Iceland Travel Guide: Best Places to Visit in Iceland

Iceland is a place that will leave you in awe. Everything here has a touch of mystery. There are no remnants of the British Industrial Age, nor the scars of two world wars. Life here is very peaceful and tranquil. Below, I share a comprehensive guide to Iceland’s tourist attractions.

There are many great places to visit in Iceland. The best part is that all of Iceland’s attractions are open to the public, with no walls, entrances, or admission fees. Apart from basic guide paths with low fences and information boards on either side, they retain their natural beauty.

I’ll just introduce the places I’ve been to that I found particularly special. The content mainly focuses on the scenery along Route 1, the circumnavigation of the island.

1. Akureyri (pronunciation: Ah-ku-ray-ree)

Iceland’s second largest city, located in the north, with a population of around 10,000 people. This was the first city (or town…) we stopped in during our circumnavigation of the island.

Akureyri is not a large city, but it has a lot of charm. It’s nestled between mountains and has a wide river flowing through its edge.

We arrived in Akureyri at around nine o’clock at night, and we couldn’t find any accommodation. We ended up staying in a folk house outside the city. We fell asleep and woke up to the smell and sounds of cows and sheep. In the morning (sunrise was at 9:00 AM, so it wasn’t really morning), there was a river flowing at the foot of the snowy mountain, and the sunlight was just right. That’s when I felt like, “Wow! This is what traveling is all about!”

Besides, the roads in Akureyri are all very bizarre, especially the one outside the cathedral, where they dared to lay down a road with such a big difference in elevation.

Because we stayed there on a weekend, all the shops were closed, so I’m sorry I can’t provide any information about fun little shops. Climbing the mountain in Akureyri is a great experience, but you have to do it in the summer, of course. In winter, the mountain is covered in snow.

2. Jökulsárlón (pronunciation: Yo-ku-saar-lon)

Located in southeastern Iceland, this is a truly magical place. Titanic and Game of Thrones season two were filmed here. The lake is filled with floating icebergs from the ice age that have broken off into the water. The larger ones are in the middle of the lake, while the smaller ones are closer to the shore. The icebergs are all blue, and the bigger ones are the bluest. The lake connects to the sea via a river, and the icebergs float out to sea with the current. You can pick up some small icebergs on the shore, which are incredibly pure. Watch them melt in your hands; time, history, everything is swept away, quickly experience the feeling of falling back into ancient times.

3. Dettifoss (pronunciation: Day-tee-foss)

Located in the northeast, near Lake Mývatn. Quoting from Wikipedia: “Dettifoss is about 100 meters wide and 44 meters high, and is considered the most powerful waterfall in Europe.” We got there in the afternoon, and there were no other tourists around. It was around three or four in the afternoon, and the sky was getting dark. My classmates who had been there before guided us, and we could hear the rumbling sound from far away. We struggled to get there (it can be painful when it’s too primitive and natural), then we went down the cliff (there was a ladder) and finally saw Dettifoss. The water flow was really, really intense. Standing next to it, you feel like you’re going to be swept away by the sound. There is water flowing on both banks of the waterfall, so the mud is very soft. The river water is milky white due to the high mineral content (or maybe it was the color of the sky).

4. Vík (pronunciation: Vik…)

The southernmost village in Iceland. Its beauty lies in its black sand beach. The sand (apparently) on the beaches in Vik is all volcanic ash, which is why the beach is black. There are three prominent rocks next to the cliffs by the sea, which look like objects for putting down a pen, so they are called Pen Holder Mountain or Pen Holder Island by the vast majority of the Chinese people. The cliffs by the sea can be climbed, either by car or on foot. The road is very steep, so drive carefully. Once you’re up there, there’s a wide expanse of grass, so feel free to run around! (This is actually a trap). If you run straight ahead, you’ll see the cliffs; if you run to the left, you’ll see the cliffs by the sea; if you run to the right, you’ll see the cliffs next to the road; if you run back, just go down. It’s still very beautiful up there, because there’s just sea, sea, sea. The day I arrived, the clouds were very big (huge! gigantic). There was also a small island in the distance; if you’re patient, you can walk over and take a look. The road connecting to it seems to have been built by land reclamation. Vik itself is very small; standing on the cliffs, you can see all the houses in the village, which only amount to a few.

