Iceland attractions

Svörtuloft Lighthouse

Svörtuloft Lighthouse is a bright orange concrete tower on the black lava cliffs at the far western tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, at the edge of Snæfellsjökull National Park. The color against the dark rock, with the Atlantic breaking below, is what makes the bumpy detour worth it. On land the lighthouse is officially called Skálasnagaviti. Svörtuloft ("black lofts") is the name of the long cliff face of Saxhólsbjarg, and sailors name the light after those cliffs when they see it from the sea. The first light here was an iron structure from 1914, and the present 12.8-meter tower replaced it in 1931 and is still in service. The tower is closed to visitors, so you come for the cliffs. Walk along the top and you can see where the swell has carved caves and ledges into the lava, and in rough weather spray shoots well above the edge. In summer, fulmars nest on the ledges below. The edge is unfenced and can be undercut, so keep a few steps back. To drive there, leave Route 574 at the western end of the peninsula on Road 579 toward Skarðsvík, then take the left fork signed for Skálasnagi. The last few kilometers are a rough, potholed gravel track that a regular car can handle slowly when it's dry, though higher clearance makes it easier. Reykjavík is roughly three hours away, so this works best as part of a full Snæfellsnes loop. There is no fee and there are no facilities, not even toilets. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes, including the slow drive in and a walk along the cliffs. Summer and early fall are the easiest months, while in winter the track can be icy or snowbound, so check the official road-conditions map before you turn off. On the way back, stop at the golden sand cove of Skarðsvík on the same road. Saxhóll crater is a short drive south, and Djúpalónssandur beach is farther down the coast.

Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar is a geothermal valley in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the southern Iceland highlands, about four hours' drive from Reykjavík. Its best-known feature is the Landmannalaugar hot spring, a warm stream that runs out from the edge of the lava beside the mountain hut, free to soak in after a day on the trails. The color is the other draw. Rhyolite ridges streaked pink, yellow and green ring the valley, and because Landmannalaugar is also the northern trailhead of the Laugavegur trek, the multi-day route south to Þórsmörk, the campsite fills with hikers coming and going in July and August. Landmannalaugar hiking starts right at the hut. Short loops climb Brennisteinsalda or cross the black obsidian of the Laugahraun lava field in two to three hours, while Bláhnúkur and the longer ridge walks take most of a day. Plan on at least half a day here, or stay the night and hike in the long summer evening light. Only a 4x4 gets you here, and only in summer. The F208 and F225 usually open around June 20 and stay passable until mid-September, with exact dates set each year depending on snow, so check the official road-conditions map before you set out. The last stretch on the F224 has two river crossings, which is why smaller 4x4s should stop at the P1 parking lot by Námskvísl and walk in over the footbridge. Parking costs 1,500 ISK per car with up to five seats, charged around the clock. From June 20 to September 13, 2026, drivers arriving between 9:00 and 16:00 must book their space in advance online or in the Parka app. Ferðafélag Íslands runs the 78-bed hut, listed at 17,000 ISK, plus a gravel campsite where tents often need rocks to stay put in the wind. If you'd rather skip the river crossings, a Landmannalaugar tour by super-jeep or highland bus does the driving for you. Either way, bring a swimsuit, warm waterproof layers and food, and leave the soap behind, since it's banned in the hot spring.

The Icelandic Punk Museum

The Icelandic Punk Museum (Pönksafn Íslands) is a tiny museum in a former underground public toilet at Bankastræti 0 in downtown Reykjavík. A staircase leads down from the street into the old restroom, which suits the subject well and makes this Iceland punk museum one of the odder stops in the city center. The space was a men's restroom from 1930 to 2000, so close to the Austurstræti pubs that locals nicknamed it Núllið, "the Zero," after its street number. It then sat empty for 16 years until a group of mostly anonymous punk musicians and fans turned it into a museum, and John Lydon of the Sex Pistols opened it in November 2016. The exhibit runs from 1978, when the band Fræbbblarnir formed, to 1992, when The Sugarcubes split, which is why Björk turns up near the end. A one-way route takes you through it in order, past walls covered scrapbook-style with clippings, posters, polaroids, clothes and instruments. Headphones hang from the ceiling so you can hear the bands while you read, and you're welcome to try on a leather jacket or play some of the instruments. Since the punk museum in Iceland is so small, 30 minutes to an hour is plenty. It sits at the bottom of Bankastræti, a couple of minutes' walk from Austurvöllur square and the Kolaportið flea market, so it slots easily into a walk around downtown or a gray afternoon. Opening hours and ticket prices change from season to season, and the museum has no website of its own, so check its social media pages before you go.

