178 places in the field guide
Places worth the stop.
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48 shown · 178 matches · 178 total
Historical1 / 178RegionSouth IcelandÞingvellir National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart.
- Difficulty
- Easy
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- All ages
Nature2 / 178RegionSouth IcelandGullfoss
A powerful two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá river, part of the Golden Circle.
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- All ages
Geological3 / 178RegionSouth IcelandGeysir
The geothermal area that gave the English word 'geyser' its name, home to the active Strokkur geyser.
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- All ages
Religious4 / 178RegionReykjavík Capital AreaHallgrímskirkja
A Lutheran parish church and Reykjavík's tallest building, visible across the city.
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- All ages
Museum5 / 178RegionReykjavík Capital AreaPerlan
Perlan ("The Pearl") is a distinctive glass-domed building atop Öskjuhlíð hill in Reykjavík, built on six large hot-water storage tanks that still supply part of the city's geothermal district heating system. It now operates as a natural…
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- All ages
Cultural6 / 178RegionReykjavík Capital AreaHarpa Concert Hall
Harpa is Reykjavík's concert hall and conference centre on the Old Harbour waterfront, designed by Henning Larsen Architects with a honeycomb-patterned coloured-glass facade created by artist Olafur Eliasson and inspired by Iceland's…
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- All ages
Cultural7 / 178RegionReykjavík Capital AreaSun Voyager
Sólfar (Sun Voyager) is a stainless-steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason standing on the Sæbraut waterfront path in Reykjavík, resembling the skeletal outline of a Viking-style ship mounted on a granite base. The artist intended it not…
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- All ages
Geological8 / 178RegionReykjanes PeninsulaBridge Between Continents
A roughly 15-metre footbridge near Sandvík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, built in 2002 to span a fissure marking the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Reykjanes Peninsula sits directly on the Mid-Atlantic…
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- All ages
Nature9 / 178RegionReykjanes PeninsulaReykjanesviti Lighthouse
Reykjanesviti, Iceland's oldest lighthouse, stands on Bæjarfell hill at the southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, a 31-metre concrete tower set amid an active geothermal and volcanic landscape. Adjacent Valahnúkamöl is a…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Geological10 / 178RegionReykjanes PeninsulaFagradalsfjall / Geldingadalir Eruption Site
Fagradalsfjall is a 385-metre tuya-type mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula; the Geldingadalir valley just south of it was the site of a high-profile effusive volcanic eruption that drew hundreds of thousands of hikers to watch lava…
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- Hard
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- No published age guidance
Nature11 / 178RegionSouth IcelandSeljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss is a 60-meter waterfall on the Seljalandsá river, which originates in the glacier atop Eyjafjallajökull. It is one of Iceland's most recognizable waterfalls because a path behind the curtain of water leads through a small…
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- Moderate
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- All ages
Nature12 / 178RegionSouth IcelandSkógafoss
Skógafoss is a 60-meter-high, 25-meter-wide waterfall on the Skógá River at the village of Skógar, sitting on a cliff that marks Iceland's former coastline before the sea retreated about 5 kilometers. On sunny days the spray routinely…
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- All ages
Nature13 / 178RegionSouth IcelandReynisfjara Black Sand Beach & Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks
Reynisfjara is a black volcanic sand beach near Vík í Mýrdal, part of the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark, distinguished by hexagonal basalt columns and the Hálsanefshellir sea cave at its eastern end. Offshore rise the Reynisdrangar, jagged…
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- Moderate
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- All ages
Nature14 / 178RegionSouth IcelandJökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach
Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lagoon in Vatnajökull National Park fed by the retreating Breiðamerkurjökull outlet glacier, which calves icebergs up to 30 meters high into the water before they drift toward the sea. Across the road,…
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- All ages
Nature15 / 178RegionSouth IcelandSkaftafell
Skaftafell is a nature reserve in the Öræfi region of southeast Iceland, sheltered beneath the Öræfajökull ice cap and bordered by Vatnajökull outlet glaciers such as Skaftafellsjökull and Svínafellsjökull. It is a major hiking and…
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- Moderate
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- All ages
Geological16 / 178RegionSouth IcelandKerið Crater Lake
Kerið is a volcanic crater lake in the Grímsnes area of the Golden Circle, formed roughly 6,000 years ago on the Tjarnarhólar fissure row. Its steep red and black scoria walls, up to 55 meters deep and 170 meters wide, encircle a shallow,…
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- All ages
Geological17 / 178RegionSouth IcelandEyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull is a 1,651-meter stratovolcano capped by a 66-square-kilometer ice cap in southern Iceland, just north of the village of Skógar. It has erupted at least five times in recorded history, in 920, 1612, 1821-1823, and 2010.
