The wind smacks you in the face the moment you first step out of the airport terminal in Keflavík, and the air smells of damp earth and faintly of sulphur. All around you stretches an endless plain of black-grey lava carpeted with a thick layer of moss, so you feel as if someone has just dropped you off on another planet. That’s exactly how I remember arriving in Iceland with Lukáš at the turn of September and October 2018 — and how we first came face to face with the volcanoes in Iceland.

There’s no gentle warm-up here — this country throws you straight into its raw and utterly fascinating world. Our main goal back then was nature, and of course we were curious about what the Icelandic volcanoes look like up close.

Although we didn’t see flowing lava at the time, because it happened to be a quieter period, we experienced the volcanic and geothermal landscape in plenty of places. On the very first day we walked among bubbling mud pools, and when we later stood on the ninth day of our road trip up north by Lake Mývatn, I literally felt like I was on Mars.

In recent years the situation has changed a lot, though, and volcanic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula makes headlines almost constantly. Since 2021 the area near the airport has come to life and one eruption follows another.

In this article you’ll find a complete guide to volcanic Iceland along with plenty of tips on what to see and do in the active areas. I’ll show you where to find the most beautiful crater lakes, how things currently stand with safety, and why you really don’t need to worry about an eruption cancelling your flight home.

TL;DR

• No danger to aircraft: Eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula are effusive, which means the lava flows out calmly and no volcanic ash is produced. Keflavík Airport operates without restrictions.
• Where to see geothermal wonders for free: The Krýsuvík and Seltún area (a short drive from the airport) offers gorgeous colourful mud pools and hot springs.
• Evacuated Grindavík: The little town is closed to tourists because of ground fissures and is strictly guarded — respect that and don’t try to get in.
• The best volcanic landscape is up north: If you want to see a lunar landscape, head to Lake Mývatn, walk through the bubbling Hverir and peek into the Víti crater by the Krafla volcano.
• Nobody can guarantee flowing lava: Seeing fresh lava depends on huge luck with an ongoing eruption, but in Reykjavík you can visit the Lava Show, where they show you molten lava live.
• Safety first: Before any trip into the wild, absolutely always check safetravel.is.

When to go and how to get there

Iceland is a year-round destination, but if you want to enjoy a road trip without constant stress over snowstorms and impassable roads, the best time to go is from late May to mid-October. Major carriers such as Ryanair, easyJet and Icelandair serve Keflavík from many European hubs, and the flights take roughly a few hours. Icelandair with a connection is a great choice too, because of its brilliant Stopover programme, which lets you break your trans-Atlantic journey in Iceland for up to seven nights at no extra cost to your ticket.

We traditionally hunt for cheap flights on our favourite price-comparison portals, but watch out for old printed guidebooks that often mention the budget airline PLAY Airlines, because it went bankrupt back in autumn 2025. If you’re planning a trip for August 2026, brace yourself for absolute madness, because on 12 August Iceland will experience a total solar eclipse visible directly from Reykjavík and Reykjanes — accommodation has been sold out well in advance and flight prices are astronomical.

To explore volcanoes and craters outside the capital you’ll absolutely need a car, because public transport beyond the metropolis is fairly limited even in summer. Lukáš and I have long had a good experience with car-rental comparison sites that we use all around the world. Definitely pay extra for quality insurance against paint damage from ash and sand (SAAP), because the Icelandic wind can literally sandblast a car down to bare metal with fine volcanic dust in a matter of minutes.

Also keep in mind that since 2026 Iceland has a new kilometre-based tax instead of a fuel tax, which for passenger cars and SUVs comes to ISK 6.95 (about €0.05) per kilometre driven, and the rental company will reliably charge it when you return the vehicle. And one small but absolutely crucial piece of practical advice: it’s so windy in Iceland that if you carelessly open the car door, the wind can tear it off its hinges — something no insurance covers — so always park into the wind and hold the door firmly with both hands when opening it.

Where to stay and how much it costs

The best strategic base for exploring south-west Iceland and the active Reykjanes Peninsula is clearly Reykjavík itself or the towns in its immediate vicinity. Don’t worry — the current volcanic activity in no way threatens the capital, because the eruptions take place roughly forty kilometres away and the lava flows into uninhabited valleys.

Accommodation in Iceland has never been cheap, and in high season prices rise even further, so it’s ideal to book everything several months in advance.

💡 Specific accommodation tips (check prices and availability on Booking.com, and book early — in season and around the 2026 eclipse they vanish months ahead):

• Northern Light Inn (Grindavík)
• Hótel Berg (Keflavík)
• Hótel Laxnes (Mosfellsbær)

For a decent double room in a simpler guesthouse with a shared bathroom you’ll pay around ISK 15,000 to 20,000 per night (about €100 to €135), while classic hotels in central Reykjavík with an en-suite bathroom and breakfast start at roughly ISK 30,000 (over €200) per night.

Booking.com is our favourite hotel search engine, and especially in Iceland it paid off enormously to look for accommodation with a small shared kitchen. By cooking your own dinners from local ingredients you save a fortune, because eating in restaurants takes a truly gigantic chunk out of your budget.

Active Reykjanes: 5 places you have to see

The Reykjanes Peninsula works like a huge geological laboratory broadcasting live, and it’s here that Iceland’s most famous volcanic eruptions are currently taking place. Since March 2021 the area has woken up to incredible activity and there have already been twelve volcanic eruptions that have completely redrawn the local maps.

The whole peninsula lies right on the rift where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart, so the land here literally breathes, cracks and hisses in many places. Let’s take a look at the specific spots you can explore in complete safety.

1. Krýsuvík and Seltún (geothermal fairy tale)

When we arrived in Iceland, on the very first day we headed straight from the airport to the geothermal area of Krýsuvík, often marked on maps as Seltún, which lies about half an hour’s drive from Reykjavík. It’s an absolutely magical place just a short walk from the main road, where you stroll along wooden boardwalks right between hot springs and bubbling mud.

We spent a very pleasant hour there taking photos, and for the very first time we experienced that typical sulphurous odour and hissing steam first-hand.

The ground here plays with utterly incredible shades of bright yellow, brick red and poison green, all thanks to various leached-out minerals and tiny thermophilic bacteria for which this extreme environment is a natural home.

Entry is completely free, the area is perfectly accessible, and there aren’t nearly as many coaches full of tourists crowding in as at the famous nearby Golden Circle, so you can savour that raw Icelandic atmosphere in pretty pleasant peace.

2. Gunnuhver and the Bridge Between Continents

If you’re exploring the western coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula by car, you definitely shouldn’t skip a stop at the Gunnuhver geothermal field. It’s an enormously mighty and surprisingly loud mud vent from which such thick steam rises that at times you really can’t see even a step ahead, and the sound of escaping gases sometimes resembles a jet plane taking off.

According to an old Icelandic legend, an evil spirit named Gudrun haunts this place — a clever local priest imprisoned her forever in a hot spring — and when you’re standing there in that roaring thick mist, you actually find these tales pretty easy to believe 😅.

Just a little further up the road to the north you’ll find the so-called Bridge Between Continents, a roughly fifteen-metre metal footbridge that arches elegantly over a deep sandy fissure in the black lava field.

It symbolically connects Europe and North America, so you can literally run from one mighty tectonic plate to the other in just a few seconds. It’s a fairly quick and interesting stop to stretch your legs after a long flight, and once again there’s no entrance fee whatsoever.

3. Evacuated Grindavík and the Fagradalsfjall lava fields

When the news talks about Icelandic volcanoes today, most people think of the area around the small fishing town of Grindavík, which until recently was home to just under four thousand local residents. But because of the massive fissures in its streets and the extreme amount of magma beneath the surface (in late May 2026 a record of more than 26 million cubic metres was measured here), the town had to be completely evacuated and has become rather a sad ghost town.

The authorities strictly prohibit entry here, all access roads are guarded by rescuers, and the area really is life-threatening, so please don’t try to sneak in out of curiosity and do respect the closures.

You can, however, head without any problem to the maintained car parks by the Fagradalsfjall volcano, where those very first well-known eruptions took place between 2021 and 2023. You’ll see huge and fascinating new lava fields, from which light smoke still rises in certain spots, even though the lava itself no longer flows.

Well-marked routes run through here — the most popular route A is about seven kilometres and takes you two to three hours of fairly steep climbing, while the shorter route C offers a roughly four-kilometre and even steeper hike for great views. The large car park at the foot is chargeable, and parking can be paid very conveniently via a local mobile app.

4. The Blue Lagoon and volcanic tension

The iconic Blue Lagoon with its beautiful milky-blue water lies in the immediate vicinity of the highly active Svartsengi volcanic zone, and in recent years it has been through a truly wild period thanks to the nearby eruptions. Because of increasing volcanic activity, local rescuers have had to evacuate it several times as a precaution, and it now has to be protected by newly built huge earthen berms designed to divert any flow of unstoppable lava.

The complex has a brilliantly worked-out evacuation plan and since spring 2026 has been safely reopened in a so-called dynamic mode, but as a visitor you simply have to accept that the situation can change from one day to the next and your long-planned reservation may be cancelled.

The water in the lagoon is a lovely 37 to 40 degrees and contains healing silica mud that you can smear on your face as a natural mask right while bathing. A basic ticket costs roughly ISK 11,990 (a little over €80), and booking many weeks in advance is an absolute must these days.

A little practical tip for the ladies: that mineral water does amazing things for your skin, but it will turn your lovely hair into unmanageable straw for several long days, so definitely coat it with a huge layer of conditioner from the changing room before you get into the water and tie it up high.

5. Sky Lagoon as a calmer alternative

If the volcanic risk around the Blue Lagoon scares you a little, or you simply don’t want to spend time in massive crowds of tourists, Reykjavík offers one absolutely fantastic and much newer alternative called Sky Lagoon. It lies just a few minutes’ drive from the city centre, so getting there is no trouble at all, and unlike the lunar wilderness on the Reykjanes Peninsula it offers a breathtaking infinity pool that optically blends perfectly with the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The water here is beautifully clear and hot, and the whole complex is lined with artificial cliffs of dark basalt and traditional Icelandic turf houses. Entry with the basic Pure package, which includes the absolutely amazing seven-step Icelandic Skjól ritual, ranges between ISK 12,000 and 14,000 (roughly €80 to €95).

