Iceland Waterfalls And Other Extraordinary Things To See & Do

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Iceland waterfalls are just some of the many extraordinary things to see and do in this fabulous country. A place of natural wonders, clean air and wide open spaces.

In case you can’t already guess, I’m going to start off by saying that Iceland is one of my favorite countries. One that I’ve been lucky enough to visit a number of times now. And I do believe it deserves all the hype it receives.

Whether you’re planning a trip, or just looking for travel inspiration, see if any of these somewhat unique activities pique your interest enough to get there quicker.

Where Is Iceland?

In the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, about two thirds of the way between the north coast of the UK and Greenland is the island nation of Iceland.

As the name suggests, it can be chilly. Unprotected, the landscape is wild and desolate, yet strangely charming and comforting.

From the UK you can reach Iceland in less than 3 hours of flying time. From North America it isn’t much further to visit from New York than it is from Vancouver on the west coast. That’s where I usually come from – and flying time is only around 6-7 hours.

Fun Fact: If you were to head south from Iceland and keep going, you wouldn’t run into land until reaching Antarctica. Other than maybe grazing the west coast of northern Africa.

What’s So Special About Iceland?

I’m not going to sugar coat the fact that Iceland has soared in popularity over recent years. It seems like the volcanic eruption that stopped the world’s flights in 2010 kind of put Iceland on the (travel) map.

The country is built on volcanoes, and they’re not afraid to hide it. The natural beauty seems to be unparalleled in travel circles, and it’s hard to deny the huge unpopulated stretches of land are part of its appeal.

Would you believe that there are less than 400,000 people in the entire country of Iceland? And the majority of them live in the greater Reykjavik area. Villages dotted around the country often have a couple of hundred residents. Even some of the “bigger” towns only have a few thousand inhabitants at most.

Iceland’s popularity has risen even despite the much talked about high costs associated with visiting (or living) there.

Reykjavik feels more like a small town than a city. The crime rate is incredibly low. And in the summer there’s almost 24-hour daylight. What’s not to love?

Where To Visit In Iceland

People flocking to Iceland are often interested in getting out and exploring the rugged landscape. Heading to small towns and villages has a certain appeal compared to more densely populated areas of other desirable countries. However don’t forget to spend some time in Reykjavik.

Iceland’s capital is a perfect place to spend a few days whether you’re on a flying visit or discovering it over a couple of weeks. Reykjavik is one of my favorite cities. It has plenty to do and lots of great food.

Iceland is also famous for its national parks. From Þingvellir (pronounced thingvellir), to Snæfellsjökull and the more remote Vatnajökull, you can’t go wrong. These national parks are where you’ll experience some of the best Iceland waterfalls and other natural sites.

Take a trip along some of the popular routes around Iceland. The Golden Circle in Iceland is incredibly popular, as is a visit to the Snæfellsness Peninsula. Or if you’re really not short on time, how about the Iceland Ring Road? The route will take you around the whole country, including to the city of Akureyri.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: Renting a car is the best way to maximize your ability to see much of Iceland. However, if you’re visiting Reykjavik you can get by with buses, tours and public transportation including seeing some of the famous sights without a need to drive.

How long do you need in Iceland?

The better question is why would you want to leavel? Many choose to spend only a couple of days in Iceland, not getting much further than Reykjavik. It’s a worthwhile stopover to see how you like the country, but it’s a mistake to limit your time here.

At least 3 or 4 nights in Reykjavik is necessary to get a good sense of the city. That allows you enough time to check out some of the capital’s main sights, and even do a day trip or two to the popular tourist areas of Iceland.

I’d recommend at least a week to see more of the country, two weeks if you’d like to take on a bigger activity such as hiking the Laugavegur Trail.

12 extraordinary things to see & do in Iceland

The more I learn about Iceland the more I’m just in awe of this fabulous country. There are so many captivating things to see and do here, Iceland waterfalls included. You will always wish you planned more time here.

Here are a few things that make Iceland the incredibly special place people claim it to be.

ICELAND WATERFALLS

If you’ve heard of anything you need to see it’s probably the amazing Iceland waterfalls. The word foss means waterfall in Icelandic so you’ll hear this word a lot.

Waterfalls seem to be everywhere here, each one bigger and more powerful than the last. And all with unbeatable backdrops in the middle of nowhere that just really make them shine.

I still can’t decide which one is my favorite of the many Iceland waterfalls:

Skógafoss is almost as wide as it is tall, and you’ll be showered in water as you try to get the ultimate shot.

Kirkjufellsfoss is much smaller, but has the wonderful conical mountain behind it that just makes it so picture perfect.

Dettifoss is the biggest and most powerful of Iceland waterfalls, but you’ll only get to see it if you take the Iceland Ring Road as it’s in the northeast of the country.

