My Iceland Bucket List

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For all my friends, or friends of friends or people that contact asking for my recommendations of things to do in Iceland  - I've put together an Iceland Bucket List to share with you. These are places, sites, restaurants, and hotels that I recommend or, yup, still want to try. Click the names for links. I recommend self-driving so you have the freedom to come and go as you please but there are lots of wonderful tours on offer too. 

Near Keflavik (Iceland International) Airport

access is limited due to volcanic activity - check with local authorities

  • Blue Lagoon - book tickets in advance, go for the option with marks and drink at the swim-up bar

  • Gunnehver Geysir - near Blue Lagoon, amazing but smelly landscape

Reykjavik, Iceland

  • Harpa - concert venues, worth looking at inside and out, a tour of the building on offer

  • Hallgrimskirja - view from the top, service in English last Sunday of every month

  • Perlan - ice cave exhibition, view from the top - still to do (newly opened)

  • Seabarren / Sægreifinn - lobster soup

  • Íslenski barinn - Meat soup, shark, beer

  • Cafe Loki - rye bread ice cream

  • Laundromat - a great breakfast, I love the pancakes

  • Fish Market - for a special meal, try the epic taster menu

  • National Museum - still to do

  • Icelandic Phallological Museum - still to do

  • Reykjavík Art Museum, Hafnarhús - still to do

  • Settlement Exhibition - still to do

  • Reykjavík Art Museum - a great big space with some mad exhibitions

  • National Gallery of Iceland - still to do

  • Nauthólsvík Beach - hot pool, nice walks, cafe

  • Grotta Lighthouse - great for Northern Lights spotting, small hot pot, beach walks

the Golden Circle

  • Pingviller National Park - tectonic plates, amazing landscape

  • Geysir - erupting every few minutes, the cafe is good here (free soup refills)

  • Efstidalur - farm serving homemade ice cream, eat a steak in the restaurant overlooking the barn

  • Gulfoss Waterfall - powerful waterfall, wrap up as can get wet

  • Fontana - geothermal spa - outdoor spa on the side of a lake, go from steam and hot pool to lake!!

  • Secret Lagoon / Gamla Laugin - fab hot pool, walk around the site after

  • Mika Restaurant - a lovely family-run place with lobster and handmade chocolates

  • Fridheimar Greenhouse - eat tomato soup amongst the plants in this greenhouse - still to do

  • Bruarfoss Waterfall - still to do

  • Kerid - Walk around the edge of a crater

Hveragerdi, Iceland

  • Reykjadalur hot river - roughly a 1hr hike but well worth it to bathe in the hot river at the top

the South Coast trail

  • Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - walk behind the waterfall

  • Gljúfrabúi - 2mins walk after Seljalandsfoss

  • Seljavallalaug Natural Pool - amazing pool, can be cold if it's been raining/snowing

  • Skogafoss Waterfall - huge waterfall, not worth the stairs to the top

  • Skogafoss Bistro - soup and a view

  • Sólheimajökull - Glacier, you can walk up to it but you'd need to join a tour to go on it, amazing experience

  • Plane wreck - a long walk, only do if you really want to

  • Reynisfara / Black Sand Beach - be careful of the waves

  • Dyrhólaey - dramatic coastal landscape

  • Vik - Service Station burgers to tide you over

  • Skaftafell - Glacier + Ice Cave tour

  • Jokulsarlon / Glacier Lagoon - stunning, enough said

  • Diamond Beach - just over the road from Jokulsarlon, epic for photography

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

  • Snæfellsjökull National Park - self-drive and see some amazing landscape

  • Djúpalón Beach - the beach where fishermen lifted stone weights to show their strength

  • Snæfellsjökull - glacier

  • Kirkjufell - the most photographed mountain in Iceland but stunning

  • Norska Húsið - traditional houses, architecture

  • Súgandisey - orange lighthouse, a lookout point

  • Helgafell - mountain

  • Malarrif - coastline and lighthouse

  • Saxhöll Crater - drive into a crater

  • Stykkishólmskirkja - futuristic church here

Accommodation in Iceland

…and on my bucket list:

  • The West Fjords

  • Landmannalaugar

  • Fjaðrárgljúfur

  • Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands)

  • Akyreri

  • Myvatn Nature Baths

  • An Ice Cave

  • The Ring Road

what's on your iceland bucket list?