Iceland attractions

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is the Lutheran parish church on top of Skólavörðuholt hill in central Reykjavík, and at 74.5 meters it's the largest church in Iceland. You can see the white concrete tower from almost anywhere in the city, which makes it the easiest landmark to navigate by. The church is named after the 17th-century poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson. State architect Guðjón Samúelsson got the commission in 1937, building started in 1945, and the church wasn't consecrated until 1986. His stepped facade is meant to recall the basalt columns found across Iceland, and you see the effect best from the bottom of Skólavörðustígur. Inside, the nave is plain and bright, and the eye goes straight to the Klais concert organ installed in 1992, with 5,275 pipes and a height of about 15 meters. Out front, the statue of Leif Erikson was a gift from the United States in 1930, marking 1,000 years of the Alþingi parliament. For most visitors, the real draw of Hallgrímskirkja church is the tower. An elevator takes you up to the viewing level, where windows face every direction over the colored roofs, Faxaflói Bay and Mount Esja. Tickets are sold only in the church shop to the left of the lobby, can't be booked ahead, and cost 1,500 ISK for adults, 1,300 ISK for students and disabled visitors and 200 ISK for children aged 7 to 16. Entry to the church itself is free. From September 1 it's open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last tower ride at 4:45 p.m., and in summer the hours run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On most Sundays the church and tower close for the morning service, roughly 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and concerts can also limit access, so allow 30 to 45 minutes plus any wait for the elevator.

Kerið Crater

Kerið crater lake is a volcanic crater with a pool of green-blue water at its bottom, beside Road 35 in Grímsnes, South Iceland. It formed about 6,500 years ago in the Western Volcanic Zone and measures roughly 55 meters deep, 170 meters wide and 270 meters across. The reason to stop is the color, with red and black slopes dropping steeply to the water. Kerið is on the way from Selfoss toward Geysir and Gullfoss, about an hour's drive from Reykjavík and roughly 15 minutes from Selfoss. Most visitors fold it into a Golden Circle day, and many tours include it as a stop. Two walks cover the site. A path circles the rim of the Kerið crater, giving a new angle on the water from each side, and a stairway leads down to the lakeshore. Doing both takes 30 to 45 minutes, so it is a short stop rather than a hike. The landowners charge a 700 ISK service fee, and parking is free, with restrooms on site. Kerið is open in daylight all year. In summer the moss on the walls is at its greenest, while in winter the lake often freezes and snow covers the red slopes. Wear shoes with grip, because the paths and steps get slippery after rain or frost.

Perlan

Perlan is a glass-domed museum and viewing deck on top of Öskjuhlíð hill in Reykjavík, about 2 kilometers south of downtown, built on the tanks that store hot water for the city's geothermal heating. It is where you can walk through a real ice cave and watch the northern lights on a dome screen, all before lunch. Inside, the Perlan museum is a set of exhibitions about Icelandic nature. The ice cave is built from real snow and ice, and Áróra, an 8K northern lights film, plays in the planetarium. Other rooms cover glaciers, the Geldingadalir eruption, water in Icelandic nature and a full-size model of the Látrabjarg bird cliff. If your trip won't reach a glacier or a clear aurora night, this is the most efficient way to see both in one building. The observation deck wraps around the dome on top of the tanks and gives a 360-degree view of Reykjavík, Mount Esja and the Reykjanes peninsula. It is included with every ticket and can't be bought on its own. Ticket prices change, so check the official website before you go, and allow two to three hours for the exhibitions, the planetarium show and the deck. The exhibitions open daily from 9:00 to 21:00, and the building also has a café, a restaurant, a bar and an ice cream parlor. Parking right outside is free, city bus routes 13 and 18 stop closest, and the walk up from downtown takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Afterward, the wooded paths on Öskjuhlíð lead down to Nauthólsvík geothermal beach, about a kilometer away.

