Iceland attractions encourage thousands of tourists every year to visit this volcanic island. They all want to see spectacular landscapes the country has to offer.
If you plan your first Iceland holidays, use the below travel plan. You will fall in love with Icelandic nature and – just like me, you’ll dream to go back there as soon as possible 🙂
Iceland – attractions for the first trip
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Day by day plan in a shortcut
Day 1: Golden Circle
Accommodation: Eric the Red Guesthouse, Reykiavik
Day 2: Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Eyjafjallajökull volcano and glacier, Skogafoss waterfall, Dyrholaey (puffins in the season), black beach Reynisfjara
Accommodation: The Holiday Houses, Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Day 3: Trekking on Skaftafellsjökull glacier (with an ice cave in the season)
Accommodation: Laekjarhus Farm Holidays
Day 4: Diamond Beach, glacier bays Jökulsárlón, Fjallsárlón, hot tubs in Hofn
Accommodation: Laekjarhus Farm Holidays
Day 5: way back to Reykiavik – thermal river or plane wreck on the way. Tasting local dishes in Loki Cafe.
To travel around Iceland, you will either need to book organized tours or rent a car – the latter being by far the most popular option. I found affordable car hire in Iceland, which let me plan my route freely, chase the Northern Lights, and explore the country entirely at my own pace.
Iceland – ferries
Due to its location, Iceland is a country that mainly offers ferry connections as a way to reach the island or travel between it and other Nordic countries. The easiest and fastest way to get to Iceland is from Denmark, specifically from the port of Hirtshals. You can check prices and sailing dates here.
A ferry trip to Iceland is not only a way to get to the island, but also an attraction in itself. With a bit of luck and proper preparation, you can not only discover new places, but also admire the magical northern lights on the open sea.
Iceland offers ferry connections to many different destinations. The main ports from which ferries depart are Seyðisfjörður in the eastern part of the island and Reykjavík.
Here are the most popular cruise destinations:
- Faroe Islands (Tórshavn) – the MS Norröna ferry departs from Seyðisfjörður and reaches Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. The journey takes about 15 hours.
- Denmark (Hirtshals) – the ferry continues its route from the Faroe Islands to Hirtshals in Denmark. The entire journey from Iceland to Denmark takes about two days.
- Domestic ferries – Iceland also has an extensive network of domestic connections that serve different parts of the island, especially the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar). These ferries depart from the ports of Þorlákshöfn, Landeyjahöfn, Stykkishólmur and Akureyri.
Before making a reservation, it is worth checking the available cruises and comparing prices to choose the option that best suits your needs and budget. In the fields below you can enter the details of your trip – departure date, return date, number of passengers and information whether you plan to take a car. This will make it easy for you to check which ferries offer the best prices on your chosen date.
Golden Circle, Iceland
Gullfoss
When you search for the things to do in Iceland, many of them will be waterfalls. The most famous is Gullfoss, which can be translated to the Golden Waterfall.
It consists of two impressive cascades and every second, 400 cubic meters of water (!) flow through it. For that reason, there was a plan to build a hydro power plant there. Icelanders did not agree though, they wanted to save the beauty of this place.
And they were right – Gullfoss is one of the most beautiful waterfalls you will see and walking there is one of the best things to do in Iceland.
Geysir
Geysir is the most famous Icelandic geyser. The geothermal area around it is included in the Golden Circle. “Geysa” in Icelandic means “to gush, to explode”. This is where the name comes from – as well as the word for such springs in many languages of the world.
If you think what to do in Iceland, seeing the exploding geyser Strokkur will be one of your highlights. Strokkur explodes regularly every few minutes which makes it a favorite for tourists 🙂 I walked around the area for 20 minutes and Strokkur exploded at least 4 times in the meantime.
Thingvellir (Þingvellir)
The name Þingvellir comes from two Icelandic words. Þing – parliament and vellir – field. The first meeting of the Icelandic parliament, Althing took place here. It happened in 930 which makes Althing one of the oldest parliaments in the world. But it is not the only reason why this place is attractive.
Things to see in Iceland in Thingvellir National Park include the meeting point of two tectonic plates – Eurasian and North American. You can notice it in numerous cracks – the largest one is Almannagja canyon. Interestingly, the plates drift away from each other around 2 centimeters every year.
Planning your list of top things to do in Iceland make sure to include this unique place.
You can also consider taking a Golden Circle tour.
Volcanic lake Kerið (Kerid)
While doing the Golden Circle, you can also stop near Kerið lake, located in the crater of extinct volcano. The lake is beautiful but above all, if you walk around it you can admire the nature and landscapes – and this is a must do in Iceland.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
60 meters high waterfall famous for the fact that you can enter the cave behind it. In winter everything is covered with ice and visiting the cave isn’t possible – but regardless, the fall is stunning! In the summer, you can reach the cave.
If you visit Seljalandsfoss, it is worth walking a few hundred meters to the next one, Gljufrafoss hidden between the rocks. Many guides to Iceland skip this place but I think they are wrong! Again, in winter access to it is difficult (even though there were some brave Chinese tourists 😉 ), in the summer it should be easy to get in the cave and see it.
Eyjafjallajökull glacier and volcano
Eyjafjallajökull volcano became famous after it exploded in 2010 and paralyzed the aviation in the whole Europe. Now, it is one of Iceland tourist attractions.
You can see it from road number 1, there is a parking place with a great view. You can’t see the volcano crater. It is covered with Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
Skogafoss waterfall
The best places to visit in Iceland include another 60-meters high waterfall. Skogafoss is even more impressive than the previous one because it is 15 meters wide. Due to the amount of water, you can often see a single or double rainbow near the waterfall – and the rainbow is also among Iceland attractions.
You can see Skogafoss both from the bottom and the top. You can take steep stairs to the top. Mind the wind though – the gusts are particularly strong on top and Iceland sightseeing without a good wind-stopping jacket can be painful!
Dyrholaey promontory
It used to be the southernmost point of Iceland, however after the eruption of Katla volcano in 1918 it lost this title to Kötlutanga – a point created after the eruption. Despite that, impressive, 120 meters cliffs are stunning and you should include this spot while researching what to see in Iceland. You can also see black beach Reynisfjara from there.
It is also one of the best places to watch sea birds – puffins included. Plan your Iceland sightseeing in the right time of the year if you want to see them. Dyrholaey is closed for breeding period (from 1st May till 25th June) and the best time to birdwatch is July.
Reynisfjara Beach
Places to see in Iceland mostly include volcanic landscapes. Reynisfjara beach with its black sand is no exception.
Surreal, beautiful place especially when it contrasts with while snow in winter. Except for the beach itself, you can also admire other Iceland attractions from there – interesting rock formations and big pillars growing from water.