Things to do in Iceland
Elding Whale Watching Reykjavik11 optionsBlue Lagoon Tours17 optionsGlacier Walks11 optionsDay Trips from Reykjavik18 optionsHorse Riding Reykjavik15 optionsFood Tour Reykjavik21 optionsIce Cave Tour from Reykjavik18 optionsReykjavik Airport Transfer14 optionsSnowmobile Reykjavik11 optionsAkureyri Northern Lights Tour5 optionsReykjavik Walking Tour44 optionsSecret Lagoon Tours11 options
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Golden Circle & Kerid: Day Trip from Reykjavik with Farm StopsYou’ll taste fresh pastries in Hveragerði, walk along Kerið’s volcanic rim, meet Icelandic horses up close, and feel Gullfoss waterfall’s wild spray—all on this Golden Circle day trip from Reykjavik with a local guide and hotel pickup included. Each stop is its own small adventure; expect laughter, weather changes, good food—and a few surprises Iceland always seems to throw in.
Golden Circle: Laugarás Lagoon Soak & Gullfoss Day TripYou’ll start by soaking in Laugarás Lagoon’s geothermal pools before heading out to see Geysir’s eruptions and feel Gullfoss’s spray on your skin. Walk between tectonic plates at Þingvellir while your local guide shares stories and small details you’d miss alone. It’s a day of warmth, wild weather, laughter, and landscapes that stick with you long after.
Reykjavik: Golden Circle & Hvammsvik Geothermal Spa with CraterYou visit five of Iceland's most recognizable natural landmarks in a single day — geysers, waterfalls, a volcanic crater, and the continental rift at Thingvellir — with a guide handling the route and timing. Entry to Kerið and Hvammsvik Hot Spring is included, as is hotel pickup and a two-hour geothermal soak at the end. The full day includes driving time between locations, so plan to be out from morning until early evening.Is it for me?A good fit if you want to see Iceland's most famous natural landmarks in one day without arranging transport and entry fees yourself — the fixed itinerary and small minibus group is what makes five major stops fit into a single outing. Plan for a full day out, with the geothermal soak at the end built in to ease the driving.
Reykjavik: Speedboat Whale Watching Tour Small Group SeatsYou’ll zip across Faxaflói Bay in Reykjavik on a small-group speedboat tour, bundled in warm gear as your local guide shares stories about whales and puffins. Spot humpbacks or minkes up close (if you’re lucky), feel the wind and salt spray, and catch those quiet moments when it’s just you and Iceland’s wild sea.
Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon Tour: Small Group, 9 HoursA 9-hour guided tour from Reykjavik combining the Golden Circle's three signature stops—Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, and the Geysir geothermal area—with a soak in Secret Lagoon's natural hot springs. The small-group format keeps the minibus under a dozen travelers, and pickup from your Reykjavik location is included. The itinerary can shift due to weather, and Secret Lagoon closes May 13–23 (Fontana Spa substitutes those dates).Is it for me?If you're based in Reykjavik and want to see the Golden Circle's three main sights plus soak in a geothermal pool without organizing transport or timing yourself, the small-group format and included pickup mean the day holds together without you building it—you just show up and the minibus does the rest.
Caves of Hella tour from Vik: Ancient crosses and carvingsThe Caves of Hella guided tour near Vik takes you through five of twelve ancient man-made caves on the South coast, with a local English-speaking guide leading the way. The site holds Iceland's oldest surviving archaeological remains, with carved crosses, wall carvings and carved seats still visible inside. The caves sit just off Route 1, about an hour from Reykjavik, and the tour runs roughly an hour.Is it for me?Most cave sites in Iceland are either self-guided or require a long specialized hike. This one has a guide who knows the history carved into the walls and sits an hour from Reykjavik on the main road, so you see the oldest archaeological remains in Iceland without detour or scrambling.
