Things to do in Iceland

The 18 best things to do in Iceland

Ticket and tour links search Tiqets in a new tab. TravPa earns a commission if you book; your price stays the same.

1. 1Reykjavík

   Walk between the plates at Þingvellir

   Þingvellir, literally the Assembly Plains, is where Iceland's parliament, the Alþing, was founded around 930 and met in the open air until 1798. For two weeks each summer people gathered from all over the country to settle disputes and trade, and in 1944 Iceland declared independence here. The park sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the walk through the Almannagjá gorge shows the earth's crust pulling apart. Nearby are Öxarárfoss waterfall, Lake Þingvallavatn, the country's largest natural lake, and the Silfra fissure, where diving and snorkeling are possible. Iceland's first national park, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. It is one of the three classic Golden Circle stops from Reykjavík.

   Tip: Start at the Hakið visitor center by parking area P1, where the interactive Heart of Iceland exhibition gives you the history and geology in about 40 minutes before you walk down into the rift.

   Parking per vehicle, up to 5 seats: ISK 1,000 (about $8) · Park paths; vehicle parking charged; indoor exhibition separately ISK[fee]Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 4, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Þingvellir National Park (official); Þingvellir National Park (official); Business Iceland / Visit Iceland; Þingvellir National Park
2. 2Reykjavík

   Watch Strokkur erupt in the Geysir field

   The Haukadalur geothermal area is one of the few places on Earth where you can easily walk up to active geysers. Designated paths lead past steam vents, hot springs and bubbling mud pots to the Great Geysir, which now barely erupts. Its smaller neighbor Strokkur does the work instead, shooting boiling water up to about 30 m into the air every 8 to 10 minutes, so you rarely wait long. Plan on staying for a few eruptions, then wander the paths past the smaller hot springs. Geysir sits on the Golden Circle with Þingvellir and Gullfoss, and a regular car will do; no 4x4 is needed.

   Tip: Stand on the upwind side of Strokkur with your camera ready, and stay on the designated paths, since the water in these springs is boiling.

   Stay behind geothermal barriers; parking ISK[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Business Iceland / Visit Iceland
3. 3Reykjavík

   Feel the spray at Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall

   Gullfoss is where the glacial Hvítá river, fed by the Langjökull glacier, drops about 32 m in two steps into a canyon with walls up to 70 m high. On sunny days a rainbow often hangs over the falls, and in winter ice builds along the canyon walls. The waterfall also has a story: in the early 1900s foreign investors wanted to harness it for power, and Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of the farmer who owned it, fought the lease for years, walking to Reykjavík for her case. Gullfoss has been a protected nature reserve since 1979. A boardwalk from the café reaches the falls in about 3 minutes, and the site itself is open around the clock.

   Tip: Bring a rain jacket even on a dry day, since the spray soaks the lower paths, and in winter expect the trails to the lower viewing platforms to close when they ice over.

   Use open platforms only; check parking arrangements, ISK[fee]Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Gullfoss (official visitor center); Gullfoss (official visitor center); Gullfoss (official visitor center); Business Iceland / Visit Iceland; South Iceland Marketing Office
4. 4Reykjavík

   Go up the tower of Hallgrímskirkja

   Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland, towers over the center of Reykjavík, and it is both a parish church and a national monument. Its stepped concrete front is meant to recall the Icelandic landscape, and it took from 1945 to 1986 to build. The church is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson, the 17th-century pastor and poet who wrote the Passion Hymns, and it holds the largest organ in the country. Entry to the church is free; the ticket is for the tower, which rises 73 m and gives a panoramic view over the city, the surrounding mountains and the ocean. Afterward, browse Skólavörðustígur, one of the city's two main shopping streets.

   Tip: Check the church's daily schedule before you go, because services, private ceremonies and concerts close the nave or the tower for part of the day, especially on Sunday mornings.

