bernd Thaller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

The statue of Leifur Eiríksson

Dominating the open public plaza in front of the church facade stands the bronze statue of Norse explorer Leifur Eiríksson (Leif Erikson):

• Sculptor: Designed by American sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder (father of kinetic mobile artist Alexander Calder).
• Diplomatic gift: Presented to the Icelandic people by the United States Congress in 1930 to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of the Alþingi at Þingvellir in 930 AD.
• Placement history: The monument was installed on the high hill of Skólavörðuholt in 1930, decades before construction of the church behind it was finalized.
• Design details: Erikson is depicted standing erect at the bow of a vessel, clad in a chainmail tunic and gripping a battleaxe, gazing west across the Atlantic toward the North American lands he reached around 1000 AD.

Opening hours and visiting rules

The church maintains strict visiting hours to separate sightseers from religious services and rehearsals:

• Summer: open daily from 09:00 to 20:00, with the last tower ascent at 19:45.
• Winter (from 1 September): open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, with the last tower ascent at 16:45.
• Services: the church closes to sightseers during Sunday services. You are welcome to attend the service itself.
• Dress and conduct: Modest casual dress is standard. Remove hats when entering the nave. Flash photography and tripods are not permitted inside the sanctuary during prayer hours.
• Accessibility: The ground floor nave and church shop have ramp access from the plaza. A lift reaches the 8th floor of the tower, but the open-air platform on the 9th floor is up a short staircase and is not wheelchair accessible.

Practical details and getting there

Hallgrímskirkja anchors the top of Hallgrímstorg in the postal district 101:

• Walking: An easy 10-minute uphill walk from downtown Laugavegur or Lake Tjörnin along Skólavörðustígur (the rainbow street).
• Public bus: Strætó city bus route 14 stops at Barónsstígur / Landspítalinn, roughly 200 metres southeast of the church. For route maps and fare card mechanics, see the Reykjavik public transport guide.
• Tour pickups: day-trip coaches use designated pickup stops near the church; your booking confirmation names the stop.
• Nearby attractions:
  • Sundhöllin: The city’s oldest municipal geothermal bathhouse sits two blocks away on Barónsstígur; see the Reykjavik thermal pools guide.
  • Einar Jónsson Museum: Located across Eiríksgata; its peaceful rear sculpture garden is completely free to enter; see free things to do in Reykjavik.
  • Where to eat: The surrounding streets feature artisan sourdough bakeries and soup kitchens; check our curated guide to where to eat in Reykjavik.
  • Trip planning: Return to the Reykjavik city guide for full neighborhood overviews, museum passes, and seasonal day-trip planning.

Common questions

Is entry to Hallgrímskirkja free?

Yes, the church nave is free to enter for everyone. You pay only for the tower lift ticket, which gives access to the open-air viewing deck overlooking Reykjavik.

How much does the Hallgrímskirkja tower ticket cost?

Adults pay 1,500 ISK. Children aged 7 to 16 pay 200 ISK, and children under 7 enter free. Reduced prices apply to seniors, students and disabled visitors. Tickets are purchased on arrival in the church shop and cannot be reserved in advance.

Is the Hallgrímskirkja tower included in the Reykjavik City Card?

No. The church and tower are operated by the parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, not the municipality, so the tower is not included in the Reykjavik City Card.

When is the tower closed?

Winter hours, from 1 September, are 10:00 to 17:00, with the last tower admission at 16:45; in summer the church is open from 09:00 to 20:00. The church closes for services, and the nave and tower close during weddings, funerals and ticketed concerts.