Sun Voyager

The Sun Voyager (Sólfar) is a stainless steel sculpture on the Sæbraut seafront in Reykjavík, about a 10-minute walk east of Harpa. Most people walk up expecting a Viking ship, but its creator, Jón Gunnar Árnason, described it as a dreamboat and an ode to the sun, a vessel for the promise of undiscovered territory and freedom. His design won a 1986 competition to mark 200 years since Reykjavík received its town charter. Árnason died in 1989, before the full-size piece was finished, and the Sun Voyager sculpture was unveiled on the city's birthday, August 18, 1990. It is polished stainless steel set on a ring of granite slabs. Much of the pull comes from where it stands. Faxaflói bay opens up behind the sculpture, with Mount Esja across the water, and the steel picks up whatever the sky is doing, from pale winter noon light to the long glow of a June night. Around the summer solstice the sun dips below the horizon for only a few hours, so a visit near midnight is easy and often the quietest time of all. The Reykjavík Sun Voyager is outdoors, free and open around the clock all year. From here the paved seafront path continues toward the Old Harbour in one direction and Höfði House in the other. Fifteen minutes is plenty unless you are waiting for light, and in the middle of the day tour groups fill the space, so early morning or late evening works best for photos. On clear winter nights some visitors wait here for the northern lights, though streetlights along Sæbraut wash out fainter displays. Sæbraut itself is a busy road, so cross at the lights, and keep off the sculpture.

Reynisfjara Beach

Reynisfjara Beach is a black sand beach on the South Coast of Iceland, just west of the village of Vík í Mýrdal, with basalt columns at one end and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks offshore. It's one of the most photographed places on the south coast, and also one of the most dangerous, because sneaker waves here have killed visitors who stood too close to the water. The beach lies between the Dyrhólaey promontory and the mountain Reynisfjall, inside the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark. From Reykjavík it's about 180 kilometers, or roughly two and a half hours by car along Route 1 and then a short side road. The Reynisdrangar sea stacks stand off the eastern end, and you can also see them from the beach at Vík on the far side of the mountain. Most people come for the stepped Reynisfjara basalt columns and the Hálsanefshellir cave below Reynisfjall. In February 2026, weeks of easterly winds and heavy surf stripped away much of the sand, and a landslide came down from the mountain's slope. Since then the columns often sit closer to the waves, and the cave can be cut off by the sea. Sneaker waves are the real danger. They surge far higher up the sand than the waves before them, and they've caused several deaths, most recently in August 2025. A warning light system at the path down shows the hazard level, and when the red light is on, the lower beach is closed, including the columns and the cave. Stay well back from the wet sand, never turn your back on the sea, and never go into the water. The beach is open all year, and a parking fee is charged at the lot. An hour is enough for a walk and photos, and you can pair it with Dyrhólaey and Vík on the same afternoon. Most South Coast day tours from Reykjavík stop here, often alongside Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.

Secret Lagoon

The Secret Lagoon is a natural hot spring pool at Hverahólmi, just outside the village of Flúðir in South Iceland, about an hour and a half's drive from Reykjavík. Locals call it Gamla Laugin, the old pool, and the reason to come is a small geyser that erupts every few minutes a few steps from the bathers. Built in 1891, it's the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, and the country's first swimming lessons were held here in 1909. Classes ran every year until 1947, after which the pool was left to the weeds for decades. It reopened on June 7, 2014, with a new building for changing and showers, while the old pool kept its natural edges. Three hot springs feed the water: Vaðmálahver, Básahver and the little geyser, Litli Geysir. Together they keep the pool at 38 to 40°C all year, and the steaming ground and bubbling vents around the edge are a big part of the appeal. Compared with the large spa lagoons, the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir is plainer and older, which is exactly why many people prefer it. It works best as an afternoon soak at the end of a Golden Circle day, since Gullfoss and Geysir are about half an hour away. Plan on one to two hours, and come on a clear winter evening if you want a shot at the northern lights from the water. The bistro sells snacks and drinks but no hot meals, so eat in Flúðir before or after. The pool is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00 between June 1 and September 30, and from 10:00 to 19:00 from October to May, closing at 18:00 on December 24 and 31. Adults aged 15 and over pay 4,500 ISK, seniors aged 67 and over and disabled visitors pay 3,300 ISK with ID, and children aged 14 and under pay 260 ISK, up to three per adult. Towels and swimsuits rent for 1,200 ISK each, and booking ahead is strongly advised because walk-ins aren't guaranteed a spot.

