Activities in Iceland
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FEATURED
Reykjavik Super Saver: Blue Lagoon Round-Trip Transport plus Gulfoss and Geysir Half-Day Tour
10 hours 30 minutes (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
Combine two tours in one Super Saver for the perfect Icelandic experience. Start your morning relaxing at the Blue Lagoon surrounded by lava fields and snow…Not LP reviewed
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Arctic Adventures
With young and enthusiastic staff, this company specialises in action-filled tours – rafting, horse riding, quad bike tours, glacier walks etc.
reviewed
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Whale Safari and Puffin Island Tour from Reykjavik
2.5 - 3 Hours (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
lt;pgt;If you're in Reykjavik, you're in exactly the right place to spot whales and seabirds! Sail on Faxafloi bay - home to a unique variety of the Minke…Not LP reviewed
from USD$76.42 -
North Sailing
North Sailing operate their whale-watching tours from Húsavík harbour. It has a fleet of beautiful old-school boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Their popular ‘Whales, Puffins & Sails’ tour stops at beautiful Lundey, and overnight trips to Grímsey are possible a few times during the summer.
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Mountain Guides
This adventurous company offers a wide range of hiking and climbing tours, including day trips to Heiðmörk (near Reykjavík), Hengill and Sólheimajökull, and a series of ice-climbing and trekking tours around Skaftafell. It also provides equipment rental and private guiding for more serious climbers.
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Mountaineers of Iceland
Specialises in adventure tours, including day trips to the Golden Circle and Hengill, multiday super-Jeep expeditions, snowmobile and photographic tours, glacier tours, white-water rafting, kayaking, canyoning and horse riding.
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Saltvík Horse Farm
Short horse rides (one to three hours) and longer tours (five to nine days) are available at Saltvík horse farm, 5km south of Húsavík.
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Laxnes
This farm, based near the eastern suburb of Mosfellsbær, offers rides in the area round Halldór Laxness' former home
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Vesturbæjarlaug
Within walking distance of the centre (or take bus 11 or 15), Vesturbæjarlaug has a basic 25m pool and three hot pots.
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Blue Lagoon Spa Transfer from Keflavik Airport
2 hours 30 minutes (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
Talk about chilled! Fly in and head directly for the most relaxing spa you'll ever have at the Blue Lagoon, surrounded by magical lava fields and snow capped…Not LP reviewed
from USD$33.52 -
Reykjavík Pub Crawl
If you're in a small group but want to witness the nightlife with a crowd, the Reykjavík Pub Crawl wheels round a selection of bars from 22:00 onwards in summer; the around Ikr3000 fee includes one hour of free drinking, admission to a nightclub, a cocktail, and a free hot dog! - not a bad deal if you can stay standing.
Reykjavík is renowned for its Friday- and Saturday-night runtur, when industrious Icelanders abandon work and pub crawl with passion. Friday night is the big one; midweek drinking is not really done, although it's gradually becoming more common for people to go out on Thursday night, when many bars have DJs or live music.
Much of the partying happens in…
reviewed
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Whale Watching
Húsavík lies on the edge of Skjálfandi, a wide, deep bay with good water circulation, natural shelter and little variation in tides - ideal conditions for whales. The area has become Iceland's premier whale-watching destination, with 12 species coming here to feed in summer.
Minke whales are by far the most common species seen in the bay, with regular sightings of white-beaked dolphins, humpback whales and porpoises and less frequent appearances by orcas, fin, sei or pilot whales, and the 'big one' - blue whales.
It takes about an hour to sail to the prime feeding grounds, where crew and participants get busy looking out for telltale signs of a surfacing whale. Although…
reviewed
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Bjarnarhöfn
On the northeastern edge of Berserkjahraun is the farmstead at Bjarnarhöfn – a must for every traveller with a taste for adventure (literally). Smell that? Yup, it’s rotting shark flesh – the farm is the region’s leading producer of hákarl (putrid shark meat), a traditional Icelandic dish. The on-site museum details the fragrant history of this culinary curiosity by displaying restored shark fishing boats, harpooning tools, and explaining the fermenting process. Each visit to the museum comes with a complimentary nibble of the delicacy in question. Some say it tastes like a sponge dipped in ammonia; we thought it was somewhat similar to old cheese. Before you…
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Mt Súlur
A pleasant but demanding day hike leads up the Glerádalur valley to the summit of Mt Súlur (1144m). The trail begins on Súluvegur, a left turn off Þingvallastræti just before the Glerá bridge. Give yourself at least seven hours to complete the return journey.
With two days, you can continue up the valley to the beautifully situated Lambi mountain hut (at N 65°34.880', W 18°17.770'), which accommodates up to six people. Alternatively, from the Hlíðarfjall ski resort there's a challenging but beautiful day hike up to the small glacier Vindheimajökull and the 1456m peak Strýta. For more information on hiking in the area, contact Ferðafélag Akureyrar.
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skiing
The skiing season runs from November to April, depending on snowfall. The three ski areas close to Reykjavík (Bláfjöll, Hengill and Skálafell) are managed by the organisation Skíðasvæði.
Iceland's premier ski slopes are at 84-sq-km Bláfjöll (561 8400), which has downhill, cross-country and snowboarding facilities - and gets swamped by eager city dwellers when the snow begins to fall. Passes cost around Ikr1700/around Ikr500 per adult/child 6 to 16, and you can hire skis, poles, boots and other gear at reasonable rates. The resort is located about 25km southeast of Reykjavík on Rte 417, just off Rte 1. Buses leave from the Mjódd bus stand southeast of town.