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- Strenuous
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- All ages
Nature18 / 178RegionSnæfellsnes PeninsulaKirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss
Kirkjufell is a distinctive 463 m pyramidal mountain on the north coast of Snæfellsnes near Grundarfjörður, often called the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Kirkjufellsfoss, a set of three small cascades on the Kirkjufellsá river…
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- All ages
Geological19 / 178RegionSnæfellsnes PeninsulaSnæfellsjökull National Park
Snæfellsjökull is a 1,446 m glacier-capped stratovolcano at the western tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, roughly 700,000 years old and last erupted around 200 CE. It is the centerpiece of Snæfellsjökull National Park, established in 2001…
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- All ages
Nature20 / 178RegionSnæfellsnes PeninsulaArnarstapi
Arnarstapi is a small fishing and tourist village at the base of Mt. Stapafell on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, known for its dramatic basalt coastline of sea arches, cliffs, and rifts such as Gatklettur, Hundagjá, and…
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Nature21 / 178RegionSnæfellsnes PeninsulaDjúpalónssandur
Djúpalónssandur is a black basalt pebble beach on the southwestern tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, within Snæfellsjökull National Park, reached through a lava field of jagged rock formations. Swimming is prohibited due to dangerous…
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- Moderate
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- All ages
Nature22 / 178RegionWest IcelandHraunfossar & Barnafoss
Hraunfossar is a series of small waterfalls streaming for about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun lava field directly into the glacial Hvítá river in Borgarfjörður, near Húsafell and Reykholt. A short walk upstream lies Barnafoss…
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- All ages
Geological23 / 178RegionWest IcelandDeildartunguhver
Deildartunguhver, in Reykholtsdalur, is the highest-flow hot spring in Europe, discharging about 180 litres of water per second at a temperature of 97°C. The site supports Struthiopteris fallax, the only fern endemic to Iceland, which…
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Nature24 / 178RegionWestfjordsDynjandi
Dynjandi is the largest and most famous waterfall in the Westfjords, cascading roughly 100 metres down a stepped, fan-shaped rock face above Arnarfjörður. It is actually a series of six waterfalls, the uppermost and widest being…
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- All ages
Nature25 / 178RegionWestfjordsLátrabjarg
Látrabjarg is a 14-kilometre-long promontory of sea cliffs rising up to about 440 metres, marking the westernmost point of Iceland and one of the westernmost points of Europe outside the Azores. It is Europe's largest bird cliff, home to…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Nature26 / 178RegionWestfjordsRauðasandur
Rauðasandur (Rauðisandur) is an unusually long, roughly 10-kilometre stretch of sand on the southern coast of the Westfjords, facing Breiðafjörður bay and backed by steep mountains. Rather than Iceland's typical black volcanic sand, its…
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- All ages
Nature27 / 178RegionWestfjordsHornstrandir Nature Reserve
Hornstrandir is a roughly 580 km² peninsula at the northern tip of the Westfjords, encompassing tundra, fjords and alpine terrain, and has been protected as a nature reserve since 1975 under some of Iceland's strictest preservation rules.…
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- Strenuous
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- No published age guidance
Urban28 / 178RegionWestfjordsÍsafjörður
Ísafjörður, meaning 'ice fjord,' is the largest town in the Westfjords, with a population of roughly 2,700, built on a sandspit (eyri) in Skútulsfjörður off the larger Ísafjarðardjúp. It is the administrative center of Ísafjarðarbær…
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- All ages
Nature29 / 178RegionNorth IcelandGoðafoss
Goðafoss is a horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river in North Iceland, dropping about 12 meters over a 30-meter-wide curved rim. It sits directly beside the Ring Road roughly 45 minutes from Akureyri, making it one of the…
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- All ages
Nature30 / 178RegionNorth IcelandDettifoss
Dettifoss is a powerful waterfall on the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum in Vatnajökull National Park, dropping 44 meters over a roughly 100-meter-wide rim with an average discharge around 193 m³/s. Vatnajökull National Park describes it…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Nature31 / 178RegionNorth IcelandÁsbyrgi
Ásbyrgi is a horseshoe-shaped canyon about 3.5 km long and roughly 1 km wide, with cliff walls up to 100 meters high enclosing a birch-and-willow forest and the pond Botnstjörn. It lies within the Jökulsárgljúfur section of Vatnajökull…
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- Easy
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- All ages
Geological32 / 178RegionNorth IcelandDimmuborgir
Dimmuborgir is a striking lava field of caves, arches, and pillar-like rock formations near Lake Mývatn, formed when a lava lake drained away and left hollow structures around collapsed vapor chambers. Its jagged, fortress-like formations…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Geological33 / 178RegionNorth IcelandHverir (Námafjall)
Hverir, also called Námaskarð, is a high-temperature geothermal field at the base of Námafjall mountain east of Lake Mývatn, filled with bubbling mud pots, hissing fumaroles, and sulfur-crusted ground colored in reds, oranges, and…