For me, I was drawn to the ever popular (for a reason) Gullfoss, or Golden Falls. I loved being able to stand above it and watch the series of cascades, beautiful even on a cold snowy day in February.

BLACK SAND BEACHES

One of the most extraordinary things to see in Iceland are its black sand beaches. Created over time from the volcanic activity on this temperamental island, black sand is not something you see too often on your average beach.

Given the lack of land around Iceland, the waves at its beaches often build up into monstrous swells. The blue water, churns into white frothy tides that bubble over the black sand beaches, creating the eeriest scenes.

Even in the summer, you might not be out sunbathing, but you will enjoy the peace that listening to waves crackle over the sand and rocks brings. And the white waves on black sand make for some terrific photos. There are numerous black sand beaches all over Iceland.

HOT SPRINGS AND LAGOONS

Geothermal energy fuels much of Iceland, and that includes some of its most popular recreational spots. There are hot springs and lagoons all around the country, offering a relaxing way to unwind even on the coldest of days.

Of course you’ve probably all heard of the Blue Lagoon Iceland, which interestingly enough is actually man-made. But it’s still quite the experience, and one of the top experiences in Iceland. Spend a day soaking, applying mud masks and sipping healthy smoothies in this incredibly photogenic pool.

Iceland’s newest geothermal spa, Sky Lagoon, is even closer to Reykjavik – and cheaper than its famous counterpart. It has even better views since it’s right on the coast.

There are also many natural lagoons and hot springs where you can bathe around Iceland. The best thing to do is ask a local, especially when traveling further around Iceland than Reykjavik.

ICE CAVES

You heard that right, caves made of ice. What else would you expect in Iceland? If you’re less on the claustrophobic side you might be interested in exploring an ice cave or two.

The ice caves usually form around glaciers with runoff water draining through the glacier. This can happen due to the weather heating up in summer, or from geothermal activity – which, as you now know, is all around Iceland.

While it’s not a good idea to go exploring these without a guide, you can take an Ice Cave tour if visiting in the winter months. Now that’s a unique experience.

Visiting outside of winter and still interested? A trip to Reykjavik’s Perlan museum allows you to check out a man-made ice cave in a safer environment as it’s kept to the right temperature.

NORTHERN LIGHTS

One of the world’s most enchanting natural phenomena are the Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights are caused by solar particles mixing with the earth’s atmosphere at specific times of year. And you can see them often in Iceland.

People pay big money to go on northern lights tours to the middle of nowhere, far from city light pollution, with a hope of glimpsing the Northern Lights. Perhaps even as a backdrop to some of the other natural wonders like Iceland waterfalls.

In Iceland, you might even be lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis without leaving the city.

I was in Reykjavik in February and used the Hello Aurora app to monitor Aurora activity. My phone started pinging at midnight, so I got dressed and hustled to the harbor. Success! The lights came out to play, and put on quite the show.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: People are often a little underwhelmed by the lights in person as cameras really do pick them up a lot more. So the colors can be more vivid in a photo. Take a quality camera, or newer cell phone to get the full effect, but also just enjoy seeing them in their natural state. Bright or not, it’s a unique experience you won’t want to miss.

GLACIERS AND ICEBERGS

There’s so much ice in Iceland, it just keeps piling up. Stacked so densely that it has formed glaciers topping some of the huge peaks such as Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull.

There are glacier walk tours taking you out for a hike, complete with spikes on your shoes to make sure you don’t slip. Which is a brilliant way to get even closer to the glaciers.

Also around Iceland you’ll find icebergs – pieces of the glaciers that have broken off and are now in the water.

Nowhere in Iceland is there a prettier example of this than Diamond Beach where pieces of glaciers/icebergs are deposited on the black sand beach resembling, you’ve guessed it, diamonds.

VOLCANOES

The land of fire and ice is the nickname of Iceland. Guess where the fire comes from?

The country is a hotbed of volcanic activity, not least of which is Eyjafjallajökull, the almost impossible to pronounce volcano that erupted in 2010.

While this volcano is now sleeping, there’s often talk about one of Iceland’s other 30+ active volcanoes erupting. Most recently in 2023 the town of Grindavik was evacuated due to lava flow from an eruption.

Yet, despite the obvious danger, there is still so much fascination around volcanoes in Iceland. You can take a volcano tour, go inside a magma chamber at Thrihnukagigur, and see moss covered volcanic rock lining pretty much every major road in Iceland.

ICELAND’S PENIS MUSEUM

While this might seem like a bit of a left field entry to my list of things to see and do in Iceland, I have to include this place for its uniqueness.

Sure, Iceland waterfalls and volcanoes might be the main reason you visit, but you’ll enjoy some of the most unusual sights too. Like Iceland’s Phallological Museum.

