My Iceland Bucket List
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
KEX Hostel - great budget-friendly options, good food too
Canopy by Hilton - newest hotel in Reykjavik, nice bar
FossHotel - a popular choice
Bubble - sleep in a Bubble under the stars and Northern Lights, Inc. tour
Silica Hotel - The Blue Lagoons Hotel
…and on my bucket list:
The West Fjords
Landmannalaugar
Fjaðrárgljúfur
Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands)
Akyreri
Myvatn Nature Baths
An Ice Cave
The Ring Road