   Adult tower admission: ISK 1,500 (about $12) · Tower ticketed; services and private ceremonies can close visitor accessFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 4, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Hallgrímskirkja
5. 5Vík

   Walk behind the curtain of Seljalandsfoss

   Seljalandsfoss sits right off the Ring Road on the south coast, and its trick is a path that loops behind the falling water. Glacier water drops about 60 m, and from the cave-like hollow behind it you look out through the falling curtain. It is a short walk from the parking area, and you will get wet. A few minutes' walk away is Gljúfrabúi, a waterfall of about 40 m hidden inside a narrow gorge: you step through a crack in the rock and wade a shallow stream to see it. Allow an extra 30 minutes for Gljúfrabúi.

   Tip: Wear a waterproof jacket and boots with good grip, and expect the path behind the falls to close in winter when ice makes it unsafe.

   Parking ISK[fee]; the path behind the waterfall can closeKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: South Iceland Marketing Office; Visit Iceland (official, Business Iceland)
6. 6Vík

   Climb the steps beside Skógafoss

   Skógafoss is a broad curtain of water about 60 m tall and 25 m wide, at Skógar, about 150 km east of Reykjavík. The Skógá river throws up so much mist that rainbows are common on sunny days. You can walk from the car park to the base of the falls in a few minutes, then climb the steep staircase of 428 steps to a platform at the top for a view down the coast. Skógar is also where the Laugavegur trail from Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk ends. The Skógar Museum and the smaller Kvernufoss waterfall are next door, so the three combine easily in one stop.

   Tip: Do the stairs first if you have the energy and dry clothes in the car, since the spray at the base will soak you.

   Parking ISK[fee]; use the base path or stairs when safeKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: South Iceland Marketing Office; Skógar Museum (official); Visit Iceland (official, Business Iceland)
7. 7Vík

   See the basalt columns on Reynisfjara beach

   Reynisfjara, on the far side of Mount Reynisfjall from Vík, is the black sand beach most people picture when they think of Iceland: basalt columns stacked like organ pipes, crashing waves and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising offshore. It is also one of the most dangerous places in the country. Sneaker waves, far bigger than the ones before them, run much further up the sand without warning, and people have been swept away. A light sign by the path down, linked to the official wave forecasting system, shows which zones are off limits that day. The beach is never closed, so the judgment is yours.

   Tip: Read the light sign before you walk down, never turn your back on the sea, and when a yellow or red light is on, stay out of that zone and watch from the higher beach.

   Follow warning lights and closures; parking ISK[fee]; never approach the surfKnow the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Business Iceland / Visit Iceland; Icelandic Tourist Board (Ferðamálastofa)
8. 8Reykjavík

   Soak like a local in a geothermal pool

   The neighborhood swimming pool is the heart of everyday life in Iceland, and UNESCO now lists Icelandic swimming culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Swimming lessons have been compulsory for all children since 1925, and the capital area alone has 18 geothermal pools, part sports center, part spa, heated by water from underground. Locals come for the hot tubs, usually 38 to 40°C, to chat about the news and the weather, then cool off in a cold tub. Laugardalslaug is the largest, with two 50 m pools; Sundhöllin in the center is the oldest. Outside the city, Hveragerði's Laugaskarð is a 50 m pool heated by geothermal steam, with a natural steam bath.

   Tip: Shower thoroughly with soap and without your swimsuit before you get in, as the posters in every changing room explain; it is the one rule locals will remind you about.

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Municipality of Hveragerði
9. 9Reykjavík

   Walk the harbor front from Harpa to Sun Voyager

   Harpa, the concert hall on Reykjavík's old harbor, is worth a visit even without a ticket. Its glass facade, by the artist Ólafur Elíasson, is meant to mirror Iceland's nature, and the building won the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the Mies van der Rohe Award, in 2013. It is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and entry to the building is free. From Harpa, follow the waterfront to the Sun Voyager, a steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason that looks like a Viking ship but is meant as a dream boat and an ode to the sun, with Mount Esja across the water. It is a fine spot at sunset in any season.

