Your Iceland Stopover: The Best Things To Do
Europe Travel || Tags: Europe, Iceland ||This is a sponsored post for Travelade, all opinions expressed are my own
It seems Iceland is on everyone’s bucket list and for good reason, because there are so many things to do in Iceland! I LOVED both of my trips to Iceland, there’s something magical in the air there. It’s also the perfect place to have a 3-5 day Iceland stopover from North America to Europe or vise versa. Iceland Air allows you to do a stopover with no extra price on your airfare ticket! So what are you waiting for?! Here are my favorite things to do in the land of fire and ice.
Need to know what to pack for Iceland? Get my list here!
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Reykjavik
The northernmost capital city in the world is one of my favorites. I love the vibe just walking around downtown Reykjavik. Which brings me to my first favorite thing to do:
Enjoy A Coffee At A Café
Café Babalu was my favorite. The location was close to tourist attractions, the inside was cozy, the staff was super friendly and the food and coffee were amazing. I felt so at home here.
Check Out The Views
If you only do one thing in Reykjavik, you NEED to go to Hallgrímskirkja. The view of Reykjavik from the top of the church is amazing. We also enjoyed hearing the pipe organ being played.
Eat A Hotdog
Did you know that hotdogs are the unofficial national dish of Iceland? You can find them the hot dog stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur in Reykjavik city centre. The hotdogs are mostly made of lamb, with some pork and beef. Get one with “the works”. They’re cheap and delicious.
See A Viking Settlement
At The Settlement Exhibition, they built a museum around a Viking Longhouse. You can also see artefacts of the first settlers of Iceland. I’m so interested in Viking history, so this was the top of my list!
Shopping
I enjoyed wandering down Laugavegur Street, stopping in shops and grabbing a coffee. Coffee tastes better in Iceland; I think it’s their crystal clear water! There are lots of stores with cute souvenirs and woollen items to bring home. I got wool socks!
Walk Along The Water Front
Such beautiful views along boardwalk, along Saebraut street. You can check out the Sólfarið – Sun Voyager sculpture. Meant to represent undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom. You can also go in the Harpa Concert Hall; it’s so beautiful, especially on a sunny day!
For more info read Everything You Need To Know About Reykjavik
The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is one of the most popular drives in Iceland, if not the most popular. It’s not far from Reykjavik, which makes it a perfect day trip for your Iceland Stopover!
Golden Circle Half Day
If you’re short on time in your Iceland stopover, you can hit the most popular spots on the Golden Circle in a morning or afternoon:
Þingvellir National Park– This national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home of Iceland’s parliament from 930 to 1798. It’s also a place where you can see two continents at once, as the Mid Atlantic Ridge goes right through Þingvellir. The park has such nice views; I love just walking around here. You can also dive between two continents in the Silfra fissure. The water is crystal clear, and you can even drink it while you dive or snorkel.
Geysir- The Great Geysir has been active for about 10,000 years, however eruptions are infrequent. However Strokkur, close by erupts every 6-10 minutes usually 10-20 metres high! I love the anticipation of waiting for the eruption.
Gullfoss– One of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland doesn’t disappoint! The Hvita river cascades down two cliffs. I could spend so much time here just watching the waterfall. Be prepared to get a little wet from the spray, but there’s usually a rainbow.
Skálholt– Through centuries Skálholt was cultural and political centre, and had Iceland’s first official school to educate clergy. Inside the Skálholt cathedral’s basement you can see many artefacts excavated over the years.
Golden Circle Whole Day
The whole day includes the 4 stops in the half-day plus more fun stops:
Laugarvatn Fontana– My favorite geothermal bath that I’ve been to in Iceland is conveniently located between Þingvellir and Geysir. I love how you can bathe in the lake, or one of the many pools of different temperatures! You can choose the right pool for you. They have a Finnish style sauna, and serve lunch and dinner. They also bake traditional Rye bread, baked buried in the hot black sand! Note that you will have to bring your own towel, bathing suit and robe or else pay to rent one.
Faxi Waterfall- A smaller waterfall between Geysir and Skaholt, it’s much less popular than Gullfoss and we had it all to ourselves! It’s full of salmon if you want to catch your dinner.
See The Northern Lights
If you’re headed to Iceland between early September and late April you should be able to see some aurora if you head outside the lights of the city. It does depend on the solar forecast, so some luck is involved. On my first trip we took a boat tour out of the Old Harbor in Reykjavik, but sadly didn’t see the lights. On my last trip we took a bus tour and were able to see the aurora. It was such an amazing experience; I’ll never forget it.
The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon inspires images of relaxation and warmth. It’s close to the Keflavík International Airport, only about a 20-minute drive; and it’s 40-45 minutes to Reykjavik. It’s the perfect stop on the way to the airport to fly home! I had the best massage ever floating in the water. The Blue Lagoon is not a natural hot spring but it has a lot of amenities including a restaurant and a hotel!
Read more about the dos and don’ts of the Blue Lagoon
So, It’s Time To Plan Your Iceland Stopover!
There are so many things to do in Iceland you’ll need at least a few days. Luckily you can fly direct from many cities in Europe and North America!
Tell me your favorite thing to do in Iceland in the comments!
7 responses to “Your Iceland Stopover: The Best Things To Do”
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Awesome post! Looks like a really beautiful and relaxing place to visit!
I love how you broke down so many different things to do! Iceland is at the top of my travel list. Thank you for helping me know what I should do when I finally get to go!
Great post with some good tips for a quick trip to Iceland. It’s on my bucket list!
What a great list of things to do!!!! 🙂
From one Jenn to another, this is a lovely piece! I would love to visit Iceland one day!
Loved our time in Iceland! We did a very similar itinerary. I was also really impressed with their food scene!
I so wish I could see the northern lights. It’s one of my dreams 🙂 the landscape looks so beautiful.