Aldeyjarfoss

Aldeyjarfoss is a waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river at the southern end of Bárðardalur in North Iceland, where the river drops about 20 meters into a round pool walled with tightly packed black basalt columns. White water against that dark rock is the reason people make the detour. The falls sit right where the valley road turns into Sprengisandur, the highland route across the interior. Because it lies well off the Ring Road, Aldeyjarfoss sees far fewer visitors than Goðafoss, which is on the same river roughly 40 kilometers downstream. The valley also has a screen credit, as the Icelandic film Rams was shot in Bárðardalur. From Route 1 at Goðafoss, follow Road 842 south through the valley until it becomes the F26 mountain road. A short way along F26, a signed turnoff on the left leads to a small parking lot, and from there a path drops through the lava to viewpoints above the gorge. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes each way from Akureyri, and 30 to 45 minutes at the falls. That last stretch on F26 is the catch. It's rough gravel with no river crossings, but it's legally an F-road, so you need a 4x4 rental that allows F-roads, or you can park where the maintained road ends and walk the track instead. F26 only opens in summer, usually from late June or early July, so check the official road-conditions map before you go. Aldeyjarfoss in winter is a different trip, since the road isn't serviced and snow closes it. Entry is free year-round. Stay well back from the edge of the gorge, because the basalt gets slick with spray.

Bjarnarfoss

Bjarnarfoss is a tall, slender waterfall that drops about 80 meters in two stages down the basalt cliffs below the old volcano Mælifell, on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. Plenty of travelers spot it from the car window and keep driving, which is a mistake when the stop costs barely half an hour. From the road it looks like a white thread on a dark wall, and it only shows its real size once you start walking up. Bjarnarfoss waterfall sits right beside Route 54, a few kilometers from Búðir and close to where the road over Fróðárheiði splits off north toward Ólafsvík. From Reykjavík it is about two and a half hours' drive, so it fits easily into a Snæfellsnes loop alongside Búðakirkja, the black church at Búðir, and the cliffs at Arnarstapi about 15 minutes farther west. The Bjarnarfoss hike is short. A path of roughly 600 meters climbs about 50 meters from the free parking lot to a viewpoint partway up the slope, and most people do it in around 12 minutes each way. The ground stays wet and can be slippery, so wear shoes with grip, and turn back at the viewpoint rather than scrambling up the steep slope beside the stream. There are no toilets or other facilities on site. Late spring to early fall is the best time, when rain and snowmelt keep the flow strong and the light lasts into the evening. In winter the path is often icy, so check the official road-conditions map before driving Route 54 or crossing Fróðárheiði.

Tjaldstæðið Kirkjubær II, cottages and camping

Kirkjubær II is a campsite with small rental cottages in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, South Iceland, set under the Klausturheiði cliffs at the edge of the village. The shop, swimming pool and restaurants are a short walk away, and Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon is about 10 minutes' drive west. That location makes Kirkjubær camping a natural overnight between Vík and Skaftafell. The drive from Reykjavík takes about three and a half hours, with Vík roughly an hour behind you. Tents, campervans, motorhomes and caravans all share the grounds, and while hook-ups are fairly plentiful, they can run out on busy summer evenings, so arriving early pays off. The service house has a kitchen, dining room, toilets, showers, a washing machine and a dryer, and phone charging there is free. Showers run on tokens from reception because the water is heated electrically. If you would rather sleep under a roof, the Kirkjubær II cottages are seven small heated cabins, each with two bunk beds for four people, and they must be booked in advance. Prices were last updated in July 2026. Camping is 2,000 ISK per person per night (free for children 12 and under), plus 400 ISK lodging tax per unit, and electricity adds 1,500 ISK a night. A three-minute shower costs 300 ISK, and the washer and dryer are 1,100 ISK each. The Kirkjubær campsite does not accept the Camping Card and closes for winter from November to March. Book online before you arrive and get in before midnight, when the gate closes. Quiet hours run from 23:00 to 07:00, open fires are banned and dogs stay on a leash. For an evening walk, skip the cliff directly behind the tents. The marked path up Klausturheiði starts about 700 meters to the right and gives you the view over the village without the scramble.

