The secret of Iceland being one of the best vacation spots on earth is getting out. Iceland has been getting more and more tourists each year, and the only part that surprises me is why it didn’t happen sooner.
Part of the allure of Iceland is that the attractions are generally unique compared to the rest of the globe. For example, many countries have beautiful beaches, but far fewer have black sand beaches made of volcanic rock.
What to Pack? Before traveling to Iceland, make sure to read my Iceland Packing List guide so you so that you are prepared for the unique elements this nation has to offer.
10 Places to Visit in Iceland
Packing for Iceland can be tricky depending on the time of year you go. Even in the summer though you will need to pack for cooler weather. Here are some of my favorite products for Iceland on Amazon. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
This post contains affiliate links and we will make a small commission if you guys book through our link. I want to thank you all for the support!
Where to Stay in Iceland (Reykjavik)
We stayed 4 nights in Reykjavik and it was the perfect location for us. We ended up staying at the Reykjavik Lights Hotel all 4 nights and it ended up being the perfect location. We stayed there all 4 mights. We loved it.
The hotel we rented a in Reykjavik right in the city center. (One of the top things we were looking for – location is everything!) The prices weren’t bad but we were there in December, maybe the prices go up in the summer? It was about $100 a night.
They offer an incredible and completely free buffet breakfast and wifi (Free wifi is a must!). The breakfast was REALLY good! Book or check current prices for the hotel here.
10 Amazing Places You Must See in Iceland
The list below highlights 10 of the most common attractions Iceland has to offer, but you are guaranteed to find other things exciting while there as well.
1. Visit The Black Sand Beach In Vik Iceland
Visiting the black sand beach in Vik is definitely a must. The sand is crushed lava rock formed when it reaches the frigid ocean. A beautiful beach to visit, but not where I chose to sun tan.
Half way down the beach is a large vaulted cavern called Hálsanefeshellir (obviously really easy to pronounce).
Read more on Vik Iceland here.
2. Visit A Volcano
Iceland has about 130 volcanoes on the island. This is incredible to consider when you realize that Iceland is about the size of Georgia. Fears of a volcano erupting are a real concern there!
3. Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Tour
The glaciers in Iceland are UNREAL! Some of the best are only 2 hours past Vik. I couldn’t help but think that one of these guys sunk the titanic.
Check out the top Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Tours below:
Book your tour: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Full-Day Tour from Reykjavik (This is one of the most popular and highest reviewed tours I found with over 1400 positive reviews)
Book your tour: South Coast & Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
4. Take An Ice Cave Tour in Iceland
Sometimes called Crystal Caves, the ice caves inside Iceland’s glaciers are a truly remarkable wonder of nature. They are hard to get good pictures of, but your eyes will be able to take in an amazing view.
If you plan on seeing the ice caves in Iceland you have to go with a tour and they are only available in the winter. I linked a few of the most popular ice cave tours below.
Book your tour: Skaftafell: Ice Cave Tour & Glacier Hike
Book your tour: Ice Cave by Katla Volcano Super Jeep from Vik
Book your tour: Vatnajokull Glacier: Ice Caving and Glacier Hiking
5. Visit The Abandoned Plane
On the Saturday of Nov 24, 1973 a United States Navy airplane ran out of fuel and was forced to land on Sólheimasandur’s beach in the south of Iceland. The crew survived the landing and the airplane’s remains are still at the crash site. I’m glad I wasn’t on board as flying is already stressful enough!
6. Drive Through Thingvellir National Park
Photo: Friðþjófur M. / Flickr
In Thingvellir National Park you can see the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that splits Iceland further apart each year. On the drive you can see bubbling hot springs, beautiful lakes, and Iceland’s famous super hairy horses.
Side note – Did you know that you can now book a one day tour over to Greenland from Iceland?! It would be an amazing opportunity to see Iceland AND Greenland on the same trip.
Book your tour: From Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, and Blue Lagoon
Book your tour: Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full Day Tour with Kerid Crater
7. Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss is Iceland’s most famous waterfall. The pictures can’t show just how big this waterfall really is. The water is glacier runoff, and ultimately flows into the ocean.
Read also: The 15 Best Waterfalls in Iceland
8. Visit Blue Lagoon Iceland & Soak In Geothermal Hot Springs
Blue Lagoon is deservedly Iceland’s most popular tourist attraction. It is basically a football field sized hot tub that is powered by hot water shooting up from the center of the earth. It is an awesome sight and super relaxing in the cold.
