Find places in Iceland

Must-Haves

• Hallgrímskirkja (Skólavörðuholt)
  The city's landmark church, with a tower lift for the classic view over coloured roofs.
• Harpa Concert Hall (Old Harbour)
  A glittering glass concert hall on the water, free to wander and home to the symphony.
• National Museum of Iceland (Suðurgata)
  The clearest introduction to Iceland's story from Viking settlement to today.

Fun for Everyone

• Reykjavík 871±2 Settlement Exhibition (Aðalstræti)
  A Viking age longhouse ruin preserved under the city centre, brought to life with clever displays.
• Whales of Iceland (Grandi)
  Life size models of the whales that live around Iceland, a hit with children.

Must-Haves

• Sky Lagoon (Kársnes, Kópavogur)
  An oceanside geothermal lagoon with an infinity edge and a seven step bathing ritual.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Vesturbæjarlaug (Vesturbær)
  The neighbourhood pool where locals gossip in the hot tubs, the truest taste of daily life.
• Sundhöll Reykjavíkur (Barónsstígur)
  The city's oldest public pool, an elegant 1930s building with rooftop hot tubs.

Fun for Everyone

• Laugardalslaug (Laugardalur)
  The biggest pool in town, with slides, hot tubs and a sea water tub.
• Elding Whale Watching (Old Harbour)
  Long running whale and puffin trips from the old harbour.

Off the Beaten Path

• Grótta Lighthouse (Seltjarnarnes)
  A tidal island lighthouse with a tiny foot bath, a favourite spot for sunsets and aurora.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach (Nauthólsvík)
  A golden sand beach with warmed sea water and a hot tub, free in summer.

Fun for Everyone

• Elliðaárdalur Valley (Elliðaárdalur)
  A green river valley in the city with waterfalls, salmon and walking trails.

Must-Haves

• Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (Tryggvagata)
  The famous hot dog stand, order one with everything.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hlemmur Mathöll (Hlemmur)
  A food hall in an old bus station with Icelandic, Vietnamese and Italian stalls.
• Grandi Mathöll (Grandi)
  A harbourside food hall in an old fish factory, good for a casual lunch.
• Sægreifinn (Old Harbour)
  The Sea Baron, a no frills harbour shack known for its lobster soup and fish skewers.

Great for Date Night

• Matur og Drykkur (Grandi)
  Creative takes on old Icelandic recipes in a former saltfish factory.

Must-Haves

• Reykjavík Roasters (Kárastígur)
  The city's favourite speciality coffee, with a cosy record playing café.

Fun for Everyone

• Mokka Kaffi (Skólavörðustígur)
  Open since 1958, known for waffles with cream and art on the walls.

Off the Beaten Path

• Café Babalú (Skólavörðustígur)
  A quirky upstairs café with mismatched furniture and a rooftop terrace.

Must-Haves

• Kaffibarinn (Bergstaðastræti)
  A legendary small bar that turns into a dance floor on weekends.

Great for Date Night

• Apótek (Austurstræti)
  Cocktails and small plates in a handsome former pharmacy.

Fun for Everyone

• Lebowski Bar (Laugavegur)
  A playful bar themed on the film, with burgers and milkshakes.

Must-Haves

• Kolaportið Flea Market (Tryggvagata)
  The weekend indoor flea market for wool, curios and fermented shark tastings.

Fun for Everyone

• Handknitting Association of Iceland (Skólavörðustígur)
  Genuine hand knitted lopapeysa sweaters made by local knitters.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bónus (Laugavegur)
  The pink pig supermarket, the cheapest way to stock up on skyr, bread and snacks.

Must-Haves

• Iceland Airwaves (Citywide)
  A November music festival filling venues across the city with new bands.
• Reykjavík Culture Night (Citywide)
  A late August night of free concerts, open houses and fireworks.

Fun for Everyone

• Reykjavík Pride (Citywide)
  A colourful August parade and week of events, one of the biggest gatherings of the year.

Off the Beaten Path

• Þorrablót season (Restaurants and halls)
  Midwinter feasts of traditional cured foods, with some restaurants serving þorramatur in January and February.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Borg (Austurvöllur)
  A classic Art Deco hotel facing parliament square.

Great for Date Night

• The Reykjavík EDITION (Austurhöfn)
  A sleek harbourfront hotel beside Harpa with a rooftop bar.

