Reykjavik is the capital and largest city of Iceland, situated on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay in southwest Iceland at a latitude of 64°08′ N — making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Home to around 139,000 residents as of 2025, the city punches well above its size with a vibrant design scene, celebrated food culture, and a skyline dominated by the volcanic geology that defines the entire island. It sits at the base of active volcanic terrain, and the surrounding landscape transitions quickly from urban streets to a raw, primordial wilderness that has changed little since the first Norse settlers arrived. Gates used Reykjavik as his base of operations in Season 4's Viking-focused episode, describing it as "right at the top of my short list of the world's coolest capitals" before venturing into the Icelandic interior to trace how Iceland shaped the Vikings' enduring cultural legacy. The city's founding is traditionally traced to the Norse settlement of Iceland around 870–874 AD, and its isolation and unique geography — including near-constant summer daylight — continue to give it a character Gates called "unmistakably Icelandic."
Norse Vikings settle Iceland; Reykjavik's founding traditionally attributed to this period of initial Scandinavian migration
Reykjavik officially established as a municipality and trading town
Iceland declares independence and Reykjavik becomes the capital of the new republic
Gates investigates Viking history in Iceland, using Reykjavik as a staging point in Expedition Unknown S04E01 "Viking Secrets"
In S04E01, Gates consults archaeologist Kevin Smith and Icelandic specialist Gudmundur Olafsson at the ancient site of Reykholt, not far from the capital. Olafsson frames Iceland's Norse settlement as a characteristically Viking impulse — land hunger and relentless westward expansion leading a seafaring culture to an uninhabited island roughly around 870 AD. That date aligns with the broader academic consensus on the Landnámsöld, or "Age of Settlement," when Norse emigrants from Norway and the British Isles colonized Iceland over several decades.
Mainstream historians and archaeologists generally hold that Iceland's Viking settlement was driven by a combination of political pressure in Scandinavia, overpopulation, and the same pioneering spirit that eventually carried Norse explorers to Greenland and, later, the North American continent. Reykjavik itself — whose name translates roughly as "Smoky Bay," likely a reference to geothermal steam observed by early settlers — grew from a modest farmstead into a trading post and, eventually, the administrative heart of a modern nation. Its position on Faxaflói bay gave early settlers access to rich fishing grounds and a relatively sheltered harbor.
What remains genuinely debated among historians is the precise role Iceland played in crystallizing Viking cultural identity — the sagas, legal traditions, and mythology that would define how the Norse world remembered itself. Gates' episode frames Iceland not merely as a western outpost but as a crucible where the Vikings, as he puts it, "perfected new skills" and where the cultural legacy of the Norse world took on a more lasting shape. That is an interpretation with scholarly backing, though the full picture of Iceland's role in Viking intellectual and literary history remains an active area of research.
Gates' visit to Reykjavik does not advance a specific archaeological claim about the capital itself — the city functions here as a gateway and a mood-setter, with the deeper investigation unfolding inland. The episode is honest about that framing: Reykjavik is the entry point, not the destination. For viewers, it serves as a reminder that modern Iceland wears its Viking heritage visibly, from its language (Old Norse largely intact) to its landscape, which has barely softened since the first longships made landfall.
Reykjavik is the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state, sitting at a latitude of 64°08′ N.
The city's name translates roughly as 'Smoky Bay' in Old Norse, believed to refer to the geothermal steam that early Norse settlers observed rising from hot springs in the area.
As of 2025, Reykjavik's population is around 139,000, yet the broader Capital Region accounts for approximately 64% of Iceland's entire population.
Iceland was one of the last places on Earth to be settled by humans, with Norse colonization beginning around 870 AD — making its written and oral historical record unusually intact compared to many older civilizations.
Reykjavik is easily accessible via Keflavik International Airport, located approximately 50 kilometers southwest of the city center, and is generally very visitor-friendly with well-developed tourism infrastructure. Key attractions connected to Viking history include the Settlement Exhibition (Landnámssýningin), which preserves an excavated Viking-age longhouse beneath the city streets, and the nearby Saga Museum. Visitors should check current travel advisories and local conditions, as Iceland's weather can change rapidly.
Reykjavik is itself the nearest major city; Keflavik is approximately 50 km to the southwest.
Summer (June through August) offers the famous midnight sun and the most accessible road conditions for venturing into the Icelandic interior, though it is also peak tourist season. Winter visits reward travelers with potential Northern Lights sightings, though some highland routes and smaller sites may be inaccessible.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is the Viking homeland Gates investigates in the same broad arc of Norse history explored in 'Viking Secrets,' tracing the origins of the culture that eventually settled Iceland.
Scotland
Scotland features Norse and Viking-era connections that Gates has investigated, linking the broader story of Viking expansion across the North Atlantic.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain has been investigated in connection with pre-Columbian transatlantic contact theories, echoing the wider question of how far Norse explorers ultimately traveled from their Icelandic and Scandinavian bases.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia