Visiting Iceland has always been a bucket list trip for me. Ever since I was little, I’ve had an obsession with stars and the night sky. At age 13 I paid for an app that would tell me the name of every star, constellation, and planet when I pointed my phone at the sky. So as you may imagine, being able to see the sky incredibly clearly and potentially see the northern lights was something I’ve always dreamed of.
Visiting Iceland was life changing, and something I hope everyone will get to experience. If I go again, hopefully a ‘when’ not an ‘it’, these are the ten top activities I need to do as well as what I would recommend to you!
1. See the Northern Lights
As I mentioned earlier, one of my main goals when coming to Iceland was to see the Northern Lights. I knew it would be up to luck whether I saw them or not. Unfortunately I didn’t realize just how difficult they would be to see.
I planned my trip for January of 2024. January is one of the months with the least amount of sunlight, meaning higher odds of seeing the Northern Lights. You can see them anytime between late August and April. Still, many other factors must align for them to be visible.
I booked a Northern Lights tour for my first night. The people running it look at the weather forecast, the cloud coverage, and the aurora forecast. Then they decide the best place to bring us with the highest odds of the lights being visible. I learned that if you can’t see the stars in the night sky, you have no odds of seeing the Northern Lights.
My Experience
We drove for 1.5/2 hours into a field in the middle of nowhere, so there was no light pollution nearby. The stars were extremely bright, the brightest I’ve ever seen in my life! Within the first ten minutes of being at the field, we saw a small aurora for about five to ten minutes. I got a good picture on my phone, shown below. It’s pretty difficult to catch them on your DSLR camera unless you figure out the settings ahead of time. For the rest of our time in the field, we did not see the auroras again. On the ride home though, we saw a MASSIVE aurora. Sadly there was nowhere all the buses could stop and fit, to take pictures. So I got a super grainy photo from aboard the bus and headed home.
I stayed in Reykjavik and did not see the Northern Lights again during the three days I was in Iceland. To say the least, I am thrilled that I was lucky enough to see them before leaving!
I don’t think there are really any tips or tricks to have a better chance of seeing the auroras other than leaving the capital to get away from the light pollution. Other than that, it’s really just luck! I would recommend doing a tour, since they understand the conditions necessary to see them and have the best odds of getting you to see them. They are the experts after all! Good luck and happy hunting!
2. Doing a Golden Circle Tour
Coming to Iceland, I knew the nature would be unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Going onto my hostel website and looking at the tens and hundreds of options, I really wasn’t sure what tour I should do. I didn’t know what to prioritize to see since I knew I wouldn’t be able to see everything.
I ended up signing up for a Golden Circle tour, which happened because my tour earlier didn’t show up, but in the end worked out for me. The Golden Circle is a tourist route that takes you to see the most famous attractions on the island.
I think if you are pressed for time like I was, to make this the tour you prioritize. Unless of course you have set your heart on something else already!
On my tour, I saw where the tectonic plates are separating and was able to walk between them, a geysir, and the Gulfoss waterfalls – which were my favorite! Having a guide who could give us some background information about each stop made everything we saw more meaningful and memorable. I would do this tour again! Maybe the longer one that stops in one of the hot springs, if I were to go again!
3. Trying an Icelandic Hot Dog
Before every trip, I go down an internet rabbit hole, searching for the best possible activities to do wherever I go. My platform of choice is Tik Tok, and I constantly saw videos talking about a specific hot dog stand.
I am a fan of hot dogs, so I thought to myself, “why not” and I got one. The hot dogs here are for the majority, made of lamb, which definitely influences the taste. I am American, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from an Icelandic hot dog.
To this day, I am not sure how I feel about the Icelandic hot dog! It has a thicker casing than a US hot dog would have, but it tasted a bit fresher than my usual hot dog would taste. So I enjoyed the taste, but the crunch from the casing was unexpected and threw me off. For the experience, I would recommend trying it. Especially since there are some “traditional” Icelandic food that the locals don’t eat as a little trick to the tourists that I really didn’t want to try after I heard about it! I do wish I had the time to try other local foods with more of a seafood base.
4. Walking the Rainbow Road to the Church (Hallgrimskirkja)
After my internet deep dive of what to do in Reykjavik, I was very excited to walk the rainbow road in Reykjavik. I’m a fan of Norse mythology as well as the Marvel movies about Thor, so seeing the road in person as well as the church, which looks like part of Asgard, was top of my sightseeing list.
To me, this is one of the most iconic places to see in Reykjavik, other than Harpa (the concert hall). The rainbow road has tons of cool shops that line it, and Hallgrimskirkja is free to enter. Though on a clear day, you should pay to go to the top to get the best view of the city!
5. Trying a Cinnamon Roll
This was another Tik Tok find that I was very excited to try! I went to Brauð & Co bakery to get mine, as well as buying another traditional Icelandic pastry.
In the US, I’m used to a layer of sugary frosting on top of my cinnamon buns, making them for a special occasion for me personally. The cinnamon roll I tried had a lovely cinnamon-y mix in the roll with powdered sugar on top. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wish these existed everywhere because I would eat them way more.
6. Seeing Puffins
When I was searching on my hostel website for potential tours to do, my jaw physically dropped when I saw there was a puffin tour.
I soon learned that puffins are only in Iceland during the summer months of May through August. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to see them since I was there in January. They still would let me book a puffin tour if I wanted, so definitely do not do that if you are also visiting during a time when the puffins aren’t there!
The next time I do go to Iceland, I want it to be during the summer so I am able to see the little penguins. I felt the spirit of NatGeoWild and Jane Goodall take over me when I thought I could potentially see and photograph these little guys. So if you get the opportunity to see them before I do, take a picture of them for me!
7. Visiting a Black Sand Beach
I mentioned earlier that I had a tour problem which is why I went on my Golden Circle tour. Well, I was supposed to go on a southern coast tour and see the black sand beaches, a small fishing village, and a few waterfalls, but the bus never came and picked me up.
I was SO disappointed that I wasn’t able to see a black sand beach. I believe all beaches on Iceland have black sand, so you don’t have to venture super far to see them. If you do get to see one of these legendary beaches, make sure you follow all safety measures. You are not supposed to turn your back on the water. The waves vary in how far inland they come. They have very powerful rip tides and currents, so you easily can get pulled out to sea if you aren’t paying attention on an Icelandic beach!
8. Doing a Free Walking Tour of Reykjavik
One of my favorite parts of my time in Reykjavik was the free walking tour with CityWalk Reykjavik. My tour guide, Mo, moved to Iceland from the Dominican Republic to start his family with an Icelandic woman.
Getting a tour from a local is full of valuable information, but getting a tour from someone who immigrated to the country, I learned, is even better. A native person isn’t going to see things that are different about their culture, as strange or anything to point out. Someone who has embraced the new culture and adapted to it can give you a first hand recount of truly what the culture is like.
I learned much about Icelandic history, how the first people moved here from Norway, how the language is basically the same language that the vikings spoke, and about hidden gems that only someone who lives in Reykjavik would know! If you are looking for a free walking tour, I would highly recommend booking with CityWalk Reykjavik.
9. Visiting a Thermal Hot Spring
This is another thing I WISH I could have done. My second day in Iceland, a volcanic fissure opened again in Grindavik, causing the Blue Lagoon to close. There are more hot springs that you can visit other than the Blue Lagoon, but the clay that you can put on your body from there seemed very appealing to me. So I don’t have a specific one to recommend, just that you visit one.
The water in Iceland is extremely interesting to me and noteworthy! All tap water comes from the glaciers. So any tap water from the bar or the bathroom faucet is clean, refreshing, and delicious. Water is also free, so do not buy bottled water. The warm water gets heated up geothermically, so if you use it, it might smell like rotten eggs because of the sulfur. They recommend waiting 15-30 seconds or until the smell goes away to use it. For other things I wish I knew before I visited, check out this post!
10. Trying Local Food
As a girl, solo traveling on a budget, a lot of Iceland felt out of reach and out of budget. When I return one day, either with a full time job or my family, my goal will be to try more local food.
I realized that basically all food is good in Iceland. Everything is grown or produced locally, so everything is farm to table in a sense. My guide recommended visiting a food market and trying a few different foods (but NOT the shark) which I didn’t have the time nor funds to do. He started talking about the Icelandic comfort foods that are their version of a nice and warm mac and cheese, but I did not get to write the name down. I was super disappointed in myself for that.
So overall, I would recommend asking a local for their favorite local food. Do remember their dishes come from the vikings and the island doesn’t get a ton of sunlight all year meaning the food is more focused on preserving for long durations!
Closing Thoughts:
There is always a feeling of adventure anytime you travel and get to experience somewhere new. There is something different about going somewhere with nature as the focus. That makes the trip truly an adventure into the wilderness. Especially in Iceland where you can take a bus or car out of the capital, and you are transported into a completely different world. If you haven’t been close to the arctic circle before like I hadn’t, seeing a freezing tundra, fjords, and many barren plateaus and low fields, feels like you’ve been dropped on another planet.
If you have booked a trip to Iceland, lucky you! It’s a beautiful country with tons to do and see. Hopefully with these tips, you can have a fantastic trip!