Perhaps the oddest museum I’ve ever been to, there are over 200 penises on display in a museum where you can also take a beer around with you. Which might only add to the giggles as you read some of the most ridiculously true facts about every male’s favorite appendage.

You’ll visit thinking it’ll be good for a laugh, but it’s actually quite interesting and you never know what you might learn.

EAT LOCAL ICELANDIC FOOD

I would be amiss if I didn’t spend some time talking about food. Icelandic food is the epitome of “make use of what you have”.

You’re on an island in the middle of the Atlantic: fish is obviously top of every menu. But what about fermented shark? Or whale meat? Don’t be surprised to see a puffin or two on the menu either.

But you don’t have to be a fully fledged adventurous eater to find a good dish in Iceland. The country has a lot of sheep so you’ll see a wide variety of lamb dishes – including the famous Icelandic hotdog.

And vegetarians need not worry. Iceland has become very vegan friendly with many plant-based restaurants, and vegan/vegetarian choices on most menus. As a vegetarian myself I’ve never had a bad meal in Iceland and I am constantly spoiled for choice on where to eat.

My top picks of places to eat include: Food Cellar, which has an Icelandic tasting menu. Reykjavik Kitchen, which is one of my favorite restaurants there and with lots of local cuisine. And Mama Reykjavik, a vegan food restaurant with incredibly flavorful dishes.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: Book an Icelandic food walking tour to try a variety of different local foods and learn a bit more about Iceland on the way.

ICE BAR

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“Ice, Ice, Baby…”. Time to layer up and brace yourself for a bar experience you might not forget. This truly is one of the most unique things to see and do in Iceland – have a drink in an ice bar.

Sure, there are ice bars in other traditionally cold countries too – there’s one in Whistler, Canada near where I live. But if you’re looking for somewhere different to try in Reykjavik this might be for you.

The glasses and bar are made of ice – and there are ice sculptures to view as well. In reality it’s overpriced and very touristy so isn’t for everyone, but it can be a bit of fun especially if visiting with friends.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: If you do decide to indulge in the ice bar experience, book in advance of your trip as it fills up quickly. There are walk in spots available, but booking will help avoid disappointment.

GEYSERS

For those of you who’ve visited the likes of Yellowstone National Park, I might lose your interest a bit here. But personally, I hadn’t seen a geyser in real life until I visited Iceland. The geothermal energy that so efficiently (and cheaply) helps run the country, also impresses visitors at some of the popular geyser sites.

Unlike the Iceland waterfalls, where the water cascades down, the thrill of the geysers is waiting for the water to shoot upwards.

The water bubbles under the surface until it surges high into the air, creating a spectacle that elicits a chorus of oohs and aahs. Some geysers blow every couple of hours, some every few minutes.

I was able to visit Geysir on my Golden Circle adventure, and was impressed at the force of hot water shot 25-meters into the air at Strokkur, the reliably regular geyser at this popular site.

WATCH THE SUNSET AT MIDNIGHT

One of the most extraordinary things to see and do in Iceland only occurs in the summer months. Because of where Iceland sits on the planet, the days become longer and longer until sunset seems to merge with sunrise for an almost 24-hour daylight experience.

Visiting Reykjavik in the middle of June, I was able to walk around at 11pm in broad daylight. At around midnight, the sun looked to be setting, so I settled in on a rock at the harbor to watch it go down. It didn’t, not fully.

I sat for an hour and the setting sun just hovered on the horizon, lighting up the ocean in the most peaceful way. Then it starts rising again.

Getting up at 3am one day for a flight, I walked to the bus stop in full daylight – it could have been 9am or 4pm. Of course the opposite is true in the winter, so prepare for some short days. But for me, this was a truly unique experience – and made sure I wasn’t rushed to see everything before the end of the day.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: Most hotels have black out curtains due to the long days of sunlight in the summer. But you might want to pack an eye mask just in case if you’re around in the summer on the month or so either side of June.

Is Iceland worth visiting?

A thousand times YES! Iceland is without a doubt one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever visited. I don’t know if I’ve met anyone yet who doesn’t like it. If you’re a fan of the outdoors, unspoiled scenery in national parks, and quaint towns you’ll adore Iceland.

Iceland has some of the most unique things to see and do, that I can’t imagine ever being bored here. From standing atop epic Iceland waterfalls, to looking up through sheets of ice in a cave it’s one natural display after another.

Don’t let the landscape distract you from the towns and cities, filled with friendly locals.

When dining alone I was invited to sit with another table as two local ladies filled me in on everything they loved about their home country. Just one of the reasons why I always feel instantly at home and comfortable traveling solo when visiting Iceland.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What are some unique things to do in Iceland that you’ve enjoyed the most? Have you visited any of the Iceland waterfalls – which was your favorite?