Top Iceland hotels
Hallgrimskirkja Reykjavík
53 Reviews There is a statue in front of Hallgrímskirkja church of Leifur Eiríksson or "Leif the Lucky". Amercians gave us this statue of Leifur Eiríksson. Leifur was the son of Eirik the Red and was born at...
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Blue Lagoon Reykjavík Region
38 Reviews cont'd from tip 1): There is one parking space, one entrance (smack in the middle of lava fields, so sneaking in from anywhere is at your own peril!), a reception where the questions are how many...
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Perlan - The Pearl Reykjavík
19 Reviews Öskjuhlíð hill is the hill around Perlan - it is a true gem in the middle of Reykjavik and a very popular outdoor area. Reykjavík - and Iceland on the whole - hasn't got many trees or forests so...
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Glaciers/ Geysers/ Waterfalls Reykjavík Region
29 Reviews I cannot believe that back in the 1920s these falls were nearly destroyed - that would have been criminal! They are raw and powerful, massive and mighty. There is a double cascade and the water drops...
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Blue Lagoon Reykjavík
15 Reviews After you go in there are mens and womens changing rooms that are very nice and there are locks on all the lockers and they give you towels and robes. You are required to take a shower naked before...
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Hallgrimskirkja Reykjavík Region
29 Reviews Worth a visit to this unusual modern cathedral that dominates the skyline of the city. Take the lift to the top for great views across the city and harbour. It is extremely windy up there and in the...
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Lake Tjornin Reykjavík
21 Reviews Lake Tjornin is a lovely lake right in the center of Reykjavík; it's a natural feature, which has been there since earliest times, and it's a haven for ducks (and other water birds) and those who...
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Sculpture/ Statues Reykjavík Region
8 Reviews In Reykjavik shorefront, not far from the city center -- nothing is far from anything in Reykjavik -- sits a commanding Viking ship statue. Made of metal, this modernised version of the ships Vikings...
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Golden Circle Tour Reykjavík
13 Reviews It is a circle of sights that is most achievable in one day out of Reykjavik. I did the golden circle and then drove on as far as Hella - this was a perfect distance and amount of sight seeing in one...
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Whale Watching Reykjavík Region
7 Reviews There are plenty of possibilities for whale watching on Iceland, and the sea outside Reykjavik is considered a good place for it. I went on the Hafsulan boat ran by Reykavik Whale Safari and Puffin...
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Sólfarið - The Sun Voyager Reykjavík
12 Reviews Reykjavík is surrounded by sea and we have many beautiful waterfronts. The northern waterfront is a popular place for jogging and strolling. From there you have a great view of Esjan, which is...
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Swimming Reykjavík Region
5 Reviews Reykjavík has many exterior geothermal pools, but Árbæjarlaug is by far our favourite. Located on the outskirts of Reykjavík, this modern complex has, along with the traditional swimming pool, a steam...
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Churches Reykjavík
16 Reviews The church at Bessastaðir is right in front of the Presidential residence in Álftanes area. The church is open for visitors. A church was first built there in the year 1000, but the current church...
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Buildings Reykjavík Region
14 Reviews The Nordic Culture House in Reykjavík was opened in 1968. The house was designed by the world famous Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto (1898-1976). He even designed the furniture in the café...
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National Museum of Iceland Reykjavík
10 Reviews The National Museum conserves a varied selection of relics that testify to the cultural history of the Icelandic nation. It is an extremely interesting museum on 3 floors displaying all kinds of...
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Icelandic Ponies Reykjavík Region
5 Reviews Best I describe my experience and then leave you the details. Fancying a nice, gentle Icelandic horse ride across a romantic lava field with snow possibly gently fluttering down around us, I booked...
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Radhus - City Hall Reykjavík
10 Reviews Our City hall is located in the pond "Tjörnin" really. It was inaugurated on April 14, 1992 and not everybody here was happy about this location and it caused a lot of controversy, but now the nation...