Sky Lagoon

Sky Lagoon is a geothermal spa on the Kársnes seafront in Kópavogur, a 13-minute drive from downtown Reykjavík. Its infinity edge makes the warm water look as if it pours straight into the North Atlantic, and it is the easiest lagoon in Iceland to fit into a city stay. The lagoon itself is 38–40°C and no deeper than 120 cm, with a swim-up bar and wide views across the bay. Every standard pass includes the seven-step Skjól ritual, which moves you from the lagoon to a 5°C cold plunge, a sauna with a sea-facing window, a cold mist, a body scrub, a steam room and finally back into the water. The difference between the Saman and Sér passes is the changing room: shared showers with Saman, private ones with Sér. Plan on about 1.5 to 2 hours, which is what the spa itself recommends. Entry is by timed slot, and the popular ones go first: sunset in summer, and dark winter evenings when there is a chance of the northern lights over the bay if the sky is clear. Hours shift with the season, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in winter to 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. around midsummer. You need to be out of the water 30 minutes before closing. Getting to Sky Lagoon from Reykjavík is simple. Parking is free with no time limit, and a partner shuttle from the city can be booked with your ticket. On public transit, take bus 4 from Hlemmur to Hamraborg and then bus 35 or 36 to Bakkabraut, a short walk away. Children under 12 are not allowed, and guests aged 12 to 14 must come with an adult. If you are torn between Sky Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon, distance usually decides it: this one suits an evening in Reykjavík, while the Blue Lagoon sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Keflavík Airport and fits an arrival or departure day.

Earth Lagoon Mývatn

Mývatn Nature Baths, now renamed Earth Lagoon Mývatn, is a geothermal lagoon at Jarðbaðshólar in North Iceland, a few minutes east of the village of Reykjahlíð and about 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Akureyri. The rename came with a rebuild, and the new building with redesigned changing rooms was scheduled to open in summer 2026, so older photos and prices may not match what you find. Geothermal water keeps the milky-blue lagoon at 36 to 40°C, and it is no deeper than 1.3 meters. Next to the main pool, a steam cave fed by vents in the wall holds around 45°C, and there is a swim-up bar plus a bistro for lunch or dinner. As for Mývatn Nature Baths vs the Blue Lagoon, the answer is mostly geography and price. Both have the same pale blue water, but this one is smaller, cheaper and far less crowded, and it fits naturally into a day around the lake. Námaskarð, Grjótagjá and Hverfjall crater are all within about 3 kilometers, so it makes an easy last stop. The lagoon opens daily at 12:00, and since September 1, 2026, it closes at 22:00, though hours change with the season. Tickets come in tiers, starting from 7,900 ISK for Earth Essential and from 9,900 ISK for Earth Signature, with prices that shift by time of day and demand. Children 5 and under enter free with an adult. Most visitors stay about 90 minutes. Booking ahead through the official website is the safest plan, although walk-ins get in when lockers are free. In winter an evening soak is the pick, when the dark sky over the lava field gives you a fair chance at the northern lights from the water.

Öxarárfoss

Öxarárfoss is a waterfall in Þingvellir National Park where the Öxará river drops over the western wall of the Almannagjá rift, the edge of the North American plate. From there the river runs on past the old assembly grounds toward Lake Þingvallavatn, and the twist is that it may have been moved there on purpose. Tradition says early settlers diverted the Öxará into Almannagjá to bring water to the Althing, the parliament that first met here in 930. Nobody can prove it, but the course of the river through the gorge does look engineered. Just downstream, the deep pool of Drekkingarhylur is where women convicted of crimes were drowned in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Öxarárfoss waterfall is about 45 minutes' drive northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36. The quickest approach is from parking lot P2 at Efri-Vellir, below and east of the fall, a few minutes away on a gravel path. From the visitor center at Hakið (P1), the Öxarárfoss trail runs down through Almannagjá past Lögberg, which takes 20 to 30 minutes each way and is the better walk. Entry to the park is free, but parking is not. The national park charges 1,000 ISK per day for a car with up to five seats and 1,200 ISK for six to nine seats, and one payment covers P1, P2 and P5 for that day. You can pay at the machines, including one at P2, or online before you arrive. The park is open all year. In winter the fall often freezes into columns of ice and the paths get slick, so bring traction spikes. Game of Thrones filmed in this part of the park, which helps explain the midday crowds, while early mornings and summer evenings are much quieter. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes for the fall alone, or two hours if you combine it with the gorge walk.