Don’t worry, the hot spring even goes inside so you can get back into the locker room without having to be out in the cold.
Skip the lines and buy your ticket in advance here. The Blue Lagoon has become so popular that you have to purchase your tickets in advance now to guarantee a spot
Read more on the Blue Lagoon Iceland.
9. Snorkel Between Tectonic Plates at Thingvellir National Park
At Thingvellir Park you can see the island literally being ripped apart by earth’s crust pulling in opposite directions (explanation below), exposing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
This rare occurrence obviously causes a number of geographic phenomenon, and excites snorkelers with views to the center of the earth.
Book your tour: Snorkeling in Silfra Fissure – Small Group Adventure
Book your tour: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour with Underwater Photos
Book your tour: Silfra: Snorkeling with Underwater Photos Without Transport
10. Watch Geysir Blow
Every few minutes within the Golden Circle you can see the Strokkhur Geysir spout boiling water up in the air. These powerful earth burps can sometimes shoot as high as 100 ft above the ground. Also cool to see are the boiling mud pits, but warning, they are not bubbling chocolate pits.
Book your tour: Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full Day Tour with Kerid Crater
What to pack for a trip to Iceland
- Warm Fleece Jacket (without hood)
- Fleece Hoodie This will be great for adding extra layers when needed.
- Warm Winter Hat – Shop my favorite winter hats from Nordstrom. I also really like this one here, it comes in a ton of different color options.
- Thermals for layering – These come in a ton of different colors!
- Fleece lined leggings – These fleece lined leggings were AMAZING to have on this trip. Not just warm, but so comfy and affordable! (You will thank me for these ;)
- Warm scarf – I always like to bring a couple scarves for photos.
- Touch screen gloves – There is nothing more annoying than having to continually take off your gloves so that you can use your phone to take pictures or videos, especially in the freezing cold. It’s because of that that these touch screen gloves are my favorite. These are also an awesome choice. They will work with the iPhones, Android phones and iPad and are wind proof.
- Warm socks – I have been loving these Heat Holder socks.
UPDATE: I have had a lot of questions about where we stayed in Iceland. We rented a hotel in Reykjavik right in the city center. The prices weren’t too bad but we were there in December. It was about $100 a night. They offer free breakfast and wifi. The breakfast was REALLY good! You can book or check current prices for the hotel here.
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Great pictures. I love Iceland and haven’t had a chance to be there yet. I would love to do all the above. I so badly wanted to see the northern lights while taking in the geothermal waters. I will soon be visiting and thanks for sharing the post.
Thanks Marc! You will LOVE Iceland! Do lots of research before you go to make sure you don’t miss anything. We missed the northern lights while we were there due to cloudy skies. I really hope you guys get to see them! Have fun!
Beautiful Photography, lovely pictures.
My wife and I will be on a cruise later this year and we will have about 3 days in Iceland. I hope to capture a few beautiful moments as you did.
Thank you for sharing your pictures.
Thanks so much Patrick! You will be able to see a lot with three days in Iceland! I haven’t ever taken a cruise there but that sounds awesome. Have a great time!!
I want to visit Iceland SO BAD it’s not even funny. My husband told me I was in charge of our vacation for 2017 and Iceland is a top contender.
Yeah, Iceland is very deserving of that top spot Holly!
It was a truly incredible trip ineded. Iceland is my favourite place to date and is full of great places. I’m glad you found our posts useful and there si so much mroe we could have done, for 6 day trip the south of Iceland is well worth it as you can take your time and everything is a few hours drive from each other. If you do decide to do something similar then you MUST stay a the Volcano Hotel. THe people are really nice and the location is fab. Stepping out at night (Providing your not going when the light nights are in) and you look up and the milky way is clear as day. Its well worth getting in touch with a girl called Inga who runs a blog called Tiny Iceland (We have written a few articles for her)! She helped us out a lot and we met up with her in Reykjavik and had a great night! You will have a fab time no matter what you do and we are planning to return to this amazing place. I look forward to reading about your travels on your blog, its great to see another fellow traveller who has to balance travel with work
Love these! I’ll be travelling to Iceland for the first time in May for 9 days and plan on doing the entire country – or as much of it as humanly possible I absolutely can’t wait!
You will love it Madi! I am jealous you get to spend so much time there. Me and my husband did not have a chance to explore the northern part of the country. I am hoping to drive the whole island next time we are there. Have so much fun on your trip!
I’ll be spending 5 days in Iceland for my birthday at the end of March and I can’t tell you how eager I am to finally be there, especially after going through your list of locations to visit. I had some of these on my itinerary, are there more places you’d recommend?