Grasagarður Botanical Garden

Grasagarður, the Reykjavík Botanical Garden, is a free, open garden in Laugardalur, the green valley east of downtown Reykjavík. It has labeled beds of perennials, trees and shrubs plus a collection of Iceland's native flora, and it shows how much can grow this close to the Arctic Circle. The garden dates from 1961, when the city received 200 Icelandic plants to conserve, and that native collection is still at its heart. Today the plants are arranged in eight collections, from a tree collection and woodland floor plants to a rock garden and a vegetable garden. Everything is labeled, so even a casual stroll teaches you which hardy species survive Reykjavík winters. The grounds are open at all times, and there is no admission fee. The greenhouse and summer house are open 10:00 to 18:00 in summer and 10:00 to 15:00 in winter. Kaffi Flóra, the café in the greenhouse, runs from May through August and closes for the winter, so time a lunch stop accordingly. Summer is the season to come, when the beds are in full growth and free 30-minute guided tours in English start at the main entrance every Friday at 12:40 in June, July and August. In winter the beds are bare, though the paths still make a quiet walk when you need a break from downtown. Allow about an hour, then pair the Reykjavík Botanical Garden with the Family Park and Zoo next door or a soak at Laugardalslaug.

Mývatn

Mývatn is a shallow lake in North Iceland ringed by craters, lava pillars and steaming vents, a little over an hour's drive east of Akureyri on the Ring Road. Lake Mývatn covers about 37 square kilometers, yet its average depth is only 2.5 meters, and roughly 50 islands and islets break up the surface. The name means midge lake, after the clouds of tiny flies that hatch here every summer. Those midges feed the whole ecosystem. Larvae carpet the sunlit lake bed, fish and birds eat them, and more species of duck live here than anywhere else on Earth. Because of that, the lake and the Laxá river are protected by law and listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Most of what there is to do in Mývatn sits within a short drive of the shore. On the south side, the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters have easy marked paths, while the east side has the lava formations at Dimmuborgir, the tephra crater Hverfjall and the cave Grjótagjá. A few minutes east of the village of Reykjahlíð are the mud pots of Námaskarð, the Krafla volcanic area and Earth Lagoon Mývatn, the geothermal baths formerly known as Mývatn Nature Baths. Route 1 runs along the north shore and stays open year-round, though winter storms can close nearby mountain stretches, so check the official road-conditions map before driving. June to August brings the most birds, long daylight and the midges (a head net helps on calm days), while winter swaps the flies for snow on the lava and a chance of northern lights. Plan on at least one full day, and stay two nights if you want time for the baths and a sunset walk.

Þúfa

Þúfa is a grass-covered artwork by Ólöf Nordal at the far end of Reykjavík's working harbor on Grandi, a mound about 8 meters high with a wooden shed on top where fish is hung to dry. It rises right beside the fish factories, which is part of the point. The fish company HB Grandi commissioned the piece in 2013, and Nordal wanted it to be a calm spot in the middle of a busy port. The name is an Icelandic word for a tussock, though it can also mean a hillock or small mountain. Steps cut into the turf spiral up to the summit, and the climb takes a couple of minutes. Most visitors come for the view. From the top you look back over the harbor mouth to Harpa and the city, with Mount Esja across the bay, while trawlers unload below you. It is a good place to catch the low evening light in summer or to watch the sky on a clear winter night away from the downtown streets. The Þúfa hill sits at the tip of Grandi, a short walk west of the Old Harbour along the harbor front. It is open-air public art, so there is no fee, no booking and no closing time. Give it 20 to 30 minutes, and wear shoes with grip, since the grass and steps get slippery in rain and ice.