Must-Haves

• Þingvellir National Park (Bláskógabyggð)
  Walk between tectonic plates where Iceland's parliament first met.
• Geysir and Strokkur (Haukadalur)
  Watch Strokkur erupt every few minutes beside the original Geysir.
• Gullfoss (Hvítá canyon)
  A mighty two step waterfall plunging into a deep canyon.

Fun for Everyone

• Kerið Crater (Grímsnes)
  A red walled volcanic crater with a blue green lake, an easy short walk.

Off the Beaten Path

• Brúarfoss (Brekkuskógur)
  A small waterfall of vivid blue water, reached on a riverside trail.

Must-Haves

• Silfra Fissure (Þingvellir)
  Snorkel in glacier water so clear you can see far down the rift between continents.

Great for Date Night

• Fontana (Laugarvatn)
  Steam baths over hot springs and a dip in the lake, with rye bread baked in the ground.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Secret Lagoon (Flúðir)
  One of Iceland's oldest pools, natural and steamy with a small geyser beside it.

Fun for Everyone

• Efstidalur Farm (Laugarvatn)
  A dairy farm where you eat ice cream watching the cows through a window.

Must-Haves

• Friðheimar (Reykholt)
  Tomato soup and fresh bread among the vines of a working greenhouse.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mjólkurbú Flóamanna Food Hall (Selfoss Old Town)
  A food hall in a rebuilt dairy in Selfoss's new old town.

Fun for Everyone

• Skyrland (Selfoss Old Town)
  A playful exhibition all about skyr, Iceland's beloved dairy, with tastings.

Great for Date Night

• Tryggvaskáli (Selfoss)
  A historic riverside house turned restaurant with Icelandic cooking.

Fun for Everyone

• Lava Centre (Hvolsvöllur)
  An interactive centre explaining Iceland's volcanoes and earthquakes.

Fun for Everyone

• Hótel Selfoss (Selfoss)
  A riverside hotel with a spa, handy for Golden Circle and South Coast days.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hotel Rangá (Hella)
  A countryside hotel with an observatory and aurora wake up calls.

Must-Haves

• Seljalandsfoss (Route 1)
  The waterfall you can walk behind, best in early morning or evening light.
• Skógafoss (Skógar)
  A broad, powerful waterfall with stairs to a lookout and trails above.
• Reynisfjara Beach (Reynisfjara)
  Black sand, basalt columns and sea stacks, with strict caution needed for sneaker waves.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gljúfrabúi (Seljaland)
  A waterfall hidden inside a narrow gorge a short walk from Seljalandsfoss.

Fun for Everyone

• Dyrhólaey (Dyrhólaey)
  A headland with a huge rock arch, lighthouse and summer puffins.

Must-Haves

• Sólheimajökull Glacier Walk (Sólheimajökull)
  Guided glacier walks with crampons on an easy to reach glacier tongue.

Fun for Everyone

• Jökulsárlón Boat Tours (Jökulsárlón)
  Amphibian boat or zodiac rides among the icebergs in summer.

Great for Date Night

• Vatnajökull Ice Cave Tours (Breiðamerkursandur)
  Guided winter tours into blue ice caves under Europe's largest ice cap.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Vík Swimming Pool (Vík)
  A small village pool with hot tubs and views of the cliffs.

Fun for Everyone

• Skógar Museum (Skógar)
  Turf houses, old boats and folk life in a sprawling open air museum.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Vík í Mýrdal Church (Vík)
  The red roofed hillside church above the village, a classic view.

Off the Beaten Path

• Þórbergssetur (Hali)
  A small museum to the writer Þórbergur Þórðarson with a good country restaurant.

Must-Haves

• Suður Vík (Vík)
  A cosy hillside restaurant for lamb, fish and burgers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Smiðjan Brugghús (Vík)
  A craft brewery and burger bar loved by travellers.

Great for Date Night

• Halldórskaffi (Vík)
  A friendly, wood panelled restaurant in an old general store.

Must-Haves

• Hótel Vík í Mýrdal (Vík)
  A comfortable hotel beneath the cliffs, close to Reynisfjara.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon (Hnappavellir)
  A remote hotel near Jökulsárlón with big windows for the aurora.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Skógafoss campsite (Skógar)
  Camping and campervan pitches right at the foot of the waterfall.

