Iceland Things to Do

With vast glaciers, glistening fjords and looming volcanoes all within a few hours drive of Reykjavik, exploring Iceland’s otherworldly wilderness couldn’t be easier. To fuel your wanderlust, here are some of the best day trips from the capital.

1. The Golden circle
One of the most popular tours from Reykjavik is a circular route around the dramatic Thingvellir National Park, the geothermal valley of Haukadalur and the thundering Gullfoss Waterfalls – a 300km loop nicknamed the ‘Golden Circle’. Covering some of Southern Iceland’s most breathtaking scenery, the Golden Circle takes in the famous Geysir geyser, the Keiro volcanic crater and the Hellisheiðarvirkjun Geothermal Power Plant.

With its colorful buildings, idyllic bays and backdrop of rugged mountains, Reykjavik’s bewitching landscapes look all the more impressive from up above. To inspire you, here are some of the city’s best viewpoints.

1. Hallgímskirkja Church
With its futuristic white façade designed to evoke the country’s basalt lava flows and its towering steeple providing a crucial navigation point, the Hallgrimskirkja Church is Reykjavik’s most iconic building, dating back to 1986. While the Lutheran church paints a striking picture from ground level, the building’s main drawpoint is its open-air viewing platform, situated at the pinnacle of the tower and reachable by elevator. As the sixth tallest building in Iceland, the views from the Hallgrimskirkja are unsurprisingly spectacular, spanning the urban center, the colorful boats of Reykjavik harbor and the vast coastline dotted with distant islands.

Location, location, location. If you, like me, travel without hiring a car and without wanting to spend half your time working out the local transport system, then you’ll want to stay in walking distance of the main attractions whenever possible. In Reykjavik that’s pretty easy

With their well-known economic challenges, it’s not surprising that the Icelanders have a healthy interest in recycling clothes, household goods and other things. It’s actually not a new thing for them – I suppose living on a small island like Iceland makes you naturally resourceful

If Christmas is coming then it’s time for the feast of Saint Thorlakur. A 12th century cleric who studied in Paris and England, he was Bishop of Skalholt in Iceland until his death on December 23rd 1193.

It’s cold and windy and snowy and dark in Iceland during winter. That doesn’t mean it’s not still beautiful and amazing and hospitable. But it does mean you need to find ways to keep warm. One is to frequent the many bars and cafes in town. Another is to frequent your local pool and get into hot water with the locals.