Reykjavik: Cat Walking Tour & Coffee House with PastryYou walk downtown Reykjavik for two hours following the routes and stories of the city's street cats, starting at the settlement monument and ending at a sculpture garden. Midway, you stop at the Cat Coffeehouse to drink coffee or hot cocoa with Icelandic pastry while petting the cats there. Your guide covers cat mythology, the history of cats in Iceland, and points out the famous downtown cats if they're around. The whole tour is wheelchair accessible and suits any fitness level.Is it for me?Book this if you want to explore downtown Reykjavik through a lens that's genuinely different—not a standard sightseeing walk, but one built around the cats that actually live here and the stories they carry. The coffeehouse break and guided commentary mean you're not figuring out the route or the history yourself.
Golden Circle day trip from Reykjavik: Small groups, all three sitesYou get picked up in Reykjavik, visit four major Golden Circle sites in one day (Kerid crater, Gullfoss, Thingvellir, and Strokkur geyser), travel by minibus in a group under 19 people, and return to your starting point by evening. Bring your own lunch and waterproof gear, or rent them on-site.Is it for me?Book this if you want the Golden Circle's main sights without renting a car or navigating between stops yourself—the small-group size means you get a guide who can actually talk, not just drive.
Ice Cave and Glacier Walk: Vatnajökull's Blue CanyonsAn ice cave and glacier walk inside Vatnajökull National Park, departing from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you walk on the glacier with crampons, explore blue canyons carved into the ice, and visit naturally formed ice caves. Small groups of up to 8 travelers go with AIMG-certified guides who read conditions each morning and choose the quietest, most accessible cave. The 4–5 hour adventure includes all safety gear — crampons, helmet, headlight — and a photo stop at Diamond Beach on the return drive, where icebergs from the lagoon drift ashore across black volcanic sand.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to spend a morning or afternoon on the ice itself, walking inside the glacier's blue canyons and caves with a small group and a guide who knows the glacier well enough to find the quieter spots. The 4–5 hour timeframe fits a single day from Jökulsárlón without eating into travel time to other parts of Iceland.
Skaftafell Ice Cave Tour: Hike to Blue Ice & Certified GuideYou hike 2.5 hours onto Vatnajökull glacier with a certified guide, crampons and ice axe in hand, and enter a blue ice cave — a natural formation almost unique to Iceland. All equipment, parking, and hot drinks are included; the guide handles safety and explains the ice formations as you climb. Expect moderate physical effort and weather-appropriate clothing, which is what makes the altitude and the cave access possible in a single morning.Is it for me?Right for travelers with moderate fitness who want to step onto a real glacier and enter an ice cave in one morning without arranging gear or guides themselves. The 2.5-hour hike and elevation gain are what make reaching the cave possible, so plan for a full morning of physical effort and dress for Iceland's weather.
Akureyri: Lake Mývatn & Goðafoss Waterfall Shore ExcursionYou board a coach at Akureyri port and spend the day moving between four distinct natural sites: a 12-meter waterfall, a crater-lined lake viewpoint, a 2,300-year-old lava field, and steaming geothermal mud pools. Coffee and an Icelandic treat are served partway through. The coach returns you to the port with a full hour to spare before your ship leaves.Is it for me?Built for cruise passengers docked at Akureyri who want to see North Iceland's main geothermal and volcanic sites without arranging their own transport or timing—the coach handles the route and guarantees you're back before the ship leaves.
Golden Circle, Farm & Sky Lagoon: Small Group Day TripYou’ll walk between continents at Thingvellir, watch Icelandic horses trot at Friðheimar farm, taste tomatoes straight from the vine, and feel Gullfoss’s spray on your face before soaking in Sky Lagoon’s geothermal waters—all with a local guide and entry tickets included. Expect warmth (sometimes literal), laughter, and more than one moment that sticks with you.
Katla Ice Cave & South Coast Waterfalls From ReykjavikYou travel from Reykjavik to a glacier, switch to a super-jeep, and spend three hours on Kötlujökull with a guide, crampons, and safety gear exploring the Katla Ice Cave and blue ice formations. You stop in Vík for lunch and the black beach, then return via two major waterfalls—Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss—where you can walk behind the falls. The tour includes all fees and takes about nine hours total, with 4–5 hours of driving.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Iceland's south coast in one day without renting a car or arranging glacier transport yourself—the super-jeep and expert guide handle the difficult terrain, and the fixed itinerary gets you to three major sites and back to the city by evening.