Krafla

Krafla is an active volcanic system just northeast of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, with a caldera about 10 kilometers across and a fissure zone some 90 kilometers long. Its last eruptions, the Krafla Fires, came in nine episodes between 1975 and 1984, and the black lava they left still steams in places. Most visitors make two stops. The first is Víti, the explosion crater that formed at the start of the Mývatn Fires in 1724, where a path follows the rim above its green-blue water. A few minutes down the road, a marked loop at Leirhnjúkur leads through sulfur-stained ground, mud pots and the 1980s lava fields, and it takes one to two hours at an easy pace. The ground here is hot and thin in places, so stay on the marked paths and wear sturdy boots. On the way up you pass the Krafla geothermal power station, run by Landsvirkjun, which turns steam from deep boreholes into about 60 MW of electricity. Its visitor center is closed for winter 2026/27. The drive from Mývatn to Krafla is short. Take Route 863 off the Ring Road just east of Námaskarð, and you reach the parking lots in about 20 minutes from Reykjahlíð, or roughly an hour and a half from Akureyri. Parking at the Víti and Leirhnjúkur lots is paid, so check the signs for the current rate and payment method. June to September is the best time to visit, when the road is clear and the trails are easy to follow. In winter, snow can bury the paths, so check the official road-conditions map and travel warnings before heading up. Give the Krafla crater area two to three hours, and add Hverir at Námaskarð on the way back.

Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach

Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach is a city-run bathing beach on the Fossvogur inlet in Reykjavík, where hot water piped into a sheltered lagoon takes the edge off the North Atlantic. Locals call it Ylströndin, and on a sunny day its golden sand draws a crowd you would not expect this far north. The beach sits below the wooded Öskjuhlíð hill, about 3 kilometers from downtown, and you can walk or cycle there on the coastal path or drive and use the parking lot by the service building. In summer the lagoon inside the breakwater averages 15 to 19°C, which is cool but swimmable. Hot tubs and a steam bath wait on the shore for warming up afterward. From mid-May to mid-August the beach usually opens daily from 10:00 to 19:00. The rest of the year it keeps winter hours, Tuesday to Friday 11:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 11:00 to 16:00, with Sundays and Mondays closed. In winter the sea drops into single digits Celsius, so regulars take a short cold dip and head straight for the hot tub. Adult entry is 1,500 ISK, children 9 and under get in free, and ages 10 to 17 pay 400 ISK. You can rent a towel or swimsuit at the desk, so it works as a spur-of-the-moment stop. An hour or two is plenty, and on a warm summer afternoon expect to share the sand with half of Reykjavík's families.

Lóndrangar

Lóndrangar are two basalt sea stacks on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, standing about 75 and 61 meters high inside Snæfellsjökull National Park. Seen from the cliff path, the pair of black pillars rising out of the surf is one of the most recognizable sights on the peninsula. The Lóndrangar cliffs are volcanic plugs, the hard cores of a crater that the sea has otherwise worn away, and the neighboring hill of Svalþúfa is thought to be a surviving piece of the old crater rim. The taller stack was reportedly first climbed in 1735, while the smaller one held out until 1938. In Landnámabók, the settler Lón-Einarr meets a troll sitting on the stacks, stamping its feet until the waves rise. From late spring through summer, the stacks and surrounding cliffs fill with nesting seabirds, including kittiwakes, common murres, fulmars and puffins. Early summer is the busiest time on the ledges, and binoculars are worth packing. Most visitors park at the small lot below Svalþúfa, just off Route 574, and reach the viewpoints in about five minutes. You can also start at the national park visitor center at Malarrif and walk east along the coast for about 1 km. Lóndrangar is roughly 2.5 hours' drive from Reykjavík, with Vatnshellir cave, Djúpalónssandur and Hellnar all a few minutes away. There's no fee to see the basalt cliffs, and the viewpoints are open year-round. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The clifftops are exposed, so keep well back from the edge in strong wind or icy conditions.

Fagradalsfjall

Fagradalsfjall is a flat-topped mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 10 kilometers northeast of Grindavík and roughly 50 minutes by car from Reykjavík. In March 2021 lava broke through at its foot, the first eruption on the peninsula in about 800 years. That eruption in Geldingadalir ran for six months, and the Fagradalsfjall volcano system erupted again in Meradalir in August 2022 and at Litli-Hrútur in July and August 2023. The name means mountain of the beautiful valley. What you hike to today is the aftermath: black lava fields that filled valleys which were grassland a few years ago. Since December 2023 the activity has moved a few kilometers west to the Sundhnúkur crater row near Grindavík. The most recent eruption there ended on August 5, 2025, and magma has kept building under Svartsengi since, so a new one can start with little warning. The trails start from two parking lots on Route 427 (Suðurstrandarvegur) east of Grindavík, P1 (Geldingadalir) and P2 (Stóri-Leirdalur), where parking costs 1,000 ISK per car for 24 hours, paid online. Path A to the 2021 craters is about 6 to 8 kilometers each way, two hours or more in each direction, while Path C up Langihryggur reaches a viewpoint over the 2021 to 2023 lava after about 4 kilometers. The Nátthagi path is the shortest, about 2 kilometers to the edge of the older lava. Path E to the Meradalir and Litli-Hrútur sites is a full day of 18 to 20 kilometers round trip. Expect gravel, loose lava and steep climbs, along with weather that turns fast, so wear hiking boots and windproof layers and carry water. Summer gives the longest days and easiest footing, while winter brings short daylight and icy trails. Stay off the lava, since a solid-looking crust can hide heat and cavities underneath. Before you set out, check the Icelandic Met Office's gas forecast along with the latest trail-closure notices and official safety alerts. Access can close at short notice when the ground shifts or gas levels rise. If the hike is too much, the Blue Lagoon and Seltún are both within a short drive.

