When it comes to Iceland, what do you think of directly? The volcanoes? The pureness? Few people? As one of the northernmost countries in the world, Iceland’s terrain is like a big bowl in the sea. This is the land where humans finally settled, and Norwegian arrived in Iceland in the 9th century. There are 200-300 volcanoes in Iceland, including 40-50 active volcanoes, which are known as ‘polar circle fire islands’. Iceland attracts more and more tourists because of its uniqueness and beauty. Here is the list of top 10 most popular attractions in Iceland, please follow us to experience its natural beauty.
1. Blue Lagoon / Blue Lake
Blue Lake is a famous geothermal hot spring in Iceland. We can say that it’s a spa center that is open all year round. Although it’s artificial, we have a great experience that we can see a 360-degree view in the hot springs wearing a volcanic stone mask and drinking a cup of fruit shake. What’s more, the mask and the drink are included in the ticket. The beautiful creamy spring water contrasts sharply with the dark lava covered by dark green moss. We can enjoy the hot springs and enjoy the breathtaking views at the same time. A small tip for you: the number of people who can enter in the Blue Lake is limited for ensuring the quality of the experience, so be sure to remember to book in advance.
2. Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir National Park is a world heritage site on the edge of the vast rift valley created by the separation of the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. The rift is still separating at a rate of 2 centimeters per year. Lakes and rivers are formed in the middle of the larger cracks, and the they are clear and green. You can also camp and dive in the canyons of the park. but the risk of diving is extremely high, so you need to be led by professional staff. There are also churches and the oldest parliamentary site to visit. This park is the site of the oldest Icelandic parliament building and is of geological significance in addition to its historical significance. It is hard to imagine that the development of political civilization can be so advanced in an extremely hard geographical environment where material life isn’t yet met. We can touch the Americas with our left hand and touch Europe with our right hand, which is a wonderful feeling as if flying slowly from the Americas to Europe.
3. Gullfoss
One of Iceland’s most spectacular waterfalls, the Gullfoss with a total height of 32 meters and a maximum length of 21 meters, is one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions. If you go there in the winter, you can see the blue water and the white ice and snow. You must wear a lot to keep warm because the wind here is strong and make sure to take your anti-slip shoes. Through the narrow path, you can enjoy spectacular views of the huge two-layer waterfall below. If you go there on a sunny day, you can see thousands of rainbows, which are natural reactions with the spray clouds of rolling waterfalls.
4. Jokulsarlon
Jokulsarlon is a natural lagoon formed at the entrance of the southeastern edge of the Vatnajökull. The Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður National Park is the largest in Iceland and the most well-known national park that is full of natural wonders. And Jokulsarlon is undoubtedly the most embarrassing gem in this dazzling crown. In addition, there are plenty diamond-like gleaming ice stone in the black sand beach , that’s why it’s called “Diamond Ice Beach”. The glacial lake is naturally formed by the melting of water melted by glaciers. With the accumulation of crushed ice in the glaciers and lakes that have been melting, the scale of the glacial lake has expanded year by year and the scenery has become more and more fascinating. However, the beauty of Jokulsarlon is the high cost of melting glaciers and an immediate consequence of global warming. With the influence of frequent geological activities in Iceland, the sights you see are completely different at each time.
5. Golden Circle
The Golden Circle in southern Iceland is arguably the must-see for the first Icelandic tourism. It includes three famous Icelandic attractions, the Geyser Fountain, the former site of the Parliament, and the Gullfoss. These scenic spots are scattered on a circular road, and this road therefore becomes a “golden circle.” You can go to the geothermal area of the large gap to find the incredible Strokkur geyser. You can watch the Strokkur geyser with water vapor of more than 30 meters every few minutes.
6. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall also known as the Shepherd Falls is a 60 meters high waterfall in the southwest of Iceland. It’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. People can experience its unique atmosphere in 360 degrees, which is unlike other waterfalls. If you want to explore the waterfall, it’s an uphill and downhill process. The mountain road is narrow and slippery and there are endless visitors in the peak season, so you have to pay attention to anti-skid and anti-water, otherwise you will get wet.
7. Skógafoss
Skógafoss is 60 meters high and 25 meters wide in the south of Iceland. It is one of the largest and most representative waterfalls. As the original MacBook wallpaper shooting location, Skógafoss is like thunder piercing the ear. It’s also a holy place to shoot portraits and is the place that is most popular place published in Instagram. The mountains on both sides of the waterfall are covered with green plants, and the cliffs on both sides surround the waterfall. The white water flow matches perfectly with the surrounding green plants. This waterfall is also known as the “forest waterfall”. There is a trail on the right side of the waterfall. Visitors can look back at the entire coastline and witness the spectacular sight of the river when climbing to the top. Double rainbows sometimes appear on sunny days due to the large amount of water mist.
8. Geysir
The Geysir means the burst spring, its highest water spray is the crown of all the fountains and geysers in Iceland, and it has become one of the world famous geysers.
The entire eruption process can be seen from the spout. The boiling water is ejected and form a bowl before the eruption and then the water column in the middle becomes vapor straight up to about 20 meters in the air. It is very spectacular. The large geyser is a round pool with a diameter of about 18 meters. The spring in the center of the pool is a “cave” with a diameter of more than 10 centimeters. Every time the spring erupted, you only hear the sound of the rumbling in the cave. Gradually, the sound was louder and louder, and the boiling water also surged. Finally, it rushed out of the hole and sprayed into the sky, turning from the middle water column to the steam. Each eruption process lasts about 1 to 2 minutes and then gradually subsides. This process is repeated and very magnificent.
9. Hallgrimskirkja
The Hallgrimskirkja in the heart of Reykjavik is the largest church in Iceland, with the figure of normal distribution of the building and a 74.5 meters high building in Iceland. As the most important landmark in the city, it can be seen in any corner of the city. Through the elevator inside the church you can reach the top observation deck, where you can enjoy the beauty of the entire Reykjavik mountains. There is also a huge pipe organ inside the church that is 15 meters high and weighs 25 tons.
10. Mývatn
Here is the location of the film ‘song of ice and fire’. The film crew was attracted by the scenery outside the wall that make people feel creepy and cold. About 2,300 years ago, a violent volcanic eruption created the current Mývatn landform. The Lake District refers to Mývatn and the area surrounding the lake. Mývatn, in Icelandic, Mý means “fly”, and vatn means “lake”. Every summer, there are a lot of flying insects, hence the name come to being Mývatn. Mývatn is the fourth largest lake in Iceland. It is also a nature reserve with an area of 37 square kilometers and the depth of 3 meters. It is located in the large cracks of Iceland and the geographical boundaries of Europe and the Americas. The scenery of the lakes in winter and summer is very different. The Mývatn in the summer are rich in vegetation. However, the geothermal minerals attract a large number of aquatic insects. In summer, you must wear protective net masks. Otherwise, it’s difficult to walk in this area. The Mývatn in winter is often covered by heavy snow, which is completely different from the scenery of Mývatn in late summer.
It’s not the end. You have always other tourist attractions to visit in Iceland. Please discover by yourself with our pocket wifi. Of course, you can also learn more about this country. It’s simple to make your adventure when ordering our pocket wifi.