DAY 1

10:00 And where Reykjavik is concerned, that’s not a bad place to start.

Quirky, edgy, creative, musical and more than a little bonkers are all characteristics that apply as much to the capital city as the pint-sized popstrel.

Once you’ve adjusted to the surreal daylight hours – 22 hours of light in summer, and almost round-the-clock darkness in winter – you’ll soon get into the Icelandic swing of things.

Start off your first day with a mega brekkie of sausage and eggs at Grái Kötturinn (mains from £6.50; Hverfisgata 16a; tel. 00 354 5511544), a tiny cafe which has nearly as many stuffed bookshelves as it does tables.

11:00 Sticking with the sausage theme, make your way to The Icelandic Phallological Museum (entrance fee £5) to see how you or someone you know measures up to a 67-inch sperm whale penis and the pickled organ of an elderly Icelander who died last year.

13:00 Feeling a bit hot under the collar? Restore your composure with a walk in the fresh air around the strikingly original Lutheran church Hallgrímskirkja (visitreykjavik.is).

It took 38 years to build and the architecture was inspired by the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape.

14:00  You’ll find busy hot dog stands all over the city, so get in line and grab one with the works for lunch.

Some of the best are at Bæjarins Beztu (Pylsur Tryggvagotu 1), in operation since 1937 – apparently former US president Bill Clinton stopped for a snack last time he was in town.

15:00 Devote at least some of your afternoon to Reykjavik’s Art Museum, which is spread over three locations: Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir and Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum (entrance fee for all three £5.50).

Hafnarhús has a huge collection of edgy graphic art from Icelandic artist Erró.

18:00 If you’ve got a strong enough stomach, get stuck into what might be the most Icelandic meal possible: smoked puffin and reindeer, at The Fish Market (mains from £18.50; fishmarket.is).

Dinner here doesn’t come cheap, but the splurge is well worth it just for the bragging rights alone once you get back home.

20:00 Stomach suitably lined, it’s now time to start the famous Reykjavik ‘runtur’ (that’s the local lingo for pub crawl).

Have a few beers at the casual, candle-lit Boston (pints from £3.50; Laugavegur 28b; tel. 00 354 5177816).

It stays open until 6am, so you can come and go between here and other nearby venues, such as trendy dance spot B5 (pints from £3; b5.is) and Mediterranean-themed, upmarket bar Vegamot (wine from £4,40).

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DAY 2

10:00 Blinding headache? As soon as you can peel yourself out of bed, soothe it with breakfast of fruit, toast and coffee in the city centre’s Guesthouse Sunna (rooms from £39pn).

11:00 Once you’re feeling human enough to venture out again, take it easy with a soak in one of Reykjavik’s misty geothermal pools.

One of the most popular is Blue Lagoon (entrance fee £28), where those in need of a little TLC can opt for a massage, scrub or a host of other beauty treatments.

13:00 It’s all about making the most of the fresh seafood while you’re here, so head to Sægreifinn (Verbúð 8; mains from £5; tel. 00 354 5531500) for great value lobster soup and fish kebabs.

14:00 Want to try a traditional horseriding session on an Icelandic mount? Viking Horses (riding tour approx £50) have a centre just 10 minutes’ drive from downtown.

A ride takes you through a scenic trail of the Heidmork nature reserve and close to the border of the Hengill volcanic system.

16:00 You’ve just got time to stop in at Kolaportið Flea Market (Tryggvagotu 19; tel. 00 354 5625030), where you’ll find skint but trendy hipsters from Reykjavik hunting for bargains among the vintage records, bright knitted mittens and bobble hats.

Pick up some souvenirs here for your buddies back home.

18:00 Icelandic Fish and Chips (mains from £5) does a hearty, healthy take on traditional fish and chips – their batter is made from spelt and barley, which apparently makes it marginally better for you.

Either way, it tastes good.

20:00 Reykjavik is full of live music clubs, where bands play from early in the evening until late.

In the increasingly hip 101 district, there are a few small but totally rocking venues, such as Cafe Amsterdam, (Hafnarstraeti 5; tel. 00 354 551 3800), where you can catch local acts.

Fly from London Heathrow to Reykjavik return from £311pp with Icelandair  icelandair.is

Photos: Karin Beate Nøsterud, Sigurjon Gujnsson, visitreykjavik.is