In a nutshell
- Sun Voyager: The Viking ship sculpture in Reykjavík makes for stunning photos — especially at sunrise and sunset.
- Gullfoss Waterfall: one of the most famous and spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. Don’t miss it.
- Jökulsárlón: a glacial lagoon surrounded by icebergs — one of the most photogenic spots in the country.
- Fjalladyrd Farm: a real hidden gem in Iceland for sunrises, sunsets, and Northern Lights — seriously, the colors here are unlike anywhere else.
- Those are four of our top picks — but we’ve got 20 more highlights and secret spots waiting for you below, including some seriously underrated off-the-beaten-path finds.
Our insider tips for Iceland
You’ll most likely start your trip in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Let’s imagine you’re going on a road trip. You’ll be driving clockwise around Iceland along the Ring Road.
You’ll stop frequently to visit the well-known sights, which we’ll also highlight at the end of this article. But Iceland has way more to offer than just the typical tourist trail.
Luckily, you found this article beforehand — otherwise, you’d have likely missed some of the most spectacular spots on the island.
Hallgrímskirkja Tower in Reykjavík
Even before you leave the capital, you’ll make your first stop. Many visitors don’t realize that the tower of Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík is open to the public.
You can take an elevator to the top and enjoy a perfect panorama of the city — in every direction. It’s a seriously great spot for bird’s-eye-view shots of Reykjavík.
The church’s striking architecture, by the way, is inspired by the basalt cliffs you’ll see all over Iceland.
Where to stay in Reykjavík: Reykjavík Treasure B&B.
Lighthouse in Stykkishólmur
After your initial explorations in Reykjavík, head toward Snæfellsnes. Stykkishólmur makes a great first overnight stop — you’ll find solid, affordable lodging there, like Hótel Fransiskus Stykkishólmi.
The small port town has a highlight that most people walk right past: its lighthouse. You can reach it via a staircase on the harbor side of the hill. From the top, you get a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape and the town below.
Our tip: Keep a close eye on your camera if you set it on a tripod — it can get seriously windy up there. The wind knocked our tripod over and damaged a lens. Face the town behind you and you can also shoot the Northern Lights from the Stykkishólmur lighthouse.
The Viti Crater near Mývatn
From Snæfellsnes, the route continues through the Westfjords, past Akureyri, and into the Mývatn area.
The Viti Crater with its turquoise-blue color isn’t exactly a secret spot anymore. Most people stop briefly, snap a few photos, and drive on. The real hidden gem here is the view from the other side of the crater.
The crater lake has an equally colorful sibling that stays out of sight. You can only see it from the hill between the two craters or from the far side of Viti — so it’s worth taking the extra few minutes to walk around.
Tour to Lake Mývatn, crater, and waterfall
Hafragilsfoss River Valley
After Viti, the route continues to Dettifoss east of Mývatn — Iceland’s most powerful waterfall. Hafragilsfoss sits in the same canyon.
Take the road on the east side of the canyon and you’ll get a sweeping view of the waterfall and the entire valley the river winds through. Not the most dramatic waterfall in Iceland, but the vantage point is genuinely impressive.
Where to stay: Hótel Laxá
Fjalladyrd: The most beautiful sunrises
After a day in Mývatn, the farm with the beautiful name Fjalladyrd is a wonderful place to spend the night. We were told — and we can confirm from personal experience — that this farm is one of the best spots in all of Iceland for sunrises and sunsets.
The colors we saw here were unlike anything else during our time in Iceland. This is a must for photography lovers. The farm sits far from any light pollution, surrounded by an expansive mountain landscape — and it’s a perfect spot for viewing the Northern Lights.
Our tip: Fjalladyrd in northeastern Iceland is one of the great off-the-beaten-path finds for Northern Lights photography. There are no lights for miles around, except for the farm itself.
Fjaðrárgljúfur: Just a valley with a river
The journey continues along the Ring Road through eastern Iceland, past the well-known highlights of Vatnajökull National Park, heading toward Vík. About half an hour before Vík, follow the sign toward Fjaðrárgljúfur.
The first time we pulled over at this valley with the unpronounceable name, it was completely by accident. We were actually looking for the lava field mentioned below.
A fellow visitor in the parking lot told us there was just a valley with a river behind the hill. Since it was raining, we nearly drove off. Luckily, we stayed — because the view is seriously impressive and absolutely worth the detour.
Anyone who calls this “just a valley with a river” is simply impossible to impress.
Where to stay: Hunkubakkar Guesthouse.
Lava field behind Kirkjubaersklaustur
Just a few minutes past the canyon, you’ll drive through one of Iceland’s most beautiful lava fields. From the parking lot, follow a short path and you’ll find yourself standing right in the middle of the spherical waves of solidified lava. Standing there, you can almost feel how it was once flowing around you.
Please stick to the marked trails. The landscape here is extremely sensitive, and going off-path is both disrespectful and completely unnecessary.
Our personal view: nature conservation should always come before the perfect photo. But let’s move on!
Gljúfrafoss: The underrated brother of Seljalandsfoss
After a stop in Vík and its black beaches, continue toward the famous Seljalandsfoss.
Just a few meters further on, its lesser-known sibling Gljúfrafoss tends to get overlooked in Seljalandsfoss’s shadow.
What makes Gljúfrafoss so special: the waterfall is tucked inside a semi-open cave. If you carefully make your way in along the side of the river, you’ll be rewarded with a truly unique experience. It’s only topped by Bruarfoss, which comes next.
Where to stay: Stóra-Mörk
A Day in Vestmannaeyjar
What Iceland is to Europe, Heimaey is to Iceland. The main island of the Westman Islands (Icelandic: Vestmannaeyjar) is a small volcanic world unto itself.
