Iceland highlights
Where to go in Iceland.
Glacier lagoons, waterfalls, black beaches and hot rivers. Pick a theme to see only what you are after.
40 highlights
-
Vatnajökull
Jökulsárlón
Iceland's best-known glacier lagoon, where icebergs break off Breiðamerkurjökull and drift slowly towards the sea. Seals often swim between them.
-
Vatnajökull
Jökulsárlón in winter
In winter the lagoon partly freezes and fresh snow settles on the icebergs. The light is low and soft all day.
-
Vatnajökull
Breiðamerkurjökull
The glacier that feeds Jökulsárlón. From the lagoon's shore you can follow its dark moraine stripes back up to the ice cap.
-
Vatnajökull
Blue icebergs
Ice that has just turned over glows deep blue, because old, dense glacier ice absorbs the other colours of light.
-
Vatnajökull
Ash-striped ice
Black bands in the icebergs are layers of volcanic ash, laid down on the ice cap by eruptions centuries ago.
-
Vatnajökull
Fjallsárlón
A smaller, quieter lagoon ten minutes west of Jökulsárlón, where the glacier front comes right down to the water.
-
Vatnajökull
Kayaking among icebergs
Guided kayak trips on the glacier lagoons run in summer. You paddle close to the ice, with the glacier front ahead.
-
Vatnajökull
Ice caves
Natural ice caves form inside Vatnajökull each year. Visit only with a licensed guide, usually from about November to March.
-
Skaftafell
Glacier hikes
Guided walks with crampons and ice axes run all year on Skaftafell's glacier tongues and Sólheimajökull.
-
Vatnajökull National Park
Skaftafell
A hiking base inside Vatnajökull National Park, with trails to Svartifoss and viewpoints over the glacier tongues.
-
South-east
Vatnajökull
Europe's largest ice cap by volume covers about eight percent of Iceland. Its outlet glaciers line the Ring Road for hours.
-
Vatnajökull
Crevasse fields
From above, the outlet glaciers are a maze of ridges and blue cracks. Scenic flights and drones show the scale.
-
South Coast
Sólheimajökull
The easiest glacier to reach from Reykjavík, a short walk from the car park and a popular spot for first glacier hikes.
-
South Coast
Frozen glacier lagoons
In deep winter the small lagoons at the glacier fronts freeze over. Stay off the ice: it can break without warning.
-
Golden Circle
Gullfoss
The 'golden falls' drop in two steps into a deep canyon on the Hvítá river. Paths lead almost to the edge.
-
South Coast
Seljalandsfoss
A slender waterfall with a path that loops behind the curtain of water. Bring a rain jacket.
-
South Coast
Seljalandsfoss in winter
The path behind the falls usually closes when it ices over, but the view from the front is at its best in snow.
-
East Iceland
Hengifoss
One of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, framed by red clay stripes between basalt layers. The walk up takes about an hour each way.
-
Snæfellsnes
Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss
The 'church mountain' above Grundarfjörður with a small waterfall in front, one of the most photographed views in Iceland, day or night.
-
South Coast
Reynisfjara
Black sand, basalt columns and sea stacks near Vík. Sneaker waves here are deadly: stay well back from the water.
-
South Coast
Black beaches of the south
Volcanic sand turns the south coast black for long stretches. Winter brings snow down to the tideline.
-
South-east
Stokksnes
A black sand peninsula near Höfn with grass-tufted dunes. The private land charges a small entry fee at the café.
-
South-east
Stokksnes shoreline
Walk past the dunes to the shore, where the surf runs up the black sand below the mountains.
-
West Iceland
Snæfellsnes peninsula
Called 'Iceland in miniature': lava fields, black beaches, fishing villages and a glacier, two hours from Reykjavík.
-
South-east
Vestrahorn
Jagged gabbro peaks rising straight from the black sand at Stokksnes. Come in calm weather for reflections at low tide.
-
South-east
Vestrahorn in the mist
Cloud often clings to the summit, so the mountain changes shape by the minute. Wait it out: it rarely lasts.
-
Highlands
Mælifell
A perfect moss-green cone on the black Mælifellssandur desert, reached only by 4x4 on summer F-roads.
-
East Iceland
The East Fjords road
The Ring Road winds in and out of the fjords here, past steep mountains and small fishing villages.
-
East Iceland
Stuðlagil
A canyon lined with hexagonal basalt columns. The river is bluest in early summer, before the reservoir upstream can overflow and turn it grey with glacial silt.
-
Highlands
Braided glacial rivers
Meltwater spreads across the sandur plains in hundreds of channels. From the air in winter they look like ink.
-
Highlands
Highland river valleys
Moss, black sand and glacial water: the highland valleys open only in summer, when the F-roads are passable.
-
Golden Circle
Geysir & Strokkur
Strokkur erupts every few minutes, throwing water high into the air. The original Geysir gave every geyser its name.
-
Hveragerði
Reykjadalur
A walk of about an hour from Hveragerði leads to a warm river where you can bathe in the open valley.
-
Highlands
Crater lakes
Bright blue water fills old volcanic craters in the interior, such as those around Veiðivötn and Landmannalaugar.
-
All of Iceland
Northern lights
Seen from about September to April on clear, dark nights. Check the Icelandic Met Office cloud forecast each evening.
-
Westfjords & East
Aurora over the fjords
Calm fjords double the show: on still nights the aurora is reflected in the water below the mountains.
-
All of Iceland
Aurora in the countryside
Stay a few nights in a countryside guesthouse or cabin, away from town lights, and step outside when the sky clears.
-
All of Iceland
Winter aurora nights
Deep winter brings the longest nights. Dress for hours standing still in the cold, and give your eyes time to adjust.
-
Capital region
Reykjavík
The world's northernmost capital: colourful streets, the old harbour, Hallgrímskirkja and a geothermal pool in every neighbourhood.
-
Golden Circle
Þingvellir
Where the Althing parliament met from 930, in a rift valley between two tectonic plates. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Plan the trip
Put it all on one route.
The complete guide links these places into day trips and Ring Road itineraries, with maps for each region.