Top Ten Places to Visit In Iceland
Iceland feels like another planet, but better lit. With its lava fields and glacier tongues, geothermal pools and black-sand shores, this island at the edge of the Arctic is shaped by fire and ice, wind and silence. It’s not a country you visit to check boxes.
It’s one you feel in your bones, carried home in your salt-flecked hair, flushed cheeks, and stories told to the sound of the wind.
Reykjavík
Iceland’s capital is a cozy mix of colorful rooftops, cutting-edge design, and endless coffee. Though modern on the surface, Reykjavík sits on deep Norse roots. It was founded by Ingólfur Arnarson in 874 AD, making it the oldest permanent settlement on the island.
You can begin your exploration at Hallgrímskirkja, the soaring church inspired by basalt columns, then warm up with a cinnamon bun at Brauð & Co, still steaming from the oven. For a nice place to rest your head in Reykjavík, Kvosin Downtown Hotel manages to be both central and tucked away, with spacious rooms and a quiet courtyard.
The Golden Circle
Just outside the capital lies a loop of geological wonder known as the Golden Circle. It weaves together Þingvellir National Park (where Iceland’s first parliament was held in 930 AD), the geysers of Haukadalur, and the thunderous falls of Gullfoss.
You’ll be amazed as you stand where tectonic plates drift apart. You can also feel the earth pulse as Strokkur geyser erupts skyward. Then, the mist from Gullfoss will kiss your face. This is Iceland’s power on full display, a crash course in beauty that doesn’t need to boast.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
On the southeastern coast, icebergs calve from Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and drift into Jökulsárlón, a vast, surreal lagoon. The floating ice shimmers in shades of blue and silver, sometimes carrying resting seals like royalty.
You can take a boat tour among the bergs, or walk across the road to Diamond Beach, where glacial fragments wash ashore like scattered jewels.
Nearby, Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon is happy to offer you a modern, scenic place to stay between Vatnajökull National Park and the sea.
Vík í Mýrdal
Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, where cliffs tower above a black-sand beach and sea stacks rise like guardians from the surf. The Reynisdrangar basalt columns, according to folklore, are trolls turned to stone by the morning sun.
This tiny town is a great base to explore Dyrhólaey, a natural arch with puffin colonies in summer, and the haunting wreckage of the Sólheimasandur plane nearby.
After braving the wind, you can warm up at The Soup Company with a bread bowl full of creamy mushroom soup.