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City views Reykjavík Region
11 Reviews For some of the best views of Reykjavik you can't go wrong with a trip to the top of the famous Hallgrimur's Church tower (Hallgrimskirkja), Reykjavik's main landmark . The views from the tower are...
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Harbor Reykjavík
10 Reviews 112 Reykjavík is the postcode for the suburb Grafarvogur "Grave-cove". A part of Grafarvogur is Bryggjuhverfið "Wharf district". It is a quaint little district, really colourful and lovely. I often...
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Museums & Galleries Reykjavík Region
14 Reviews Iceland's National Museum of History is a little bit out from central Reykjavik, but it's worth taking the 10 minute stroll to get here, even if you're not all that keen about history. An important...
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AlÞingi - Parliament Building Reykjavík
8 Reviews The Parliament building was built in 1881 and the architect was the Danish F. Meldahl. The building was made out of dolerite which was found in Skólavörðuholt a little below where Hallgrímskirkja...
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Perlan Reykjavík Region
7 Reviews Perlan (literally, "the pearl") is one of Reykjavík's most striking buildings. You will no doubt see it as you come in the city from Keflavík Airport. Built atop the water tanks that supply...
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Geysers Reykjavík
3 Reviews Geysir is another one of the highlights on most people's trip to Iceland. The thousand year old area of Geysir is located at the foot of the Bjarnfell and is dotted with hot springs from which bubbles...
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Tjornin Reykjavík Region
6 Reviews Tjorn is a small natural lake that you can find in downtown. It is very interesting because you can see a lot of birds. Near Tjorn there is the Old City Hall that is very nice; there is Domkirkja, the...
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Laugardalslaug Pool Reykjavík
2 Reviews There is an excellent spa called Laugar Spa next to and connected with one of our swimming pools, Laugardalslaug in Laugardalur valley. In the same building is the fitness center World Class. I have...
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When you pass through Hveragerði, make sure you stop at the shopping centre in the town and visit the tourist office there, where an earthquake crack runs right through the office and the adjoining library. But rather than filling it in it was instead covered with thick glass and lit up so that you can stand on top of it and look down into the crack. Cool :-).
One of the more odd attractions in Iceland is the Phallus Museum in Husavik, where you can admire over 100 *** specimen from pretty much every animal that can be found in Iceland, from a whale down to a mouse.It's a fairly small museum, and it doesn't take very long to walk around the room, which was quite funny for a while, but by the end of it I had seen quite enough shapes in preserving glasses. But it should definitely go on the must-see list for Husavik, purely for the oddity factor :-).
The nature baths near Lake Mývatn are a great alternative to the Blue Lagoon, as they are not quite as busy, which makes them more enjoyable. It was lovely to just float around in the warm mineral-rich waters for a while. Eventually we found ourselves a nice spot just on the edge of the lake, where we could sit in shallow waters that had just the right temperature, and just soak for a while.Entry in 2011 was 2,500 ISK.
Just east of Lake Mývatn you can visit the lava fields of Dimmuborgir. Here the remnants of an ancient lava flow have created quite dramatic shapes, with pillars, walls, holes and arches. Very interesting to wander around in for a while.
Once you have found the starting point to Ingólfshöfði Nature Reserve (a hut at the end of a tiny track that looks like its not going anywhere in particular) the adventure already starts with the transport to the reserve: a large tractor-drawn haycart. Once all passengers have been herded into the cart the bumpy ride goes across the sands and marshes to the 2-3 km long rocky outcrop, which is a haven for nesting seabirds. On the island, there is short climb up a steep sandy slope, but after that is is just a flat walk along the top of the island's steep cliffs. The first birds to greet us where the great skuas, which kept circling low over our heads. We soon also saw the reason for this: a little chick in the grass which looked rather bewildered by all the attention it was suddenly receiving. So we left it alone again and headed for the puffin "headquarters", which was the face of a high...
