Places To Visit In Iceland

The Blue Lagoon

A great first stop – the Blue Lagoon. I would recommend booking in advance (click here to book) and sunset is a lovely time to visit. I booked the Comfort Package which includes a towel, face mask and a drink. I would suggest spending maybe 2-3 hours here and taking your time exploring all it has to offer – face masks, saunas, steam room, steam cave, waterfalls, in-water bar etc. There are plenty of showers and changing facilities, including the use of shampoo and shower gel for after you finish in the lagoon.

The only downfall that I would have is that you are not allowed to use tripods! As a solo traveller, this was quite disappointing – yes the rules were broken but only very quickly before 3 staff members ran over shouting at me to take it down.

The future of the Blue Lagoon is uncertain with the many eruptions ongoing in Iceland. 3 days after I visited the Blue Lagoon there was another eruption and it has been closed since. Some other good options are Hvammsvik or the Sky Lagoon.

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrimskirkja is the main attraction in Reyjavik and it is no wonder why! It is a phenomenal structure. Walk up Rainbow Street and at the end you will see the magnificent cathedral. There is plenty of parking on the surrounding streets (just make sure you pay using the parka app). Click here for the exact location.

Whale Watching

Before you head away from Reykjavik, be sure to head out on a boat and try your luck to spot some whales. Summer is the best time for whale (and Puffin) watching in Iceland. I booked by trip with Elding.is and would highly recommend. You are provided with thermal overalls and blankets for warmth, and there is also a cafe on board. Unfortunately during this trip we only saw minke whales (and not any humpback whales) so they offered everyone onboard another free ticket to try again!

Silfra Snorkelling

Where else can you swim between two tectonic plates? Only in Iceland! Snorkelling in Silfra was probably the best thing that I did in Iceland. I booked my tour with dive.is and again, would highly recommend. You are provided with all equipment and I was not one bit cold! While you are snorkelling you wear a drysuit. This is essentially 2 laters, the first being a fleece insulation layer and then on top of that you wear what resembles a waterproof wetsuit! Only your hands and face get wet (cold). You also wear your own thermals (top, bottoms and socks) underneath so arrive dressed in those!

Kerid Crater

Kerid Crater is a nice stop if you are passing (however I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit). You can walk around the top edge of the crater and there are also steps that you can walk down to go down into the crater. Parking is free but entrance is 500isk. There are no toilets/facilities here btw! Click here for location.

Seljalandfoss

Seljalandfoss will probably be the first waterfall you will visit during your trip and it will be hard to beat! It is magnificent! Entrance is free but parking is paid.

Skógafoss

Skógafoss is a truly breathtaking view! The carpark doubles as a campsite and while the facilities aren’t that great (quite awful to be honest and no electricity), waking up to the views of Skógafoss and having the place practically to yourself is 100% worth it. There is also another relatively unknown waterfall just a couple of minutes away.

Kvernufoss

Kvernufoss is a relatively unknown waterfall and only a couple minutes from Skógafoss. There is a short, easy walk to reach the waterfall taking approximately 10 minutes and you pass through a field of a lovely Icelandic horses on your way. Entrance is free but parking is paid via parka app. There is a also coffee shop that opens during the summer.

The Endless Black Beach

This spot if mindblowing! A mountain-top viewpoint overlooking an endless black beach. I would give a word of warning that this viewpoint is at the top of a mountain so if the weather is bad the road conditions can be quite slippery. It was also insanely windy the day I visited- so check this too before visiting! Click here for the location.

Reynisfjara Beach

Reynisfjara Beach, one of the most dangerous beaches in the world and now i totally understand why! There are colour coded lights when entering the beach that correspond to the likelihood of sneaker waves. Entrance is free but parking is paid. There is also a coffee shop and restaurant here too. Click here to bring you directly to the carpark.

Yoda Cave

A nice and quick stop off on your journey across the south of Iceland. only about 15 minutes outside of Vik. Click here to bring you to the exact location. Once you turn off the main road, the road to the cave is quite bad but it is only a very short drive.

Fjaðrárgljúfur

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon had been closed previously for quite some time as a famous musician made a music video here and it became overpopulated with tourists (google Justin Bieber Fjaðrárgljúfur). It is a beautiful canyon and only a short uphill walk to reach the first viewpoint. Parking is paid and during winter there are no toilets open. Click here for location to the carpark. The path was extremely muddy when I visited so make sure that you bring waterproof hiking boots!

Svartifoss

A nice 40 minute hike/walk to get to Svartifoss. If visiting in winter, if is has snowed or is icy, crampons are definitely needed. Parking paid but entrance is free. Park here and make your way to the left along the trail, there are plenty of signs along the way to point you in the right direction.

Svínafellsjökull Glacier

Svínafellsjökull Glacier is definitely a must-see. Park your car here and walk along the trail bring you right up to the glacier.

Múlagljúfur Canyon

Disclaimer: I didn’t actually hike this, although I want to visit Iceland during the summer just to visit here! It is about a 45 minute hike and with icy/snowy conditions, crampons are a must. If it has been snowing, the road won’t be visible at all! It is a dirt road and gets washed away if it has been raining or completed undetectable if it snows. Click here for the turn off the main road.

Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach, a must-see when visiting South Iceland. Visit early in the morning as the beach gets extremely busy with tourists throughout the day. Also, if it rains, the ice will be melted away so plan accordingly! Parking is paid via parka app.

Ice Caving at Vatnajokull Glacier

Right across the road from Diamond Beach is the lagoon and glacier. This is where I did ice caving. I booked with icepicjourneys.is and did the early bird tour leaving at 8am. We had the cave almost to ourselves and by the time we were leaving, there were busloads of other tourists arriving so I would highly recommend getting an early morning tour so that you can really appreciate the ice caves and get some nice pictures.

Vestrahorn

Some places that you visit, leave you lost for words- Vestrahorn is one of those places. It is breathtaking!! And definitely worth the drive. There is a coffee shop and campsite here (with electricity)- be warned that the wind is brutal so don’t expect much sleep! However, waking up and taking in the sunrise views across Vestrahorn was definitely worth it!

When you arrive, pay your entrance fee in the coffee shop (if you are camping, this is included in the fee). You then receive a ticket with a barcode that you scan at the barrier to your right, drive that road until the very end and once you stop you can take in the entire view of Vestrahorn.

Eldborg Crater

Eldborg Crater is a nice stop and there is a campsite right beside it. You can walk the trail to the crater starting here.

Búðakirkja

An iconic Icelandic black church. A must visit if in West Iceland. Click here for the location. There is also a hotel right next to this church if you want to pop in for a bite to eat!

Arnarstapi

Enjoy phenomenal views along this short cliff walk! A visit the well-known stone bridge. Click here for the carpark. While visiting, I ate here and would recommend.