If your time in Reykjavik is limited, skip the Saga Museum, which is a funky-smelling waxworks, and go straight to The National Museum of Iceland.

The permanent exhibition takes you on a journey through the 1200 years of the country’s history. Remarkable artifacts help tell the story from Viking settlement through the Black Death to the country’s current leading role in renewable energy research.

It’s one of the stops on the Reykjavik Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour, which gives a recorded commentary as it drives you on an overview of the city, stopping at other spots, such as the Harpa Concert Hall and the Harbor.