During this ritual you’ll warm up in a glass sauna with a giant window overlooking the ocean, walk through a refreshing cold mist and finish by scrubbing your body with a salt exfoliant — all of which feels far more intimate and luxurious than the more famous Blue Lagoon.

💡 Tip: It’s worth buying tickets and organised tours (of Iceland and beyond) online in advance on GetYourGuide — they fill up fast in season.

Craters and lava caves of the south and west

If you’re immensely interested in volcanic activity but the Icelandic volcanoes just happen to be spewing no lava at all, there’s absolutely no need to despair. The southern and western parts of the island offer an incredible number of ancient craters, perfectly preserved calderas and mysterious underground caves that you can explore in complete safety and without any fear of an unexpected eruption.

What’s more, a huge number of them are within perfect reach of a relaxed day trip from the capital.

1. Kerið (red crater with a blue eye)

A stop at the majestic Kerið crater was one of our very first big experiences on the very first day of our Icelandic journey. This ancient volcanic crater, which geologists estimate to be more than three thousand years old, has incredibly rich red walls made of coarse volcanic scoria, and at its very bottom lies a vivid blue, opaque little lake.

That natural colour contrast is even more striking in person than in any retouched photo from the internet, and back then we spent a lot of time there just quietly watching the reflections on the calm surface of the water.

You can comfortably walk along the entire upper rim of the crater, which offers a truly gorgeous panoramic view over the varied surroundings, and then descend all the way down to the water on maintained wooden steps.

Kerið lies on the immensely popular Golden Circle tourist route, and as one of the few purely natural sights in all of Iceland it has a paid entry, which currently comes to ISK 600 per person (about €4), while children under twelve luckily get in completely free.

2. The Raufarhólshellir and Vatnshellir lava caves

Do you want to see with your own eyes exactly what happens deep beneath the surface after scorching liquid magma has raced through at enormous speed? About thirty minutes’ comfortable drive from Reykjavík you’ll find the very popular Raufarhólshellir cave, a massive, kilometres-long lava tube with beautifully colourful mineral walls and gorgeous ice stalagmites that form naturally here during the colder winter months.

A basic one-hour tour with a very funny local guide costs around ISK 8,900 (about €60) and safely takes you into mysterious places you certainly wouldn’t dare venture into on your own.

Another really great and slightly wilder option is Vatnshellir cave, hidden on the magical Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the west of the country, into which you carefully descend down a narrow spiral metal staircase to a respectable depth of thirty-five metres. Entry here is a touch friendlier by Icelandic standards and comes to roughly ISK 5,400 for an adult (around €35).

In both cases you’ll be handed a protective helmet with a headlamp at the start of the tour, and you have to be prepared for the fact that deep underground it stays very uncomfortably cold all year round, so definitely don’t forget to bring a warm winter jacket and gloves even in the middle of summer.

3. Descent into the heart of the Þríhnúkagígur volcano

This is an absolute geological unicorn, and nowhere else on our entire planet will you find a similar crazy attraction. The volcano called Þríhnúkagígur (try saying that name three times fast 😁) has demonstrably been extinct for roughly four thousand years, but what’s incredible about it is that its huge magma chamber simply didn’t collapse in on itself after the last eruption, as usually happens — instead it stayed perfectly preserved.

The specialist agency Inside the Volcano runs fascinating expeditions here in season from May to October, lowering you a full one hundred and twenty metres deep on a special open lift right into the huge interior of the earth, whose walls literally glow with every imaginable colour, from purple through poison yellow to rich red.

It’s an immensely exclusive and visually stunning experience, but you’ll pay dearly for it too, because a ticket costs well over ISK 50,000 (more than €340) and, due to limited capacity, you have to book it many months in advance directly through the organiser’s official website.

This whole trip will take about five to six hours of your itinerary, because to reach the volcano’s throat you first have to walk about three kilometres across a fairly rough lava field. The huge price of the tour luckily includes a traditional hot Icelandic meat soup to warm you up instantly after returning to the surface, but from our own experience we can happily confirm that if you speak up, they’ll gladly prepare an absolutely delicious meat-free vegetable version in advance too ☺️.

4. The Grábrók crater in the west

If you’re heading north-west out of Reykjavík along the main Ring Road (Route 1), definitely make a short stop at the Grábrók volcanic crater. This beautifully shaped crater, which rises right by the road, is a perfect spot to stretch your legs during a long drive.

It formed roughly three thousand years ago during a mighty fissure eruption and is now largely covered in wonderfully soft, grey-green Icelandic moss.

The climb up is completely undemanding and even small children can manage it, because well-maintained wooden steps that protect the fragile nature from being trampled lead all the way to the very top of the crater rim.

From the top you’ll get a breathtaking view down into the deep throat of the crater itself and across the sprawling surrounding Borgarfjörður lava field, and this whole little expedition will take you about thirty minutes with no entrance fee at all.

Mývatn and northern Iceland: where you feel like you’re on Mars

If you’re looking for the most epic and raw volcanic landscape on your trip, you simply have to head all the way north. When we arrived on the ninth day of our autumn road trip in the vast area of Lake Mývatn, I was completely lost for words.

All around us were deep cracks, symmetrical craters, hissing holes in the ground and huge pitch-black lava fields that stretched to the horizon. The northern volcano called Krafla has been sleeping peacefully for some time now, but its wild surroundings undoubtedly rank among one of the most interesting places in this whole Nordic country.

1. Hverir and Námafjall

You’ll reliably recognise the enormous Hverir geothermal field, located right at the foot of the colourful Námafjall mountain, from a distance by the huge clouds of steam rising to the sky and by the very specific and fairly strong sulphurous odour that faithfully resembles rotten eggs. Once you get used to that peculiar smell after a few minutes, though, an incredible walk awaits you across a literal lunar landscape covered in grey, loudly bubbling mud.

Everywhere you’ll see small stacks of piled-up stones from which, with an enormous, almost terrifying hiss, boiling steam constantly escapes from the depths of the earth.

The ground here plays with utterly incredible colours, with rich ochre and vivid orange dominating the view, and around the dangerous vents low rope barriers have been built for a good reason — you absolutely must not step beyond them under any circumstances.

The temperature of the bubbling mud and escaping steam here is truly extreme, and accidentally breaking through into the hot ground would mean instant, life-threatening burns. Entry to the Hverir area itself is completely free for all visitors — only at the large car park will you find modern machines for paying the parking fee.

2. The Krafla volcano and the Víti crater

Just a short drive over the hill from sulphurous Hverir lies the huge volcanic caldera of the Krafla volcano, and Lukáš and I arrived here back then in fairly cold and windy weather, which in my view only perfectly amplified the harsh, inhospitable atmosphere of the whole place.

The biggest visual draw here is the enormous explosive crater named Stóra-Víti, which formed during an exceptionally massive and destructive eruption in 1724. Inside this majestic crater you’ll now find an amazing, fascinatingly opaque blue lake that contrasts incredibly sharply with the surrounding steep, dark-reddish walls and snow-capped peaks in the distance.

A pleasant walk right around the upper rim of the crater is fairly safe as long as there isn’t heavy ice, and it takes you about an hour at a slower pace, with absolutely fantastic views over the surrounding endless dark Leirhnjúkur lava fields.

There’s no entrance fee to pay at all, and just below the volcano itself you’ll even see a huge and architecturally interesting geothermal power plant that very cleverly uses the untameable force of the hidden volcano to produce clean energy for the entire surrounding region.

3. The lava town of Dimmuborgir

Almost within sight of the calm surface of Lake Mývatn you’ll find a huge area called Dimmuborgir, which translates fairly precisely as the Dark Castles. And I have to say this dramatic name fits the place absolutely perfectly and captures its mood.

It’s an immensely vast field full of the most bizarre lava formations, tall black towers, fragile arches and gloomy caves that formed more than two thousand years ago when a giant lava lake suddenly cooled and its thin dome collapsed in on itself with a great crash.

Perfectly maintained and very clearly colour-marked trails of various difficulties and lengths lead right through this lava maze, so you can spend just a quick thirty minutes here, or easily several long hours wandering among the black rocks.

In rich Icelandic mythology it has long been believed that mysterious Dimmuborgir is the actual gateway to the underworld and home to evil trolls, and at Christmas the famous, mischievous Icelandic Christmas figures known as the Yule Lads supposedly slyly hide here from people.

Lukáš and Lucie recommend

Where to stay in Iceland

4 accommodations — hotels and other lodging options

⭐ TOP CHOICE 🏨 Hotel

Northern Light Inn

Accommodation in the Grindavík area, a strategic base for exploring southwestern Iceland and the active Reykjanes Peninsula.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Berg

Hotel near Keflavík Airport, ideal for the first or last night of your stay in Iceland and trips to Reykjanes.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Laxnes

Hotel in Mosfellsbær in the immediate vicinity of Reykjavík, suitable as a base for exploring volcanic areas.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🔍 Search

View all accommodations in Iceland

Explore all available accommodation options in Iceland and find the best one according to your preferences and budget.

★★★★ Compare prices

Check availability

Lukáš and Lucie recommend

Where to stay in Iceland

4 stays — hotels and other accommodation options

⭐ TOP CHOICE 🏨 Hotel

Northern Light Inn

Accommodation in the Grindavík area, a strategic base for exploring south-west Iceland and the active Reykjanes Peninsula.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Berg

A hotel near Keflavík Airport, ideal for your first or last night in Iceland and for trips to Reykjanes.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Laxnes

A hotel in Mosfellsbær in the immediate vicinity of Reykjavík, a great base for exploring the volcanic areas.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🔍 Search

Show all accommodation in Iceland

Explore all the available accommodation options in Iceland and find the best one for your preferences and budget.

★★★★ Compare prices

Check availability

4. The explosive Hverfjall crater

Once you’re near Mývatn, your attention definitely won’t miss the perfect giant cone of black volcanic ash that towers majestically over the whole lake and resembles a huge bundt cake someone has just plonked down here. This symmetrical explosive crater bears the name Hverfjall and represents one of the best and quickest ways to climb to the top of a really big volcano in Iceland without needing a guide or special mountaineering gear.