You can explore most of the volcanic landscape in a single day. The history of the archipelago is deeply shaped by the two volcanoes on this tiny island, and the scale of the last eruption becomes very real when you stand on the summit of Eldfell.
Heimaey delivers a breathtaking volcanic landscape in a surprisingly compact area — here’s the view from Eldfell toward the town, with the 1974 lava field stretching out to the right.
Our tip: We really recommend spending a full day and night on Heimaey. Those who don’t stay overnight almost always wish they had. If time is tight, a two-hour boat tour around the archipelago is a great alternative — it gives you a solid feel for the Vestmannaeyjar islands.
Where to stay: Guesthouse Hamar
RIB boat tour around the islands
Thjofafoss
A photographer we met in Iceland tipped us off about this one, and from that moment it went straight onto our list.
Thjofafoss is a beautiful waterfall set in a river valley. The panorama with the mountain backdrop is really impressive — especially at sunrise or sunset.
The path to Thjofafoss can be cold and windy in winter, and you’ll need to walk the last four kilometers if you don’t have a suitable 4WD. Totally worth the effort though!
Bruarfoss: Iceland's most beautiful waterfall
If you want to include Bruarfoss on your Golden Circle tour, plan a full day for it. The earlier you start, the better.
Bruarfoss isn’t the largest, most powerful, or tallest waterfall in Iceland — which is exactly why many people skip it. But its unique character and the electric-blue stream running through its center make it, in our opinion, the most beautiful waterfall in Iceland.
It’s our absolute favorite. That blue stream is genuinely one-of-a-kind.
Note: Direct access to the waterfall has been restricted. There’s now an official parking lot from which a roughly three-kilometer path leads to the waterfall.
Where to stay: Farmhotel Efstidalur
The most beautiful sights in the Golden Circle
The first 11 tips in this article were lesser-known, off-the-beaten-path spots in Iceland. But on a trip to one of Europe’s most beautiful islands, you’ll also want to hit the iconic highlights everyone talks about.
So here’s a look at Iceland’s most famous and unmissable must-sees.
Thingvellir
Thingvellir is the rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. It’s most impressive from a high vantage point, where you get a sweeping view of the rift cutting right through Iceland.
Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss is one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland — and it earns that reputation. Don’t skip it.
Where to stay: Jaðar – The Old House
Geysir
THE Geysir is the namesake of all geysers worldwide — the English word “geyser” is derived directly from it. In Icelandic, though, only this one carries the name.
Where to stay: Litli Geysir
The best things to see in Reykjavík
Reykjavík is Iceland’s capital and has plenty of highlights to offer. If you want to chase the Northern Lights on top of the city sights, consider making it a January destination — your chances of seeing them are pretty good then.
Our tip: Several exciting tours also depart from Reykjavík. We’d recommend these:
Snorkeling in the Silfra Fissure
Glacier hike on Sólheimajökull
Snowmobile tour on Langjökull Glacier
Sun Voyager
This Viking ship sculpture is a real eye-catcher — especially at sunrise and sunset when the light is golden.
Perlan
It’s not just the building itself that’s worth seeing — from the roof, you get a wonderful 360-degree view of the city in all directions.
Harpa: Opera House in Reykjavik
The Harpa concert hall and opera house is architecturally stunning. A dramatic sky makes the shot even better.
More beautiful sights in Iceland
Kirkjufellsfoss
On the left, the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall; on the right, Kirkjufell mountain in the background. This scene is arguably the most photographed subject in all of Iceland — and it’s easy to see why.
Where to stay: Grundarfjordur Guesthouse and Apartments
Dynjandi
The most famous waterfall in the Westfjords. In winter, it’s often unreachable when roads close due to snow and ice. Check the scale by looking at the person in the lower right corner of the image.
Ice Caves in Vatnajökull
Only accessible in winter, the ice caves are an absolute must for any photographer visiting Iceland. Don’t explore them alone — it’s genuinely dangerous. Always go with a guided tour.
Jökulsarlon
Jökulsarlon is the glacier lagoon in southeastern Iceland — and the most spectacular iceberg scenery you’ll encounter on a Ring Road trip.
Right across the road from the lagoon is a black sand beach where chunks of ice drift in from the glacier and get washed back ashore by the tides. One of the most popular spots for photographers in all of Iceland.
The Black Beaches near Vík
The black beaches near Vík look almost surreal in photos. The basalt cliffs are dramatic, but the black sand beach itself is equally worth the visit.
Paragliding over the beaches of Vík
Navy Airplane Wreck
The crashed US Navy airplane wreck has become one of Iceland’s most talked-about attractions.
It’s pretty rare to have it to yourself these days. Try visiting at night — even then it’s more than worth the trip.
Seljalandsfoss
Alongside Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss is Iceland’s most popular waterfall. A path leads you right behind the curtain of water — a really unique experience.
How much time should you plan for Iceland?
We met plenty of people in Iceland who thought they could do a relaxed Ring Road trip in five days. Without skipping entire regions, that’s just not realistic.
On our first visit, we spent ten days on a road trip around the Ring Road.
Even with ten days, we missed quite a bit. But with good planning, you can see a lot and approach the whole trip at a much more relaxed pace.
24 Iceland attractions: Is that all?
You now know our personal highlights in Iceland — 24 places in total. Have you seen everything worth seeing? Hardly.
The landscape is constantly changing, the weather is different every time, and there were things we didn’t manage to see even after spending three months in Iceland in 2015. The Highlands alone are probably worth a dedicated trip of their own.
