Iceland : Unforgettable Activities & Excursions you will love

Iceland, a land of untamed splendor, forbidding and alluring is one of the northernmost modern country to offer such uninhabited beauty in both its icy stillness and its volcanic ash-laden turmoil. The minimum time frame needed for a complete tour around Iceland is two weeks. This means driving all around the island nation on Iceland’s Route #1. In this post you will find the list of the Best things to do in Iceland.

Iceland is an ideal country to go on a Road Trip. Dazzling sunsets and breath-taking waterfalls will force you to stop and take a breather. The icy chilly wind would force you to hug your jacket and push your palms inside the pockets while the sun warms your face as it spreads its artisitic colours on the tufts of clouds over the horizon.

Most travelers who travel to Iceland prefer the southern part of Iceland which includes the Golden Circle. It also connects most of the iconic attractions and natures wonders of Iceland around this region. Northern Iceland is more desolate, uninhabited and isolated. The two main cities of Iceland are Reykjavik, the capital, and Akureyri the largest city in the north. The below map charts the sights and locations we visited in Iceland

The central part of Iceland is the Highlands area and is not navigable from October to May. It is here that Vatnajokull, the second largest glacier of Europe, covering 8100 square Kms is located. To the west lies the capital of Reykjavik, and to the eastern end of the country lies the small fishing harbour town of Hofn.

In case you would be touring Iceland with prebooked agency tours it is better to book in advance. Remember, most of the tours to Iceland are focused around the Golden Circle Tour ( usually 4 – 7 days) with different versions including additional locations. The most comprehensive tour is around 11 days which covers most of central and south Iceland.

Tours to North Iceland are less and not a popular choice in Iceland because of its more challenging nature and scarce human habitats.

Your to do list for Iceland

• EXPLORE THE CITY OF REYKJAVIK
• ENJOY ICELAND’S NATURE UP AND CLOSE
• VISIT THE STUNNING WATERFALLS IN ICELAND
• CHECK OUT THE AMAZING BEACHES AND COASTLINES
• VISIT THE NATIONAL PARKS OF ICELAND
• DO NOT MISS A TRIP TO A GLACIAL LAGOON
• THE MAGICAL ICE CAVE TOURS
• OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN ICELAND

There are a host of things which you can do in Iceland. As part of a travel plan, depending  on the length of your visit, you can enjoy Iceland in all its forms.

EXPLORE THE CITY OF REYKJAVIK

Walk around the city of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Spare a day to spend at the famed Blue-Lagoon in Reykjavik.

ENJOY NATURE UP AND CLOSE

Iceland, with its out of this world backdrops, creates an unforgettable and striking image of beauty and splendor . Well known for its dormant volcanoes, erupting geysers, lofty waterfalls, tranquil lakes, sprawling glaciers and raging oceans, Iceland is not a journey for the faint-hearted or the fancy holidaymaker. Nature is predominant in Iceland. Everywhere you see, you will find nature with both: its beauty and its harshness. The locations which are navigable or reachable and activities which you can take part in are mostly dependent on the weather and the seasons. Some are also dependent on your fitness to undertake such a trip, especially the glacier hiking and volcanic trails.

Iceland is an ideal location for a Road Trip. One can start from Reykjavik, Drive through the Golden Cirle Tour and then move onto the at the southern parts of Iceland. On your way you see stunning waterfalls, natural geysers, National Park, Glaciers, Black beaches around Vik, Glacial LAgoons to the far east and then land at Hofn on the south eastern end of the country before you head back to the capital.

VISIT THE STUNNING WATERFALLS

If you enjoy waterfalls Iceland is the place to be. There are countless waterfalls marked all across Iceland. Stunningly beautiful, Gorgeous and majestic, the waterfalls are a photographer’s delight too. Iceland has some of the most beautiful waterfalls on this planet. The best ones include Godafoss, Dettifoss and  in Northern Iceland, Gulfoss  and Svartifoss somewhere in the centre of Iceland,  Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss in the South. A few of them, namely Gulfoss, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss fall under the Golden Circle Tour of Iceland. Some of them can be driven to, for some you would need to hike a couple of kilometres while some of them are secret and can only be reached by seasoned mountaineers and trekkers.  Seljalandsfoss is the one which also lets you walk behind the water curtain and you can look at the wide horizon from behind the falls.

