Iceland highlights
Where to go in Iceland.
Glacier lagoons, waterfalls, black beaches and hot rivers. Pick a theme to see only what you are after.
40 highlights
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Vatnajökull
Jökulsárlón
Iceland's best-known glacier lagoon, where icebergs break off Breiðamerkurjökull and drift slowly towards the sea. Seals often swim between them.
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Vatnajökull
Jökulsárlón in winter
In winter the lagoon partly freezes and fresh snow settles on the icebergs. The light is low and soft all day.
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Vatnajökull
Breiðamerkurjökull
The glacier that feeds Jökulsárlón. From the lagoon's shore you can follow its dark moraine stripes back up to the ice cap.
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Vatnajökull
Blue icebergs
Ice that has just turned over glows deep blue, because old, dense glacier ice absorbs the other colours of light.
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Vatnajökull
Ash-striped ice
Black bands in the icebergs are layers of volcanic ash, laid down on the ice cap by eruptions centuries ago.
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Vatnajökull
Fjallsárlón
A smaller, quieter lagoon ten minutes west of Jökulsárlón, where the glacier front comes right down to the water.
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Vatnajökull
Kayaking among icebergs
Guided kayak trips on the glacier lagoons run in summer. You paddle close to the ice, with the glacier front ahead.
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Vatnajökull
Ice caves
Natural ice caves form inside Vatnajökull each year. Visit only with a licensed guide, usually from about November to March.
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Skaftafell
Glacier hikes
Guided walks with crampons and ice axes run all year on Skaftafell's glacier tongues and Sólheimajökull.
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Vatnajökull National Park
Skaftafell
A hiking base inside Vatnajökull National Park, with trails to Svartifoss and viewpoints over the glacier tongues.
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South-east
Vatnajökull
Europe's largest ice cap by volume covers about eight percent of Iceland. Its outlet glaciers line the Ring Road for hours.
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Vatnajökull
Crevasse fields
From above, the outlet glaciers are a maze of ridges and blue cracks. Scenic flights and drones show the scale.
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South Coast
Sólheimajökull
The easiest glacier to reach from Reykjavík, a short walk from the car park and a popular spot for first glacier hikes.
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South Coast
Frozen glacier lagoons
In deep winter the small lagoons at the glacier fronts freeze over. Stay off the ice: it can break without warning.
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Golden Circle
Gullfoss
The 'golden falls' drop in two steps into a deep canyon on the Hvítá river. Paths lead almost to the edge.
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South Coast
Seljalandsfoss
A slender waterfall with a path that loops behind the curtain of water. Bring a rain jacket.
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South Coast
Seljalandsfoss in winter
The path behind the falls usually closes when it ices over, but the view from the front is at its best in snow.
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East Iceland
Hengifoss
One of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, framed by red clay stripes between basalt layers. The walk up takes about an hour each way.
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Snæfellsnes
Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss
The 'church mountain' above Grundarfjörður with a small waterfall in front, one of the most photographed views in Iceland, day or night.
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South Coast
Reynisfjara
Black sand, basalt columns and sea stacks near Vík. Sneaker waves here are deadly: stay well back from the water.
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South Coast
Black beaches of the south
Volcanic sand turns the south coast black for long stretches. Winter brings snow down to the tideline.
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South-east
Stokksnes
A black sand peninsula near Höfn with grass-tufted dunes. The private land charges a small entry fee at the café.
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South-east
Stokksnes shoreline
Walk past the dunes to the shore, where the surf runs up the black sand below the mountains.
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West Iceland
Snæfellsnes peninsula
Called 'Iceland in miniature': lava fields, black beaches, fishing villages and a glacier, two hours from Reykjavík.
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South-east
Vestrahorn
Jagged gabbro peaks rising straight from the black sand at Stokksnes. Come in calm weather for reflections at low tide.
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South-east
Vestrahorn in the mist
Cloud often clings to the summit, so the mountain changes shape by the minute. Wait it out: it rarely lasts.
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Highlands
Mælifell
A perfect moss-green cone on the black Mælifellssandur desert, reached only by 4x4 on summer F-roads.
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East Iceland
The East Fjords road
The Ring Road winds in and out of the fjords here, past steep mountains and small fishing villages.
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East Iceland
Stuðlagil
A canyon lined with hexagonal basalt columns. The river is bluest in early summer, before the reservoir upstream can overflow and turn it grey with glacial silt.
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Highlands
Braided glacial rivers
Meltwater spreads across the sandur plains in hundreds of channels. From the air in winter they look like ink.
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Highlands
Highland river valleys
Moss, black sand and glacial water: the highland valleys open only in summer, when the F-roads are passable.
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Golden Circle
Geysir & Strokkur
Strokkur erupts every few minutes, throwing water high into the air. The original Geysir gave every geyser its name.
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Hveragerði
Reykjadalur
A walk of about an hour from Hveragerði leads to a warm river where you can bathe in the open valley.
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Highlands
Crater lakes
Bright blue water fills old volcanic craters in the interior, such as those around Veiðivötn and Landmannalaugar.
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All of Iceland
Northern lights
Seen from about September to April on clear, dark nights. Check the Icelandic Met Office cloud forecast each evening.
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Westfjords & East
Aurora over the fjords
Calm fjords double the show: on still nights the aurora is reflected in the water below the mountains.
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All of Iceland
Aurora in the countryside
Stay a few nights in a countryside guesthouse or cabin, away from town lights, and step outside when the sky clears.
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All of Iceland
Winter aurora nights
Deep winter brings the longest nights. Dress for hours standing still in the cold, and give your eyes time to adjust.
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Capital region
Reykjavík
The world's northernmost capital: colourful streets, the old harbour, Hallgrímskirkja and a geothermal pool in every neighbourhood.
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Golden Circle
Þingvellir
Where the Althing parliament met from 930, in a rift valley between two tectonic plates. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Plan the trip
Put it all on one route.
The complete guide links these places into day trips and Ring Road itineraries, with maps for each region.