Akranes tjaldsvæði

Akranes campsite is the town campsite at Kalmansvík cove on the edge of Akranes in West Iceland, about 45 minutes' drive from Reykjavík through the Hvalfjörður tunnel. Locals call it Tjaldsvæðið Kalmansvík, and it makes a handy first or last night for anyone camping in West Iceland. On a clear evening, you can watch the light fade over Snæfellsjökull across Faxaflói Bay. Tents, caravans and campervans share the same grassy pitches, with toilets, hot water, free showers, electricity hookups, a washing machine and dryer, a motorhome waste disposal point, barbecue tables and wifi. Dogs are welcome on a leash, but open fires aren't allowed. Akranes camping runs from early May into September, so confirm the closing date with the campsite if you plan to arrive in the second half of September. Fees are charged per person, with electricity and laundry extra and children under 15 free, and it's worth checking current rates before you arrive. The Camping Card is accepted except during Írskir dagar, the town festival, held July 2–5 in 2026. Once the tent is up, walk the shore path to Langisandur beach and soak in Guðlaug, a small tiered hot pool built into the seawall. The Akranes lighthouses and the Jaðarsbakkar swimming pool are close by, so one night here easily turns into a slow morning.

Thríhnúkagígur Volcano

Thríhnúkagígur volcano (Þríhnúkagígur, "three peak crater") is a volcanic crater in the Bláfjöll lava fields, about 30 minutes' drive southeast of Reykjavík, with an empty magma chamber you can be lowered into. Most volcanoes seal themselves shut when an eruption ends, but after this one last erupted about 4,500 years ago, the magma drained away and left the chamber open. From the small opening on top, the vertical conduit drops to a total depth of 212 meters, and the floor of the magma chamber measures roughly 50 by 65 meters. Its walls are streaked red, yellow and black by minerals, and they are far bigger in person than any photo suggests. You can only go inside on the guided Inside the Volcano tour. It starts at the Breiðabliksskáli ski cabin in Bláfjöll, followed by a hike of about 3 kilometers each way across moss-covered lava, which takes 45 to 50 minutes. At base camp you put on a helmet and harness, then an open cable lift lowers you 120 meters in about seven minutes for roughly 30 minutes on the chamber floor. The operator currently lists 51,000 ISK for adults and 25,000 ISK for children aged 8 to 12, with 8 as the minimum age. Tours run from May 5 to October 30, and places are limited, so book well ahead. Back at base camp you get lamb soup (or a vegan option) and hot drinks. Allow about four hours if you drive yourself, or five to six with the paid pick-up from Reykjavík. To self-drive, take Route 1 east and turn onto Route 417 (Bláfjallavegur), since the Route 42 approach via Hafnarfjörður is closed. Wear hiking boots and rain gear, because the weather on the lava often turns while the city stays dry.