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Erpsstaðir
When the peanut gallery starts moaning ‘are we there yet?’ you know it’s time to pull off the road. Erpsstaðir is the perfect place to stretch your legs – especially if you’ve got the brats in tow. Like a mirage for sweet-toothed wanderers, this dairy farm, on Rte 60 between Búðardalur and the Ring Road, specialises in delicious homemade ice cream. You can tour the farm, greet the buxom bovines, then gorge on your favourite flavour – we liked ‘ kjaftædi’ (which literally means ‘mouth watering’, but is best known as a euphemism for ‘bullshit’). Erpsstaðir also offers accommodation (from Ikr13,000) if you’re contemplating ice cream for…
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Hvalstöðin Whale-Watching Centre
Iceland is a fantastic place for whale watching - its waters hold over 20 species of cetacean. In Faxaflói bay you'll most commonly come across white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises and minkes; humpbacks are also spotted from time to time. Between April and October Hvalstöðin runs three-hour trips from Reykjavík's old harbour, at 09:00 and 13:00 (13:00 only in October; also at 17:00 June to August). Hvalstöðin also has a floating nature centre, with whale models and films.
In breeding season (mid-May to mid-August), Hvalstöðin takes a spin around Akurey island, just offshore from Reykjavík, to look at the puffins.
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Bláfjöll
Iceland’s premier ski slopes are at 84-sq-km Bláfjöll, which has 14 lifts and downhill, cross-country and snowboarding facilities – and gets swamped by eager city dwellers when the snow begins to fall. Passes cost Ikr2000/550 per adult/child six to 16 years, and you can hire skis, poles, boots and other gear at reasonable rates. The resort is located about 25km southeast of Reykjavík on Rte 417, just off Rte 1. A shuttle bus leaves from the Mjódd bus stand southeast of town once per day in season – check with Skíðasvæði ([tel] 530 3000; www.skidasvaedi.is; Pósthússtræti 3-5, IS-101 Reykjavík) for departure times.
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Golden Circle Classic Day Trip from Reykjavik
8 hours 30 minutes (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
lt;pgt;Want to see some of the best-known natural phenomena in Iceland on a day trip from Reykjavik? From spouting geysers, tumbling waterfalls and ancient…Not LP reviewed
from USD$84.47 -
Whale Watching, Norður Sigling
The original whale watching operator is Norður Sigling, which started whale watching here in 1994. It has four boats, including the 20-tonne oak schooner Haukur. Trips run up to four times daily from mid-May to mid-September. Hot chocolate and pastries are provided during the trip, but it's still a good idea to wrap up well before departure as it can be bitterly cold out on the boat, no matter how warm it feels in town.
In early and late season both operators may have only one departure daily, so check in advance. If there are no sightings, you can usually get on another trip for free.
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Seatours
Seatours runs a variety of boat tours, and offers sea angling equipment rentals (Ikr6600). Our favourite trip is the ‘Unique Tour’ – a 2¼-hour boat ride (adult/under 16 years Ikr5950/free), which takes in postcard-worthy views of the bay and its myriad islands. Kodak moments abound as the boat passes colonies of puffins and eagles, and haunting basalt formations (keep your ears peeled for the gruesome legend of ‘hanging rock’!). Towards the end of the trip a net is lowered into the sea, and pretty soon there’s wiggly shellfish ready to be devoured raw (absolutely delish – we promise).
reviewed
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Gentle Giants - whale watching
The second whale watching operator in Húsavík is Gentle Giants, with two boats making trips up to five times daily from June to mid-September. Hot chocolate and pastries are provided during the trip, but it's still a good idea to wrap up well before departure as it can be bitterly cold out on the boat, no matter how warm it feels in town. In early and late season both operators may have only one departure daily, so check in advance.
If there are no sightings, you can usually get on another trip for free. You can buy tickets from the 'lighthouse' ticket booth opposite the church.
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Iceland South Coast and Jokulsarlon Lagoon Day Trip from Reykjavik
14 hours (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
lt;pgt;Head out to the magnificent glacial lagoon Jokulsarlon, and follow in the footsteps of James Bond in "Die Another Day" and Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider".…Not LP reviewed
from USD$222.57 -
Reykjavik Super Saver: Blue Lagoon Round-Trip Transport plus Gulfoss and Geysir Half-Day Tour
10 hours 30 minutes (Departs Reykjavik, Iceland)
by Viator
Combine two tours in one Super Saver for the perfect Icelandic experience. Start your morning relaxing at the Blue Lagoon surrounded by lava fields and snow…Not LP reviewed
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Jaðarsvöllur
For anyone who loves to play golf, there’s something strangely appealing about teeing off at midnight. At only a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle, Akureyri’s Jaðarsvöllur basks in perpetual daylight from June to early August. In summer you can play golf here around the clock; just book ahead for the midnight tee-off. The par-71 course is home to the annual 36-hole Arctic Open, a golf tournament played overnight in late June. Contact the club for the latest information on green fees and club rentals.
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Íshestar
Trotting through lava fields under the midnight sun is an unforgettable experience. Horse farms around Reykjavík offer tours for all ages and experiences, and can collect you from your hotel. Most operate at least some of their trips year-round.
This company offers everything from 1½- to two-hour outings (around Ikr3000 to around Ikr5000), to nine-day tours into the wilderness, including riding and rafting/whale-watching/Blue Lagoon combinations (Ikr7500 to Ikr10,000).
reviewed