The way up along the maintained gravel path will give your thighs a bit of a workout, but the steep climb itself takes only around ten to fifteen minutes, so any reasonably fit traveller can manage it.

At the top a breathtaking view opens up into the gigantic black bowl of the crater itself, whose diameter measures over one kilometre, and you can walk right around its upper rim for a gorgeous circular view over the entire Lake Mývatn area — again with no entrance fee whatsoever.

💡 Tip: It’s worth buying tickets and organised tours (of Iceland and beyond) online in advance on GetYourGuide — they fill up fast in season.

Fire and ice: more unforgettable experiences between the elements

Iceland is definitely not just about lava and fire, but above all about a fascinating and constant battle between two extreme natural elements, because roughly eleven per cent of the entire island’s area is covered by massive, ancient glaciers.

Seeing such a huge mass of ice from a distance from the car is a nice experience, but standing right on it, feeling that ever-present chill and hearing with your own ears how the glacier constantly cracks and breathes quietly beneath you, is a completely different league of travel that you shouldn’t miss.

1. Glacier walks on Sólheimajökull and Skaftafell

The basic and absolutely critical rule that simply admits no exceptions is: never, under any circumstances, walk on any glacier alone without an experienced local guide, because dozens of metres deep and deadly crevasses lurk beneath the thin, tempting layer of snow. The most accessible and immensely popular glacier hikes are found all along the south coast, and by far the most common departure is to the beautiful Sólheimajökull tongue, which lies just about two hours’ drive from Reykjavík and where the ice is fascinatingly densely threaded with black stripes of volcanic ash from historic eruptions.

The second, slightly more dramatic option is the vast Skaftafell glacier in the more distant south-east, where the ice mass opens up before you on an even more monumental scale and offers breathtaking views down into a green valley.

For a basic hike with equipment, which usually takes three to five hours with about an hour and a half of actual time spent freezing on the ice, you’ll pay from ISK 12,000 upwards (around €80) with local agencies, and the guide will lend you a safety helmet, harness, sharp crampons for your boots and a hiking ice axe in advance.

2. Ice caves under the Katla glacier

Stepping into the icy heart of a glacier and being surrounded on all sides by crystal-clear, deep blue ice is one of the most iconic experiences you can treat yourself to in Iceland, but with the natural blue caves you have to hit the right winter season, otherwise you can’t get inside at all because of the melting water.

If you’re travelling in summer, though, and are desperate to see some kind of ice cave, the only available natural option is the wild caves hidden beneath the mighty Katla glacier near the little town of Vík, which thanks to their specific location are accessible with a guide all year round.

Don’t expect that bright blue, overexposed colour you know from popular Instagram photos by winter travellers, though. The ice on the Katla glacier is heavily mixed with pitch-black volcanic ash, so the whole cave feels much more dark, gloomy and dramatic, as if you suddenly found yourself in the set of some sci-fi film from a completely different, inhospitable planet.

3. Snorkelling in the Silfra tectonic fissure

Even though it might sound like utter madness to voluntarily climb in a wetsuit into water that even in the middle of summer is a mere two to four degrees Celsius, snorkelling in the Silfra fissure inside Þingvellir National Park ranks among the world’s best diving spots.

It’s a narrow and immensely deep tectonic crack lying exactly between the North American and Eurasian lithospheric plates, so while swimming you literally find yourself in a watery void between two enormous continents.

The icy water travels here over many decades through underground lava fields from the melting Langjökull glacier, which means it goes through such extreme filtration that it’s absolutely crystal clear and underwater visibility easily exceeds a full hundred metres.

Don’t worry that you’ll freeze to the bone in it within a minute, because the agency will kit you out in a waterproof dry suit in which you’ll float on the surface like a giant Michelin man, and you’ll pay roughly USD 145 per person for this roughly two-hour experience.

4. Whale watching in Húsavík

Seeing a tall spout of water from a blowhole and then a huge dark tail elegantly diving into the depths of the ocean is the dream of many people, and Iceland fortunately represents Europe’s absolute top for watching wild whales in their natural environment. The main season runs from April to October, with the absolute peak coming in the long summer months from June to August, when the sea is fairly calm and full of food.

If you’re wondering where to head to see these gentle giants, go straight to the north of the island to the small fishing town called Húsavík, quite rightly nicknamed the whale-watching capital of all Europe.

The cold Skjálfandi bay here is incredibly rich in nutritious plankton and small fish in season, which reliably draws in huge numbers of various cetacean species, from cute smaller ones to mighty humpbacks, so the chance of spotting them here approaches near-certainty.

A sure thing: where to see lava even when the volcano is asleep

Many people think that when they land in volcanic Iceland, they’ll see glowing red lava flowing out of craters at literally every step of their trip. The truth, unfortunately, is that catching an ongoing safe eruption with your own eyes takes enormous luck, perfect timing and often a good dose of chance, because volcanoes simply do whatever they please.

If you’re not watching live news reports about sudden eruptions and no lava is flowing anywhere on the Reykjanes Peninsula, there are absolutely amazing places where you can fully enjoy this fascinating hot spectacle anyway.

1. The Lava Show in Reykjavík and Vík

If you don’t want to rely on the unpredictable mood of Mother Nature at all and risk disappointment, then a visit to the fantastic Lava Show is an absolute must for you. The owners of this unique Icelandic project came up with a safe way to melt real dark volcanic sand up to an incredible 1,100 °C in the dim light of a small theatre arena and then let it flow dramatically down a red channel right before the amazed eyes of the audience.

You see the heavy liquid magmatic mass, hear with your own ears how it loudly cracks and hisses as it cools, and above all you physically feel that overwhelming radiant heat that hits you in the face at once and makes you take off your jacket.

The experience of this fiery spectacle lasts a little under an hour, and a trained local guide explains everything essential about Icelandic volcanoes in a very funny, personal and engaging way.

You can currently visit this popular Lava Show either right in the centre of the capital Reykjavík (where an adult ticket costs ISK 6,590) or in the iconic little town of Vík on the windy south coast (at a slightly cheaper ISK 5,900, which is roughly €40). We both think it’s an absolute smash hit, and in my view it’s clearly one of the very best paid attractions on the whole island.

2. The Lava Centre in Hvolsvöllur

If your road trip takes you on the long drive along the south coast towards the most famous photogenic waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, you’ll most likely come across the village of Hvolsvöllur right by the main road, home to the very interesting modern building of the Lava Centre.

It’s a huge, architecturally sophisticated interactive museum devoted entirely to the complex geology and volcanology, where thanks to top-notch colour visualisations you can examine in detail the systems of active magma chambers pulsing beneath the whole of Iceland.

It’s an immensely educational and great stop especially when a storm is raging outside, it’s raining and a thoroughly unfriendly icy wind is blowing, which happens fairly often on the unpredictable Icelandic south. In the dimly lit museum you’ll finally properly understand why the whole country constantly trembles so strongly, what exactly triggers eruptions and how the dreaded explosions of volcanoes hidden deep beneath mighty glaciers actually work.

Volcanic safety: 5 rules for survival

The harsh and untamed nature in Iceland is definitely not just a pretty backdrop for nice photos for social media, but an uncompromising daily reality, and you never joke around with volcanoes. Icelanders are perfectly prepared for any volcanic eruptions, they have trained top-class rescue services and perfectly functioning information systems, so if you blindly follow their instructions, you’re in absolute safety even during an active eruption.

The thing is, enthusiastic tourists sometimes get a false sense that they’re simply immortal. Here are the basic survival rules you must not ignore for anything.

1. Follow the official websites

This recommendation is the absolute mantra of every safe road trip around Iceland and you should take it to heart. Before you even start the car in the morning and hit the road, always open the rescue services’ page Safetravel.is on your phone. You’ll immediately find all the colour-coded warnings about strong winds, approaching storms and any ongoing eruptions and closures there.

For really detailed monitoring of volcanic and seismic activity beneath the surface, the official Icelandic Meteorological Office (Vedur.is) is also brilliant, where you’ll find constantly updated real-time earthquake maps so you know where the ground is shaking most right now.

2. Invisible poisonous gases

When a fissure eruption is in full swing and lava is flowing into a valley, the very biggest and most insidious danger usually isn’t the slowly flowing hot mass itself (you can quite comfortably outrun that even on foot), but what you absolutely can’t see. Fresh volcanic fissures release large amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and a range of other poisonous gases that are significantly heavier than ordinary air, so they accumulate unnoticed in deep valleys and natural hollows.

What’s more, if that traditional strong Icelandic wind that would mercifully sweep them out over the ocean happens not to be blowing, these pockets of gas can be deadly to tourists. The local authorities therefore constantly and carefully monitor the current air quality and any risks on the specialist website Loftgaedi.is, which you should definitely have saved in your browser bookmarks.

3. Never go near lava alone

If you’re ever lucky enough in Iceland to reach a site with a completely fresh and still smoking lava field via an officially permitted and safe route, definitely don’t be too curious and daring. The surface of freshly flowed lava does turn black and harden fairly quickly in the cold air, but don’t be fooled — beneath that thin and extremely fragile crust, molten magma at an unbelievable temperature of around one thousand degrees Celsius still hides in pockets.

Breaking through with your foot into even a small such pocket means a quick and utterly fatal end with burns incompatible with life, so never in your life go onto new lava fields alone and always keep to the marked, well-trodden paths explored by experts.

4. Respect closures and the police

The world-famous Icelandic rescue service called ICE-SAR is largely made up of incredibly devoted local volunteers who, exclusively in their own free time, rescue unprepared tourists from the very worst and most dangerous situations imaginable. If the state authorities or police suddenly block a certain road and quickly declare an evacuation or closure of a chosen volcanic area, believe that they have a very good and well-founded geological reason for it and certainly don’t just want to ruin your expensive holiday out of boredom.

So don’t try to secretly go around the guarded tracks somewhere or find a gap in the barriers at night, because these local rescuers really have better and more important things to do in Iceland than needlessly risk their own health and lives for someone who absolutely and at any cost needed a photo of a glowing volcano for their Instagram.