Silfra: Freedive Between Continents with Gear & Hot CocoaYou’ll slip into Silfra’s legendary clear water with a local guide nearby, freediving right between two continents. Expect chilly thrills, surreal underwater views, and hot cocoa waiting when you climb out. No certification needed — just bring your nerves (and something warm for after).
Silfra Fissure Scuba Dive Reykjavik: Certified Divers OnlyYou descend into Silfra Fissure with a certified guide, diving between two tectonic plates in water so clear it feels weightless. The tour includes all specialized equipment, a guided 4-hour experience in small groups of three, and hot chocolate afterward. You'll need dry-suit certification and logbook proof before the day begins.Is it for me?Book this if you're a certified dry-suit diver looking for one of the world's most unique dive sites and don't want to arrange your own guide, equipment, or logistics—the small group size and fixed schedule handle all of that, leaving you to focus on the dive itself.
Reykjanes Peninsula Helicopter Tour: Volcanic Eruption AreaA helicopter tour over the Reykjanes Peninsula, 30 km from Reykjavík, that flies you above Iceland's newest volcanic landscape—lava fields, crater formations and the transformed terrain left by eruptions since 2021. The tour runs 35–45 minutes with a live English guide and holds only 5–6 passengers per helicopter, so views are close and unobstructed. Flights are weather-dependent; if conditions turn poor, you'll be offered a reschedule or full refund. Children from age 2 are welcome.Is it for me?The 35–45 minute flight fits a morning or afternoon slot without consuming your whole day, leaving time for other activities in Reykjavík or elsewhere on the peninsula. Weather-dependent departures mean you should book this early in your trip so a reschedule doesn't collide with your flight home.
Landmannalaugar Hike & Hot Springs from ReykjavikYou hike 6.5 kilometers through Iceland's most colorful highland landscape — black lava, sulfur-yellow peaks, obsidian gorges — with a small group and an English-speaking guide. After three hours on the trail, you soak in a natural hot spring surrounded by the same dramatic scenery. The 4x4 pickup from Reykjavik is included, which means no F-road navigation or rental logistics; you just show up and hike. Bring your own lunch and waterproof gear, or rent locally with advance notice.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Iceland's most colorful highland landscape without arranging your own 4x4 transport or navigating F-roads — the pickup and small-group format mean you focus on the hike and the scenery, not logistics.
Iceland Ring Route 8 Days: Golden Circle & SnæfellsnesYou travel eight days around Iceland's Ring Route in a small group, staying in 3-star hotels with breakfast each morning. The itinerary covers the Golden Circle, South Coast waterfalls and an ice cave, a glacier hike with equipment, the Eastfjords, Lake Mývatn's lava formations, and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula with Kirkjufell mountain. Pickup and drop-off from Reykjavik bus stops are included, along with the Katla ice cave and glacier hike; optional activities like whale watching and Vók Bath can be added along the way.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Iceland's main landscapes—waterfalls, glaciers, black sand beaches, lava fields—without arranging transport, hotels, or timing between sites yourself. Eight days is long enough to move at a pace that doesn't feel rushed, and the fixed itinerary means you hit each region in sequence rather than backtracking.
Iceland Lava Centre: Interactive Volcano & Earthquake ExperienceYou’ll step right into Iceland’s volcanic story at the Lava Centre—feel earthquakes shake beneath your feet, explore glowing magma displays, and hear local guides share what it means to live on shifting ground. Watch real eruption footage in their cinema or just stand on the deck taking in those wild South Coast views—it stays with you.
Silver Circle Iceland: Inside a Lava CaveYou ride west from Reykjavik with a professional guide, visit Europe's most powerful hot spring and meet Icelandic horses at a working farm, walk between two waterfalls born from ancient lava, and spend 90 minutes inside Iceland's largest lava cave with its colored formations and massive chambers. Hotel pickup and all admissions are included, and you're back in the capital by evening.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Reykjavik who want to see Iceland's geology in one day without renting a car — the guide handles the route and timing, and all admissions are paid upfront. Plan for a full day out, which is what lets you move from hot springs to waterfalls to caves without rushing any of them.
