17 best things to do in Iceland

21.07.2023 - 07:34 / roughguides.com

From its pocket-sized capital to the vast landscapes of its interior, Iceland overflows with inspiring spots. The only real trouble is narrowing down what you want to do. Head out to sea to scour the grey waters for whales? Scramble over slick rocks to marvel at a waterfall? Or soak up the rays on a volcanic beach? To help make your choice easier, here are our best picks for things to do in Iceland.

The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Iceland, your essential guide for visiting Iceland.

Reykjavík on Iceland's coast may look like a charming backwater, its cosy wooden houses painted in bright colours, but don’t let its appearance fool you. This is a capital city, after all, and it has nightlife to match.

The rúntur – which translates to “round tour” – is a weekly pub crawl, in which locals head from one spot to the next, drinking at every stop. Booze doesn’t come cheap in Iceland though. Head to a vínbúðin to pick up your pre-drinks, an integral part of the night for Icelanders and broke travellers alike.

The long days and light nights of the summer months make rúntur even more fun in summer when you can stay in denial about how late it is for a few more hours.

Start planning your trip to Reykjavik now, by checking accommodations here.

Join the weekly rúntur in Reykjavik © DisobeyArt/Shutterstock

Looming black cliffs, a sinuous stretch of gold sand, and one lone, red-roofed church: Breiðavík is the Icelandic coast at its finest. Better still, the bay’s remote location in the West Fjords means that, as often as not, you’ll have this idyllic bay mostly to yourself.

In summer, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the warmer weather with a seaside stroll; in winter, curl up with a thermos of hot chocolate and watch the sunset fill the sky.

Breiðavík's windswept lanscape © dvoevnore/Shutterstock

Visit Mývatnin the summer, and you may find yourself briefly annoyed as you swat away all the tiny black flies lingering in the air (the name means “midge lake”). But it’s this cloud of insects that attracts the wildlife you’re really here to see: thousands of birds. For even the most casual of twitchers, it’s a memorable sight.

The ducks are the real draw, with all of Iceland’s species coming here to rear their young. Look out for the pop-art plumage of the harlequin duck, the chic all-black scoter, and the striking monochrome Barrow’s goldeneye, the star of the show – this is the only place where it nests in Europe.

Birdwatching is one of the best things to do in Iceland. Young harlequin ducks, Mývatn. © Malabi/Shutterstock

One of the most memorable things to do in Iceland is to visit one of its many iconic waterfalls. For example the dramatic, rugged Gullfoss; Skógafoss, thundering over