5. Watch out for the Icelandic wind and car doors

Even though it isn’t directly related to volcanoes, this is one of Iceland’s most underestimated risks, and it can nastily wreck your travel budget. The Icelandic wind has absolutely brutal force, and if you carelessly and abruptly fling the car door wide open at a stop by some natural sight, a strong gust can literally tear it off its hinges in a second or bend it so you can’t close it any more (it’s called door-ripping).

It’s immensely important to know that absolutely no rental insurance covers this specific mechanical damage, so every time you get out, especially in the flat areas of the south, always park the front of the car directly into the wind and hold the door really firmly with both hands whenever you open it, so it always faces into the wind.

Where to eat (without ruining your budget)

Dining on the island is a really big chapter in itself, and the final bills in local restaurants can hurt even hardened travellers quite a bit. It’s commonly said that the very cheapest hot meal in the whole city is the famous Icelandic hot dog, or pylsa, with crispy onions and sweet mustard, which you buy at the little red stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur a short walk from the harbour.

You’ll pay a friendly ISK 820 (about €5.50) for it, and locals make a huge deal out of it, just as the braver ones tuck into traditional fermented shark, hákarl, with a shot of the famous caraway spirit Brennivín (known as Black Death) or the hearty fish stew plokkfiskur.

Since Lukáš and I have both long eaten meat-free, though, and fermented shark really doesn’t tempt us, we simply don’t go for such local animal specialities and instead deliberately seek out great local vegetarian alternatives.

Our absolute daily lifesaver, especially during those long drives around the volcanoes and endless lava fields, is called the Bónus supermarket, which you’ll reliably recognise from afar by its very distinctive yellow logo with a little pink piggy (alternatively we also use the Krónan or Nettó shops).

They have by far the best food prices here — we constantly buy cheap supplies of cheese, tons of our favourite hummus, delicious sweet rye bread rúgbrauð and above all huge piles of traditional thick skyr yoghurt, which we basically lived on quite happily for a large part of our first and subsequent road trips.

When we then feel like treating ourselves and relaxing in Reykjavík after a whole day of freezing, we eagerly go for fantastic, wood-scented pizza at the cosy spot PizzaRé or at the modern but renowned pizzeria Flatey, where the menu has absolutely perfect vegetarian options with fresh cheese and vegetables (a large crispy pizza there comes to roughly ISK 3,500, which is around €24), and we also absolutely love tucked-away Asian and Indian places like Himalayan Spice, where in those freezing temperatures they cooked us the unbeatably best and thickest chickpea dal for miles around.

And remember one golden rule: tap water in Iceland is one of the very cleanest and tastiest in the whole world, so only complete fools buy bottled water in plastic here! Just be careful with the hot tap water in the sink, because it’s heated straight from geothermal wells and smells fairly strongly of sulphur, so for drinking always run only the absolutely ice-cold, crystal-clear water into your bottle.

Where to go next in Iceland

If you’ve already mapped out the south and the volcanoes have won you over, the island still has an enormous amount to offer. Try reading our other guides and plan your trip down to the details:

• Not sure what not to miss in the capital? Check out our article Reykjavík: what to see and do.
• If you’re short on time, the absolute classic is the Golden Circle, where you’ll see the biggest geysers.
• For those of you who love bathing in hot water in the middle of the wilderness, we’ve put together the 16 best hot springs in Iceland.
• And if you’re planning a longer trip around the island, our Iceland road trip itinerary will help you organise it day by day.

Frequently asked questions

I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it’s been a few years since we first set off for Iceland in late September. We were standing by the geysers, a mad wind was howling, and we decided to climb the nearby little hill of Bjarnarfell to get a better view.

During the twenty minutes it took us to scramble to the top, we got sunshine, a sudden downpour, hail that stung our faces, and then the sun came out again to dry us off a little 😅. That was the moment I understood that in Iceland nature does whatever it pleases, and we’re only there as guests.

If you’re planning a trip to this magical island, the Golden Circle in Iceland will probably be your first big stop. It’s Iceland in a nutshell, where in a relatively small area you’ll see the best of the local landscape, from tectonic rifts to spouting geysers and breathtaking waterfalls.

In this article you’ll find a complete guide for 2026. We’ll look at what to see, how much things cost, where to base yourself smartly, and above all I’ll tell you what to skip so you don’t waste precious time.

TL;DR

• The Golden Circle is a roughly 250 to 300 kilometre route starting and ending in Reykjavík, which you can easily cover in a single day.
• Pure driving time is about 3.5 to 4 hours, but with the main stops and photo breaks set aside a full 6 to 8 hours.
• The main free (or very cheap) stops are Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area and the mighty Gullfoss waterfall.
• The roads along the whole route are paved and in excellent condition, so in summer you don’t need a 4×4 car.
• Set off either very early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds who roll in on big tour buses.

When to go and how to get there

The Golden Circle is easily accessible year-round and thanks to the wonderfully smooth, carefully paved roads you really don’t need to worry about requiring a giant off-road jeep with monster tyres to drive it. Even the most basic and tiniest little car from the rental company will handle this whole route effortlessly in summer, and the journey itself forms a neat loop that starts and ends in Reykjavík.

If you’re heading out to explore the island in the darker winter months, though, keep in mind that the days here are extremely short — in December the sun doesn’t rise until around 11:30 and sets again by 3:30 in the afternoon.

The weather can also be incredibly treacherous, so before you leave your hotel always check websites like Safetravel.is for important safety warnings and the excellent Umferdin.is for completely up-to-date information on icy roads.

Lukáš and I have long had a genuinely good experience with the DiscoverCars search engine, which we use reliably all over the world — just watch out for the new rules and small catches of the local island rental firms. As of January 2026 Iceland has introduced a brand-new per-kilometre tax for all passenger cars up to 3.5 tonnes, set at exactly 6.95 ISK (roughly £0.04) per kilometre driven.

Different rental companies handle this fee in different ways, so some charge a flat daily rate while others deduct the tax straight from your deposit at the end of the trip based on the actual odometer reading — it’s worth budgeting for it in advance. The popular Golden Circle will cost you roughly 2,000 ISK (about £12) in this specific tax, which is fortunately quite nicely offset by the fact that fuel has become cheaper across the board after the previous fees at petrol stations were scrapped.

At the same time, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security just because you’re only taking a relatively short trip on luxurious tarmac — pay real attention to getting the right insurance for your rental car. Basic insurance (often labelled CDW) unfortunately doesn’t come close to covering the typical and very expensive Icelandic damage, and given that a lot of inconspicuous turn-offs to cosy accommodation tend to be dusty or gravel tracks, we warmly recommend paying extra for Gravel Protection.

A chapter all of its own, and a real Icelandic speciality, is the unpredictable local wind, which routinely has such enormous force that it can rip your car door clean off its hinges if you don’t hold it firmly with both hands when opening — and no standard insurance covers that kind of unfortunate damage.

Bear in mind, too, that any off-road driving is strictly and uncompromisingly banned across the entire island, and breaking the rule can land you a fine of up to 500,000 ISK.

Where to stay and how much the Golden Circle costs

Although plenty of people drive this popular loop straight out of Reykjavík and back, a far smarter strategy is to base yourself somewhere along the route itself, which ends up saving you a lot of needless stress and precious time.

You can get up nice and early and set off for the biggest sights well ahead of time, before the first giant buses packed with day-trippers from the capital even arrive — and in the evening you’ve got a slightly better chance of spotting the northern lights you’ve dreamed of right from your window, since you won’t be as bothered by the strong light pollution of the city.

The best and most strategic base for thoroughly exploring the circle is the town of Selfoss, where you can relax in the excellent Hótel Selfoss spa, or the beautifully located Laugarvatn, sitting right in the beating heart of the whole loop on the shore of a peaceful lake.

Lovely accommodation is also on offer in the charming and very popular Flúðir at The Hill Hotel near natural thermal springs, and the absolute top pick for anyone who wants to be first at the sights every time is the slightly more upmarket Hótel Geysir, located literally just a few steps from the bubbling thermal fields. For another solid option right on the route, take a look at the Blue Hotel Fagrilundur – On The Golden Circle.

Accommodation prices in Iceland have not been exactly wallet-friendly for a long time, and you should be prepared to pay, for a fairly ordinary but decent double room, an average of 30,000 to 50,000 ISK (roughly £175 to £290) per single night in the peak summer season.

Beyond the sights and expensive food, don’t forget to factor in small parking fees, which are absolutely everywhere on the island and are handled today almost exclusively and cashlessly through handy mobile apps like Parka or the old familiar EasyPark.

Just watch out carefully for the fact that at the local self-service terminals at petrol stations and at some barriers you’ll always need a physical payment card and its PIN, so relying solely on convenient phone payments via Apple Pay for the whole trip really may not pay off here. Booking.com is our favourite accommodation search engine, and we definitely recommend booking popular hotels many months in advance.

💡 Specific accommodation tips (check prices and availability on Booking, and book early — in season and around the 2026 eclipse they vanish months ahead):

• Hótel Selfoss (Selfoss)
• Héraðsskólinn Hostel (Laugarvatn)
• The Hill Hotel (Flúðir)
• Hótel Geysir (Haukadalur)

Þingvellir National Park: where history and continents were made

After about forty-five minutes of relaxed driving from central Reykjavík, your first stop awaits — and it’s the geologically most fascinating one of the whole Icelandic adventure. Þingvellir National Park (pronounced softly, like Thingvellir) is quite rightly inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list, and it’s exactly that unique, magical place where, at a rate of roughly two centimetres a year, the enormous North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly and steadily drifting apart.

You can park your car at one of several cleverly arranged car parks labelled P1 to P5, and the daily fee of 1,000 ISK (about £6) is fortunately paid just once via a machine or the Checkit.is app — and the ticket, tied to your number plate, then covers the whole park area.

1. A walk through the Almannagjá rift and Öxarárfoss waterfall

From the large upper car park P1 Hakið, which lies right by the lovely main visitor centre and modern toilets, follow the well-maintained path straight into the huge, majestic Almannagjá rift, where you’ll spend the whole time walking through an extraordinary no-man’s-land set right between two mighty continents.