CHECK OUT THE AMAZING BEACHES AND COASTLINES

Being an Island country, Iceland has a number of beaches well worth a visit. Some of them are for swimming, some for surfing and some such as Reynesfjara are just to enjoy from a distance. With so much volcanic activity around this region, its no wonder that many of the Icelandic Beaches are blackish in colour. The Black beach of Reynesfjara is one of the most photographed beaches in the world. We had been there on a rainy dark day and the force of the waves and the crazy winds made it feel ominous.  The beautiful beach at Vestrahorn on the Eastern Fjords is the most scenic, while the beaches of Sandvik and Grotta near the capital city are the most visited due to their proximity.

VISIT THE NATIONAL PARKS OF ICELAND

The one thing a traveller to Iceland should not miss is an experience of at least one of the many national parks of Iceland. Most of Iceland is part of national parks, and they offer the visitor some of the most delightful experiences of Iceland.  Among the many such parks, the three most well known are the Þingvellir, Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull. These are all maintained by the Environment Agency of Iceland, Umhverfisstofnun. They differ from each other in geology, history and natural attractions.

The Thingvellir National Park is one of the most well frequented parks in Iceland since it falls in the Golden Circle. With an area of 79 sq miles offers you a walk along the tectonic plates which separates Europe from North America. It has been recognized as an UNESCO Heritage Site since 2004. Based on the season, you can take part in Camping, fishing or horse riding in this National Park. Rates are available at the Park’s web site. This park also has a rich history of a thousand years back when the main tribes and their chieftains used to meet for settling disputes and other matters.  Campgrounds inside the park stay open from June to September.

The Vatnajökull National Park is the largest national park of Iceland, and encompasses the whole glacier of Vatnajokull, the largest one in Europe. This park presently covers around 14000 sq kms of land and beneath its frozen cover runs a hot volatile kitchen of the earth.There are more than twenty glacial fingers feeding off Vatnajokull and melting into flowing rivers or lakes . This park is only navigable during summer when it is safe for vehicles to play the treacherous terrain of the park.

Snæfellsjökull National Park  is Iceland in miniature. Located on the North western side of the island, it is the smallest park with the widest range of nature attractions. Also revered as a spiritual energy centre of the earth, Mount Kirkjufell  and the Vatnshellir Cave are the locations mentioned by Jules Verne in his book ” Journey to the centre of the earth”.  The Vatnshellir Lava Caves would probably make you feel such. This national park extends to the seas, and  lies closest to Reykjavik which is less than 200 kms away

TRIP TO A GLACIAL LAGOON

Jokulsarlon is a glacial lagoon situated in the south-est corner of Iceland. About 350 kms from the capital, Jokulsarlon should be a must-see item in your Iceland Tour. While in the summer you can take a boat ride on the lake, in the winter you can check out the colours of the mammoth ice blocks slowly decked around the lagoon. A view of penguins playing and lazing on those ice blacks is a sure sight

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN ICELAND

A multitude of outdoor activities are available, but most of them are pretty pricey. Glacier walk, Ice Cave tour, back-country skiing,snowmobiling are common winter activities. Highlands driving, whale watching, Icelandic horse-riding and glacier-lake boat rides are summer activities. Glacier and Ice cave walks are undertaken with a local mountaineering guide and available till end of March. Whale watching and boat tours at Jokulsarlon takes place only when the water in the lagoon melts, and allows the boats to ply.

THE MAGICAL GLACIER HIKES & ICE CAVE TOURS

Approxiamately 11% of Iceland being covered with glaciers, Iceland OFFERS fantastic options for Ice Cave tours and Glacier Hikes . But remember all such tours need to be undertaken with an experienced and accredited hiking expert or agencies.

The Ice Cave tours are a peek into the magnificent World of Ice inside a cave. These are naturally occurring ice caves, and looks like a giant rooms with crystal clear blue ice ceilings. Also referred to as Crystal Cave Tours, these ice cave tours are mostly available during the winter months from November and run till the mid of March. These ice cave tours are not available during the summer months.

There are glacier hikes available in Iceland, prominently around the Solheimajokull and the Vatnajökull glaciers. The Solheimajokull glacier is a 2 hour trip from Reykjavik, the capital and can be done as a day tour.

The Vatnajökull glacier is further away and is the central south of Iceland, inside the Vatnajökull National Park, the largest protected area in Europe. They mostly start fro Skaftafell which is a 4-hour drive from Reykjavík.

Glacial hikes need to be experienced in the company of any accredited local guide or with the help of an agency. Both government and local agencies help in planning out a glacier hike expedition. There are restrictions of age and height for undertaking such a tour. These tours comes with all related hiking gear which includes shoes, helmets, harness, crampons, ice pick, ropes torch lights. The tours can be short or long depending upon the weather conditions, availability of hiking slots and guides. The guides or experts also gives a safety lesson on what to do and what not to do. They also advice on safety rules and regulations of the park.