Wonders of Iceland: Glaciers & Ice Cave
Reykjavík
This permanent exhibition at Perlan begins with a vast ice cave, 100m long and built with 350 tons of snow and layers of ash from the 2010…
Must-see attractions in Iceland
The South
In 2011 Iceland formed its first ‘geopark’ to protect a region of great geological importance, promote local culture and sustainable development, and…
Reykjavík
Seltjarnarnes, 5km west of central Reykjavík, is a coastal area that feels a world away. The offshore island of Grótta boasts a red-and-white lighthouse…
East Iceland
At the head of Berufjörður, the 19km Öxi mountain pass (Rte 939) offers a summer short cut to drivers en route to or from Egilsstaðir. The pass cuts about…
West Iceland
The farm Eiríksstaðir was home to Eiríkur Rauðe (Erik the Red), father of Leifur Eiríksson, the first European to visit America. Although only a faint…
North Iceland
The striking stone arches of Arctic Henge are the darling of many a brochure, and in real life they live up to the exalted mood. The massive stone circle…
The South
This farmstead is a constant work in progress: every summer, an international group of students practices the building of Icelandic turf houses from local…
Reykjavík
Iceland’s first parliament, the Alþingi, was created at Þingvellir in AD 930. After losing independence in the 13th century, the country gradually won…
Reykjavík
Two things set the statue of Ingibjörg H Bjarnason apart from other monuments in the area: it depicts a historical female figure and it is not made by…
The Golden Circle
For more than 20 years, this petting zoo in small-town Iceland has been a popular hang-out for families passing through the village of Laugarás. Orphaned…
Reykjavík
Þúfa (th-oo-fha), meaning the Tussock, was created by artist Ólöf Nordal in 2013. The 8m-tall grassy mound was constructed out of 4500 tons of gravel and…
Reykjavík
Sunny days see happy local families flocking to this children's park in Laugardalur. Don’t expect lions and tigers; think seals, foxes and farm animals in…
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
Reykjavík is adorned with fascinating sculptures, but it’s Jón Gunnar Árnason’s shiplike Sun Voyager (Sólfar) sculpture that seems to catch visitors’…
Southeast Iceland
Skeiðarársandur, the largest sandur in the world, covers a 1300-sq-km area and was formed by the mighty Skeiðarárjökull. Since the Settlement Era,…
Einar Jónsson Sculpture Garden
Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur
The garden behind the Einar Jónsson Museum contains 26 bronze casts of Iceland's first sculptor, the symbolist Einar Jónsson.
Reykjavík
This cultural centre fosters connections between Iceland and its Nordic neighbours with a rich program of events, a library, exhibition space and bistro.
North Iceland
On the west side of Vatnsnes Peninsula is Illugastaðir farm, with wonderful views of peaks along the Strandir coast in the Westfjords. A 10-minute walk…
Reykjavík
Perlan's mirrored dome, designed by Ingimundur Sveinsson, covers huge geothermal-water tanks some 2km from the city centre. Inside, the Wonders of Iceland…
The Golden Circle
For centuries (between 1056 to 1785) Skálholt was a political and cultural hub in Iceland, and one of only two areas overseen by bishops. In the wealthy…
Southeast Iceland
This cleverly crafted museum (its inspired exterior looks like a shelf of books) pays tribute to the most famous son of this sparsely populated region –…
Inland
Skriðuklaustur is the site of both an excavated, late-15th-century monastery and the photogenic home of an Icelandic author feted by the Third Reich. The…
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
About 5km south of Stykkishólmur, the holy mountain Helgafell (73m) was once venerated by worshippers of the god Þór. Although quite small, the mountain…
North Iceland
The town’s most significant building is Kaupvangur, a restored customs house. You’ll find an excellent cafe and information centre on the ground floor,…
North Iceland
The unsealed but magnificent old coastal road (Rte 870) around the wildlife-rich and little-visited Melrakkaslétta (Arctic Fox Plain) bumps along for 55km…
Borgarbyggð
Find Europe’s biggest hot spring, Deildartunguhver, about 5km west of Reykholt, just off Rte 50, near the junction with Rte 518. Look for billowing clouds…
The South
About 13km east of Vík and just south of Rte 1, the small peak of Hjörleifshöfði (221m) rises above the black sands of Mýrdalssandur and offers good views…
North Iceland
Flatey (pronounced Flat–eh) is a serene 2.5km-long island 9km from Húsavík, on the northwest edge of Skjálfandi Bay. The name simply means flat island …
Tröllaskagi
Several restored harbourside buildings have been turned into a museum exploring the reasons behind Icelanders’ emigration to North America, their hopes…
The South
On the farm of Hellar in Landsveit, this 50m long human-made cave was built up to 11m below the soil at its deepest point. Inside a barn, visitors walk…
Reykjavík
Sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson (1908–82) used this peaceful seafront building as a studio. Now it showcases his varied, powerful work: portrait busts,…
Snæfellsjökull National Park
About 2km south of Djúpalónssandur, a paved road leads down to the rocket-shaped lighthouse at Malarrif, from where you can walk 1km east along the cliffs…
Reykjavík
Internationally acclaimed Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson was responsible for the Harpa concert hall's iconic honeycomb glass-and-steel facade…
East Iceland
Three collections are clustered together in one bright-red harbour front warehouse, known as ‘Museum House’. Tryggvasafn showcases a collection of…
Borgarbyggð
Þorgerður Brák was Egil's nursemaid, thought to be a Celtic slave. In one of the more dramatic moments in Egil's Saga, she heroically saves Egil's life …
Reykjavík
The crucial role fishing plays in Iceland's economy is celebrated through the imaginative displays in this former fish-freezing plant. The new exhibition…
Borgarbyggð
The interesting medieval study centre Snorrastofa is devoted to celebrated medieval poet, historian and statesman Snorri Sturluson, and is built on his…
Hafnarfjörður Museum – Pakkhúsið
Greater Reykjavík
Hafnarfjörður Museum is divided over several buildings. Start at the main building, Pakkhúsið, for three floors of displays on the history of…
The South
On 21 November 1973, a US Navy aeroplane was forced to crash-land at Sólheimasandur. The crew all survived, but the wreckage of the militarised Douglas DC…
The Westfjords
The study of the Arctic fox has been underway on nearby Hornstrandir for years, and this locally loved exhibition details the life of the creatures, their…
Reykjavík
The endearingly bloodthirsty Saga Museum is where Icelandic history is brought to life by eerie silicon models and a multi-language soundtrack featuring…