In person, this place has an utterly incredible and at times almost oppressive atmosphere, framed by the steep walls of black volcanic rock — something the sharp-eyed makers of the popular series Game of Thrones duly appreciated, setting the famous Bloody Gate here, very fittingly.

In autumn we took a beautiful and surprisingly peaceful stroll through the narrow canyon here and, without much physical effort, walked along the flat path to the charming Öxarárfoss waterfall, beneath which, incidentally, there’s another very handy car park labelled P2 Efri-Vellir for those who’d rather not walk far.

The walk to the waterfall itself is completely easy and manageable for children without any trouble, as it largely follows comfortable, well-kept wooden boardwalks, and the little waterfall tumbling wildly down the dark basalt cliffs looks fantastic in any weather.

What’s more, it was in this very carefully protected area that some of the most important and fateful moments in the whole rugged island’s history played out, because in the year 930 the powerful and respected Vikings founded the famous Alþingi here, in a perfect natural acoustic amphitheatre by the Lögberg rock.

That makes it one of the oldest functioning parliaments in the entire world, and long ago chieftains from all over Iceland would gather regularly at this sacred place to settle bloody disputes, arrange wealthy marriages and loudly recite brand-new laws before the assembled crowds.

2. Silfra: snorkelling in water with 100-metre visibility

If you really love a slightly more extreme and considerably more unusual experience, just plug the lower car park P5 Valhöll into your sat nav — of all the ones mentioned, it lies by far the closest to the world-famous, flooded Silfra fissure.

This at-first-glance fairly inconspicuous crack in the earth is filled to the brim with utterly crystal-clear water coming from the enormous Langjökull glacier, which trickles down here very slowly and, over decades, is naturally filtered through the porous underground lava on its way.

The result of this lengthy natural process is breathtakingly transparent water without a single flaw, in which you can see up to a hundred metres underwater without the slightest trouble — and diving or daring snorkelling here quite rightly counts among the great, sought-after wonders of the world.

I have to warn you honestly in advance, though, that this incredibly clean water sits at a chilly 2 to 4 °C year-round. But you really needn’t worry about your health, because professional operators like DIVE.IS, Arctic Adventures or Troll Expeditions first bundle you into an extremely warm undersuit before zipping you into a very thick neoprene drysuit.

You’ll feel a bit clumsy and comical for a while, like the famous Michelin Man, and the thick rubber around your neck may seem a little tight at first, but the moment you first dip your face below the surface and an endless, glowing blue abyss opens up beneath you, you’ll only feel a bit cold on your exposed face and fingertips.

It is, however, a fairly pricey and exclusive treat, as prices for basic snorkelling start at the best agencies at roughly 21,000 ISK (about £125) if you have your own transport, on top of which a further compulsory 1,500 ISK is added on site as a small national park fee per swimmer.

Be sure to book your spot many weeks in advance to be safe, and always keep in mind that to be allowed to dive, you and your children (who must be at least 12) have to meet strict and precisely set weight and height limits, so that the suit seals safely in the water.

💡 Tip: It’s worth buying tickets and organised tours (around the Golden Circle and beyond) in advance online via GetYourGuide — in season they fill up fast.

Geysir and Gullfoss: geothermal theatre and the deafening roar of water

From Þingvellir National Park, an easy, empty road takes us about sixty kilometres further east, straight to the amazing Haukadalur geothermal area, which literally bubbles and hisses underfoot.

Here you’ll see up close, with your own eyes, just how enormous and wild a force this restless land hides just beneath its thin surface, and then, only a few kilometres further downstream, you’ll be utterly deafened by one of the most impressive and mighty waterfalls in all of Europe.

These two stunning stops are really close together, so getting between them takes just a moment and you can focus fully and stress-free on the unbelievable, untamed natural beauty all around you.

3. The Haukadalur geothermal area and the reliable Strokkur

From a fair distance away as you arrive, you’ll safely see mighty columns of hot white steam rising into the sky, and the moment you step out of the car you’ll catch that characteristic sulphurous odour strongly reminiscent of rotten eggs, which somehow belongs inseparably and romantically to Iceland’s raw nature.

This huge, bubbling, colourful area is the original home of the majestic Great Geysir, which in its best years spouted boiling water to a tremendous height and ultimately gave its proud name to every spouting geyser in the world.

Today, though, this legendary old gentleman rests quietly most of the time, waking from his deep sleep only very rarely and unexpectedly after really large local earthquakes, so the biggest and most photographed star of the whole fenced enclosure is his considerably smaller but all the more reliable and energetic brother named Strokkur.

Strokkur really won’t keep you waiting impatiently for his show, because roughly every five to ten minutes he forms a huge, glowing turquoise bubble in the quiet crater, which then explodes with a tremendous roar and hurls boiling water a full fifteen to thirty metres high into the air, to the amazement of everyone watching.

Be sure to position yourself cleverly and downwind in good time, though, or after a moment you’ll be in for a very unwanted and rather unpleasant hot shower — and please, under all circumstances, properly respect the safety ropes lining all the paths.

The water in the inconspicuous nearby pools routinely reaches temperatures above 80 °C, and the weary local rescuers apparently treat needlessly burned, overly curious tourists here every single year — people who foolishly thought it was a good spot for a quick temperature test with a bare finger.

Parking at the nearby modern visitor centre, as well as access to the viewing area by the springs, are fortunately completely free, no exceptions — just keep a tight grip on your wallet in one of the largest and by far most expensive gift and souvenir shops on the island, which you’re forced to wander slowly through on the way to the warm toilets.

4. Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall

Just ten minutes of brisk driving from the bubbling geysers, the true and utterly spectacular finale of the classic Golden Circle awaits you obediently — and it’s also my huge, lifelong personal favourite.

The incredibly mighty and deafening double waterfall Gullfoss, lovingly nicknamed the Golden Waterfall by locals, plunges in two stunning, steep cascades straight into a thirty-two-metre-deep, incredibly narrow rocky canyon carved by the fierce Hvítá river.

The sight, from right up close, of that enormous, unstoppable mass of glacial water — whose monstrous flow reaches an unbelievable and frankly terrifying 140 cubic metres per second in summer — simply takes the breath away from every newcomer.

The air throughout the valley is constantly and densely filled with refreshing spray because of the enormous impact of the water, so a quality waterproof jacket will come in extremely handy even when the sun is shining beautifully (which, incidentally, is why you’ll almost always see a gorgeous, vivid rainbow here through the dense droplets).

When you stand here today in utter awe and feel the whole soaked earth literally vibrating beneath your tired feet, it’s very hard to believe the sad fact that at the very start of the twentieth century, wealthy foreign investors wanted to destroy this unique natural waterfall forever and build a giant, ugly commercial hydroelectric plant here.

It was saved single-handedly by the incredibly brave local farmer’s daughter Sigríður Tómasdóttir, who boldly and loudly threatened to throw herself straight into the roaring, freezing water — and with the expert help of the enthusiastic lawyer Sveinn Björnsson, who, as it happens, eventually became the very first president of an independent Iceland, she miraculously won that long and extraordinarily complex court battle.

Today, two main, well-maintained paths lead very comfortably and safely to the stunning waterfall from two free, spacious car parks. The more comfortable one takes you to a breathtaking upper panoramic viewpoint by the restaurant, while the other, slightly more adventurous one, leads down wet steps right to the very edge of the roaring water, where you’re guaranteed to get a fair bit wetter.

Bonus stops: what else to see when you have time

If you’ve set off on your dream trip really sensibly and smartly, nice and early in the morning, or if you’ve planned a whole long summer day with plenty of daylight for this fantastic excursion, it would be a huge shame to limit yourself to just the famous big three sights.

On the way back to the busy capital you can quite easily add a few more fantastic places to your packed itinerary, where the ubiquitous crowds aren’t nearly so dense and you can enjoy captivating, raw Iceland in much greater, more pleasant peace.

5. The Kerið crater with its turquoise lake

Right by the main, busy road number 35 you’ll come across the utterly stunning, almost three-million-year-old Kerið volcanic crater, which unfortunately, unlike many other natural wonders, isn’t entirely free — but the entry fee fortunately sits at just a symbolic 700 ISK (about £4), which you’ll pay without batting an eye at the little wooden hut by the entrance.

The crater is utterly fascinating and exceptional at first glance because its remarkably deep-red, sharp volcanic walls contrast so strikingly with the deep, completely opaque, aquamarine-blue colour of the still little lake resting peacefully and motionless at its very bottom.

We stopped here with undisguised enthusiasm on the second tiring day of our trip together, and the whole easy, relaxed walk right along the high upper rim of the majestic crater took us about twenty minutes, full of amazing views over the landscape.

Anyone with a much greater urge to explore and who doesn’t mind a bit of effort on the way back can confidently head down the well-maintained wooden steps and go all the way down right to the calm surface of the colourful water.

A hugely interesting and unexpected curiosity of this mystical place is the fact that, thanks to the perfect shape and complete enclosure of the whole space, the acoustics inside are so fantastic and powerful that occasional, very rare chamber concerts are held on the little lake — and in the past, to the great delight of fans, even the famous Björk sang here from a small raft floating right in the middle of the icy water.

Lukáš and Lucie recommend

Where to Stay on the Golden Circle in Iceland

6 accommodations — hotels, wellness hotels and other lodging options

⭐ TOP CHOICE 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Selfoss

Hotel in the town of Selfoss, which is the best and most strategic base for thoroughly exploring the circle. Excellent spa hotel for relaxation.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏡 Hostel

Héraðsskólinn Hostel

Accommodation in picturesque Laugarvatn, located right in the beating heart of the entire circle on the shore of a peaceful lake.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

The Hill Hotel

Beautiful accommodation in picturesque and very popular Flúðir near natural thermal springs.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability ⭐ Luxury

Hótel Geysir

More luxurious hotel located literally just steps away from the bubbling thermal fields. Absolute top choice for anyone who wants to be first at the attractions.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hotel Selfoss spa

Excellent spa hotel in the town of Selfoss where you can relax. One of the best bases for exploring the Golden Circle.

