20+ Stunning Places In Iceland You Must Visit Now

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Iceland might be the most beautiful country I’ve visited so far and one of the few that has truly amazed me from start to finish.

While the country might be relatively small, what it lacks in size it makes up for with stunning sceneries that range from crystal blue glacier lagoons to green moss volcanoes, red sand beaches, and black desert landscapes.

There are so many beautiful destinations in this country that a single list cannot do proper justice to it, but here I’ll share with you 20+ stunning places to visit in Iceland to see the best the country has to offer.

Many of these attractions are easily accessible from the Ring Road –Iceland’s main road– while others will take you off the beaten path into remote areas far from any signs of civilization.

I recommend staying at least two weeks in Iceland to visit all of these places.

1. Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall

Kirkjufell (Church Mountain) is the most photographed mountain in Iceland and a natural icon on its own. Located next to the small town of Grundarfjörður, it rises 463 meters above sea level in an unusual, long, conical shape.

There is a hiking trail leading to the top, which takes about one hour and a half each way. From experience, the hike is moderately difficult up to the halfway point, where it gets quite challenging (including the use of ropes to climb up!) and even a bit dangerous. But it’s totally worth it to see the views from up top!

In front of Kirkjufell Mountain, you have Kirkjufellsfoss (pictured here), or Church Mountain Waterfall. The word “foss” means waterfall, and you’ll see a lot of it throughout this post.

The combination of falls, an isolated mountain, the seascape, and gorgeous sunset clouds makes this a dream spot for photographers.

If you don’t have a car rental, you can take this day tour to Kirkjufell and Snaefellsnes Peninsula from Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city.

2. Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park is situated on the western point of the Snæfellsness peninsula and is home to the most famous volcano in Iceland, Snæfellsjökull – the crowning jewel of the park itself.

In addition to the volcano, you can see other stunning spots in the park, like Djúpalónssandur beach, Saxhóll volcano crater, Lóndrangar (two massive lava formations), Sönghellir (the singing cave), and Rauðfeldargjá (the hidden waterfall), among others.

Due to its proximity to Reykjavik (approx. 2 hours drive each way), it is one of the most visited parks in Iceland. You can drive around the park and Kirkjufell in a day.

3. Westfjords

This is my favorite region in all of Iceland as it is relatively remote and gorgeous. Driving along the fjords offers countless majestic views.

Being one of the most remote regions of Iceland, you could drive here for hours and not see any form of civilization – just nature at its best. This is why I think it is one of the best places to visit in Iceland.

I loved driving through each fjord valley, created thanks to the millions of years of glacial retreat and erosion.

To me, the most impressive drives were Route 63 and Route 60 (heading north of Dynjandi Waterfall). But the views are not the only good thing about the fjords; here you can camp freely almost everywhere!

If you’re driving the whole circuit in the Westfjords, make sure not to miss the Látrabjarg Cliffs – one of the most spectacular seabird cliffs in the world.

Additionally, it’s Iceland’s westernmost point (considered one of Europe’s westernmost points after the Azores islands) and Europe’s largest bird cliff – 14 km long and up to 440 meters high.

4. Dynjandi Waterfall

Dynjandi waterfall is not only the biggest waterfall in the Westfjords, but it is also one of the most beautiful in the country.

The word “Dynjandi” means “thunderous,” and indeed, you can feel the thunderous power of the water against the rocks when you’re standing right at the base of the falls.

Dynjandi cascades a total of 100 meters, which is then followed by six smaller falls until it reaches the sea.

Unlike most falls in Iceland, Dynjandi doesn’t drop in a free fall column, but slowly cascades through the rocks, spreading its liquid veil from 30 meters at the top to 60 meters at the bottom.

Watch the sunset from there. Not only does the waterfall look spectacular illuminated in orange hues, but also the sunset itself is stunning.

During sunsets, the waterfall is spectacularly illuminated in orange hues, which need to be seen to be believed.

5. Rauðisandur Beach

Rauðisandur (red beach) is a beautiful, remote red sand beach in the Westfjords. It stretches for about 10 km from Látrabjarg bird cliff in the west towards Skorarhlíðar mountainside in the east.

The redness of the sand depends on the light of the day. It can vary from white to orange, yellow, and very red. But, whether it looks red or not, it is a beautiful sight that shouldn’t be missed.

Unlike most beaches that are a single, long strip; Rauðisandur is made of large, irregular patches of sand surrounded by shallow emerald green water. What’s even more curious are the sheep living at the beach!

The road leading to the beach is a steep gravel road, so great care must be taken while driving since it passes through some dangerous curves and cliffs. Some say this is the most dangerous road in Iceland; I found it just fine.

