Blue Lagoon
Norðurljósavegur 9, 240 Grindavík
The Blue Lagoon is Iceland's most visited attraction — a geothermal spa in a lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula whose milky-blue, mineral-rich water (70% seawater, 30% freshwater, heated to 37-40°C by the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant) has become the image that sells Iceland to the world.
Geysir & Strokkur (Day Trip)
Haukadalur, Bláskógabyggð, Iceland
The Geysir geothermal area in Haukadalur valley is the second stop on the Golden Circle route — the site that gave every geyser in the world its name.
Golden Circle (Day Trip)
Mánaleið, Skuggahverfi, Reykjavík, 101, Iceland
The Golden Circle is Iceland's most popular day trip — a 300-kilometre loop from Reykjavik that passes through three of the country's most important natural and historical sites: Þingvellir (where the world's oldest parliament met from 930 AD and where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly separate), Geysir (the geothermal area whose Strokkur geyser erupts every 5-10 minutes, shooting boiling water 30 metres into the air), and Gullfoss (a two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá river that plunges 32 metres into a canyon).
Gullfoss Waterfall (Day Trip)
Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland
Gullfoss ('Golden Falls') is the most famous waterfall in Iceland and the third stop on the Golden Circle route — a two-tier cascade on the Hvítá river that drops a total of 32 metres in two stages into a 70-metre deep canyon, generating enormous clouds of spray that create rainbows on sunny days and give the waterfall its name.
Northern Lights & Midnight Sun
Various viewing locations, Reykjavik & surrounds
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are visible from Reykjavik and the surrounding countryside from September through March — curtains of green, purple, and white light that ripple across the sky when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field.
Sky Lagoon
44-48 Vesturvör, Kópavogur, Kópavogur, 200, Iceland
The Sky Lagoon is Reykjavik's premium geothermal lagoon — a 2021 addition to the Icelandic bathing culture, located 8 kilometres south of central Reykjavik in Kársnes (Kópavogur) and featuring an 80-metre infinity edge that merges the lagoon water with the North Atlantic horizon, creating a swimming experience where you appear to float into the sea.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula (Day Trip)
Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Western Iceland
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is 'Iceland in miniature' — a 90-kilometre finger of land northwest of Reykjavik that contains a glacier-capped volcano (Snæfellsjökull, the setting for Jules Verne's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'), black sand beaches, dramatic sea cliffs, lava fields, fishing villages, and the full range of Icelandic landscapes compressed into a single day trip.
Viðey Island (Day Trip)
Viðey Island, Kollafjörður
Viðey is a small flat island in Kollafjörður bay a short ferry ride from Skarfabakki harbour (10 minutes) that combines the Viðey Stofa (the oldest stone building in Iceland, completed in 1755), Iceland's first church (from 1774), and Yoko Ono's Imagine Peace Tower — a luminous beacon switched on each year from 9 October (John Lennon's birthday) to 8 December (the anniversary of his death), projecting light for up to 4 kilometres into the sky.
Whale Watching from Reykjavik
2 Ægisgarður, Vesturhöfn, Reykjavík, 101, Iceland
Whale watching from Reykjavik's Old Harbour is one of Iceland's most popular activities — boat tours departing year-round into Faxaflói Bay where humpback whales, minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises are regularly sighted within an hour of the harbour.
Þingvellir (Day Trip)
Þingvellir National Park, Iceland
Þingvellir ('Parliament Plains') is a UNESCO World Heritage national park 45 kilometres east of Reykjavik that combines geological drama with foundational Icelandic history.
Explore nature in Reykjavik
GPS-guided narration at every landmark. Tap a spot on the map, hear the story. Every fact verified.