This view is nice, isn’t it?

5. Reykjavík (pronunciation: Ray-kya-vik…)

Haha, finally talking about the capital. I spent most of my six months in Iceland in Reykjavík. There’s so much to say about Reykjavík. Some of the pictures and descriptions are from Grapevine, a city guide magazine in Reykjavík.

Háskóli Íslands (pronounced: How-skoo-lee Is-lands): Iceland’s first university. Take a tour, have a meal in the cafeteria, and maybe take a look at the handsome and beautiful Icelandic students.

Tjörnin (self-translated…): A very small lake in the city center of Reykjavík. It is divided into two parts.

One part has been taken over by birds…, so it’s called Duck Lake, which sounds better (locals told me it’s actually all geese).

Bring a bag of breadcrumbs and you’ll be buried by the birds! But we were all very selfish, and we gave some to the swans…, and occasionally threw some to the poor seagulls.

(Iceland consistently ranks among the top ten “happiest countries in the world”, but this doesn’t mean we don’t have down times. When we do, the best place to go is that little pond in the city center – Tjörnin.

On a good day, the water reflects the sky and shimmers. Ducks and cute little birds fight over the bread people throw to them. But it’s best not to do that; it’s not good for them.

Even when the sky is overcast, the calm pond can soothe your soul. Whether you’re watching ducks or walking by the pond (grimacing), every time you come, it will make you feel good. – Grapevine. The image is from Grapevine).

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (pronounced: Bay-yar-ins Bez-too Pils-ur): Clinton Hot Dog Stand: The only street food you see in Iceland is hot dogs.

This hot dog stand is famous because Clinton has been there. It’s by the sea, close to Laugavegur. If you can’t find it, ask the locals: “The hot dog! Clinton!”

A hot dog costs 300 krónur, and a Coke costs 190 krónur (2011 prices). But I still think the hot dog stand near the big swimming pool is better.

(Everyone has been there. It’s been around for 70 years. Although it’s not a proper meal, it’s definitely an amazing snack.

Harpa (pronounced: Har-pa): Iceland’s national theater-like building. I saw a Björk concert there and was so happy to be a little fan in the front row.

Laugavegur and Kringlan, the central shopping street and the largest shopping center. If you want to buy anything, come to these two places.

I recommend buying Icelandic national clothing: Lopapeysa, a large sweater. The pattern is both retro and chic, like this:

Wearing it looks like this:

It’s stacked like this:

Perlan, which you can see from the University of Iceland, is on a small hill. It used to be Reykjavík’s hot water storage facility, but they decided to develop it into a city-wide observation deck. It’s nice to have a meal up there.

(The best place to watch the sunset – Perlan is located on top of a small hill and has 360-degree oversized glass windows.

No matter what the season or weather, Perlan is the best place to watch the sunset.

Hallgrímskirkja (pronounced: Hal-grin-skirk-ya) Cathedral (…):

The cathedral that you can see in Reykjavík no matter where you look. Climb to the top and you can see the whole capital.

Laugardalslaug (pronounced: Loo-ee-gar-dahl-sloog, connect Loo-ee together, one syllable) Large Swimming Pool: The largest swimming pool in Reykjavík.

The water is excellent, incredibly clean, and has no bleach smell. You can swallow it without worrying if you choke on it. There are also several “hot springs”, go and see the beautiful women. You could spend the whole day soaking in it, it’s so enjoyable.

Reykjavík 871±2, a certain museum.

It’s still a lot of fun, learn about ancient Icelanders. There are also remains of ancient Icelandic dwellings.

Icelandic Phallological Museum, various animal penises (not various human penises). There seems to be a penis mold of each member of the Icelandic ice hockey team (please step aside, ladies).

Google “The Icelandic Phallological Museum” for more information. It’s located next to the Thai shop near the Hlemur bus stop.

6. Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is golden because it’s very close to Reykjavík, and all the attractions are very close to each other. You can take a tour around and learn about the wonders of Iceland.

The first stop is Þingvellir, the site of the ancient parliament. There’s a national flag in front of the cliff, this is where the world’s first parliament was held, a super great place for hiking.

The second stop is Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall.

Small but beautiful.