Must-Haves

• Kirkjufell (Grundarfjörður)
  Iceland's most photographed mountain, framed by the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall.
• Arnarstapi to Hellnar Coastal Walk (Arnarstapi)
  A clifftop path past stone arches and basalt between two tiny harbours.
• Djúpalónssandur (Snæfellsjökull National Park)
  A black pebble beach with shipwreck remains and old lifting stones.

Fun for Everyone

• Ytri Tunga Seal Beach (Staðarsveit)
  Seals lounging on rocks close to the shore, especially in summer.

Off the Beaten Path

• Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge (Arnarstapi)
  A narrow ravine you can walk into between towering walls.

Fun for Everyone

• Vatnshellir Cave (Snæfellsjökull National Park)
  A guided walk down into an eight thousand year old lava tube.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Stykkishólmur Swimming Pool (Stykkishólmur)
  A friendly town pool with slides and naturally mineral rich hot water.

Must-Haves

• Búðakirkja (Búðir)
  A lone black church in a lava field, haunting in any weather.

Fun for Everyone

• Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum (Bjarnarhöfn)
  Learn how fermented shark is made, and try a piece if you dare.

Off the Beaten Path

• Library of Water (Stykkishólmur)
  Roni Horn's installation of glacier water columns in a former library.

Must-Haves

• Narfeyrarstofa (Stykkishólmur)
  A characterful old house serving blue mussels and local fish.

Great for Date Night

• Sjávarpakkhúsið (Stykkishólmur harbour)
  Mussels and seafood in a harbourside warehouse.

Fun for Everyone

• Bjargarsteinn (Grundarfjörður)
  Seafood with a direct view of Kirkjufell from the dining room.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Fjöruhúsið (Hellnar)
  A seaside café famous for its fish soup after the coastal walk.

Great for Date Night

• Hótel Búðir (Búðir)
  A romantic country hotel beside the black church and the lava field.

Fun for Everyone

• Hótel Stykkishólmur (Stykkishólmur)
  A hilltop hotel with views over the harbour and islands.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hotel Arnarstapi (Arnarstapi)
  A base under Snæfellsjökull for the coastal paths and night skies.

Must-Haves

• Goðafoss (Fosshóll)
  The waterfall of the gods, a perfect horseshoe of water off Route 1.
• Lake Mývatn (Mývatn)
  A volcanic lake ringed by craters, lava towers and birdlife.
• Dettifoss (Vatnajökull National Park)
  Europe's most powerful waterfall roaring into a grey canyon.

Fun for Everyone

• Dimmuborgir (Mývatn)
  Trails through a labyrinth of twisted lava pillars and caves.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hverir (Námafjall)
  Bubbling mud pots and steaming vents in a lunar orange field.

Must-Haves

• Húsavík Whale Watching (Húsavík harbour)
  Some of Europe's best whale watching, with humpbacks often close by.
• Mývatn Nature Baths (Mývatn)
  Milky blue geothermal water in a volcanic landscape.

Great for Date Night

• Forest Lagoon (Vaðlaskógur)
  A geothermal spa set among trees with views over the fjord.

Off the Beaten Path

• GeoSea (Húsavík)
  Sea water baths on a cliff with views across Skjálfandi bay.

Fun for Everyone

• Akureyri Swimming Pool (Akureyri)
  Slides, hot tubs and a big outdoor pool loved by local families.

Fun for Everyone

• Húsavík Whale Museum (Húsavík)
  Whale skeletons and the story of whaling and conservation.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Akureyrarkirkja (Akureyri)
  The hilltop church overlooking the town centre and fjord.

Must-Haves

• Rub23 (Akureyri)
  Sushi and fish with creative spice rubs, a local favourite.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Brynja Ice Cream (Akureyri)
  Akureyri's beloved ice cream shop, a summer evening ritual.

Great for Date Night

• Strikið (Akureyri)
  Fifth floor dining with wide views over the fjord.

Off the Beaten Path

• Vogafjós Cowshed Café (Mývatn)
  Eat home made mozzarella and geysir bread while cows munch next door.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bláa Kannan (Hafnarstræti)
  A classic blue painted café on the pedestrian street.

Fun for Everyone

• Græni Hatturinn (Akureyri)
  An intimate live music venue that is the heart of the town's nightlife.

Must-Haves

• Hótel KEA (Akureyri)
  A long established central hotel below the church.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fosshotel Mývatn (Mývatn)
  A lakeside hotel with big windows for aurora watching.