By the way, whale watching is also a popular activity in the Westfjords. So, while in you’re in the area, I’d highly recommend booking yourself in to see some Icelandic whales!

6. Hornstrandir National Park

This is the most inaccessible part of Iceland and the northernmost tip of the Westfjords. It has been uninhabited since the 1950s due to its rough weather, remoteness, and lack of resources. Today, it is a beautiful national park where you can camp and hike for days.

No roads lead there, so you can either hike for a week from the end of the road, near Krossnes, to get there (another week to get back) or take a two-hour boat ride from Ísafjörður to a few points in Hornstrandir, from where you can start the hike.

I took the boat ride and did a day hike. You can choose to stay longer depending on the boat schedule of the season.

Not only is the scenery gorgeous, but this is also where you’ll find Iceland’s biggest arctic fox colony.

Even in the middle of summer, you need to wear proper winter clothing and be prepared to get wet – you’ll be less than 10 km from the Arctic Circle, so the winds are pretty cold!

Since there’s nothing in the area, you must carry all your food and camping gear with you.

7. Vatnajökull National Park

This national park covers approximately 14% of Iceland, making it Europe’s second-largest national park, and it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier outside the Arctic, generally measuring 400–600 meters in thickness (at the most 950 meters).

There are active volcanoes concealed below the glacier of which Bárðarbunga is the largest and Grímsvötn is the most active. Ever wondered why Iceland is called the land of fire and ice? Well, now you know!

Inside Vatnajökull there’s an area formerly known as Skaftafell National Park. In it, you can hike short trails leading to Svartifoss waterfall and Skaftafellsjökull glacier.

You can also walk over Svinafellsjökull glacier, and if you’re open to more intensive hikes, you can head to the Morsárdalur valley and Kristínartindar mountain peaks.

Lastly, Skaftafell is the perfect base camp for those looking to climb Iceland‘s highest mountain peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur.

Here are a few glacier hike tours you can take in and around Skaftafell National Park.

8. Svartifoss Waterfall

Located on Icleand’s south coast, Svartifoss (Black Fall) is among the most famous waterfalls in the country. In fact, it was the inspiration behind the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavik, and it’s certainly worth seeing when visiting Iceland.

The water drops about 20 meters in front of black basalt columns. To reach it, you have to hike about 45 minutes each way from Skaftafell’s entrance.

9. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (stylized as Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in English) is considered one of Iceland’s natural wonders. It has slowly formed throughout the decades as the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

While it’s considered to be Iceland’s deepest lake, the beauty of this lake is not in its size, shape, or depth, but in the glacial background and the icebergs floating in it.

As the glacier melts and breaks into pieces, these icebergs float slowly through the lake until they reach the ocean and melt.

Just standing there, watching the ice slowly float away, makes this a unique place worth visiting. You can also ride a boat/Zodiac to get closer to the glacier and icebergs.

You can take a tour to the Glacier Lagoon from Reykjavik, or if you’re driving around Iceland, you can book a zodiac right at the lagoon.

10. Mount Mælifell

Reaching Mount Mælifell (Measure Hill) was probably my favorite experience in Iceland.

With its awe-inspiring green moss and its stand-alone pyramidal shape surrounded by a vast, black desert landscape, Mount Mælifell has become one of Iceland’s most iconic landmarks.

It makes you feel like you just entered another world.

Mount Mælifell is a volcano standing almost 200 meters tall, which you can hike to the top of. It’s only reachable by 4×4 vehicles since the path leading to it is not paved, is in terrible shape, and crosses several rivers (some of them pretty deep).

While the drive is long, slow, and arduous (about a 10 to 12-hour round-trip from Reykjavik), it is well worth doing.

Throughout the journey, you’ll see the seemingly endless black desert wilderness of Mælifellssandur, the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, as well as the mountains of the Fjallabak region, among others.

You can take the F210 (the one I took and loved) or the F261 (which seems to be shorter) to reach Mælifell. Both require a 4×4. Still, it’s worth it. This region is one of the most beautiful places in Iceland.

Alternatively, you can take this Jeep tour that will take you to Mælifell without the stress of doing those river crossings yourself.

11. Landmannalaugar

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite places to visit in Iceland!

Landmannalaugar is an area full of geothermal baths in the Highlands of Iceland. It is also famous for its spectacular rock formations, lava fields, and multicolored rhyolite mountains.

Two of its most famous mountains are Blahnjukur (‘Blue Peak’) and Brennisteinsalda (‘Sulphur Wave’).

From here, you can start the most popular hiking trail in all of Iceland – the Laugavegur trail.

It takes four days to hike and ends at the Thorsmork Valley in the south. Naturally, it is full of stunning wilderness only hikers can witness.

