Best travel experiences in Iceland

21.07.2023 - 07:52 / roughguides.com

Use this list to inspire your next travel to Iceland. Also, check out the video for a more vivid impression.

A dip in the sublime waters of the Blue Lagoon is a quintessentially Icelandic experience. And if you enjoyed soaking in the Blue Lagoon, check out our favourite hot pools in Iceland.

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Landmannalaugar’s bubbling hot springs, wildly-coloured hills and rugged hiking trails are the Interior’s best-known feature.

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The total remoteness and majestic landscape make isolated Hornstrandir a fantastic destination for dedicated hikers.

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Scramble down the stark sides of this volcanic crater in the Interior and take a quick dip in the lukewarm geothermal lake, Víti.

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Sample Iceland’s legendary nightlife, starting with a pub crawl round of Reykjavík’s bars.

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Admire the drama of the West Fjord mountains from the green, flat meadows of this tiny, peaceful island haven.

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Reykjavík’s Culture House boasts some of Europe’s oldest and finest medieval manuscripts.

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Iceland's second town Akureyri offers an engaging mix of urban sophistication, with great bars and restaurants and some decent museums.

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Mývatn’s placid spread of water is a haven for wildfowl, while the lake’s surrounds abound in volcanic formations, both extinct and highly active.

Myvatn Naturebaths, Iceland © Ververidis Vasilis/Shutterstock

A trip into the desolate, uninhabited Interior is an unmissable opportunity to see the raw side of Iceland.

Aldeyjarfoss waterfall, Iceland © Sergio Paciencia/Shutterstock

Hike 25km over the mountains between Þórsmörk and Skógar, right past the steaming site of the 2010 volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajökull.

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This sweeping stretch of golden sand and turquoise water is Iceland’s most beautiful beach.

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Travel back in time to the year 871 and see the remarkable remains of one of Reykjavík’s earliest houses.

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See Strokkur erupting at Geysir, after which all geysers are named.

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The dramatic site of Iceland’s first parliament, set in a mighty rift valley where the Eurasian and American continental plates are slowly tearing apart.

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Remote, forbidding yet totally compelling, the West Fjords are Iceland at its most scenically amazing.

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Get up close to minke and humpback whales on a whale-watching tour from Reykjavík or Húsavík.

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Skaftafell’s blend of highland plateau, summer meadows and ice-blue glaciers are best