Reykjanes Peninsula
Overlooking the ocean, this impressive sculpture in the shape of an abstract anchor is worth a closer look.
Must-see attractions in Iceland
Hafnarborg Centre of Culture & Fine Art
Greater Reykjavík
A contemporary gallery with bright and modern display spaces and rotating exhibitions of well-chosen art.
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
This small gallery shows an interesting array of Icelandic contemporary art.
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
A large, central space showcasing contemporary Icelandic art.
Greater Reykjavík
Reykjavík's largest green space is encircled by a 10km loop, which takes you past a water dam, small waterfalls and a river stocked with Arctic char,…
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
Head to the Punk Museum to see Icelandic punk-rock history glued to the white tiles of a former underground public latrine. The exhibition is tiny and the…
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
A total of 14 large flat-screens cover the walls in this vast two-storey exhibition hall. Each screen presents a three- to four-minute documentary,…
Reykjavík
You'll spot the University of Iceland just south of the city centre, near the National Museum.
Mývatn Region
Bjarnarflag, 3km east of Reykjahlíð, is an active geothermal area where the earth hisses and bubbles, and steaming vents line the valley. Historically the…
East Iceland
The remains of the world’s largest spar quarry lie east of Eskifjörður. Iceland spar (silfurberg in Icelandic) is a type of calcite crystal that is…
East Iceland
A habitual site of accidents in ancient times, Njarðvíkurskriður is a dangerous scree slope on Rte 94 near Njarðvík on the way into Borgarfjörður Eystri…
Inland
Rte F923 (off Rte 910, for 4WDs only) leads you to the valley of Hrafnkelsdalur, full of sites relating to Hrafnkell’s Saga. The remote farm Aðalból was…
Tröllaskagi
Completed in 1763, Hólar’s red-sandstone cathedral is the oldest stone church in Iceland and brimming with historical works of art, including a 1674…
North Iceland
The remote, reconstructed turf farmhouse Sænautasel, dating from 1843, brings the past to life…plus it sells pancakes and coffee. This is one of several…
East Iceland
During WWII around 3000 Allied soldiers (10 times the local population) were based in Reyðarfjörður. At the top end of Heiðarvegur you’ll find the…
Mývatn Region
During the Krafla eruption of 1727, the Leirhnjúkur crater, 11km northeast of Reykjahlíð, kicked off a two-year period of volcanic activity, sending…
Borgarbyggð
The most important relic of historian and chieftain Snorri Sturluson's farm is Snorralaug (Snorri’s Pool), a circular, stone-lined pool fed by a hot…
Southeast Iceland
Inland from Lómagnúpur peak is Núpsstaðarskógar, a beautiful low-growing woodland area on the slopes of the mountain Eystrafjall. Due to the perils of…
Southeast Iceland
The Flatey dairy farm (also known as Flatey á Mýrum) lies almost exactly halfway between Jökulsárlón and Höfn and is hard to miss as you drive along – the…
Mývatn Region
This remote rift zone at the northernmost end of the Krafla fissure swarm was the source of the first eruptions in 1724, and was activated when…
Akureyri
The most interesting of the artists’ residences in Akureyri, Nonnahús was the childhood home of renowned children’s writer Reverend Jón Sveinsson (1857…
North Iceland
Hjalteyri (population 43) was once a major herring harbour, and its old fish factory was Iceland's largest herring-processing plant when it was built in…
North Iceland
Tindastóll (989m) is a prominent Skagafjörður landmark, extending for 18km along the coast. The mountain and its caves are believed to be inhabited by an…
East Iceland
Djúpivogur's oldest building is the long, bright-red Langabúð, a harbourside log warehouse dating from 1790. It now houses a cafe and an unusual local…
East Iceland
Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885–1972), Iceland’s best-known artist, was brought up nearby and took much of his inspiration from Borgarfjörður Eystri and…
North Iceland
Eyjan is an island-like mesa covered with low, scrubby forests and small ponds.You can walk a 7km trail around Eyjan from Karl og Kerling to Vesturdalur…
Mývatn Region
The idea of constructing a geothermal power station at Krafla was conceived in 1973, and preliminary work commenced with the drilling of holes to…
Akureyri
This sweet, well-curated museum houses art and historical items relating to town life, including maps, photos and recreations of early Icelandic homes…
North Iceland
Around 19km west of Blönduós, a 6km detour along Rte 721 leads you to a precious stone church, Þingeyrar, sitting quietly and photogenically beside Hóp…
East Iceland
Going by various names (Fish Factory, Sköpunarmiðstöð, 'In Here'), this once-abandoned fish factory by the harbour is a hive of creativity; it's a…
East Iceland
Accessed through the lobby of Fosshotel Eastfjords, this quality museum (with very pricey admission) paints a detailed portrait of the French connection…
Heimaey
Sheltered by an extinct volcano, green and grassy Herjólfsdalur was the home of Vestmannaeyjar's first settler, Herjólfur Barðursson. Excavations have…
Southeast Iceland
This outwash plain spreads across the Meðalland district south of Eldhraun and east of the river Kúðafljót (ie south of Kirkjubæjarklaustur). The sandy…
North Iceland
A folk, maritime and natural-history museum rolled into one, the Culture House is one of the North's most interesting regional museums. ‘Man and Nature’…
Southeast Iceland
West of the village and south of the Ring Road is this vast, dimpled, vivid-green pseudocrater field. Pseudocraters formed when hot lava poured over…
North Iceland
Opened in 2014, this museum salutes the history of human exploration, covering Viking voyages and polar expeditions, but its most nootable exhibition…
The Westfjords
Gvenderlaug is a landmark, 42°C miracle-producing pool (no bathing) that was blessed by the bishop Gvendur the Good in the 13th century and is now a…
The South
Impressive turf houses and old farmhouses built into an enormous freestanding rock, in front of the Eyjafjöll Mountains. Local farmers would keep their…
North Iceland
The town's prime attraction is the prominent Icelandic Seal Centre on the harbourfront, where you can learn about conservation of seals, historical seal…
Mývatn Region
The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð Church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during…