Fjaðrárgljúfur

Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon up to about 100 meters deep just off the Ring Road in South Iceland, about 10 minutes' drive west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The small Fjaðrá river twists along its floor between moss-covered walls of soft palagonite rock, and a rim path with viewing platforms puts the whole gorge in view without any scrambling. Most of the carving happened at the end of the last Ice Age, when glacial meltwater cut down through layers of tuff and left the walls and pinnacles standing today. A marked path climbs gently along the western rim to a series of platforms. From the upper viewpoint you look straight up the canyon, with the thin Mögárfoss waterfall dropping in from the far side. Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in Iceland got a sudden rush of visitors after it featured in a 2015 music video, and the trampled edges forced temporary closures to let the vegetation recover. In May 2024 the canyon was protected as a nature monument. Stay on the marked path and behind the ropes, and keep off the canyon floor. The canyon is about 3.5 hours from Reykjavík. Turn off Route 1 onto Route 206 and follow the gravel road a short way to the parking lot, which is normally fine for ordinary cars in summer but can be slippery in winter or after heavy rain. Parking is paid through the Parka app or online within 24 hours: 1,000 ISK a day for a standard car and 1,300 ISK for a larger passenger car (2026 rates), and overnight stays are not allowed. Allow 1 to 2 hours for the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon hike up to the top platform and back. Summer and early fall, September included, give the greenest moss. The canyon can close at short notice in spring when the ground is soft, so check the official travel alerts and road conditions before you go.

Svartifoss

Svartifoss is a 20-meter waterfall framed by black basalt columns in the Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park, Southeast Iceland. It is about four hours' drive east of Reykjavík on Route 1, and the name means the Black Falls. The waterfall itself is small, so the reason people walk uphill for it is the frame: rows of dark columns hang over the pool like organ pipes. Those Svartifoss basalt columns formed about 300,000 years ago, when lava flowed down the Skaftafellsheiði plain, filled an old riverbed and cracked into columns as it cooled. Their shape is often said to have influenced Guðjón Samúelsson, the architect of Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík, so you may recognize the pattern from the church. You can only reach the Svartifoss waterfall on foot. The trail starts beside the Skaftafellsstofa visitor center and climbs about 1.9 km to the falls, roughly 45 minutes each way. Most people take the S2 loop instead, a 5.8 km circuit graded easy that adds the smaller Hundafoss and Magnúsarfoss, the Sjónarsker viewpoint and the old turf farm at Sel, with about 250 meters of climbing in total. So how long does it take to see Svartifoss? Plan on two to three hours from the parking lot, including time at the falls. There is no entry fee, but the regional parking fee for Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón is 1,110 ISK for a car with up to five seats, valid until midnight on the day you pay. The Svartifoss hike works all year, though the path gets slippery in wet summer weather and can be icy or snow-covered in winter. In those months, bring traction spikes and ask at the visitor center, which is open all year. Morning or early evening light suits the dark columns best, and the trail is quieter then too.

Gullfoss Falls

Gullfoss is a two-step waterfall on the Hvítá river in South Iceland, about 10 kilometers past the Geysir geothermal area and roughly two hours' drive from Reykjavík. The Golden Falls drop about 11 meters and then 21 meters into a narrow crevice, so from the upper viewpoint you watch a whole glacial river go over the edge without seeing where it lands. It's the last of the three classic Golden Circle stops, and most visitors pair it with Geysir and Þingvellir in one long day. If you're driving yourself, Gullfoss also makes a natural turnaround point before heading back west or on to the south coast. On sunny days, the spray often throws a rainbow across the gorge. Two levels of paths look at the Gullfoss waterfall from different angles. The upper lot sits beside the visitor center and café with a broad view down the gorge, and a stairway leads to a lower path that runs out along the rock beside the falls. Expect spray down there, so bring a waterproof jacket. That lower path is named after Sigríður Tómasdóttir, a farmer's daughter from nearby Brattholt. In the early 1900s she fought plans to dam the river for hydropower, and a memorial to her stands near the falls. There's no entrance ticket, and the site is open all year. In winter the lower path is usually gated off because of ice and the risk of falling rock, though the upper viewpoints stay open and the half-frozen falls are worth the trip. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, and in summer come early or after about 5 p.m. to miss the midday tour buses.