Throughout the summer there are a number of daily whale watching tours from Husavik, which is one of the world's prime whale spotting locations. You have a very good chance of seeing some whales, and we saw a number of minke whales and humpback whales on our tour.For the first hour of our trip we kept spotting whales a bit of a distance away from our boat, and every time the captain turned to the boat to head straight to where the whale was. Unfortunately this meant that only the people who had got a space at the very front of the boat were getting to see them, and by the time we go to the place that the whale had surfaced it had already disappeared again. So this was very frustrating for the passengers along the side of the boat, who only kept getting brief glimpses of the whales before the boat veered around and the whale disappeared from sight.But for the second half of the trip we...
At Glaumbær you can visit old farm buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Due to the shortage of wood in Iceland buildings at that time were mainly turf constructions with grass sods as roofs.Walking around the rooms of the small complex it is difficult to imagine what it must have been like to spend the winter in these small, dark rooms, when only very little light comes in through the tiny windows. The bedrooms are very interesting as well. Here the farmer lived with his family and the hired hands. With often two people sleeping in one bed this area of the house could accommodate up to 22 people who would work and eat on their beds.After your visit to the museum you can refresh yourself by having a lovely pancake in the cafe next to the museum.
Just north of Reykjavik is a popular hiking spot,... Mt. Esja (pronounced, "Ay-sha"). There's free parking at the trail head just off of Hwy 1, and free access to, and use of the trail. The most popular trail is not a leisurely stroll and will get your heart pumping, but it's certainly do-able by anyone who is in reasonably good shape. It gets more difficult as you near the plateau, Pverfellshorn, which is at 780 m. My goal was to reach the highest point on the mountain, which is called Habunga, at 914 m. From Pverfellshorn, it is a 3.0 km (one-way) over rocky terrain, with no clear trail. One must eye-ball the highest point in the distance, until you come to a large mound of rocks with a wooden stick in it. The day I went was perfect weather, but I didn't see anyone else hiking to Habunga.[More info coming....]
*Where?In the south-west of the country, about 1 hour drive from the international airport at Keflavik. *What?The capital of Iceland (the world's most northern capital for an independent state), the city is where most of the population lives, and the undisputed economic centre. It's also home to the best hotels (e.g., the 101 Hotel) and restaurants (e.g., the Pearl) of the country. While there is not much in terms of architectural sights, the city is a cultural hub with theatres, club and bar scene, etc. It is also often used as a base for day trips to other locations in the country, even though its location on the southwestern coast means that for quite a few of these day trips one has to take a small plane to reach the tour minibus. That said, it's very convenient for Reykjanes peninsula, the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle, as well as the south coast - the most visited areas.
Where?Located in the Haukadalur valley, the Geysir national park is part of the Golden Circle of Iceland.What?Geysir itself was the first geyser described in print, and gave name to all similar phenomena. Even though its height vastly exceeded 300ft in the 19th century, today Geysir pretty much does not erupt anymore (there used to be a practice to 'prompt' it with chemicals but it has been stopped for environmental reasons). Eruptions are a couple a day, maybe, and you'd be very lucky to witness one.Much more reliable is another geyser in the park, the Strokkur, which is about 150ft from Geysir itself.
Castle House Luxury Apartments Reykjavík Region
2 Reviews and 195 Opinions We have just returned from a long weekend break in Reyjavik and thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the...
Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Reykjavík
4 Reviews and 600 Opinions I am now staying in this Hilton hotel which was part of the package tour that I booked with...
Hotel Reynihlid Mÿvatn
2 Reviews and 74 Opinions We stayed in Reynihilo after doing a lot of research on the net as nothing else was available. In...
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Q: Two Questions: We'll be in Iceland driving in late March/mid-April. We are staying on main roads. 1) SADcars has good prices...
A: I love Subarus (the Forester especially), but you'll notice from the SADcars website that the Legacy is the largest vehicle that is not for highlands or F-roads. The...
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