The 20 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Iceland

Iceland is probably the most beautiful and photogenic country that Lukas and I visited. I’m not exaggerating at all when I tell you that you can simply drive somewhere and stare. Still, there are places you shouldn’t miss.

We also filmed the most beautiful places in Iceland video !

Glacial lake Jökulsárlón

The glacial lake with floating crags is considered one of the most interesting and beautiful phenomena in Iceland. Until 60 years ago, there was a thirty-metre high glacier on this spot.

The glacier is melting fast (the lake has increased in size four times since the 1970s) and it is already clear that soon there will be no lake, but the largest fjord in Iceland. The Icelanders are therefore wondering what to do about it, as the main (and only) road connecting the south-east coast runs through here.

Waterfall of the Gods Goðafoss

It was one of our last waterfalls and I thought nothing could capture me. I felt over-saturated, but this 12-meter waterfall we watched at sunset was a magical sight.

It entered Icelandic history around the year 1000, when the lawgiver Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw away the pagan carvings of the Norse gods and decided that Icelanders would profess Christianity.

Famous film location Skogafoss Falls

Skogafoss Waterfall is no less epic. You’ll find it in the south of Iceland near Skógar, and if you wait a while, you’ll probably be rewarded with a rainbow. The weather in Iceland changes really fast, we experienced sun, rain, wind and hail during our visit to the waterfall. And we didn’t even spend half an hour with him.

The magical setting of Skógafoss waterfall is also used by filmmakers, for example in the movie Thor: The Dark World and it appeared in the Vikings series 🙂

Prometheus Falls: Detifoss

Speaking of film locations in Iceland, you’ll probably recognise Detifoss from the 2012 film Prometheus. This mighty waterfall, which is also known for pouring over you before you even see it, can be found in the Mývatn area of northern Iceland on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River. Unless you rent a quad bike, we don’t recommend riding it. The road is full of potholes, there are frequent snow closures, and it is notorious for people puncturing bikes.

Little Icelandic Yellowstone: The Ratcatcher

A little Yellowstone in Iceland, at least that’s how Lukas would explain it. In this geothermal area, you can walk along a well-maintained path past bubbling mud pools and impressive fissures that leak foul-smelling steam. These fissures are called solfatara, a type of fumarole, which is an extinct volcanic crater. As you can read on wikipedia, “Solfatar vapours differ from fumarole vapours mainly by their significantly higher sulphate and elemental sulphur contents.” If you want to put it in layman’s terms, it just steams, smells like eggs and looks like it’s from another planet!

Thingvellir National Park

The national park, located in the southwest of Iceland, is likely to be one of your first stops. One of the oldest parliaments in the world was established in this area. It is a nice walk to the Oxara River waterfall, and if you are lucky enough to have a clear view, you will see some beautiful mountains around.

The harbour town of Húsavík

Although Húsavík is mainly known for its whale-watching trips, the harbour itself is worth a visit on a beautiful day. In this small town of 2,182 inhabitants, you will find a beautiful wooden church from 1907, several museums, and coffee lovers will also find something to enjoy.

Lake and surroundings of Mývatn

A short distance from the Krafla volcano is the large Mývatn Lake, where people go birdwatching. If you are not interested in birds, don’t skip the place, this landscape full of craters is definitely worth exploring, and if you arrive before us, supposedly you can pick mushrooms here (yes, we Czechs apparently pick mushrooms everywhere).

Cape of Game of Thrones: Dyrholaey

There is a legend about the rocks of Cape Dyrholaey that they are petrified trolls who tried to pull down a passing ship on the mainland. This headland near the village of Vík made famous by Game of Thrones and Instagram.

Photogenic mountains Eystrahorn and Vestrahorn

Icelanders love to climb mountains, write poems and songs about them, but there is one mountain in Iceland that cannot be climbed. And that’s Eystrahorn. Although it is not extremely high, it is incredibly steep. I’m not putting her here for her climbing, but for her photogenic appearance.

Romantic village by the Seydisfjördur fjord

The romantic village of Seydisfjördur has enchanted many a visitor. We were no exception. Located by the fjord of the same name, its main attraction is a colourful walkway with a wooden church. The town has only 700 inhabitants, but the place is surrounded by beautiful mountains full of waterfalls. There is also a ferry from here to the Faroe Islands.

Hike to Hengifoss waterfall

A 30-minute hike leads to one of the longest waterfalls (128m) in Iceland. I recommend going in the morning to have the waterfall illuminated. The waterfall is located in the east of Iceland in the Fjlótsdalshreppur area.

Crater of Viti

The Viti Crater is located near the Krafla volcano and it is common to drive almost to it. However, if you arrive in Iceland after the season, it is possible that the road will be closed and you will have no choice but to walk a few kilometres to the crater.

Geysir, who named all the geysers

About 80 km from Reykjavik is Geysir, which has lent its name to all the geysers in the world. Geysir was historically the first gushing hot water spring recorded in written records. It is incredible that as early as 1294, reports of this natural phenomenon were circulating around Europe. It can be found in the Haukaladur Rift Valley.

Iceland’s Niagara: Gullfoss

Yes, Iceland is a country of beautiful waterfalls and Icelanders are proud of them. The sign by the waterfall says it is more beautiful than Niagara Falls in America. Well, you’ll have to decide for yourself what the truth is. 🙂

Lesser known waterfall: the Glugafoss

Glugafoss is one of the less visited waterfalls in Iceland, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy its beauty in peace and take nice photos.

Hoffellsjökull Glacier

The Hoffellsjökull glacier is interesting because it came into its form only thanks to the Little Ice Age, which began around 1450. There used to be glacial lakes, but they disappeared in 1985 due to warming.

The overrated Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss

The view of Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss is probably one of the most famous photographs from Iceland. That’s probably why we were a bit disappointed, because the way it looks in the photos, you can only see it from one angle and from a very wide lens. And if you sometimes wonder where all the tourists have gone in Iceland, you’ll probably find them here.

Dynjandi Elf Waterfall

The largest waterfall, located in a remote area of the western fjords, is often described as the most beautiful waterfall in Iceland (like all waterfalls in Iceland 🙂 ). It’s something like 100 metres long and looks exactly like a wedding veil.

Hotpots and hot river Reykjaladur

Even though we already have an article about hot pots on the blog, I can’t leave them out. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love them. If you have good weather, you can also go to the hot river Reykjadalur. But don’t do the same stupid thing we did, when you get to the place where people swim, go as far back as you can, the water is warmest there.

Tips and tricks for travelling around Iceland