The 8 Places to See in Iceland
(If you’re short on time)
And 3 You Can Totally Skip
We were invited to a Bachelor Party in Iceland, and we packed a lot into 5 days. To be honest, 5 days was not nearly enough time to explore and experience everything Iceland has to offer. After a lot of research, these were our highlights we would recommend and a few I would advise to skip for something else.
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Reykjavík
Things to See & Do
Sun Voyager
The sun voyager is a beautiful sculpture that replicates a viking longboat and represents “the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope progress and freedom.” Located on the coast and along a very scenic walkway, it’s worth the easy (and free!) visit to catch the scenic landscape.
The tour takes about 1.5 hours and you are immediately treated with views of Reykjavik from the sea, and the nearby mountains. The boat takes you out to an island heavily populated with puffins that zoom around the ship. The guides are very knowledgeable and can send you their photos from their high powered cameras upon request.
We were pleasantly surprised by how luxurious this experience felt despite being the most popular tourist attraction in Iceland! Be sure to book your entrance tickets well in advance, they take crowd control seriously and will sell out. Here’s how it works:
Check-in at your admission time at the front desk
Head to the locker rooms
Change into your swim-suit (leave everything in your locker)
Take a shower (remove swim suit in shower and put back on once finished)
Go grab your phone for photos from your locker, and head out to the Blue Lagoon!
Get your mud mask, take lots of photos, look around, maybe grab your free drink too.
Head back to the locker room, put your phone away, go to the bathroom, re-shower, and enjoy the rest of the time in the Blue Lagoon hands free!
Don’t miss the sauna and steam rooms in the Blue Lagoon.
Food
Bastard Brew and Foods - Good food and selection of brews. We ended up trying a bunch of appetizers and sharing with the table which worked out well.
Reykyavik Roasters - They have a few spots around town, one of which was very close to our airbnb. Wonderful coffee and breakfast selection. Perfect for a long day of exploring.
Íslenski Barinn - This is exactly the kind of place I look for when I travel. Small place with a local menu and a lovely gentleman serenading us on the piano. The menu had a variety of options to try traditional Icelandic food and a very good home brew.
The Golden Circle
Things to See & Do
There are many waterfalls in Iceland, but this one was my personal favorite. It just kept getting better as we walked along the path. Bundle up, the spray coming off the falls is cold!.
Skogafoss Waterfall Hike
Unique and challenging hike with 20-30 beautiful waterfalls along the way. Bring your waterproof clothes!
Food
The dough is baked by burying in the hot, black sand and cooks for a day before it’s ready. Our guide dug up our bread and served it with butter and smoked trout. It was divine. Highly recommend and book in advance!
Such an unexpected place amidst the Icelandic landscape. Stop in for all-you-can-eat tomato soup and bread, pasta, and even a tomato beer! Everything is freshly prepared from the tomatoes grown on site. Make sure to add fresh basil from your table plant to your tomato soup! Maybe visit with the Icelandic horses in the stables outside too! This is a popular tourist destination with tour buses so make sure to make a reservation.
Ölverk Pizza & Brewery
Just outside of Selfoss, and 30min from Reykjavik, this is a cute pizza and beer spot along the Golden Circle. I highly recommend making a stop and grabbing both! The pizzas run a bit small, so I would recommend 1 per person if you’re hungry,
This place was so cool! If you’ve ever seen the tv series “Vikings” then this place will make you feel like you’re on the set! The prices are a bit steep, but the food is wonderful, and the atmosphere is so fun. Make sure to take photos on the throne with the props and maybe throw a few axes outside.
What to Skip
If I were to do it all again, these are the places I could stand to miss.
The Penis Museum
It is exactly as it sounds and it’s expensive too!
Geysir
If you’re looking to fill in some time on your tour of the Golden Circle, then this stop was just okay. You go, you see the geysir about every 8-10 minutes, and that’s it. Kind of cool, kind of… meh, but at least it was free!
Hallgrimskikja - Church in Reykjavik
Cool looking church in the heart of Reykjavik, however, there’s no real need to go inside. It’s best admired and photographed from a distance. In fact, Cafe Loki serves rye bread ice cream that’s worth a trip across the street from the church. I would recommend going there if the rest of your group insists on going inside.