If you don’t have a car, you can take advantage of this 5-hour hiking tour in Landmannalaugar with optional transportation from Reykjavik (during the summer months).

12. Haifoss Waterfall

Located near the popular Golden Circle route, Haifoss, with a fall of 122 meters, is the third-highest waterfall in Iceland. Besides having an impressive height, the setting onto which it falls makes this a stunning sight to visit.

Another waterfall, Granni, accompanies Haifoss, and they both share the waters of the Fossa River, which is a tributary of the glacial river Þjórsá – Iceland’s longest river.

Reaching Haifoss is not too difficult, though the road leading to it is unpaved and in relatively bad shape.

But, once you reach the end of the road and stand at the cliff’s edge, you’ll see that the panorama is completely worth the bumpy ride.

13. Glymur Waterfall

Not too far from Reykjavik, you’ll find Glymur – Iceland’s second-highest waterfall standing 198 meters tall.

Glymur was considered the highest waterfall in Iceland until Morsárfoss was measured in 2011 – reaching 240 meters tall.

Surprisingly, not a lot of people visit this fall. To get to it, you have to kike through green mossy cliffs, and along a beautiful, narrow canyon.

The hike gets a bit tough at some points, but take it slowly and enjoy the river and mountain views.

14. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Seljalandsfoss is one of the best-known waterfalls in Iceland since it is easily visible from Route 1 (the famous Ring Road), and it looks just as stunning from afar as it does from up close.

Additionally, this waterfall has a very peculiar feature; a cave behind the fall that allows you to walk right behind it. Don’t miss doing this walk. If it’s a sunny day, you might catch a glimpse of a rainbow or see a stunning sunset.

The waterfall drops 60 meters and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull (the one that erupted in 2010).

Also, what many might not know is that just a few hundred meters to the left, there’s a secret waterfall, Gljufrabui. It’s hidden behind a small cave that you can access by walking over the flowing river.

Bear in mind that you might get soaked! But trust me, it’s totally worth it.

You can visit Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui, Skogafoss (below), Black Sand Beach, and more on this well-reviewed Iceland South Coast Day Tour.

15. Skógafoss Waterfall

Another popular waterfall not too far from Seljalandsfoss (just 30 km away), Skógafoss is 60 meters high and 25 meters wide, making it one of the biggest falls in Iceland (based on water volume).

You can stand right at the base of the falls or hike to the top through a staircase. Along the way, you can stop to get a view of the troll (a rock formation, pictured above) to take some beautiful shots of the falls.

There is a legend connected to this waterfall. It’s said that around the year 900, Þrasi Þórólfsson, the first Viking Settler at Skógar (Eystriskógar), buried a treasure chest behind the falls; and that apparently, the first man to go behind it will find it.

The legend continues by saying that locals found the chest years later, but were only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. The ring was allegedly given to the local church.

Want to see if you can find the treasure?

16. Blue Lagoon

While the Blue Lagoon is a man-made attraction, it is derived from natural elements produced hundreds of feet under the earth – its peculiar white-blue water.

The warm waters of the Blue Lagoon are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur, and it is said that bathing in the Blue Lagoon helps rejuvenate the skin as well as improve skin diseases.

Warmed by hot springs, the water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 37–39 °C (99–102 °F).

Besides, it’s considered a sin to go to Iceland and not go to the Blue Lagoon. This is the most visited attraction in the country.

If you don’t have a car rental, you could save some money by buying this Blue Lagoon Package with roundtrip transportation from Reykjavik.

17. Thingvellir National Park and Silfra

Þingvellir, anglicized as Thingvellir, is probably the most important national park in Iceland due to its historical, cultural, and geological significance.

It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

In other words, the park is literally split by two continental plates that are slowly drifting apart 2cm a year.

Right in the rift valley, you’ll find the Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, which was established at Þingvellir in 930 and held its sessions there until 1798.

When you’re visiting the park, you’ll see the crack formed by the tectonic plates. This crack is filled with some of the purest, clearest glacial water (after being filtered by volcanic rock), which makes it a perfect place to go diving since the visibility can reach up to 100 meters.

While I was not fond of diving in water at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, I’m happy to say that the experience of diving between two continental plates is beautiful and unique.

If you don’t have a car, I recommend taking this Golden Circle tour, including Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss Waterfall (below), and more. But, if you’d like to snorkel in Silfra, I recommend this other Golden Circle Tour.

If you’re only interested in diving in the clear water of the Silfra fissure and touching two continental plates simultaneously, then I recommend this tour from Reykjavik. Or this other tour if you’re only interested in snorkeling Silfra.