The House of Collections

The House of Collections (Safnahúsið) is an exhibition venue of the National Gallery of Iceland at Hverfisgata 15 in downtown Reykjavík, right beside the National Theatre and a few minutes' walk from Harpa. Icelandic folktales, climate questions and a century of national art share its handsome old rooms. The building has a story of its own. Danish architect Johannes Magdahl Nielsen designed it, and it went up between 1906 and 1908 to hold the National Library and the National Archives, later sharing space with two national museums. The library was the last to move out, in 1994, and the historic interior is half the reason to come. The long-running exhibition Resistance fills the House of Collections in Reykjavík until March 2028. It draws on the gallery's own collection to look at sustainability, consumption and climate through Icelandic art, and it was designed so that children can explore and create alongside the artworks. Through 2026 the building also shows Stay and Turn to Stone!, a selection of works inspired by Icelandic folktales by artists such as Ásgrímur Jónsson and Jóhannes S. Kjarval. It's open every day from 10:00 to 17:00. A general ticket costs 2,500 ISK for adults and 1,250 ISK for students and seniors 67 and over, while under-18s and Reykjavík City Card holders get in free. The same ticket covers the National Gallery's main building on Fríkirkjuvegur by Tjörnin pond, about seven minutes away on foot. Allow about an hour, longer if you have children who settle into the interactive rooms. The building has elevators and an accessible restroom on the ground floor. On a rainy afternoon in the city center, it combines easily with Arnarhóll, Harpa and the shops on Laugavegur, and most visitors simply walk here.

Hraunfossar

Hraunfossar is a row of waterfalls in Borgarfjörður, West Iceland, where hundreds of small streams seep from beneath the Hallmundarhraun lava field and spill into the glacial river Hvítá along roughly 900 meters of riverbank. Instead of pouring off a cliff edge, the water comes out of the rock itself, which is why they're often called the lava waterfalls. That contrast is what makes the Hraunfossar waterfalls worth the detour. The springwater is clear and cold, the Hvítá is a milky turquoise, and the dark lava ledges between them are fringed with birch and moss. Since 1987 the site has been a protected natural monument, so you watch from marked trails and viewing platforms rather than scrambling down to the water. Barnafoss sits just upstream, and the two falls are almost always seen together. Here the Hvítá squeezes through a narrow, twisting gorge that it has carved into arches and potholes. Local legend says two children from a nearby farm fell from a natural stone bridge over the gorge, which is how Barnafoss, the "children's falls," got its name. Hraunfossar is on Route 518, about 45 minutes from Borgarnes and roughly two hours' drive from Reykjavík, with Reykholt and Húsafell on either side. A paved road and short, level paths lead from the parking lot to the main viewpoints in a few minutes, and parts of the area are wheelchair accessible. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes to see both falls, a little longer if you stop at the café. The falls can be visited all year. Summer gives the greenest setting and late evening light, while fall turns the birch woods yellow and orange. In winter the platforms can be icy, so bring grips for your boots, and consider pairing the stop with Deildartunguhver hot spring and the Víðgelmir lava cave for a full day in the region.

Landbrotalaug Hot Springs

Landbrotalaug Hot Springs is a tiny natural hot pot in the marshy lava country of the farm Stóra-Hraun, near the Eldborg crater on the eastern edge of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. The main pool is a narrow, deep hole where warm water wells up from below, and it fits two people at a time, which is both the charm and the catch. A second, larger pool nearby is filled by a hose rather than by the spring itself, and it takes extra bathers when the main hot spring is full. The water is comfortably hot, though the temperature shifts with the weather. There's no building, fence or lighting, just open moorland and a wide sky, and on clear winter nights a chance of northern lights overhead. To get there, follow Route 54 from Borgarnes past Eldborg and turn at the sign for Stóra-Hraun onto a rough gravel track that ends at a small parking area. The drive takes about 40 minutes from Borgarnes or roughly two hours from Reykjavík. From the parking area it's a short walk over wet ground, and you may have to wade through shallow water. A regular car usually manages the track when it's dry, but it turns muddy after rain and icy in winter. Entry is free and there's no booking. There are no toilets, changing rooms or trash cans, so change in your car and carry everything out again. The Landbrotalaug hot spring is on private land, and access has depended on the landowner's goodwill, so check its current status before a special trip, skip the soap and keep the noise down. Come early in the morning or late in the evening for a chance at the pool alone, and be ready to wait or move on if it's taken. Half an hour is plenty, and the basalt columns at Gerðuberg are about 10 minutes away.