Gljúfrabúi

Gljúfrabúi is a waterfall hidden inside a narrow gorge on Iceland's South Coast, about 200 meters north of Seljalandsfoss. The name means canyon dweller, and the falls drop roughly 40 meters into a slot almost completely closed in by rock, so from outside you see little more than a stream running out of a crack in the cliff. Plenty of visitors at Seljalandsfoss walk straight past, which is a shame, because the reward here is getting inside. Follow the foot of the cliffs to where the stream leaves the gorge, then step or wade along the streambed over wet stones into a small, mossy chamber. Water pours in from an opening high above, the noise bounces off the walls, and the spray soaks everything within seconds. Dress for that. Waterproof pants and a jacket help, along with shoes you don't mind getting wet, and a dry bag or zip-lock for your phone is worth packing. In winter, ice on the path and the stream stones can make the Gljúfrabúi waterfall canyon unsafe to enter, so judge conditions on the day and settle for the view from outside if it looks slick. Gljúfrabúi sits just off the Ring Road, about 1 hour 45 minutes' drive from Reykjavík, and shares the paid Seljalandsfoss parking lot. There is no entry charge for the waterfall itself. From the lot it's a 5 to 10 minute walk, and an hour covers both falls, including the wade inside. Flow is strongest in spring and early summer, and June evenings bring soft light with fewer tour buses. Midday on a clear summer day is the busiest time, so arrive early or late if you want the chamber to yourself.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is the penis museum Reykjavík is known for, a collection of preserved mammal specimens at Hafnartorg in downtown Reykjavík. It is the world's only museum devoted to phallology, and its current home, open since 2020, nearly tripled the exhibition space. The collection began in 1974, when colleagues handed founder Sigurður Hjartarson, then a school headmaster in Akranes, a bull's pizzle as a joke gift. Specimens from a whaling station soon followed, and the museum opened in a small downtown space in 1997. It moved north to Húsavík in 2004 and came back to the capital in 2011, when his son Hjörtur took over. Inside, the Iceland penis museum displays specimens from every Icelandic land and sea mammal, from small land mammals up to the huge organs of whales, along with many foreign species and a section of art and folklore. The tone is curious and good-humored rather than explicit, so most families with older kids handle it fine. Plan on 45 minutes to an hour. The museum is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00, and admission is 3,900 ISK, with tickets bookable through the official website. A café and bistro on site pours RVK Brewing Company beer next to coffee and novelty waffles, and the gift shop stocks exactly the joke souvenirs you'd expect. Reykjastræti 4 sits between the Old Harbour and Austurvöllur square, a few minutes' walk from Harpa. Because everything is indoors and the doors stay open into the evening, it works well on a wet or dark winter day in the city center.

Friðheimar

Friðheimar is a family-run greenhouse farm in Reykholt, in the Bláskógabyggð district of South Iceland, that grows tomatoes all year using geothermal heat, artificial lighting and spring water. Its greenhouse restaurant serves tomato soup at tables between the vines, under grow lights, even in the middle of an Icelandic winter. The farm is run by agronomist Knútur Rafn Ármann and horticulturalist Helena Hermundardóttir, with their five children involved in the business. The Friðheimar restaurant serves from 11:30 to 16:00 every day, and the signature dish is tomato soup with freshly baked bread. Prices on the Friðheimar menu are not listed on the farm's homepage, so check them when you book; reserving a table online is the safest way to get a lunch slot in summer. Next door, the bar and Little Tomato Shop open from 9:00 to 17:00, and Vínstofa Friðheima, the farm's wine bar and restaurant, runs from 12:00 to 22:00 (kitchen until 21:00). Pre-booked groups can tour the Friðheimar greenhouse year-round with a short talk on how tomatoes are grown this far north. Friðheimar is also a horse farm. The family has bred Icelandic horses since 1995, keeps around 40 of them and puts on horse shows with commentary in fourteen languages. Reykholt is about 90 minutes from Reykjavík and roughly 20 minutes from Geysir, which is why the Golden Circle and Friðheimar so often go together. Plan an hour for lunch. The Reykholt pool is a few hundred meters away, and Faxi waterfall and the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir are both short drives from the farm.