★★★★ from 30,000 to 50,000 ISK/night

Check availability 🔍 Search

View all accommodations on the Golden Circle in Iceland

Explore all available accommodation options on the Golden Circle in Iceland and find the best one according to your preferences and budget.

★★★★ Compare prices

Check availability

6. A soak in the Secret Lagoon or Hrunalaug

Warming your thoroughly chilled, frozen bones after a full day of demanding, exhausting walking in the cold, relentless wind is an absolute evening necessity in Iceland — and instead of the unbelievably overpriced and usually hopelessly overcrowded Blue Lagoon, we warmly and sincerely recommend heading for the inconspicuous little village of Flúðir.

This is where the fantastic Secret Lagoon, or Gamla Laugin, is cleverly hidden — the very oldest swimming pool on the entire island, built from stone way back in 1891, where the crystal-clear water sits at a wonderfully pleasant and relaxing 38 to 40 °C all year round.

Around the large pool, several more very small hot springs — and even one tiny active geyser — bubble away cheerfully and loudly, so it ends up being a far more authentic, calmer and more rustic experience than any sterile, luxurious modern spa on the coast. Entry costs, by Iceland’s hard standards, a pleasant 3,000 to 4,500 ISK, and for children under fourteen it’s completely free — just be sure to buy your tickets in advance on the official Secret Lagoon website.

I just sincerely and urgently ask you to remember carefully, and without any back-talk, that sacred and absolutely unbreakable Icelandic cultural rule known as Sundlaug etiquette, which applies very strictly to all local village pools and hot springs without the slightest exception.

Before you even try to discreetly slip into your favourite swimwear in the corner, it is your absolutely strict and uncompromising duty to shower in the open communal washrooms completely naked and, using plenty of liquid soap, very thoroughly wash your entire body from head to toe — something the rather funny and very explicit diagrams hanging on almost every wall of the damp changing rooms will clearly guide you through at every step.

For the sake of health and nature, Iceland’s traditional pools use the absolute bare minimum of chlorine and chemicals, so the cleanliness of the water depends entirely on the cleanliness of the bathers themselves. If you try to shyly and secretly shower in your swimwear, the ever-vigilant, no-nonsense local lifeguards will mercilessly chase you out, loudly — and you’ll have made an enormous international fool of yourself.

7. Brúarfoss, the bluest waterfall

If you genuinely love a rich turquoise colour and don’t mind sacrificing a little extra walking and time, definitely mark a stop on your downloaded map at the fascinating Brúarfoss waterfall, which is quite rightly and not at all exaggeratedly nicknamed the bluest waterfall in all of vast Iceland.

The water here flows incredibly wildly and loudly through a dark, very narrow volcanic rift, and its unusual colour is in fact so incredibly bright and vivid that after watching for a while you might even start to doubt whether someone local has secretly poured in some very strong, toxic chemical dye in the night.

It used to be reached only by a fairly long, roughly three-and-a-half-kilometre route through unpleasant, often muddy terrain, but today there’s fortunately, to the great delight of the lazy, a brand-new and much closer maintained car park, where you’ll pay a small fee of around 750 ISK after parking, but in return you’ll save yourself a huge amount of time and plenty of tired, wet steps.

8. Faxi waterfall and peace without the crowds

Just about twelve kilometres of very easy, flat driving from the enormous and sometimes uncomfortably overcrowded Gullfoss, the lovely and fairly wide Faxi waterfall hides quite inconspicuously. It doesn’t come anywhere close to the staggering dimensions of its far more famous colleague, but it does offer you something much rarer and more beautiful with certainty — wonderful calm and a vast, quiet sense of ease.

The vast majority of large, time-bound coach tours from Reykjavík completely and gladly ignore this amazing, magical place for timing reasons, so you can stroll the paths here at your own pace and in peace, take gorgeous, original photos from up close, and enjoy the babbling, falling water without anyone constantly and accidentally elbowing you while trying to grab the best possible selfie.

A short stop at the water here will take you barely ten to fifteen relaxed minutes of actual time, and as another huge, not-insignificant bonus you won’t pay any entry fee or annoying parking charge at all — which, in the middle of very expensive Iceland, is always a real pleasure.

9. The Reykjadalur hot river

If at the very end of a long, packed day you still have plenty of energy left in your legs and really don’t fancy paying hefty sums to enter the artificially enclosed, crowded commercial thermal baths with their tiles, you can happily make a fantastic detour a little further to the town of Hveragerði, from where a stunning and at times steep trail leads straight to the wild hot river called Reykjadalur.

The hike, climbing steadily over picturesque and occasionally windy hills, will reliably take you about an hour and a half of brisk walking one way, but at its very end a genuine, unspoiled natural fantasy awaits you for sure — a wild and beautiful river, steadily and strongly warmed at the bottom by nearby geothermal activity, into which you can plunge completely free of charge any time, without a worry.

Lukáš and I absolutely love and adore that unrepeatable feeling of total freedom when you lie wearily in the hot flowing water right in the middle of endless, deep-green hills with the grey island clouds constantly racing overhead — you just have to brace yourself bravely for the fact that the inevitable change into swimwear happens right outside in the incredibly freezing wind, and the only place to hide is behind some really flimsy, draughty wooden screens.

Where to eat: a paradise for vegetarians and ice-cream lovers

When Lukáš and I were in expensive Iceland for the very first time, we travelled in a really tight low-budget, student mode, and as committed, dyed-in-the-wool vegetarians we cautiously brought a large part of our non-perishable food from home, or happily cooked cheaply for ourselves on long evenings from our modest shopping done right after landing.

Today, though, the amazing and ever-growing food scene along the sprawling Golden Circle offers several absolute culinary gems you mustn’t accidentally miss, which will reliably satisfy both keen lovers of fragrant vegetables and those still vainly searching for those classic meaty delights at an at least somewhat reasonable, acceptable price.

10. The Friðheimar tomato farm

This incredibly fragrant, warm and magical place is simply an utter, genuine gourmet dream for just about every enthusiastic vegetarian travelling the world.

The wonderful family farm Friðheimar grows beautifully juicy, red tomatoes with enormous love and care in vast, gloriously sunlit greenhouses, which in the harsh climate are heated entirely ecologically and cleanly all year round by the ever-present local geothermal energy — and right in the middle of this incredible green paradise the owners have cleverly opened an immensely popular and renowned restaurant.

Their greatest pride and best-known island speciality is the absolutely fantastic, thick homemade tomato soup, which after paying you ladle into bowls completely unlimited and as you please from the constantly bubbling hot buffet, together with incredibly fresh, crusty, fragrant bread, proper homemade butter and a wonderfully refreshing, delicate cucumber salsa.

The two of us simply can’t help ourselves in this place and eat so much of the good stuff with such gusto that we can barely roll ourselves down the path to the car afterwards, because the whole unique feast takes place right among hundreds of grown tomato plants, helpful imported bumblebees occasionally buzz cheerfully and loudly past your head, and that warm, family atmosphere is simply indescribable.

The varied menu naturally also offers plenty of fully vegan and excellent vegetarian options, very delicate and wonderful stuffed ravioli, and for the brave they even make highly unusual desserts from deep-green tomatoes, which taste surprisingly great and fresh.

Just be really careful about the fact that the farm is usually only open for a short window over lunch, from around 11:30 to about 16:00, and without a timely, confirmed reservation sent via their official email you don’t stand the slightest chance of getting a table here in summer, because the greenhouses are constantly bursting at the seams under the onslaught of eager tourists from all over the world.

11. Finishing with homemade ice cream at the Efstidalur farm

Just a short distance from the powerfully bubbling geysers, on a quiet turn-off, lies the incredibly charming and honest family dairy farm called Efstidalur, where you essentially have to drop in for at least a moment if an unconquerable craving for something really, really good and sweet strikes you along the way.

For visitors’ delight, the owners have a lovely, cosy café cleverly connected to a huge transparent glass window in the floor, through which you can watch — completely undisturbed and in the dry, right while sipping your hot coffee — down into the perfectly clean cow barn and amusedly observe the contented local cows chewing their fresh hay.

They make absolutely phenomenal and one hundred percent genuine homemade ice cream there, produced exclusively from their own fresh milk, and trust me, if you happen to be travelling Iceland with tired and grumpy children, after all those dull geological phenomena and roaring cold waterfalls this will clearly and safely be their absolute favourite stop of the whole long day — one they’ll look forward to.

12. Cheap shopping at Bónus and the classic hot dog

For all travellers who want to save at least a little on food during their trip, the absolute and essential basic is the huge and very popular Icelandic supermarket Bónus, which in towns you’ll reliably and instantly recognise from a great distance by its giant bright-yellow logo with the odd pink pig, and where you’ll safely pick up by far the cheapest food supplies on the whole island before you even start the car and set off from Reykjavík.

Ordinary, average main meals at the nice classic restaurants dotted along the sights easily start at unpleasant prices from 2,500 to 4,000 ISK, so your own filled rolls or snacks will save you a really substantial amount of money for your stretched travel budget over the whole trip.

Bear firmly in mind, too, that buying overpriced bottled water in plastic is, from both nature’s and your wallet’s point of view, an absolute and enormous sin in Iceland, because the perfectly ordinary, clear local tap water is perfectly clean, purely glacial and tastes a hundred times better than anything stale you’ll find sitting on the shelves of petrol-station shops.

For meat lovers there’s of course one absolutely classic, very cheap and immensely popular Icelandic island gastronomic experience with a long tradition — the simple, quick hot dog proudly known locally as the pylsa, which here is surprisingly made from a rather interesting mix of proper lamb, pork and beef trimmings.

You can buy it reliably at essentially every larger, busier petrol station of the well-known local N1 chain along your whole route for an agreeable and acceptable 820 ISK or so, and all local connoisseurs, and even foreign guides, unanimously claim it’s best and safest to order it “with everything” (correctly, in Icelandic, “eina með öllu”), which in translation means they’ll generously bury it on the counter under both fried and crunchy raw onion and douse it lavishly and without warning in thick ketchup, spicy remoulade and traditional sweet Icelandic mustard.

