Overview
A fantastic country that left us absolutely spellbound during our one-week trip, we started planning a return visit before the trip was even over. It absolutely does not belong to this world. Photos and videos cannot do it justice. One of those places every human being must see before they die.
We went in March hoping to catch the Northern Lights, but the weather was too overcast during our week so we missed them. The harsh weather conditions also meant we couldn't fully enjoy the natural sites. The only upside of going in winter was experiencing the brutal conditions firsthand, we saw Iceland like a true Icelander. Beyond that, to fully enjoy the natural beauty, going in summer makes much more sense. For Northern Lights specifically, the weather here is too unpredictable, trying Norway or similar destinations would be smarter.
If you can manage it, the ideal plan is a summer trip of at least 2 weeks, doing a full loop around the island.
What to See
- Kerid Crater: A crater lake. We saw it frozen in winter, absolutely mesmerizing.
- Gljufrabui: A waterfall you can actually walk inside. Bring a full-body raincoat and spare shoes and t-shirt.
- Skogafoss: Climbing to the top is absolutely worth it, phenomenal panorama.
- Diamond Beach: Words fail. Utterly magnificent. Set aside at least 2-3 hours to fully soak it in.
- Svinafellsjokull Glacier: We joined a half-day glacier climbing tour and it was the most impactful thing we did in Iceland. Next time we're doing the full-day tours. Can be combined with ice cave visits.
- Dyrholaey Lighthouse: The scenery and atmosphere here are also magnificent. Worth a stop.
- Solheimajokull: Incredibly windy in winter, but summer conditions might be milder. The kind of place you could sit and watch for hours.
- Reynisfjara Beach: I thought photos overhyped it, but seeing it in person was absolutely enchanting. Incredibly mystical atmosphere. Watch out for the waves though.
- Icelandic Lava Show: We expected a cheesy tourist trap and went in with low expectations, turned out to be a highly informative, genuinely scientific experience. Seeing real lava is an incredible experience.
- Hallgrimskirkja: Absolutely one of the most impressive cathedrals I've ever seen. Simple, understated, yet utterly captivating.
Food & Drink
- Le Kock: A solid burger joint in central Reykjavik.
- Forrettabarinn: Everything we ate was excellent, a great dining spot in Reykjavik.
- 101 Bistro: Their fish and chips were superb. The owner is Turkish, say hello if you stop by.
- Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon: We ate at this hotel while exploring the southern part. Again, everything was great.
Tips & Advice
Especially if going in winter, bring plenty of spares for everything. You will get wet on many days, and walking around in wet shoes and socks in freezing cold is not something you want.
A fisherman's raincoat we bought from Decathlon for 60 lira, which we almost didn't buy because it looked a bit cheap, literally saved our lives. While many people's much more expensive Iceland-purchased raincoats were ripping apart, ours held up great and kept us warm. Usable even in summer for waterfalls and sudden rain.
My Place Reviews
Restaurants
101 Bistro2022★★★★★
Best fish & chips in the world! Far more better than comparing with English ones, definitely worth to try :)
Restaurant Suður-Vík2022★★★★★
Great design, good food. Salad was very nice.
Black Beach Restaurant2022★★★★☆
Fish was nice, soup was super big (be careful if you are ordering as pre-meal, it could be shared by two) and desserts are super huge (it could be shared by three :))
Forréttabarinn2022★★★★★
Awesome food, loved everything we had: duck salad, quesadilla and fish of the day. Perfect staff!
Halldórskaffi2022★☆☆☆☆
We came to the restaurant at 7:30 as a 15 people of a group and had our dinner at 9:15!! They even gave us the water after half an hour. Our tour guide take the orders because staff was too busy. Definitely not a good place for big groups because they do not have capacity of staff for that. After waiting so long, taste of food would be not too important.
Bars
Skogafoss Bistro Bar2022★★★★★
Good place, quick and helpful staff + fast service. Salmon was very tasty.
Le KocK2022★★★★★
Perfect burgers, loved them! Definitely worth to try.
For drinks if you want to drink a beer, choosing draft one would be more make sense than the bottled ones in terms of both taste and price.
Hotels
Hótel Kría2022★★★★☆
Nice hotel. Good design, perfect view, lovely and quick staff. Check in was like only in a second.
Only problem in the rooms are bathroom doors are not actually normal doors so a little off privacy in terms of sound :)
Restaurant was also nice. 5 stars to that.
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon2022★★★★★
Had stopped for restaurant with a group reservation for 15. Got pumpkin soup + salmon and all is perfect. Staff was quick and nice. Place is fancy.
Center Hotels Plaza2022★★★☆☆
Location is perfect, breakfast is between ok and good. Staff is good but hotel in general is old. Within a few renovation it would be better.
Attractions
Hallgrimskirkja★★★★★
Really liked the minimalism. Organ is also super impressive. View from the top is awesome indeed.
Blue Lagoon2022★★★★☆
Cold in winter, especially in the afternoon-evenings. Could be not the best idea :) otherwise, perfect view.
Lava Show in Vík2022★★★★★
It was totally informative, scientific and fascinating performance! Thought as a touristic activity at first but seeing an actual lava was awesome.
Reynisfjara Beach2022★★★★★
One of the most mystical places in the world. Just awesome.
Waves are a little bit dangerous so be careful!
Sólheimajökull★★★★★
One of the most peaceful places in the world. Climbing into it also one of the best experiences in my life. Will do it again in the future!
Dyrhólaey Lighthouse2022★★★★★
Awesome view point, a must place to visit.
Svínafellsjökull Glacier2022★★★★★
Unbelievable place
Diamond Beach2022★★★★★
Just amazing! Definitely out from the world :)
Skógafoss★★★★★
We got this place in a very bad weather situation and really undecided to go into the top. However I can say that after 15 min of walk, it was definitely worth to see the view from top. A recommendation would be going nearest possible to the waterfall from downside, better view than the top.
Gönguleið um Eldhraun2022★★★★★
From another planet :)
Gljúfrabúi★★★★★
Experience inside of the waterfall is awesome. Definitely a place to visit in any season.
Þingvallavegur parking viewpoint2022★★★★★
A good stop for photos in winter, especially on a sunny day with snow on the ground.
Kerið Crater★★★★★
Just amazing! View from top side is perfect, definitely full path should be leaded around the crater.
Gullfoss Falls2022★★★★★
A perfect nature, definitely a place to visit. Went in winter and unfortunately the path was closed which is really near to the waterfall. But still worth to see in real world!
Geysir★★★★★
Definitely a place to add to the tour program. Sorry for not seeing the big geysir exploitation due to it is not active anymore, it is still nice to see small one active and alive.
Shops
Gullfoss - Panorama Restaurant - Cafe - Shop2022★★★☆☆
Really nice staff and very quick service. We had a meat soup as a group. While service is awesome, soup taste was not so good. Too much salt and cabbage flavor :)