Geysir

Geysir is a hot spring in the Haukadalur valley of South Iceland that gave the English language the word geyser, and the geothermal area around it is one of the three classic stops on the Golden Circle, along with Þingvellir and Gullfoss. Every geyser on Earth is named after this one. The catch is that the Great Geysir itself rarely performs anymore. In its active years it threw water around 60 meters high, but it has gone quiet for long stretches and now erupts only occasionally. The show you came for is Strokkur, a short walk away, which blows a column of boiling water usually 15 to 20 meters into the air every 5 to 10 minutes, sometimes twice in a row. After a few eruptions, walk the loop around the rest of the Geysir geothermal area. You'll pass Litli Geysir, the blue Blesi pool and Konungshver, along with bubbling mud pots and steaming, mineral-stained ground. The water in these hot springs is close to boiling, so stay behind the ropes and on the marked paths, keep children close and check the wind before you stand near Strokkur, since the spray blows downwind. Geysir Iceland sits about 1.5 hours' drive from Reykjavík via Routes 1 and 35, and Gullfoss is about 10 minutes farther up the road. Entry is free and the area is open all year, while parking is paid through the Parka app. Across the road, the Geysir Center has restaurants, a café, shops and toilets, and if you want to stay the night, Skjól campsite is a few minutes away. Give yourself 45 minutes to an hour to watch Strokkur several times and walk the paths. Tour buses tend to arrive mid-morning and early afternoon, so an early or evening visit is noticeably calmer. In winter the paths can be icy, so wear shoes with good grip.

Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá is a small lava cave with a geothermal pool inside, just east of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland. The water is heated by the same volcanic system that runs under the whole Mývatn area, and the light through the cracks turns it a clear blue. Locals bathed here for centuries until the Krafla Fires, a run of eruptions between 1975 and 1984, pushed the water temperature past 50°C. It has cooled somewhat since but is still hot enough to scald. The cave belongs to the farm Vogar, whose owners don't allow bathing, so respect the signs and keep your hands out of the water. Most people know Grjótagjá cave from Game of Thrones, where it was the setting for the scene between Jon Snow and Ygritte in the Season 3 episode "Kissed by Fire." In person, it's smaller than it looks on screen. Climbing down to the water means a minute over uneven, often wet rock under a low roof, so watch your head. The cave is a few minutes' drive from Reykjahlíð on a short gravel road off Route 1, and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Akureyri. A small parking lot sits close to the entrance, and there's no admission fee. Around 15 to 30 minutes is plenty, and midday light reaches farthest into the cave. Grjótagjá is open all year, though in winter the path and the rocks inside can be icy, so wear shoes with grip. Pair it with a walk up Hverfjall, a couple of kilometers away.

Dyrhólaey

Dyrhólaey is a 120-meter-high promontory on Iceland's south coast, about 20 minutes west of Vík, named for the huge rock arch at its seaward tip, about 20 meters high and 50 meters wide. From the top you look straight down the black-sand coast to Reynisfjara and its sea stacks, with Mýrdalsjökull glacier filling the view inland. The Dyrhólaey peninsula has been a protected nature reserve since 1978, mostly for its birdlife. In summer, puffins nest in the grassy slopes of the Dyrhólaey cliffs, and the lower viewpoint is one of the easier places on the Ring Road to watch them at close range. Eider ducks and other seabirds breed here too, which is why the reserve can restrict access in spring. There are two parking lots. The lower one sits beside the viewpoint over the arch and the long beaches on either side, while the upper one, by the Dyrhólaey lighthouse, is reached by a steep and narrow gravel track. The lighthouse dates from 1927, rebuilt on the site of a 1910 original, and the walk between the two areas is roughly 1.3 km each way. Dyrhólaey is about two and a half hours' drive from Reykjavík, reached from Route 1 on Road 218. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, or longer in puffin season. Entry is free, but check the signs for parking payment, and in winter expect the upper track to be icy or closed. The Environment Agency can close parts of the reserve between May 1 and June 25 while birds are nesting, and it sets the dates and hours each year. Kirkjufjara, the beach just below the headland, is closed for good after rockfalls and accidents at sea. Wind at the top can be fierce, so keep well back from the unfenced cliff edges and keep a firm hand on children.

