Things not to miss

Rough Guides Editors

11/29/2019

#01 The Blue Lagoon

© Arsenie Krasnevsky/Shutterstock

#02 Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar’s bubbling hot springs, wildly-coloured hills and rugged hiking trails are the Interior’s best-known feature.

© Ovchinnikova Irina/Shutterstock

#03 Hiking in Hornstrandir

The total remoteness and majestic landscape make isolated Hornstrandir a fantastic destination for dedicated hikers.

© Kristyna Henkeova/Shutterstock

#04 Askja

Scramble down the stark sides of this volcanic crater in the Interior and take a quick dip in the lukewarm geothermal lake, Víti.

© inspi_ml/Shutterstock

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#05 Join the rúntur

Sample Iceland’s legendary nightlife, starting with a pub crawl round of Reykjavík’s bars.

© Mikhail Varentsov/Shutterstock

#06 Flatey

Admire the drama of the West Fjord mountains from the green, flat meadows of this tiny, peaceful island haven.

© Barbara Barbour/Shutterstock

#07 The Sagas

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Reykjavík’s Culture House boasts some of Europe’s oldest and finest medieval manuscripts.

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#08 Akureyri

Iceland's second town offers an engaging mix of urban sophistication, with great bars and restaurants and some decent museums.

© Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock

#09 Lake Mývatn

Mývatn’s placid spread of water is a haven for wildfowl, while the lake’s surrounds abound in volcanic formations, both extinct and highly active.

#10 The Interior

A trip into the desolate, uninhabited Interior is an unmissable opportunity to see the raw side of Iceland.

Aldeyjarfoss waterfall, Iceland

© Sergio Paciencia/Shutterstock

#11 Þórsmörk National Park

Hike 25km over the mountains between Þórsmörk and Skógar, right past the steaming site of the 2010 volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajökull.

© Mat1ss/Shutterstock

#12 Breiðavík

This sweeping stretch of golden sand and turquoise water is Iceland’s most beautiful beach.

© Lab Photo/Shutterstock

#13 The Settlement Exhibition

Travel back in time to the year 871 and see the remarkable remains of one of Reykjavík’s earliest houses.

© PhotoJoJay/Shutterstock

#14 Geysir

See Strokkur erupting at Geysir, after which all geysers are named.

© ZinaidaSopina/Shutterstock

#15 Þingvellir National Park

The dramatic site of Iceland’s first parliament, set in a mighty rift valley where the Eurasian and American continental plates are slowly tearing apart.

© RnDmS/Shutterstock

#16 West Fjords

Remote, forbidding yet totally compelling, the West Fjords are Iceland at its most scenically amazing.

#17 The Phallological Museum, Reykjavík

© Dmitriev Mikhail/Shutterstock

#18 Whale watching

Get up close to minke and humpback whales on a whale-watching tour from Reykjavík or Húsavík.

#19 Skaftafell National Park

Skaftafell’s blend of highland plateau, summer meadows and ice-blue glaciers are best explored by hiking, biking or climbing.

© naten/Shutterstock

#20 Hallgrímskirkja

Reykjavík’s best-known landmark, the striking Hallgrímskirkja offers unsurpassed views of the capital from its tower.

© Kalamurzing/Shutterstock

#21 Dettifoss

Deep inside Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, encounter nature in the raw at Europe’s most powerful waterfall.

© Thanapol Tontinikorn/Shutterstock

Travel advice for Iceland

Find even more inspiration for Iceland here