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- Easy
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- No published age guidance
Historical34 / 178RegionNorth IcelandHúsavík
Húsavík is a fishing town of about 2,500 people on Skjálfandi bay in Northeast Iceland, now widely known as the country's whale-watching capital due to the frequent presence of humpback, minke, and other whale species in the bay. The…
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- Easy
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- No published age guidance
Urban35 / 178RegionNorth IcelandAkureyri
Akureyri is Iceland's largest town outside the capital region, with a population of roughly 20,000, situated at the head of Eyjafjörður fjord in North Iceland. Known informally as the 'Capital of North Iceland,' it serves as a port,…
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- All ages
Urban36 / 178RegionEast IcelandSeyðisfjörður
A small fjord town of around 650-700 residents in East Iceland, known for its well-preserved early-20th-century wooden buildings, surrounding waterfalls, and dramatic mountain backdrop including Mt. Bjólfur. It is the arrival point for…
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- All ages
Nature37 / 178RegionEast IcelandHengifoss
Hengifoss is a 128-metre waterfall in Fljótsdalshreppur, East Iceland, and the third-highest waterfall in the country. It is reached by a 40-60 minute hike from the parking area, passing the columnar-basalt waterfall Litlanesfoss along…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Museum38 / 178RegionEast IcelandPetra's Stone Collection
A home museum in the village of Stöðvarfjörður displaying the lifelong rock, mineral, and crystal collection of Ljósbjörg Petra María Sveinsdóttir, roughly 70% of it gathered locally in East Iceland. The stones are arranged throughout…
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- All ages
Geological39 / 178RegionEast IcelandStuðlagil Canyon
Stuðlagil is a canyon in the Jökuldalur valley of East Iceland, framed by dense arrays of hexagonal basalt columns formed by the slow cooling of thick lava flows. The Jökla river running through it turns a striking turquoise in summer…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Nature40 / 178RegionHighlandsLandmannalaugar
Landmannalaugar is a highland area within the Fjallabak Nature Reserve known for its rhyolite mountains in shades of red, gold, and green, natural geothermal hot springs, and the adjacent Laugahraun lava field. It is a hub for hiking,…
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- Hard
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- No published age guidance
Seasonal
Nature41 / 178RegionHighlandsÞórsmörk
Þórsmörk is a sheltered highland valley in southern Iceland bounded by the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull, Mýrdalsjökull, and Tindfjallajökull, with the glacial Krossá river running through it. The surrounding ice walls create an unusually…
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- Hard
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- No published age guidance
Geological42 / 178RegionHighlandsAskja
Askja is an active central volcano and nested caldera complex in the Dyngjufjöll mountains of the central highlands, reachable only via the F88 highland road in summer. It holds Öskjuvatn, Iceland's second-deepest lake at 220 metres, and…
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- Hard
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- No published age guidance
Seasonal- Historical43 / 178RegionSouth Iceland
Paradísarhellir
Paradísarhellir, or Paradise Cave, is a small cliffside cave at the foot of Eyjafjöll, reached from the old Seljalandsrétt sheep sorting pen by a rough approach walk and a steep chain-assisted climb. Its narrow mouth opens into a compact…
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- Strenuous
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- No published age guidance
Geological44 / 178RegionNorthwest IcelandHvítserkur
Hvítserkur is a 15 m basalt sea stack on the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, shaped by the sea into a double-holed form that resembles an animal drinking from Húnafjörður. The stack stands just offshore from a gravel beach where…
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- Easy
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- All ages
Geological45 / 178RegionSouth IcelandFjaðrárgljúfur
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a winding canyon near Kirkjubæjarklaustur, where the Fjaðrá river cuts through steep palagonite walls up to about 100 m deep. A rim trail leads to protected viewpoints over the twisting canyon and a waterfall near the…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Geological46 / 178RegionNorth IcelandGrjótagjá
Grjótagjá is a small lava cave near Lake Mývatn with a clear geothermal pool inside. It sits in a fissured lava landscape close to other Mývatn volcanic sites and is best treated as a short geological stop rather than a bathing place.
- Difficulty
- Easy
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- No published age guidance
Nature47 / 178RegionNorth IcelandAldeyjarfoss
Aldeyjarfoss is a 20 m waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river at the northern edge of the Sprengisandur highland route. White water drops into a dark basalt amphitheatre, making it one of North Iceland's most striking basalt-column…
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance
Nature48 / 178RegionSouth IcelandSvartifoss
Svartifoss, the Black Waterfall, is a 20 m waterfall in Skaftafell where water drops over a dark wall of hexagonal basalt columns. Its compact natural amphitheatre makes it one of Vatnajökull National Park's most photographed short hikes.
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- Moderate
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- No published age guidance