Iceland – TOP 10 (what to see)

We like summaries, we like it when everything that is most important, that is worth seeing is bulleted, bold, underlined and whatever else can be done with the text to make it clear and readable ;)

In this post, that’s how we put together the TOP 10 of Iceland, our subjective list of the most interesting and memorable attractions and memories from this trip. In other words, places to see in Iceland.

We recently summarized 2015 in points, where 4 of the top 10 memories were from Iceland, and it was after much “discussion” and “negotiation” that we did not add a few more to give room to other countries.

Top 10 places in Iceland

This is a list of 10 attractions in Iceland that we particularly liked, not necessarily because of their cultural dimension or being the NAJ in many rankings. These are places that we will particularly remember because they surprised us, charmed us or simply stuck in our minds for some reason. And this is how we will remember Iceland.

Many places we didn’t manage to see or the weather was too bad to enjoy the views, which also affected the ranking itself (of course, here are only those we saw with our own eyes, sometimes just through the fog…).

To make things more interesting, we’re starting from place #10 :)

10. blue lagoon

The list opens with an Icelandic sure thing, viz.
Blue Lagoon
:) Probably one of the most visited (right after the entire Golden Circle) attractions in Iceland. It’s worth going, seeing, spending some time just relaxing and enjoying the healing properties of the waters.

The beautiful steamy blue water, the low temperatures outside and the lava rock environment give this place a unique character. In our opinion, an attraction “for once”, although there are plans to expand the resort, so it may be worth returning to this place.

9. Icelandic maskonurs (puffins)

The maskonurs (Puffins) at Vik are almost a symbol of Iceland. Their large concentrations can be found in the area around Viku. Surprisingly, whole tours of ornithologists come here specifically to watch these little creatures. We wrote about our hunt with the camera for the famous puffins in this post.

8 Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls

Both the waterfall Dettifoss and
Selfoss
– Selfoss made an electrifying impression on us. These are two separate waterfalls not far from each other, and although very low, they are some of the most powerful in Iceland and all of Europe. Here you can feel the power of the element that hollowed out such a large riverbed, and the water comes down with tremendous force. One feels tiny in the face of the surrounding nature :)

7. the Icelandic wilderness

Long, straight roads, green hills, sheep on the road and zero cars on the road – this is how we will remember the drive through Iceland. The further east you go, the less traffic, fewer tourists and coaches.

All the better for us – you can stop every now and then and enjoy the view (although you can’t complain about the lack of vantage points). Two sections in particular stuck out to us: east of Höfn and going west to Myvatn.

6 Krafla and the active volcano Leirhnjúkur

We are very, very sorry that we missed being in Krafli for better weather. Or maybe it was the weather itself that made us remember the place for a long time? :) Especially the road to the volcano leading through the active terrain, the colored rocks from the heat, trying to find the route and the question “Are we already in the crater?” ;)

5. golden circle

Golden Circle is one of Iceland’s top attractions. If we had to put each attraction separately on the list it would be a problem ;) Definitely a ‘must have’ in Iceland.

Ideal for those who arrive on the island for only a few days – in one day you can see 3 major attractions: Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall (considered one of the most beautiful in the world!) and the famous Geysir.

Attractions aplenty, the bar for the rest of the trip set really high!

4. Icelandic food

A buffet full of Icelandic food – Klausturkaffi, one of the few places on our tour where we had the opportunity to taste typical Icelandic cuisine. We were captivated by the place, the innkeeper, the decor and, finally, the delicious, fresh food along with bread baked on site. A fairy tale!

3. municipal thermal pools

Relaxation in full swing and literally! The city’s pools were deliberately placed higher than the famous Blue Lagoon. Here we will not experience crowds of tourists, noise and selfie sticks in the water. For that, we will relax in the warm, modest pools after a tiring day in peace. This is where you can feel like a real resident of Iceland :)

Have you read our post on pool savoir vivre yet?

2. glacier and Jökulsárlón bay

Jökulsárlón Glacier and Bay in Iceland is a place we had not read much about before, and hence the surprise and delight, I guess :) We really spent a lot of time there, and it was the coldest place during the whole trip….

Worth it! Just be, listen to the critters hitting each other, look out for seals…. What more to write here, since so much has already been written here.

1. aurora borealis

Ok, the aurora borealis is not a place or a permanent tourist attraction, but a phenomenon, and one that occurs not only in Iceland.

So what made it appear in the first place? And well, the fact that it was so anticipated, so looked forward to, and once it appeared to us on the last day it overshadowed everything else we had seen so far. We have already written about the aurora here.

Map of TOP 10 attractions in Iceland

You can find all the above points on the map below:

Summary

Truly, Iceland has much more to offer than just 10 attractions! :) So don’t limit yourself to just this list! Maybe you’ll have more luck and time to go places where we didn’t manage to go :)

What does your top 10 look like? :)

We also recommend youTOP 10 places in the Canary Islands, TOP 17 attractions in Japan, TOP 10 places in Cuba, TOP 10 places in Madeira, TOP 5 attractions in Beijing, TOP 10 things you must do in the Faroe Islands, TOP 10 attractions in Rome, TOP 5 most beautiful places in Switzerland, TOP 9 places in Singapore and TOP 10 attractions in Lodz.

>> Here you will find our practically summary of our stay in Iceland – well worth it! :)