13. Warm soup in the warmth at Gullfoss waterfall

When you’ve frozen right through to the bone at the railing while frantically photographing that enormous, icy mass of falling water in the mist, there’s a huge and at first glance very pleasant self-service heated café with a lovely panoramic view right in the large modern visitor centre by the Gullfoss waterfall itself.

In the kitchen they specialise mainly in the very traditional, renowned and very thick Icelandic meat-and-vegetable soup, for which crowds of enthusiastic tourists flock straight in from the cold, but as committed vegetarians we treated ourselves with great joy and gratitude in the corner to at least some fragrant fresh soft bread, a giant cup full of hot tea and absolutely delicious sweet fresh pastries, which instantly and reliably gave us the missing, much-needed energy for further hours of demanding scurrying about outside in the wind.

Where to go next in Iceland

The Golden Circle is a beautiful start and the perfect place to learn how travelling in Iceland works. Once you’ve got it behind you, I recommend heading further south or exploring the capital. Here are some more of our articles that will come in handy:

• What to see in Reykjavík: 15 places worth visiting
• Iceland’s South Coast: what to see and experience
• 16 of the best hot springs in Iceland (that are truly worth it)
• When to go to Iceland? A big guide to the climate

Frequently asked questions

When you leave behind the dramatic, breathtaking, but utterly tourist-packed south of the island and turn the wheel onto Route 1 heading northeast, the landscape suddenly takes a deep breath. Traffic thins out, the crowds at the waterfalls disappear, and you find yourself in a world ruled by endless bays, steep mountains and absolute calm. Welcome to the east fjords of Iceland, a place plenty of travellers blindly drive straight through, but one we fell head over heels for from the very first moment.

Lukáš and I explored the east fjords of Iceland on the sixth and seventh days of our autumn road trip, right at the turn of September and October, and we still think back fondly on that isolated beauty. While down south we sometimes had to dodge tour buses at the landmarks, up here we had loads of spots entirely to ourselves. I was fascinated by how the tarmac winds endlessly along the deep bays, and how every new bend reveals a view even prettier than the last.

In this article you’ll find 12 things to see and do in the east fjords. We’ll look at gorgeous basalt canyons, I’ll show you the most adorable little arts town, and I’ll tell you where to spot tame puffins or wild reindeer. I’ll also throw in practical info on where to base yourself strategically, what prices look like right now, and why you should pay close attention to which side of the river you pick for your trip. Let’s dive in! ☺️

TL;DR

• Base for day trips: The best strategic point for exploring the eastern part of the island is the town of Egilsstaðir, where you’ll find supermarkets and the main roads cross.
• Prettiest little town: You absolutely can’t miss Seyðisfjörður, about 30 minutes from Egilsstaðir over a mountain pass. This is home to the famous rainbow street and a little blue church.
• Natural wonder: The Stuðlagil basalt canyon with its turquoise water is a huge draw — just make sure you park on the eastern side, where you can walk right down to the river.
• Wildlife: Wild reindeer live only in this region, and in summer (until mid-August) you’ll find a huge colony of tame puffins in Borgarfjörður eystri.
• Bathing: Our favourite thermal experience is the luxurious Laugarfell pools, or you can try the modern floating Vök Baths right next to Egilsstaðir.

When to Go and How to Get There

The main artery is the famous Route 1, better known as the Ring Road. You can reach the east either via the long drive from the south coast past stunning black beaches and glacier lagoons, or from the north near Lake Mývatn — and both routes are an incredible experience in their own right. Just bear in mind that looping around the individual bays eats up a lot of time, because there’s simply no way to cut a fjord short.

The ideal time to visit is of course the Icelandic summer, June to August, when all the roads are easily passable, the days are endlessly long, and you can watch the much-loved puffins. We drove the east coast in early October, which had the huge advantage of hardly any tourists and gorgeous autumn colours — but we missed the birds, which fly out to sea in August.

If you’re planning a winter trip, always check the official Icelandic road website before every drive, because mountain passes (like Route 93 to Seyðisfjörður) are often closed due to snow.

On top of that, from 2026 Iceland has introduced a new per-kilometre tax for passenger cars of 6.95 ISK (around £0.04) for every kilometre driven. Your rental company will likely bill you for this when you return the car, though on the upside the price of petrol at the pumps has dropped by a noticeable amount.

A special warning for August 2026, when a total solar eclipse will be visible from the east and other parts of the island. Tourist mayhem is expected, so if you want to travel during this exact window, book everything well in advance — easily a year and a half ahead.

Where to Stay and How Much It Costs

The logistical and practical hub of the entire east is, without question, the town of Egilsstaðir. It probably won’t win any awards for beautiful architecture, but you’ll find everything you need to survive in the rugged wilderness. We used this town as the launchpad for all our surrounding day trips, stocking up at the big Bónus and Nettó supermarkets and filling up on petrol, because further along the coast prices for everything climb sharply.

Lukáš and I never camped during our trip around Iceland, because we like our comfort and a bit of warmth in the evening. We always slept in guesthouses, hostels or small apartments that had access to a shared or private kitchenette. That’s by far the best way to save a fortune on food in Iceland.

Every evening we cooked our own hot dinners at the accommodation, prepped snacks for the next day, and made a thermos of hot tea — without which we probably wouldn’t have survived those windy days. A night in a nice guesthouse in Egilsstaðir will set you back roughly 17,000 to 25,000 ISK (around £100 to £150) for two people, although if you book your stay well in advance you can find cheaper rooms too.

💡 Specific accommodation tips (check prices and availability on Booking, and book early — in high season and around the 2026 eclipse they vanish months ahead):

• Lake Hotel Egilsstaðir (Egilsstaðir)
• Hótel Stuðlagil (Egilsstaðir)
• Hótel Aldan (Seyðisfjörður)
• Blábjörg Guesthouse (Borgarfjörður eystri)

Besides Egilsstaðir, you can also stay right in one of the romantic fjords. You’ll find lovely little hotels in the village of Seyðisfjörður, where prices start from around 21,000 ISK (about £125) and up. And if you come in summer mainly to watch the puffins, I’d recommend spending a night in the hamlet of Bakkagerði in the Borgarfjörður eystri area. Just be aware that capacity is very limited in these tiny villages, and in peak season the rooms vanish at lightning speed.

The Prettiest Towns and Villages in the East

The first batch of our tips focuses on the places where people actually live. The east fjords are dotted with small fishing settlements that huddle beneath steep mountainsides, often reached by just a single winding road. Most of them have only a few hundred residents, a modest harbour, and an utterly unmistakable atmosphere you won’t easily find anywhere else on the island.

1. Seyðisfjörður and Its Famous Rainbow Street

When we checked into our place in Egilsstaðir fairly early in the afternoon on day six, we realised we still had heaps of time, so we hopped back in the car and set off over the mountains to Seyðisfjörður.

It’s about a 30-minute drive along Route 93, and the journey itself is an experience, since you climb over the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass to over 600 metres above sea level before dropping steeply down into the bay. Incidentally, this is exactly the road Ben Stiller bombed down on a longboard in the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Seyðisfjörður is home to just under 700 residents, yet it feels like the cultural heart of the entire east. Here you’ll find the famous Rainbow Street, which leads you straight to the beautiful little blue church, Bláa kirkjan.

The town is full of small galleries, charming cafés and a bohemian vibe. On top of that, the big Norröna ferry arrives here from Hirtshals in Denmark, so when the ship docks, the number of people in the streets triples for a few hours. Definitely make time for a coffee and just wander among the old wooden houses.

2. Reyðarfjörður and the Hike up Mount Grænafell

If you fancy a slightly more active kind of rest, head to the town of Reyðarfjörður, which sits on the shore of the longest fjord on the entire east coast. The town itself is known mainly for its industrial history and an aluminium smelter, but we came here for the nature and set off on an easy hike up Mount Grænafell, which rises right above the centre.

The hike took us about two hours at a pleasant pace, and our reward was a breathtaking view over the whole elongated fjord and the surrounding peaks. The trail starts off fairly steeply uphill and weaves through a small wood (which is a huge rarity in Iceland, by the way) before opening out onto more exposed plains. It’s an ideal stop to stretch your legs when you’ve had enough of sitting in the car.

3. Neskaupstaður and a Slightly Disappointing Cave

Our next destination in the east was Iceland’s easternmost town, Neskaupstaður, which you reach by working your way through a long tunnel. The drive there is absolutely stunning — sheep graze along the roadside and the mountains plunge straight into the icy ocean. The town itself has a pretty little harbour and an overall very sleepy, peaceful mood.

We wanted to explore the so-called Easter cave Páskahellir, which lies on the coast just past the town. And here I have to be completely honest — for us it was a bit of a letdown 😅. We’d expected something far more epic, but in reality it was just a small hole in the rock, reached by a fairly muddy and slippery path.

If you’ve got a really packed itinerary and you’re pressed for time, in my opinion you can skip this spot with a clear conscience and save your energy for the other gems of this rugged region.

4. Djúpivogur and the Granite Eggs in the Harbour

If you’re driving up the Ring Road from the south, your first major stop in the east will probably be the village of Djúpivogur. This little town is proud of its Cittaslow certification, which means everything here is done slowly, with quality, and with respect for tradition and the environment. You can really feel it — nobody’s in a hurry and a perfect sense of calm reigns everywhere.

The main attraction that usually draws tourists off the road is the artwork Eggin í Gleðivík, stretching along the coast near the harbour. It’s a row of 34 oversized granite eggs, each one representing a species of bird that nests in the area. It’s a great spot for a short stroll, and just nearby you can grab an excellent hot coffee and watch the fishing boats bobbing on the waves.

💡 Tip: It pays to book tickets and organised tours (around Iceland and beyond) in advance online through GetYourGuide — they fill up fast in season.

Natural Wonders, Waterfalls and Stunning Canyons

The east isn’t just about towns, of course — it hides some of the most beautiful natural scenery we saw anywhere on the island. Compared with the famous Golden Circle or the south coast, there’s a far more raw, lonely atmosphere here that makes these places genuinely special. Whether you’re after turquoise rivers or thundering waterfalls, the east fjords certainly won’t let you down with their wonders.