Bridge Between Continents

The Bridge Between Continents is a steel footbridge across a sand-floored fissure at Sandvík on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart by about 2 centimeters a year. A few dozen steps take you from North America to Europe, at least symbolically. It helps to know what you're looking at. The plate boundary here is a wide rift zone full of cracks, so this gully is one of many rather than a single dividing line. Still, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rarely shows itself this plainly on land, and signboards at the site explain the geology. The bridge went up in 2002, and you can also walk down onto the black sand floor of the fissure to look up at the lava walls on either side. The Reykjanes Peninsula Bridge Between Continents is on Road 425 between Hafnir and the Reykjanes lighthouse, about 20 minutes' drive from Keflavík Airport and around an hour from Reykjavík. A signposted parking lot sits a short walk away. Entry is free, the site is open all year, and 15 to 30 minutes is enough, which makes it an easy stop on the way to or from a flight. For proof you crossed, ask for a personalized certificate at the information center in the Folk Museum in Garður, or request one from Reykjanes Geopark by email. Afterward, carry on south to the Brimketill rock pool, the Gunnuhver hot spring and the Reykjanes lighthouse, or east to the Blue Lagoon for a soak. Earthquakes on Reykjanes have opened new cracks and widened old ones near several sites, including this one. Stay on the marked paths, keep back from visible cracks and edges, and check the official safety and road-conditions updates before you go, since conditions on the peninsula can change with volcanic activity.

Skógafoss

Skógafoss is a waterfall on the Skógá river at Skógar, just off Route 1 on Iceland's South Coast, about 2 hours' drive from Reykjavík. The river drops about 60 meters over the old sea cliffs in a sheet roughly 25 meters wide, and the flat gravel plain in front lets you walk right up into the spray. Few waterfalls in Iceland let you get this close this easily. On a sunny afternoon you will get soaked at the base and very likely see a rainbow for your trouble. Skógafoss lies roughly 25 minutes east of Seljalandsfoss and about half an hour west of Vík, so most travelers see the two waterfalls together, and almost every South Coast day tour stops here. For the view from above, a steel staircase of more than 500 steps climbs the slope on the right side of the falls. At the top, a platform looks straight down into the plunge and out across the coastal plain to the sea. The Skógafoss stairs are steep but short, and most people reach the top in 10 to 15 minutes. Beyond the platform, a path follows the Skógá upstream past a long chain of smaller waterfalls. This is the start of the Fimmvörðuháls trail toward Þórsmörk, but you can walk 30 minutes or an hour and turn back. Local legend says the settler Þrasi hid a chest of gold behind the falls, and nobody has found it yet. Skógafoss is open all year and free to see. Parking is paid through the Parka app: 1,000 ISK for a standard car in 2026, valid for up to 5 hours, with no overnight stays in the lot. Allow about an hour for the base and the stairs, more if you walk the trail. Come early in the morning or in the evening to miss the tour buses. In winter, bring microspikes, since the stairs and the ground by the falls ice over.

National Museum of Iceland

The National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn Íslands) is the country's main history museum, at Suðurgata 41 in central Reykjavík near the University of Iceland. Its permanent exhibition covers more than a thousand years of life on the island, and a couple of hours here make the turf houses and saga sites you pass later on the road far easier to read. The museum was founded in 1863 and has been in its current building since 1950, a few minutes' walk from the Tjörnin pond. The core exhibition, Making of a Nation: Heritage and History in Iceland, runs in order from a pagan burial at the time of settlement to the present day, so you move through the centuries room by room. Two pieces are worth hunting for. The Eyrarland statue is a bronze seated figure only a few centimeters tall, often read as the god Thor, although some scholars think it may be a gaming piece. The carved church door from Valþjófsstaður shows a knight, a lion, and a dragon, and it is the only medieval carved door that survives in Iceland. The National Museum of Iceland opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00, which makes it a good plan for a wet or dark winter day in the city. Tickets are 3,300 ISK for adults and 1,600 ISK for students and seniors, while children under 18 and people with disabilities enter free. Plan on about two hours for the permanent exhibition. The shop is open during museum hours, but the café is temporarily closed, so eat before or after.