   Tip: Go to the Sun Voyager late in the day for the light over Faxaflói Bay, and check Harpa's events page for lunchtime summer concerts.

   Building access free; performances separately ticketed
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Harpa Concert Hall; Harpa Concert Hall; Visit Reykjavík
10. 10Reykjavík

    Hike to the hot river in Reykjadalur

    Reykjadalur lies at the foot of the Hengill volcanic range above the town of Hveragerði, about 45 km east of Reykjavík. A trail of about 3.5 km climbs past hot springs, steam plumes and colorful geothermal ground to a stretch of the Reykjadalsá river that is warm enough to bathe in. Experienced hikers take about an hour to walk up, so leave time for the walk back and a soak. It is one of the most popular trails in the country, with around 1,000 walkers a day on average. Keep going a little upriver to see the Klambragil canyon.

    Tip: Check Safetravel before you set out, since the trail can close, and stay on the marked path to protect the fragile plants around the hot springs.

    Check trail closures; parking ISK[fee]; only use the designated bathing riverKnow the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Hveragerði; South Iceland Marketing Office; Business Iceland / Visit Iceland
11. 11Vík

    Look out over the arch at Dyrhólaey

    Dyrhólaey is a 120 m headland just west of Vík whose name means the hill with the door hole, after the huge sea arch the waves have cut through it. From the top, by a small orange-roofed lighthouse built in 1927, the view runs west along an unbroken black beach and east to Reynisfjara and the Reynisdrangar stacks, with the Mýrdalsjökull glacier behind. Puffins nest in the cliffs from late April to mid-August. The upper and lower parking areas are about 1.3 km apart on foot, and the road up is gravel with a steep, narrow last section. Wind on top can be far stronger than down at the road.

    Tip: Parts of the reserve close for nesting birds from about mid-May to late June, so check the signs at the entrance, and pay for parking in the PARKA app before you lose signal.

    Check nesting closures and road conditions; parking ISK[fee]Know the fee?
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: South Iceland Marketing Office; Business Iceland / Visit Iceland
12. 12Reykjavík

    Circle the red crater walls at Kerið

    Kerið is a volcanic crater lake in the Grímsnes area, on the Golden Circle route. It formed about 6,500 years ago and is part of the Western Volcanic Zone. The crater is about 55 m deep, 170 m wide and 270 m across, and its walls of red volcanic rock frame a bright blue lake. Walking paths lead around the crater, so you can see it from several angles. A small service fee is charged to visit.

    Tip: Visit in daylight, since the operator opens the crater only while it is light, and wear shoes with grip for the paths.

    Service fee including parking: ISK 700 (about $6) · Service fee includes parking and crater paths; visit in daylightFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Kerið; Business Iceland / Visit Iceland
13. 13ReykjavíkBook ahead

    Step into an ice cave inside Perlan

    Perlan, the glass dome on top of Reykjavík's hot water tanks, sits on the city's highest hill and works as a hands-on museum of Icelandic nature. Walk through an ice cave and the Glaciers exhibition, watch Áróra, a northern lights film in the planetarium, see a large model of Europe's biggest seabird cliff, and learn about the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption. The observation deck that wraps around the dome gives a 360 degree view of the city and mountains and is included with every ticket. It is about a 30 minute walk from the center, or take bus 13 or 18, and parking is free.

    Tip: Save Perlan for a wet or windy day, and go out on the observation deck first if the sky is clear.

    Adult: ISK 7,090 (about $58) · Deck included, no separate deck ticket; book onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Perlan (official); Perlan
14. 14Reykjavík

    Head out from the Old Harbour by boat

    Reykjavík's Old Harbour was once the center of the city's fishing industry and is now a waterfront of restaurants, museums and boat tours a short walk from downtown. Whale watching trips leave from here into Faxaflói Bay, where minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and humpbacks are common sightings, and puffin cruises run in summer. Back on land, the Reykjavík Maritime Museum, in a former fish-freezing plant, tells the story of 150 years of Icelandic fishing, with the Coast Guard vessel Óðinn moored outside. Finish at Þúfa, Ólöf Nordal's grass-covered mound at the tip of the Grandi peninsula, for a view back over the harbor and Mount Esja.

