Things to Do in Iceland

1. Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir)

Thingvellir

Stroll between tectonic plates for a surreal landscape experience. Trek along rifts, gaze into deep blue fissures, and sense ancient earth beneath your feet.

Quick facts: Tectonic forces have pulled the earth apart here, creating striking rifts, cliffs, and clear fissure pools that reveal the Mid-Atlantic Ridge above sea level. A national assembly once met on a natural rock platform where law-speakers addressed crowds and helped shape early legal traditions.

Highlights: A parliament gathered on a flat rock outcrop called Lögberg from 930 to 1798, with records noting crowds of up to 10,000 on fine weather days. Cold, spring-fed fissures are so transparent you can see more than 30 metres deep, and divers in dry suits swim between continental plates in surreal, sapphire-lit tunnels.

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2. Geysir Geothermal Area / Strokkur

Witness active eruptions and raw geothermal power. Hear the roaring sounds, feel the mist, and watch water shoot high into the air.

Quick facts: Strokkur erupts roughly every 6 to 10 minutes, shooting water columns typically between 20 and 30 meters high. A faint sulfur scent lingers while mineral-streaked pools shimmer in blue, green, and rusty orange around the active vents.

Highlights: A reliable eruption cycle makes the main geyser nearly theatrical, often sending a spray wall skyward timed perfectly by photographers; scientists study subsurface pressure changes through the predictable bursts. Locals sometimes toss coins into quieter pools for luck, and on calm mornings sunlight can turn the spray into fleeting rainbows close to the rim.

3. Gullfoss Waterfall

A thunderous two-level waterfall worth the extra journey. Feel the mist on your face and see either ice or rainbows depending on the season.

Quick facts: Massive sheets of water drop in two dramatic tiers, plunging about 32 meters into a narrow gorge. During peak melt the river swells so greatly that roaring torrents and spray clouds can obscure the view, making the trail feel wildly alive.

Highlights: A deep, narrow crevice directs the flow so forcefully that spray freezes into icy chandeliers in winter, presenting crystal shapes under the low sun. Local conservationist Sigríður Tómasdóttir famously campaigned against early 20th-century dam plans, reportedly threatening to throw herself into the falls, and a small memorial along the lower path honors her efforts.

4. Blue Lagoon (Grindavík)

Grindavík

Relax in warm, milky-blue geothermal pools. Expect steam rising, shadowy black lava formations, and a natural silica mud treatment.

Quick facts: Mineral-rich, milky-blue water stays comfortably warm year-round due to nearby geothermal activity and runoff from a power plant. Steam rising over dark lava fields creates a surreal contrast praised by photographers and bathers.

Highlights: Onsite silica mud treatments use a chalky white paste that guests often apply for 10 to 20 minutes, with many reporting visibly smoother skin afterwards. Warm water averaging about 37 to 39°C laps against black basalt while neon-green algae cling to the edges, producing a subtle mineral-sulfur scent and thick, photogenic steam.

5. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

View floating ice formations set against a vivid sky. Encounter seals, reflections in the water, and close-up blue ice textures.

Quick facts: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon features house-sized icebergs slowly drifting across a mirror-like surface, often clinking and cracking as they melt. Seals frequently float near the shore, and film crews regularly use the dramatic scenery for movies and commercials.

Highlights: Since the 1930s, steady glacial retreat has expanded the lagoon to about 18 square kilometers, allowing massive, house-sized icebergs to calve into open water. Sunsets can cast an orange glow on the ice while thunderous calving sounds travel for kilometers, creating an otherworldly soundtrack.

6. Skaftafell (Vatnajökull National Park - Skaftafell)

Vatnajökull National Park - Skaftafell

A detour reward with breathtaking glacier, waterfall, and moraine vistas. Enjoy short hikes, dramatic lighting, and intimate blue ice encounters.

Quick facts: A mix of black sand, scraggly birch, and bright blue ice creates sudden, cinematic shifts underfoot, so every short walk can feel like a new world. Hikes range from 20-minute strolls to full-day treks, and seals or drifting icebergs often appear in glacial rivers during summer.

Highlights: A 20-meter waterfall cascades over hexagonal basalt columns, the regular shapes framing the falls like sculpted organ pipes and ideal for slow-shutter photography. Nearby, a glacier tongue calves into a pale, milky lagoon that crunches underfoot, with over a dozen marked trails radiating from the valley for intimate dawn viewpoints.

7. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Step behind a towering water curtain for a unique view. Prepare for wet shoes, a roaring sound, and memorable photography moments.

Quick facts: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall drops about 60 meters over a semicircular cliff, giving it a dramatic curtain-like shape. Visitors can walk a short, well-worn path behind the falls for rare rear views and uniquely dynamic photo angles.

Highlights: Photographers often line the rear path during golden hour to catch the sun setting behind the falls; summer daylight can last past midnight, creating long stretches of warm light and vivid rainbows. A narrow cave behind the flow places visitors inside a cold, misty shell where the roar can exceed 100 decibels near the base, making conversation a whisper and cameras fog up.

8. Skógafoss Waterfall

Astounding power and almost constant rainbows make this a must-see. Watch a 60-meter drop, a wall of spray, and climb for a panoramic summit view.

Quick facts: A 60-meter curtain of water falls over a basalt cliff, sending up fine spray that often forms vivid rainbows. The thunder from the plunge carries across the valley, and a steep path of about 500 steps leads to a dramatic viewpoint above.

Highlights: Legend says Þrasi Þórólfsson was the Viking who supposedly hid a treasure chest behind the falling water curtain, and locals still point to a dark spot behind the flow. Visitors often see double rainbows in the mist when the late afternoon sun hits at low angles, bathing everything in rich gold and green hues.

9. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach (Reynisfjara, Vík)

Reynisfjara, Vík

Striking black sands and soaring basalt columns invite a visit. Experience pounding surf, dramatic shapes, and unforgettable photo opportunities.

Quick facts: Black volcanic sand gives the shore an almost otherworldly look, with hexagonal basalt columns rising like a geometric cliff face. Powerful sneaker waves can appear without warning, so locals treat the beach with deep respect.

Highlights: Basalt columns here form near-perfect hexagons about 15 to 20 meters high, offering an architectural feel carved by cooling lava. Offshore, jagged sea stacks punctuate the horizon while storm-driven surf can roar over 90 decibels, a sensory reminder of the Atlantic's raw power.

10. Kirkjufell (mountain and waterfall, Grundarfjörður)

mountain and waterfall, Grundarfjörður

A surreal volcanic cone and waterfall create one of Iceland's most iconic scenes. Expect reflective pools, dramatic skies, and rich golden-hour light.

Quick facts: Kirkjufell rises as a sharply conical mountain beside a small, multi-tiered waterfall called Kirkjufellsfoss. Its distinctive profile is visible from many spots around Grundarfjörður. The peak stands about 463 meters tall and has been a popular filming location, famously appearing in the sixth season of a well-known fantasy series.

Highlights: At about 463 meters tall, the mountain’s steep, pancake-like basalt layers give it an almost sculpted look. The nearby three-tiered waterfall provides a textbook foreground for reflections. Season six of a famous fantasy series used the silhouette as a dramatic backdrop, and photographers often wait 20 to 45 minutes near sunset to capture perfect alignment of peak, falls, and reflective pools.

11. Laugarvatn Fontana Spa

Warm pools beside a steaming lake offer a restful stop. Enjoy hot baths, steam rooms, and the aroma of bread baked in geothermal sand.

Quick facts: Steam drifts over warm, mineral-rich pools set beside a quiet lake, creating a striking contrast between hot water and cold air. Visitors can relax in multiple outdoor pools, try a hot stone sauna, and smell rye bread slow-baked using geothermal heat.

Highlights: A centuries-old method of burying rye dough in geothermal sand produces dense, sweet loaves after about 24 hours of slow steaming, and the aroma of crust often drifts near the bathing terraces. Pools are usually kept around 36 to 40°C, and a steam bath lets you press your face into warm mist while watching icicles glitter above the lake on cold days.

12. Arnarstapi Village

Dramatic basalt cliffs and sea arches deserve a detour. Walk coastal paths, watch seabirds, and listen to crashing waves.

Quick facts: Basalt cliffs and columnar lava formations form a jagged shoreline where waves crash through natural arches and stacks. Summer attracts hundreds of seabirds and the occasional curious seal hauled out on the rocks.

Highlights: A coastal path frames a particularly photogenic sea arch that times incoming waves to a 10 to 15 second thunderous crash, ideal for long-exposure photos. Local storytellers still point out a solitary cliff-top cairn said to mark where fishermen once counted their catches by the dozen during peak season.