Your Guide

Sean Conlon, real estate tycoon

 

Flight time:6 hours on Icelandair

When to go:June to July
It stays light all night.

Where to stay:Hotel Borg
Stylish lodgings right on Reykjavík’s main drag. From $250; Posthusstraeti 11; keahotels.is/en

The energy in Reykjavík is fantastic in summer, when it’s light out for nearly 24 hours. By dinnertime, the streets are packed and buzzing, and it’s normal to be out all night. It’s like a nonstop festival.

Iceland is one of the least pretentious countries I’ve been to, and Reykjavík’s bars and clubs are proof: There’s no snobbery, no VIP rooms, no trying too hard. The city feels totally democratic, with its own sense of style and fashion.

I like to start with a stroll down the city’s main drag, Austurstræti, and stop at Kaldi Bar, a humming locals’ pub, or Enski Barinn, which has live music and a patio out back. I also love the cozy bar at Kol, a smartly designed restaurant that serves locally raised organic beef that’s as good as wagyu. My favorite club is Austur, which stays crowded until the wee hours. The vibe there is hip but egalitarian—you can dance as badly as you want and no one cares.