Popular Activities in Iceland

Glacier Adventures

It’s easy to get close to a glacier in Iceland. Ice-walking, ice-climbing, snowmobiling, and sailing on glacier lagoons are exciting and unique activities. You can go on glacier adventures on day tours from Reykjavik or include them in longer trips in the countryside.

Spas and Swimming

Icelanders have one of the longest life expectancies in the world. We think it has a lot to do with our clean air, pure drinking water and daily spoonfuls of cod-liver-oil! Icelanders also frequent geothermally heated swimming pools and spas and we have plenty of them around the island. We can plan a trip for you that includes visits to the Blue Lagoon, to geothermally heated outdoor swimming pools with saunas and steam baths, and if you like, dips in secluded natural hot-springs in the wilderness.

Hiking

Iceland is a hiker’s paradise. The scenery is incredibly varied and the trails are never crowded. We organize a variety of single- and multi-day hikes in various parts of the country. For longer hikes, you overnight in cozy mountain huts along the way. One of our most popular hiking routes is called Laugavegur, a 4-day hike that takes you through a landscape of colorful rhyolite mountains, hot springs, neon green moss, enormous ice caps, raging glacier rivers, pristine mountain lakes, and fertile green valleys.

Caving

Lava tubes and ohter caves abound in Iceland. A small opening in the ground often leads you to an unexpectantly large world below, one that is full of geological formations such as stalagmites and stalactites that you won´t find elsewhere.

Horseback Riding

What better way to take in the Icelandic landscape than on horseback? Although they are smaller than the average horse, you would be remiss to call them ponies. With two extra gaits, the Icelandic horses are a special ride.

Kayaking and River-Rafting

Iceland’s numerous fjords offer a variety of kayaking opportunities. White-river rafting is also popular on many of Iceland’s glacial rivers.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

Iceland´s glacial water offers some of the greaterst visibility in the world and the view of some of Earth´s youngest crust pushing up from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is spectacular.

Bird Watching

You can’t help but being a bird watcher in Iceland. The island lies at a major junction of migratory routes, and hosts close to 300 species. The birding season starts in March and the best bird watching months are May and June. About 6 million puffins come to Iceland in the summer. Lake Mývatn has more species of ducks than anywhere else in the world. Other birds popular with bird watchers include divers, eagles, Ptarmigan, Gyr Falcon, Common Eiders, Arctic Terns, Arctic Skua, and numerous seabirds, waders and passerines.

Photography

Most photographers who visit Iceland are impressed by the rapid changes in scenery, the intense colors, crystal clear air, and the dramatic interplay of light and shadows. We love to plan photography tours for both professional and amateur photographers.

Viking Heritage

Iceland was settled by Norwegian Vikings in the 9th century and our culture reflects our Viking heritage. If you or your children are interested in Vikings, Iceland has a lot to offer. Visit various museums and hear stories of the Icelandic Vikings. Dine in Viking-themed restaurants and explore the regions where the most famous Vikings lived. Combine with nature explorations and horseback-riding on the unique Icelandic horse, which was brought to Iceland by Vikings over one-thousand years ago, and has remained genetically unchanged since then.

Golf

There are about 60 golf courses in Iceland, many of them are 18-hole courses. The long summer nights are popular with golfers. Every summer at the end of June, golfers visit from all over the world to take part in the unique midnight sun golfing tournament called The Arctic Open Golf Championship.

Salmon and Trout Fishing

Iceland has more than one hundred salmon rivers. About twenty of them are in the first-class bracket, ranked with the finest in the world. We work with local angling clubs to organize fishing trips that often include other activities as well.

Shopping for Icelandic Art and Design

The innovative Icelandic design scene is young, fresh, and progressive. Explore art galleries and museums in Reykjavík and visit shops selling Icelandic clothing, accessories and home ware. Visitors are entitled to a 15 percent tax refund.