Brúarfoss

Brúarfoss is a short, wide waterfall on the Brúará river in Bláskógabyggð, South Iceland, between Laugarvatn and Geysir, where the river splits into dozens of small cascades that pour into a narrow cleft. Its water runs an icy turquoise that looks edited in photos but is just as bright in person. That color comes from the source of the river. Much of the Brúará is fed by very clear spring water that has filtered through lava fields, so it carries little sediment and reflects the sky like glass. The Brúarfoss waterfall drops only a few meters, which is why people can walk right up to the viewing points on the bank. Brúarfoss is about 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Reykjavík. Since spring 2023, the quickest approach is the Brúarfoss parking lot at Hlauptunga, reached from Road 37 (Laugarvatnsvegur). From there it is about a five-minute walk to the falls, and the lot is open around the clock all year. Brúarfoss parking costs 750 ISK for cars with up to seven seats, 2,000 ISK for minibuses and 4,000 ISK for larger buses. You pay through the Parka app, so set it up before you lose signal. For a proper Brúarfoss hike, take the riverside trail that starts from a separate parking area on Road 37. It runs about 3.5 kilometers each way along the Brúará, passing two smaller falls, Hlauptungufoss and Miðfoss, before reaching Brúarfoss, so plan on roughly two hours round trip. The trail closes in winter, though the upper parking lot stays open. Late spring through early fall shows the blue at its best, ideally on a bright day. Allow 30 minutes from the upper lot, then pair it with Geysir or the Laugarvatn pools nearby. The current is strong and the rocks are slippery, and the river has claimed lives, so keep well back from the edge.

Raufarhólshellir

The Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, sold as The Lava Tunnel, is a 1,360-meter lava cave beside Route 39 in South Iceland, less than 30 minutes' drive from Reykjavík. It's one of the longest lava caves in the country, formed about 5,200 years ago when lava from the Leitahraun eruption drained out from under its own cooled crust and left a hollow tube behind. It's also the easiest way to stand inside a lava tube without a long drive or any climbing. Parts of the tunnel are up to 30 meters wide, with ceilings as high as 10 meters, and red, yellow and black mineral streaks run along the walls. From the capital, drive east on Route 1 for about 18 km, then turn right onto Route 39, the road to Þorlákshöfn, for another 12 km. The parking lot is right by the road, a short walk from the tunnel entrance. You can only go inside on a guided tour, and helmets and lights are provided. The Standard Lava Tunnel Tour lasts about an hour and costs 8,900 ISK, following a lit walkway and footbridge into the cave. Tours run every day from 9:00 to 17:00, usually on the hour, and an evening tour runs at the same price. If you have no car, the Standard Tour with transport from Reykjavík takes about three hours and costs 14,900 ISK. For something harder, the Lava Falls Adventure Tour (3 to 4 hours, 27,900 ISK) leaves the walkway and climbs over boulders to the far end of the cave. It's for ages 12 and up and needs good balance, and hiking boots with ankle support are required. Inside, the cave stays around 0 to 4°C all year, so bring a warm layer and a waterproof jacket for the drips. Winter adds something extra. Near the entrance, where the roof has collapsed, ice formations build up from the floor and hang from the ceiling, so the first section looks quite different from a summer visit. Is the lava tunnel in Iceland worth it? For a first-timer short on time, yes, since few caves let you walk this deep into a lava tube on a lit path.

Skaftafell

Skaftafell is the southern hiking base of Vatnajökull National Park, on the Ring Road in Southeast Iceland about four hours east of Reykjavík. Outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull spill down between the mountains almost to the parking lot, and marked trails lead from the visitor center to Svartifoss, glacier tongues and high viewpoints. Skaftafell became a national park on 15 September 1967 and was folded into Vatnajökull National Park when that park was founded on 7 June 2008. Since 2019 it has been part of the park's UNESCO World Heritage listing. Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is roughly 45 minutes farther east, so many travelers pair the two in one day. The marked trails start at the Skaftafellsstofa visitor center, which is open all year. Trail S2 to Svartifoss, the waterfall framed by black basalt columns, is a 5.8-kilometer loop of about two hours via Sjónarsker and Sel. The S1 glacier trail to the front of Skaftafellsjökull is an easy 4.1-kilometer loop, while S5 up to the Sjónarnípa viewpoint covers 6.5 kilometers of steeper going. For a full day on foot, S4 over Kristínartindar is 18 kilometers and 6 to 8 hours, rated difficult. Walking on the ice itself is a different matter: crevasses make it a guided-only activity, and groups mostly head onto Falljökull with crampons, helmets and harnesses supplied. From late fall into early spring, some guided trips add a natural blue ice cave when conditions are safe. Give Skaftafell at least half a day, or a full day if you want time on the ice plus Svartifoss. Summer brings long light and the easiest walking, but the park stays open all year, and outside summer the weather can turn quickly. The regional parking fee is 1,110 ISK for a car with up to five seats, valid until midnight on the day you pay. It drops by half if you have already paid at another fee-charging area of the national park that day. The Skaftafell campground next to the visitor center is open year-round.