What to see in Iceland: 10 must-sees
Discover what to see in Iceland: 10 must-see destinations, from Reykjavik to Thingvellir National Park. Predominantly natural and city; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
Natural(6)
Enter the Haukadalur valley and wait beside Strokkur: every 6-10 minutes the ground rumbles and fires a column of boiling water 30 meters into the air. A few steps away stands the Great Geysir, now dormant, which gave its name to all the world's geysers. Walk among bubbling mud pools, ochre-toned silica deposits and fumaroles that fill the air with sulphur. Entry is free and it lies about 100 km from Reykjavik, within the Golden Circle, with marked trails leading up to a viewpoint over the geothermal valley.
Walk the Thingvellir rift, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly pull apart and the world's first parliament was founded. Follow the 300-kilometer route to Geysir, the geyser that gave its name to all the others, and watch as Strokkur shoots its column of boiling water skyward every few minutes. Finish at Gullfoss, the double waterfall that drops 32 meters into a narrow canyon amid steam rainbows. You can do the tour by car from Reykjavik in one day, with marked trails at every stop.
Hop on an amphibious boat and sail among 1,000-year-old icebergs calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. Watch them drift toward the Atlantic through a short channel, tinted deep blue and streaked black with volcanic ash. Cross the road to Diamond Beach, where the polished chunks gleam on the black sand. Fly over the lagoon by helicopter to see the glacier tongue from the air, and if you visit in summer, look for seals resting among the ice blocks near the mouth.
Look up at the Icelandic sky between September and March, when the darkness of winter gives way to curtains of green, blue, and purple light moving over glaciers and lava fields. Vikings have watched them for 1,000 years, and today all it takes is driving a few kilometers out of Reykjavik, picking a clear-sky night, and looking north. Many travelers wait by frozen lagoons or waterfalls, combine the vigil with daytime hikes, and pack thermal clothing, because the outdoor wait can stretch until the sky decides to light up.
Cross the walkway over the canyon and feel the Hvítá river plunge 32 meters in two tiered drops, with a roar you hear before you see the water. Iceland's most famous waterfall is part of the Golden Circle, along with Geysir and Thingvellir, about two hours from Reykjavik. On clear days, the mist from the plunge creates rainbows over the basalt rock. The upper trail offers sweeping views, while the lower one brings you close to the edge of the second drop, where waterproof clothing is advisable year-round.
Watch as you set sail from Húsavík, Europe's whale-watching capital in northeast Iceland, bound for Skjálfandi Bay. Traditional oak boats leave the harbor several times a day, and within minutes the blows of humpbacks appear, along with dolphins leaping beside the bow and puffins diving close to shore. The bay is among the country's most reliable whale-watching spots, with snow-capped mountains in the background and cold, plankton-rich waters that draw the cetaceans. Bring warm clothing: even in summer the wind on deck is strong. Back on land, the harbor invites you to enjoy fresh fish right by the pier.
City(2)
Take in Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in Europe, founded in 874 by Ingólfur Arnarson, and wander streets lined with low houses painted red, blue and green. Visit Hallgrímskirkja church to see the city from its tower, walk along the old harbour where whaling ships dock, and bathe in one of the public thermal pools where locals gather to chat even in the snow. At weekends, the Kolaportið market offers second-hand clothes and fermented shark for the more adventurous.
Climb from the waterfront promenade on the shores of Eyjafjörður fjord up to the Akureyri Botanical Garden, one of the northernmost in the world, and end your stroll at the Polaris Art Gallery. Get to know Iceland's northern capital: a compact city where museums, low houses, and snow-capped mountains sit just a few streets apart. Here you can have breakfast by the harbor, browse the shops on Hafnarstræti, and, in winter, watch the northern lights without leaving town.
UNESCO Heritage(1)
Stop at the Almannagjá fault, where the North American and Eurasian plates drift apart by about two centimeters a year, and walk the fissures that split open the Thingvellir valley. Here, on the shores of Lake Þingvallavatn, the Alþingi — the world's oldest parliament — met from 930 AD in open-air assemblies during the summer. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2004, and today you can see the rock where the laws were read aloud and the islet where sentences were passed.
National Park(1)
Discover Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier, where you walk on thousand-year-old ice and enter blue ice caves that only form in winter. You can hike across glacier tongues, watch birds, and explore volcanic areas such as the Askja crater or the Dettifoss waterfall. The park covers nearly 14% of Iceland and was designated a World Heritage Site; its certified guides run safe routes on the ice all year round, with equipment included from Skaftafell.
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