5. The Stuðlagil Basalt Canyon

This is, without exaggeration, one of the most photogenic spots on the entire island — and one that, as it happens, was only revealed relatively recently. For decades this massive basalt canyon lay hidden beneath a raging glacial river, but when a nearby hydroelectric plant was completed in 2009, the water level dropped and exposed an incredible wall of geometrically precise hexagonal basalt columns, between which brilliantly turquoise water now flows.

When visiting, you need to pay very close attention to which side of the river you choose for your trip. The western side offers quick access and newly built steps up to a viewing platform, where you’ll also find toilets and a small food truck — but you can’t get down to the river from there.

We always recommend parking on the eastern side, from where you do have to walk about 40 minutes along a stony path, but it’s the only way to climb right down into the heart of the canyon and touch the icy water. Either way, you’ll pay 1,000 ISK (about £6) for parking, which you can easily sort out via the popular Parka app.

6. The Impressive Hengifoss Waterfall

While the south of Iceland boasts the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, the east has its own pride and joy — the Hengifoss waterfall. At 128 metres tall, it’s the third-highest waterfall on the island, but what makes it truly unique isn’t just the height — it’s the wall the water tumbles over. The black basalt here is laced with vivid red layers of clay, which, combined with the roaring water, looks downright magical.

We headed here on the seventh day of our road trip, and the walk up from the car park took us about half an hour at a brisker uphill pace, though most guides quote around 45 to 90 minutes one way.

It depends a lot on your fitness and how much you stop to soak it all in, because roughly halfway up you pass another, smaller but all the more interesting waterfall, Litlanesfoss, beautifully framed by perfect basalt columns. Definitely wear sturdy shoes, as the trail can get properly slippery after rain.

Lukáš and Lucie recommend

Where to stay in the East Fjords of Iceland

5 accommodations — hotels and other lodging options

⭐ TOP CHOICE 🏨 Hotel

Lake Hotel Egilsstaðir

Hotel in Egilsstaðir, the strategic center of the East Fjords with good facilities for excursions. The town offers Bónus and Nettó supermarkets, gas stations, and is located by Lake Lagarfljót.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Stuðlagil

Hotel in Egilsstaðir, ideal as a base for exploring the East Fjords. The town is the logistical center of the region, from where you can set out on all surrounding excursions.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

Hótel Aldan

Hotel in the romantic town of Seyðisfjörður with its famous rainbow street and blue church. The village has a bohemian atmosphere, galleries, and cafés. Prices from 21,000 ISK (approx. €135).

★★★★ from 21,000 ISK/night (approx. €135)

Check availability 🏡 Guesthouse

Blábjörg Guesthouse

Guesthouse in the settlement of Bakkagerði in the Borgarfjörður eystri area, ideal for puffin watching (from late April to mid-August). Accommodation capacity in this small village is quite limited.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🔍 Search

View all accommodations in the East Fjords of Iceland

Explore all available accommodation options in the East Fjords of Iceland and find the best one according to your preferences and budget.

★★★★ Compare prices

Check availability

7. Lake Lagarfljót and the Icelandic Monster

When you check in at Egilsstaðir, you’ll definitely notice the huge, murky lake that stretches alongside the entire town. It’s called Lake Lagarfljót, and for Icelanders it holds a significance similar to Scotland’s Loch Ness. With a deadly serious face, the locals will tell you the legend of a giant lake worm named Lagarfljótsormurinn, whose first recorded sighting dates all the way back to 1345.

I can’t promise you’ll actually spot the monster, but the drive along the lake shore is lovely all the same. What’s more, on its eastern bank you’ll find Hallormsstaður forest, which by Icelandic standards is a huge rarity, since the island is otherwise almost completely bare thanks to ancient deforestation. The trees here smell wonderful, and it’s a great spot for a short rest or a snack from your own supplies.

8. The Majestic Mount Snæfell

Throughout our wanderings in the east, we kept admiring a huge, solitary mountain that watched over the whole landscape from afar. Mount Snæfell, which fittingly translates as “Snow Mountain”, stands at 1,833 metres — the highest mountain in Iceland outside of the glaciers, even though its summit is covered in a white blanket practically all year round.

We didn’t plan to actually climb it (for that you need real experience, great gear and ideally the summer months), but even just the view of it from the car or the surrounding plains is genuinely captivating. The mountain looks like a giant guardian of the eastern highlands, and at sunset, when its snowy peak turns pink, you won’t know where to point your camera first.

Wildlife and Hot Springs: What Else to Experience Here

Besides the inanimate landscapes, the east also offers fantastic encounters with wildlife and some of the best thermal pools in the country. Because there are fewer tourists here, the animals are calmer and the thermal baths aren’t as hopelessly packed as the famous Blue Lagoon near the airport.

9. Borgarfjörður eystri and the Tame Puffins

If you’re travelling to Iceland between late April and mid-August, you absolutely must not miss the little village of Borgarfjörður eystri. Right beside it, in the harbour of Hafnarhólmi, you’ll find what is probably the very best and most accessible spot for watching adorable puffins on the entire island. Around 10,000 pairs nest here, and the locals have built wooden platforms from which you can watch these little creatures from literally a metre away.

We headed here to explore on the seventh day of our trip (the drive from Egilsstaðir took us about an hour), but because it was already early October, there wasn’t a puffin in sight. The birds had simply flown off to the open sea for the winter, and nothing at all was happening in the village — it was utterly silent and empty.

Outside of the bird season, I’d only recommend this detour to real lovers of remote roads — but in June and July it’s an absolute must.

10. Wild Reindeer by the Roadside

It might surprise you, but the eastern part of Iceland is the only region on the whole island where you can spot wild reindeer in the open. They were brought over from Norway in the 18th century for farming purposes, but the experiment didn’t quite go to plan — the animals went feral, and today several thousand of them roam freely here.

Your best chance of encountering them is along Route 1 on the stretch between the towns of Egilsstaðir and Höfn, especially from autumn to spring, when the snow drives them down from the mountains closer to the coast — sometimes they even lick salt straight off the roads.

We spotted a herd of reindeer right from the car window and it was an amazing experience, but it’s also a reason to be extremely careful. Especially at dusk, keep your eyes peeled while driving, because a collision with a reindeer is really not something you want to be sorting out with the rental company.

11. The Luxurious Laugarfell Thermal Pools

After long walks in the icy Icelandic wind, there’s nothing better than sinking into hot water. So on day seven we set off to the Laugarfell hot springs, which lie on a plateau east of Mount Snæfell. They’re a little way from civilisation and the road to them can get bumpy at times, but it’s worth every single minute of the drive.

Here you’ll find two gorgeous outdoor pools built from natural stone, with water at the ideal temperature for a long soak. While your nose freezes, your body warms up in the hot water and you can just gaze out over the endless tundra all around. It was a truly luxurious bathe that we still remember fondly, because back then we had it almost entirely to ourselves.

12. The Floating Vök Baths

If you’d rather not venture out into the wilderness and prefer a more modern spa setting, head to the Vök Baths, which sit literally five minutes’ drive from Egilsstaðir on Lake Urriðavatn. This place is architecturally stunning, because the thermal pools float right on the surface of the lake. The water — which, by the way, is so clean you can drink it — sits between 37 and 41 degrees Celsius in the pools.

Admission for an adult costs 7,690 ISK (about £45), and especially during the summer season, don’t forget to book your tickets well in advance through their official website, as capacity is understandably limited. We didn’t actually make it here, since we gave preference to the wilder Laugarfell, but we’ve heard nothing but huge praise for these floating baths from plenty of people.

Where to Eat

As I’ve already mentioned, Lukáš and I basically cooked in our accommodation’s kitchenettes the entire time we were in Iceland. Iceland is incredibly expensive, and daily restaurant visits would have reliably wrecked our budget. Since we’re both vegetarians, our diet consisted mainly of pasta, vegetables and excellent local skyr yoghurts, which we bought at Bónus. Even so, sometimes you just need a change and the warmth of a cosy café.

During our visit to Seyðisfjörður we popped into a great arts centre, part of which is Skaftfell Bistro. The atmosphere there is wonderful and they make an excellent vegetarian pizza, which we thoroughly enjoyed after a whole day outdoors.

Another amazing place we discovered near Egilsstaðir is Móðir Jörð. It’s an organic farm and café in one, offering a strong vegetarian menu made from its own produce — we tried a fantastic creamy soup here.

I also have to mention the small food truck on the western side of the Stuðlagil canyon, where you won’t get a full lunch, but their vegetarian soup and a hot coffee in hand will warm you up no end after your walk.

If you’re after acclaimed dining and don’t mind that it’s not a vegetarian recommendation, lots of travellers rave about Norð Austur in Seyðisfjörður. It’s a highly rated restaurant specialising in fresh sushi made from local fish and seafood. They only open during the summer season and a reservation is definitely essential, since the tables tend to be hopelessly booked out far in advance. We naturally gave it a miss given our diet, but its reputation is phenomenal.

Where to Go Next

If our guide to the east fjords has whetted your appetite for exploring more of this magical island, be sure to check out our other articles. In them we’ve written down all our experiences, routes and tips on how to get the most out of your trip:

• The complete guide to Iceland: a summary of everything you need to know before your trip, from renting a car to the weather and packing.
• The Westfjords of Iceland: if you love the calm of the east, the Westfjords — where even fewer tourists venture — will completely win you over.
• The best hot springs in Iceland: our pick of 16 luxurious and secret natural pools, perfect for warming up after a hike.
• How to catch the Northern Lights: practical tips on how and when to watch the aurora, not just in Iceland but across the other Nordic countries too.

To wrap up, let me just repeat our favourite practical recommendations. Lukáš and I have long had good experiences with Booking.com, which we use to book all our accommodation around the world. For renting a car in Iceland we usually use a comparison site like RentalCars, where you can neatly filter for 4×4 models. And we traditionally hunt for cheap flights on Kiwi, our favourite portal for combining different connections. One more tip from us: grab a travel eSIM like Holafly so you stay online for checking road conditions even out in the remote east.

Frequently Asked Questions