By Anastasia Mills Healy
Glaciers and black sand beaches, steaming volcanoes and towering waterfalls – Iceland lives up to its moniker, the Land of Fire and Ice.
When planning your trip, first think about what activities interest you, what regions you’d like to see, how much time you have, and if you’d like to drive yourself, take tours, or arrange private transfers. Here’s some information to give you the lay of the land.
When to Visit
If you want to view the Northern Lights, the best likelihood you will have of seeing the sky dancing with color is in winter since it is too light in warmer weather. Near the Arctic Circle, Iceland experiences the midnight sun in summer, when it barely gets dark at night. There’s no guarantee of seeing the aurora borealis, but if this is your goal, head out of the capital and its light pollution. See the information about Hotel Ranga in the Hotels section, below.
About every 11 years, the Northern Lights become more active when the solar cycle hits its peak, which is called the solar maximum. The Earth is currently experiencing a solar maximum, which is expected to continue into 2025.
Also note the date August 12, 2026, when Iceland will experience the total solar eclipse. The country is particularly excited about this as the last time a total eclipse happened in Reykjavík was 1433.
Weather in Iceland is unpredictable, differs regionally, and is often cold, windy, and raining. It was odd packing a sweater, down jacket, scarf, gloves, and hat for a mid-August trip, but they were needed! Generally, expect temperatures to hover around the freezing mark in winter and average about 55 in summer. Layers are key, especially if you are planning activities that will have you outdoors for any length of time. Rain suits are especially recommended in these instances. I got away with a water-resistant windbreaker and wicking trousers as I was not outdoors for more than 45 minutes at a time. If you’re traveling in winter, snow gear is necessary.
Iceland is windy, so much so that baseball hats can get blown off heads and cars can get blown off roads, especially in winter. Roads can close with little warning if conditions are dangerous due to wind, snow, and volcanic activity. Bookmark safetravel.is if you plan to self-drive.
Spring and summer are good times for birdwatchers and the aurora borealis can still often be seen. Colder weather is best for hiking glaciers and exploring ice caves with licensed guides.
My Itinerary
I stayed only in Reykjavik and took day tours. I arrived at night and spent the following morning exploring the city; then, in the afternoon I took a small group six-hour Golden Circle tour. The following day, I embarked on a 14-hour South Coast and Glacier Lagoon bus tour. Both tours were excellent, comfortable, and professional, and booked through Viator. I also spent a half day each at Sky Lagoon and Perlan. I flew Icelandair and technically my time is Iceland was a layover en route to Copenhagen. This is a good tip if you want to combine Iceland with another country without paying another airfare.
Reykjavik
An easy flight from New York, Reykjavik is a small, walkable city with a population of 125,000. The country’s next-largest population center is 37,000, and the numbers drop precipitously from there. With a total of fewer than 400,000 people in the entire country, Iceland is sparsely inhabited outside of the capital.
The city’s most recognizable building is the Hallgrímskirkja, a concrete church whose design is reminiscent of the country’s basalt rock formations. The inside is undecorated and austere, but its observation area has a good view.
Straight ahead is the main shopping street, Skólavörðustígur, which turns into Rainbow Street. The view back towards Hallgrímskirkja with the rainbow in the foreground is an iconic city shot. A half day is plenty to browse the independently owned boutiques with handcrafted clothing, art, and crafts, and to stop at a café or restaurant. Don’t miss a cinnamon roll the size of a small child’s head or an indulgent pain au chocolat at the Braud & Co bakery. Grillmarket is an excellent, unique restaurant that serves locally sourced dishes like reindeer sliders, grilled puffin, lamb skewers, and smoked Arctic char.
Especially if you’re on a quick layover without time to explore the country, spend a couple of hours at Perlan. A few minutes from the city center, this natural history museum screens a movie about the aurora borealis in a planetarium, a short film about a volcanic eruption, and allows visitors to walk through an indoor ice cave. On the top floor, order a snack from the bar and grab a table under the enormous observation dome with 360-degree views. No, it’s not your imagination, the restaurant slowly revolves.