    Tip: The main whale watching season runs from April to October and puffins are around from mid-May to mid-August, but no tour can guarantee sightings, so book it early in your trip to leave room for a second try.

    Pay as you go at nearby harbor restaurants
    Sources: Visit Reykjavík; Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Reykjavík City Museum
15. 15Reykjavík

    Trace 1,200 years at the National Museum

    The National Museum of Iceland tells the country's story in its permanent exhibition, Making of a Nation, a journey through some 1,200 years from the first settlers to the present day. Settlement began around 870, with people arriving from Norway and Viking settlements in the British Isles, and in 930 they founded the Alþing at Þingvellir. Among the best-known pieces is a figure of the god Þór holding his hammer, the key object for the years 800 to 1000, alongside jewelry, weapons and iron tools from the settlement era. It is a good way to understand the people behind the sagas and the parliament.

    Tip: Visit before your Golden Circle day, so the history of Þingvellir makes more sense when you stand there.

    Adult admission: ISK 3,300 (about $27) · Daily 10 AM to 5 PM; museum cafe temporarily closedFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: National Museum of Iceland (official); National Museum of Iceland (official)
16. 16VíkBook ahead

    Watch real lava pour at Lava Show Vík

    In the center of Vík, Lava Show heats real lava to about 1,100°C and pours it into a showroom a few meters from your seat, so you hear it crackle and feel the heat on your face as it cools. A host explains how eruptions work, with the Vík show focused on the nearby Katla volcano and the geology of the south coast. The classic show runs 45 to 55 minutes. It is a good plan for a stormy afternoon, and it is about 11 minutes by car from Reynisfjara. The presentation is in English, and the heat and noise may be a lot for small children.

    Tip: Book ahead, since shows regularly sell out, and arrive 15 to 20 minutes early because seats are first come, first served.

    Adult: ISK 6,590 (about $54) · Book a show slot; arrive 20 min earlyFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Lava Show; Lava Show (official)
17. 17Vík

    Pair the Skógar Museum with Kvernufoss

    The Skógar Museum, a minute from Skógafoss, holds about 18,000 regional objects across three museums and six historic buildings. The open air museum shows buildings from many periods of Icelandic architecture, and the folk museum holds more than 15,000 regional craft objects, from fishing gear to farming tools. A separate building covers transport and communication in the 19th and 20th centuries. Next door, a gravel path of about 15 minutes from the museum car park leads up a mossy gorge to Kvernufoss, a waterfall of about 30 m that you can walk behind, with a fraction of Skógafoss's crowds.

    Tip: Leave the car in the museum car park for both, pay the parking fee there, and bring waterproofs if you plan to walk behind Kvernufoss.

    Adult, all museum areas: ISK 3,000 (about $25) · Jun to Aug 9 AM to 6 PM; Sep to May 10 AM to 5 PMFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Skógar Museum (official); South Iceland Marketing Office
18. 18Reykjavík

    Look for the northern lights in winter

    From early September to the end of April, the northern lights can appear over Iceland whenever the sky is dark and clear and solar activity is up. You do not need to go far: Visit Reykjavík points to Heiðmörk and Krýsuvík as good spots in the capital area. Iceland's national weather forecast shows both cloud cover and solar activity, and anything above 3 on its activity scale counts as good. October to March is the best stretch. If the sky stays cloudy, Perlan's planetarium film is the fallback.

    Tip: Check the cloud cover forecast as well as the activity level, and dress for standing still outdoors in the cold.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Visit Reykjavík (official city tourism); Perlan (official)

Questions travelers ask