18. Geysir and Gullfoss Waterfall

Together with Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss form part of the Golden Circle, a popular day excursion from Reykjavik. These sights are just a few miles from each other and are easily accessible.

Did you know the word geyser comes from the Icelandic word Geysir, which is the name of the most famous geyser in the country?

Geysir was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans.

Unfortunately, Geysir has been dormant for the past couple of years, but just a few meters south of it, there’s Strokkur, the “smaller sister” of Geysir.

It still erupts every 6 to 10 minutes, and the water column reaches an average height of 15 to 20 meters, though it has been recorded as reaching up to 40 meters in height!

Not far from Geysir is Gullfoss Waterfall (Golden Waterfall), one of the most beloved falls in the country due to its peculiar, picturesque two-stage cascade that totals a drop of over 30 meters.

19. Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck

If you’re looking for surreal places to photograph, then this is for you. This site is known as the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck, named after the beach where the crash happened.

The site contains a Douglas Super DC-3 airplane from the US Navy lying hollow and forgotten on a deserted black beach.

What is a US Navy plane doing in Iceland, you may ask? Well, the Navy used to have a base in Iceland, and on November 24, 1973, one of their DC-3 planes ran out of fuel after the pilot switched to the wrong fuel tank and crash-landed on the beach.

Luckily all crew members survived the accident, but the fuselage was left there and never recovered. I found it to be one of the most interesting places to visit in Iceland, and one I’d recommend to everyone.

To reach it, you’ll have to walk about 45 minutes each way from the highway (Route 1). If you’re willing to walk a bit more, you can continue past the plane towards the beach shore.

In recent years, Reykjavik Excursions added a bus that takes you from the parking lot to the plane for 2,900 ISK roundtrip or 2000 ISK one-way. It runs every 30 minutes.

20. Dettifoss Waterfall

Dettifoss, located in Vatnajökull National Park in north Iceland, is the most powerful waterfall in Europe.

Dettifoss is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River and drops 45 meters down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.

Its drop is 100 meters wide, making it the largest waterfall in Iceland regarding volume discharge, having an average water flow of 193 m3/s.

Dettifoss is also a great place to witness the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), depending on when you visit.

21. Askja

In my opinion, the Askja Caldera in the Dyngjufjoll Mountains is one of the most stunning places to visit in Iceland, but also one of the most challenging to reach.

Askja is a 50 square kilometers subsidence cauldron formed when a lava chamber, just under the surface of the earth, emptied in a volcanic eruption, causing the roof above it to collapse.

Due to the volcanic composition of the area and how foreign and alien it feels, it was used as one of the lunar landing mission training areas during the Apollo program era in the ’60s.

In there, you’ll also see the beautiful Víti volcano, which contains a 60m deep geothermal lake filled with bright blue water at 22 degrees Celsius. It’s almost like a surreal, natural Blue Lagoon inside a volcanic crater.

And the best part is that you can bathe in it!

To learn more about Askja and how to visit it, check out this post.

22. Fjaðrárgljúfur

Also known as “Feather River Canyon,” this deep, winding canyon dates back about 2 million years, but it was recently made even more popular after Justin Bieber filmed a music video there.

This is a must-see as you drive along the ring road on the south, as this spot presents some views not easily found elsewhere in Iceland.

Walk along its easy trails and take advantage of the panoramic viewpoints to get the most impressive views of the canyon.

23. Vestrahorn

Vestrahorn is one of the most captivating places to visit in Iceland. Its sharp peaks are hard to miss, especially when contrasted with the stretches of sand next to it.

Vestrahorn is a dramatic saw-tooth mountain that rises precipitously above the shallow black sand tidal lagoon that forms the Stokksnes peninsula.

Unlike most other mountains in Iceland, which are made of basalt, Vestrahorn mountains are predominantly gabbro rock, which was formed by the slow cooling of magnesium and iron-rich magma.

Next to them are the black sand beaches, created by millions of years of waves grinding the volcanic rock. At high tide, the water stretches over the wide plains of sand, forming a shallow tidal lagoon called Kirkjusandur.

The sand dunes with tussocks (grassy clumps) are one of the most iconic sights on the Stokknes peninsula.

To help you find these places, here’s a map with their locations. Additionally, check out this other post to find the best hostels in Iceland. It’ll help you find budget accommodation close to all these amazing sites.

Additionally, if all these pictures and descriptions of places to visit in Iceland were not enough to inspire you, check out this video below showing most of the sights described here and more.

While I recommend renting a car, it is possible to reach most of these destinations with tours. Viator, for example, has an extensive selection of tours in Iceland including whale watching, south coast adventures, and tours that take you to see the Northern Lights.