How exciting! Happy early birthday! I would definitely make sure you see the Jökulsárlón lagoon. We were so mad we missed it on our last trip due to lack of research on our part. It is an unreal site, especially the beaches with the giant chunks of ice washing up to shore. Also, the golden circle is an easy day trip.
Enjoyed your comments and pictures. Looking forward to my first trip to Iceland this summer.
Thank you! I am so excited for you. Iceland is unlike anywhere I have travelled to. Have a great time on your trip!!
The view are so beautiful, and very amazing. I’m sure everyone will enjoy their vacation in this kind of place.
Yeah, seriously. How can you not? Iceland is just so unique and beautiful!
Thank you for your lovely post on Iceland. We are planning to visit Icekand in February 2017. I am very excited about snokling in silfra fissure. It apparently takes about 40 minutes . I guess you have done it. I would like to know how easy it is. Do you just float and let the current take you? The realson why I asked Is I am no spring chicken, I am 57 years old and not sure If I can snokle for 40 minutes. Thank you
Nilani
Hey Nilani!
So exciting about your upcoming trip to Iceland! You will fall in love with the country. I was not able to do the snorkeling because of health issues at the time. However, I have had a few friends do it and they say it is not taxing at all. I would think you would do great.
Thanks Claire. I have researched so much into this trip. I can’t wait ,
Of course! Have so much fun!
Hi,
My husband just found this location to visit, not sure if We shoud go this Summer. I didn’t do any research. How is the temperature? How long should we go 1 week, 10 days, 14?
Is it expensive to visit? We did the 4 islands in Hawaii last year, it looks a bit like the same kind of trip!
I lived in iceland for 5 years when i was young….i returned several years ago with my family. It truly is a magical place…the pictures do not do it justice..
I know! They really don’t Sherri!! I really want to go back.
Amazing blog with great info! I agree with you that, Blue Lagoon is deservedly Iceland’s most popular tourist attraction. I am a big fan of this place. Thanks dear for all the amazing info.
Of course! I am so glad you liked it Monika! We LOVED Blue Lagoon!
Awesome post!! We’re planning a trip to Iceland for a few months time and you’ve definitely given us some ideas of what to see and do. Thank you!!
Dear Claire,
Thanks you so much for your good and informative travel tales that you have shared with us all. I really enjoyed reading your post.
I was thinking to travel with my wife to Iceland either in mid May 2017 (for about 10 days) or mid July 2017. I would like to visit as many places as possible with enough daylight hours during the day, preferably up to 7pm at least. Would the May 2017 period a better choice for a trip to Iceland instead of July period? Please advise. We are planning a 4×4 self drive holiday while we are there.
Are the ice caves something you can do in summer or is it winter only? Those photos are incredible! Also, I’m definitely going snorkeling in June when I head back to Iceland. Did you go in a dry suit or wet suit? I saw one site recommending just a wet suit in summer because you can dive down under water and have more freedom and flexibility (even though it’s freezing). And finally, did you ride an Icelandic horse??
Yes, ice caves are winter only. And wow…so sorry I dropped the ball on replying to your comment. Haha! I must have totally missed it! We were not able to actually go snorkeling on this go around but it comes highly recommended from so many friends of ours. But I am not sure what kind of wet suit would be best. I would say go with the one that gives you the most flexibility as you would want to go under the water for sure! And as for the horses, we did not ride them, just made many stops along the way to admire them. They are just so beautiful! Anyway I hope this helps and if you already went, how was it?!!!
I see you mentioned that you went in December! I just booked a trip for this December! Do you recommend renting a car? Or what did you do as far as transportation that you would recommend? I looked at just a bus transport from airport to hotel for 2 to be like 115$ US. Any help would be so appreciated!
YES, YES, and YES. I definitely recommend renting a car. You are going to want that freedom to stop whenever in Iceland. Iceland is pretty easy to get around and our phones were even working so we were able to use GPS. The roads do get slick though so be careful if you do rent a car! And that sounds SUPER expensive to me (the bus). We probably paid around that for 4 days with a rental car. Make sure to use auto slash – it always saves us money. Basically if you book your rental car and if at anytime the price for that rental car goes down it will automatically re-book you at the lower price. It is pretty amazing! Also, look into Touro. We just used it in Vermont and we saved like $200 on rental cars! It was awesome!
Well really nice blog.
Thank you so much!! I am so glad you like it. Thank you for reading!