When I started planning our Iceland trip, I literally spent hours sifting through hundreds of Iceland blog posts and articles on Pinterest, trying to nail down the perfect list of things to do. I had seen many photos of amazing waterfalls and cute Icelandic horses on Instagram and Pinterest, but I had no idea how to find these places. (Hint: Icelandic horses are literally everywhere).
I began pinning everything that I came across onto a Google Map so that I could map out our Iceland road trip itinerary around all the things that I wanted to see.
But I want to let you in on a little secret – before I visited Iceland for the first time, I totally underestimated how big it actually is, and how many things there are to do there.
Related Post: 25 of the Best Luxury Boutique Hotels in Iceland
Left to right from the top: Solheimasandur Plane Wreckage; Seljalandsfoss Waterfall; Reynisfjara Black Beach, Vik; Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik; Snowmobiling on Langjökull Glacier.
We spent 9 days in Iceland in February and rather than doing the full Ring Road, as we had originally planned, we decided to restrict our road trip to just the Golden Circle and South Coast regions. This is the most popular tourist area because there are so many things to see on this route. But, in the end, we decided that rather than trying to cover too much in 9 (short) days, we decided to stick to the South Coast and see as much as with could around this area.
However, we do have plans to return to Iceland in the summer, when the days are longer, and complete the full Ring Road plus West Fjords region, and visit all the rest of the places on this Bucket List that we didn't get to visit the first time around.
So, after spending hours researching, here is my complete Iceland Bucket List – the top 50 things to do and places to see! I decided to share it here with you, to save you the hours of research it took me to come up with this list.
Psst – if you read on, there's also a little bonus at the bottom of this post. Remember how I mentioned that I pinned all these places to a Google Map? Well, I'm also sharing that map with you to speed up your trip planning process even more!
Related Post: 20 Photos that will Inspire You to Book a Trip to Iceland
Top 50 Things to Do in Iceland
- Road trip around the Golden Circle
- Stand underneath Skogafoss Waterfall
- Marvel at the beautiful Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik
- See the views of Reykjavik city from the top of Hallgrimskirkja Church
- Explore Snæfellsnes Peninsula
- Have a meal at Perlan Restaurant
- See the Sun Voyager sculpture, Reykjavik
- Go hunting for Northern Lights
- Have lunch in a hot house at Friðheimar Tomato Farm
- See the spectacular Geysir water spout
- Marvel at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- Stand on top of Kerið Crater
- Stay at the Silica Hotel at the Blue Lagoon
- Admire the ferocity of Gullfoss Waterfall
- Go Snowmobiling on Langjökull Glacier
- Swim in the Seljavallalaug Hot Springs
- Admire the cascades and towing mountain over Kirkjufellsfoss
- Hike to the Solheimasandur Plane Wreckage
- Climb the basalt columns on Reynisfjara Black Beach
- Check out the view from Dyrhólaey Lighthouse
- Visit the cute township of Húsavík
- Photograph the picturesque Skálholt Cathedral
- Stand above the powerful Dettifoss Waterfall
- Bath in the Mývatn Nature Baths
- Go whale watching in Akureyri
- Go glacier hiking in Skaftafell National Park
- See the Whales of Iceland exhibit
- Descend into Ásbyrgi Canyon
- Hike along Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
- Admire the views of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve
- See the cute Icelandic horses
- Take a dip in the Sundlaugin á hofsósi Pool and admire the views
- Stay at the Ion Adventure Hotel
- Hike to the top of Svartifoss Waterfall
- Watch icebergs floating on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Walk amongst the giant ice chunks on Diamond Beach
- Descend into Grjótagjá Cave
- Go snorkelling between tectonic plates in Silfra Fissure
- Watch Puffins nesting
- Visit the Hekla Center
- Admire the dramatic landscapes of Stokksnes Peninsula
- Visit Garður Old Lighthouse
- Go ice caving in Vatnajökull Glacier
- Explore Iceland’s West Fjords
- Go hiking around Dynjandi Waterfall
- Swim in the Secret Lagoon Hot Spring
- Descend into a Lava Cave
- See Askja Volcano Crater
- Admire the spectacular Goðafoss Waterfall
Read More About Iceland:
- 7 Day Iceland Itinerary: Golden Circle and South Coast Road Trip
- 10 Things You Need to Know Before Your First Trip to Iceland
- 20 Photos to Inspire You to Book a Trip to Iceland
- 25 of the Best Luxury Boutique Hotels in Iceland
- Video: Staying at the Silica Hotel in Iceland
- When is the Best Time to Visit Iceland?
- 11 Most Instagrammable Places in Southern Iceland
- The Ultimate World Bucket List
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Planning a trip soon? Here is a list of the websites and resources we use for booking everything from flights, to accommodation, tours, and more:
- Skyscanner for booking the best flight deals
- Booking.com | Agoda | Hotels.com for booking the best hotel deals
- Airbnb | Stayz | VRBO for home rentals
- Rentalcars.com for quick and easy car rentals
- Luxury Escapes for luxury package holiday deals and tours
- Get Your Guide for a great range of day tours
- Tourradar | Intrepid for multi-day experiential and adventure tours
- Priority Pass for airport lounge access in hundreds of locations around the world
- Skyroam to stay connected to WiFi everywhere I go
- iVisa for processing entry visas for many countries around the world
- Covermore for the best worldwide travel insurance coverage (Australians & New Zealanders only)
About the Author:
Amanda Twine is the founder and creator of Fly Stay Luxe – a luxury travel blog sharing informative travel guides, food guides, hotel reviews, itineraries and tips about how to make luxury travel more affordable.
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