Ytri Tunga Beach Parking

Ytri Tunga is a farm beach on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, just off Route 54, where seals rest on seaweed-covered rocks a short way offshore. It is one of the easiest places in Iceland to watch seals from land, and its pale golden sand is a rare sight in a country of black beaches. Ytri Tunga beach is about two hours' drive north of Reykjavík, which makes it the natural first stop on a day around Snæfellsnes. From the parking lot, walking paths lead down to the shore, and the landowner notes they give good access even for visitors with limited mobility. The Ytri Tunga seals haul out on the rocks just offshore, though sightings are never guaranteed, and low tide tends to expose more resting spots. Bring binoculars or a zoom lens, since the view is better from the beach than from the slippery rocks. The landowner asks you to stay at least 50 meters from the nearest seal, or 100 meters when pups are around, and to move back if a seal looks alert. Never stand between a seal and the sea, skip the camera flash, keep your voice down and keep dogs on a leash. Parking is paid and tracked by license plate cameras. A car with five seats or fewer costs ISK 900 for the day and a vehicle with six to nine seats ISK 1,100, while stays under 10 minutes are free. Pay at the machine on site or online, because rental companies may add their own fee if the charge goes to them. Plan on 30 to 60 minutes here. From Ytri Tunga, the road west leads to the black church at Búðir, Rauðfeldsgjá gorge and the coastal walk between Arnarstapi and Hellnar.

CJA camping

CJA Camping is a campsite on Hjalli, a working farm in Reykjadalur just outside the village of Laugar in North Iceland, between Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn. Each guest gets a private grass plot, separated from the neighbors instead of sharing one open field, and the owners say no other campsite in Iceland does it this way. Cornelia and Aðalsteinn run the farm, and the odd name comes from Cornelia's initial plus the fact that Hjalli is one of the most common farm names in the country. Location is the other draw. Goðafoss is about 15 minutes west, Lake Mývatn roughly half an hour east and Akureyri under an hour away, so the farm works as a base for the whole area. For a hot soak after a day of driving, the Laugar swimming pool is a few minutes down the road. The campsite is open all year, although winter guests use open gravel spaces instead of the grass plots. If you want walls around you, two small heated sleeping-bag units are available, one a cabin and one a barrel hut beside the service building. The CJA guesthouse rents four rooms with breakfast in summer and the whole house, kitchen included, in winter. In 2026 camping costs 1,900 ISK per adult and 700 ISK for teens aged 13 to 17, while children under 13 stay free. On top of that you pay 400 ISK per pitch, a 400 ISK overnight tax and 900 ISK for electricity. Book through the official website, since the owners note that bookings made elsewhere can cost more.

Campground Fjalladyrd/Mödrudalur

Möðrudalur camping is at the Fjalladýrð campground beside the farm at Möðrudalur á Fjöllum, on the open highland plateau of Northeast Iceland. It is the highest inhabited farm in the country, with Herðubreið standing over a gravel desert that runs to the horizon, and yet the Ring Road is only about 10 minutes away. The farm lies on Route 901 between Lake Mývatn and Egilsstaðir, roughly 80 km from the Mývatn area and 95 km from Egilsstaðir. Most drivers come in from the Ring Road on the short gravel stretch of 901, which is fine in an ordinary car in summer. In spring and late fall, check the official road-conditions map before you set out, because snow can still close the plateau. The season runs from April 1 to November 30. For 2026 the fee is 2,190 ISK per person, plus a mandatory 400 ISK overnight tax per unit, and children under 14 stay free with two adults. Electricity is 1,500 ISK and showers 500 ISK, and the Camping Card is valid from May 20 to September 10. You only need to book ahead with a group of more than 10 units. Everyone else checks in at Fjallakaffi, the farm restaurant a few steps away, which also serves breakfast and has internet. The site has a cooking area, a fireplace, a waste disposal point for campervans and an automatic gas pump, a welcome sight on this empty stretch. Give yourself a slow evening to walk the marked trail and look inside the small church that farmer Jón A. Stefánsson built in 1949. Fjalladýrð also runs summer day tours to the Askja caldera, Kverkfjöll and the 1,682-meter Herðubreið, so two nights at Möðrudalur farm works well as a highland base. Pack a warm sleeping bag either way, since nights up here can drop below freezing even in June.