The third stop is Geysir, the geyser. Wait a few minutes and you’ll see the geyser erupt!

Climb up to the mountain next to it for a better view, and you can also experience the loneliness of a few farmhouses in the vast plains, write a poem!

Your friend “Geyser” is online:

“Geyser” uses a critical hit:

The fourth stop is Kerið, a volcanic lake, a lake in a crater, it feels very deep, I dare not go near it.

The fifth stop is Hveragerði, watch the sheep herding! A bunch of silly sheep, jumping around, maybe someone will find it adorable. Be careful of the smell.

The sixth stop is Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station, see the real hot springs! And why Reykjavík is called Reykjavík (Reykjavík, reykja means smog, vík means village). I was very tired when I played this round, I forgot a lot of the fun parts, which is a pity.

7. Fuck maps!

Any trip that’s all about attractions isn’t really a trip (just kidding). But in Iceland, a place so fresh and serene, so isolated from the world, throwing away your map and getting lost in the wild is a really good choice, despite the risk of getting lost. For example, when we were circumnavigating the island, we found a small hot spring behind a small hill by the roadside! My foreign friends and I stripped down and jumped into the pool, opened up a beer and started drinking. In front of us were mountains and canyons, small clouds floated by, and a small breeze blew. This awesome sense of treasure hunting and exposure (…) can only be achieved without a map! And because we didn’t want to take the main road, we somehow found a small waterfall. Behind the waterfall was a cave-like place. In the mist rising from the waterfall, we witnessed the most beautiful sunset. Then we drove back to Reykjavík with Tom Waits singing along the way. What is travel? Maybe this is it.

8. Northern Lights.

The previous version forgot to mention the Northern Lights! Seeing natural phenomena like the Northern Lights and rainbows in Iceland is incredibly convenient. Remember the first time we saw the Northern Lights, it was in early October. The whole dormitory was excited, and we all climbed to the roof. The next day, the Northern Lights came out again, “Wow, it’s so beautiful!” A few days later, it came out again, “Hey, the Northern Lights are out, are you going to go see them?” “Nah, I’m writing my paper tonight.” At this time, it’s very satisfying to look down upon those who went to Scandinavia to see the Northern Lights. :)

When it comes to describing the Northern Lights, there aren’t really any good words. Basically, whatever the pictures you find online look like, that’s what the Northern Lights you see in Iceland will look like. This picture perfectly captures the scene of our group of nearly 10 people soaking in a hot spring, drinking Reyka (an Icelandic vodka), in complete silence, in the middle of nowhere, in the late night, when the Northern Lights came out. Thanks to the photographer.

9. Blue Lagoon!

Unfortunately, I haven’t been there… My friends who came to Iceland with me had a blast there, soaking, soaking, soaking the whole day. It looks like this, there’s white mud on the bottom that you can put on your face and body, which is said to be very comfortable. There are also dedicated Blue Lagoon skincare stores in the city and at the airport, which are great for souvenirs. When I returned home, my classmates each bought a hand cream and a face mask from this brand.

Icelandic Food Collection

Many classmates mentioned “cost of living” in the comments. Since I was mainly traveling in Iceland, my average monthly living expenses were 12,000 yuan in 2011. Now, in Reykjavík, if you don’t go out and just cook at home, you can manage with 6,000 yuan a month.

So, what is all that money spent on? Eating, drinking, playing, and having fun! Below, I introduce some of the Icelandic restaurants I’ve been to.

(SD card is damaged, photos are gone, can only use online photos…) Due to Iceland’s cold climate, “a good wife is hard pressed to cook without rice”, so the cuisine is mainly foreign. Let’s start with hamburgers.

1. Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar (pronunciation: Ham-bor-ga-ra-boo-la, Toh-ma-sar) Website: Hamborgarabúllan

It is said to be the best hamburger in Reykjavík, containing 25 ingredients. Rich juice, full of meat flavor! The meat is very firm, and you can take big bites without meat scraps falling out. If you add bacon, take a bite, it’s like stepping onto the staircase to “Meat Paradise”.

2. Valdís (pronunciation: Val-deez) Website: Home)

Beautiful ice cream. The flavors are novel but not strange, the texture is very smooth, and the sweetness is just right. (Please focus on the right points)