Icelandic people seem to spend more time in water than dry, swimming in pools and soaking in hot springs. Most visitors have heard of the Blue Lagoon, but I recommend the Sky Lagoon. Sky Lagoon is just outside the city center while the Blue Lagoon is 45 minutes away, near Keflavik Airport. Blue Lagoon is large, often crowded and noisy, and can feel overwhelming but Sky Lagoon is beautifully designed, easy to navigate, and serene – no children under 12 are allowed. Also, you can get your hair wet at Sky Lagoon unlike at Blue Lagoon, whose water has high levels of silica. Blue Lagoon feels like a giant swimming pool party whereas Sky Lagoon is a world-class spa experience. Also enhancing the Sky Lagoon experience are the infinity pool edge overlooking the ocean, the sauna, steam room, self-applied body scrub, cold plunge, and the option for an individual, private changing room with shower and hair dryer. A new addition called Skjól features a second sauna with Iceland’s largest single-pane glass window and saft, a traditional elixir infused with crowberries from lava fields.
Golden Circle
Iceland’s most famous scenic route is The Golden Circle, which is a 155-mile circular route from Reykjavik that includes three natural attractions: Thingevellir National Park, a historic UNESCO World Heritage site that has an unusual visible meeting of two tectonic plates, a lake, and waterfall; Geysir Geothermal Area, where eruptions occur about every 10 minutes (note that the English word “geyser” comes from the Icelandic “geysir”), and the impressive Gullfoss waterfall.
Ring Road
A longer circular route, the Ring Road covers 820 miles and takes about a week. Officially called Route 1, it hugs the coastline and includes the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach on the South Coast, about 230 miles from Reykjavik. Hop in an amphibious vehicle for a short exploration of this lake, where icebergs float year round. Across the road, Diamond Beach is a black sand beach where ice chunks (“diamonds”) often wash ashore. Enormous glaciers and picturesque waterfalls are visible from the road in the South where you can see Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull; the Skógafoss waterfall, which you can walk behind (it’s really slippery and can be icy), and the Svartifoss waterfall with its black basalt backdrop, and the country’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, which is just shy of 7,000 feet and sits atop the Öræfajökull volcano.
The Eastfjords area is known for pretty fishing villages, artistic Seyðisfjörður, and music festivals.
Iceland’s North is where you’ll find Akureyri, the Ring Road’s largest town, on the country’s longest fjord. Húsavík, which is known for whales (humpbacks, dolphins, blue whales), and Ásbyrgi and Jökulsárgljúfur canyons, Goðafoss and Dettifoss waterfalls, and the Lake Myvatn geothermal area are all part of a High North route called the Diamond Circle—a detour from the Ring Road.
Attractions in the West include Langjokull glacier ice tunnel, Vidgelmir lava tube cave, Krauma geothermal bath, and Glymur, the highest waterfall in Iceland.
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula and the Westfjords
The scenic Snæfellsnes Peninsula, with its fjords, beaches, and waterfalls, is a detour from the western part of the Ring Road. Called “Iceland in a nutshell” because of its array of natural wonders that have made this country famous, here you’ll find the much-photographed ice-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano, Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall, basalt stacks, whales and seals as well as 60 of the country’s 77 bird species.
The Westfjords is the less-traveled northwest corner of Iceland, also a detour from the Ring Road. More than one million seabirds animate the Látrabjarg sea cliffs, including puffins, guillemots, and the world’s largest colony of razorbills. Take a dip in the Hellulaug hot pool, marvel at the Dynjandi waterfall, or hike in the Hornstrandir nature reserve. Icelandic folklore culture is alive and well here, and you can explore the Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft in Holmavik Icelandic Sea Monster Museum in Bíldudalur.
Hotels
Reykjavik Edition overlooks the Old Harbor. It is next to the Harpa Concert Hall and near the main shopping street, Laugavegur.
Hotel Borg, built in 1930, is Art Deco in design. Next to the Icelandic parliament building, Hotel Borg has counted many heads of state and global celebrities as guests.
Hotel Ranga, in South Iceland, is the place to book if you’re coming to see the Northern Lights. Not only is it removed from light pollution, but the hotel also has its own observatory and provides snowsuits and blankets as well as wake up calls so there’s no chance of sleeping through this amazing phenomenon.