Sólheimajökull

Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap on Iceland's South Coast, between Skógar and Vík, about 4 km up Road 221 from the Ring Road. It's a little over two hours' drive east of Reykjavík, and because its tongue reaches down almost to the main road, it's where many first-time visitors take their first steps on a glacier. You can see the ice without a guide. From the parking lot, a flat gravel path follows the meltwater lagoon at the snout to a viewpoint in about 15 minutes, and the black bands of volcanic ash in the ice are easy to pick out from there. Guided groups walk 30 to 40 minutes from the lot to reach the ice itself, a gap that keeps growing as Sólheimajökull glacier retreats. Going onto the ice is a different matter. Crevasses, sinkholes and meltwater channels make it dangerous without training, so never walk onto the glacier alone, and stay out of the lagoon. A Sólheimajökull glacier hike with a certified guide includes crampons, a helmet and an ice axe, and the easier routes need no previous experience. Longer tours add an introduction to ice climbing. Guided hikes run all year, so the season mostly changes what you wear: summer's long days give you flexible start times, while winter tours fit into a few hours of daylight on ice that is well below freezing. Bring warm waterproof layers and sturdy boots in any month. Allow about an hour for the viewpoint walk and around three hours for a standard guided hike, including fitting the gear. Parking at the lot is paid by app or online, so check the sign for the current rate when you arrive. Skógafoss is about 15 minutes' drive to the west, and the Sólheimasandur plane wreck parking lot is a few kilometers along the Ring Road, which makes it easy to string all three into one day.

Ásbyrgi

Ásbyrgi canyon is a horseshoe-shaped gorge in the Jökulsárgljúfur section of Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, 3.5 km long, about 1.1 km wide and closed at the far end by cliffs up to 100 meters high. Unlike most Icelandic canyons, its floor is covered in birch woodland rather than bare rock. Glacial outburst floods from Vatnajökull carved Ásbyrgi at least twice, roughly 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and again about 3,000 years ago, before the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river shifted east and left the canyon dry. Local legend has a better story: it is the hoofprint of Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. Running down the middle is Eyjan, a rock ridge up to 250 meters wide that splits the canyon in two. Of the Ásbyrgi hikes, the easiest is the 1 km trail to Botnstjörn, a small pond at the foot of the cliffs where a thin waterfall runs in spring and after heavy rain. It takes about 30 minutes and suits visitors with limited mobility. For a view down the whole horseshoe, the 4.5 km Eyjan trail climbs onto the ridge in 1.5 to 2 hours, and longer routes of 7 to 17 km cross the heath above. Hikers with two days can follow the 32 km canyon trail south to Dettifoss. Ásbyrgi lies on Route 85, about an hour's drive east of Húsavík and roughly two hours from Akureyri, and it is a regular stop on the Diamond Circle with Dettifoss and Goðafoss. Allow at least an hour for Botnstjörn and a look around, or half a day if you want to hike. Gljúfrastofa, the national park visitor center at the canyon mouth, has maps and trail advice, and its hours are shorter in winter. The Ásbyrgi campsite inside the canyon is open from May 15 to the end of October, depending on snow, with 48 electric hook-ups, showers and a laundry room. The park's price list gives ISK 2,800 per adult per night and ISK 1,500 for electricity, and booking ahead is wise in July. Parking at Ásbyrgi is free, since the park charges parking fees only at Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón.

Eyjafjallajökull

Eyjafjallajökull is an ice-capped volcano in South Iceland that rises above the Ring Road between Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, and its 2010 eruption grounded flights across Europe. The name breaks down into eyja (islands), fjalla (mountains) and jökull (glacier), which together read as the glacier of the island mountains. Geologically, Eyjafjallajökull is a stratovolcano about 1,666 meters high, with an ice-filled summit caldera roughly 2.5 kilometers wide. It erupted around 920, in 1612 to 1613 and from 1821 to 1823 before waking again in 2010. That eruption started on March 20 as a fissure on Fimmvörðuháls, the pass between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull, and left two new craters later named Magni and Móði. On April 14 it moved under the summit ice, where magma meeting meltwater turned it explosive. The ash cloud closed much of northern Europe's airspace for about a week, and sustained activity ended in late May. For most visitors the volcano is something to look at rather than climb. From Reykjavík it takes about two hours to reach the foot of the mountain, and the glacier and its outlet tongues are clear from the road around Seljalandsfoss, Seljavallalaug and Skógar. Morning light on a dry day gives the sharpest view, while low cloud can hide the ice cap entirely. To get closer, a super jeep tour into Þórsmörk passes Gígjökull, the outlet glacier on the volcano's north side, and helicopter flights from Reykjavík fly over or alongside the summit. The Fimmvörðuháls trail from Skógar crosses the 2010 lava field by Magni and Móði, a long mountain hike that needs good weather and proper gear. Never go onto the glacier itself without an experienced guide.