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Travel advice for Iceland
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Iceland
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Mike MacEacheran
updated 27.12.2023
Going to a spa in Iceland can feel wonderfully alien. Against a backdrop of barren moonscapes and denuded hills, the waters are so preternaturally blue, so exaggerated and preposterously warm, that a simple dip can feel borderline indecent. Venture from the capital Reykjavik as far as Reyðarfjörður in the extreme east and you’ll also find that the country hides hundreds of out-of-this-world geothermal pools and naturally-heated hot tubs.
8 days / from2092 USD
Iceland: A Game of Thrones Road Trip
This themed road trip will take you around Iceland, home to many filming locations of the hit TV series, Game of Thrones. Travel around the country's coastline, past the many dramatic glaciers and cliffs, relax in geothermal spas, and spot whales in the rough seas. Warning: Spoiler alert!
view tour ⤍8 days / from2052 USD
Iceland's Wild West
Welcome to the road trip of a lifetime, which will bring you to some of western Iceland’s wildest and most remote spots. On this adventure, you will pay unforgettable visits to Hraunfossar Waterfalls, as well as the Barnafoss and Deildartunguhver hot springs, and much more!
view tour ⤍6 days / from1680 USD
Iceland's Highlights from East to West
Take a flight to the East where you get to enjoy the enchanting Eastfjords before you drive south. If you are looking to focus on a few regions with a mix of the most popular sights and something off the beaten path; and to avoid backtracking with a one-way domestic flight, this is the perfect trip.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1650 USD
Discover North Iceland and Snaefellses
Discover the best of North Iceland and Snaefellsnes! The area around the volcanic Lake Myvatn is surrounded by impressive geological sights, stunning waterfalls and mighty canyons! The Snaefellsnes peninsula is known as “miniature Iceland” for the diversity of landscape it offers.
view tour ⤍5 days / from1300 USD
Best of the West
Take the road less travelled around the Westfjords and Snaefellsnes peninsulas. Visit places unspoiled by humans and see the wonders and creativity of nature at their very best! The wild Westfjords feature a stunning landscape of towering mountains, deep blue fjords, and thundering waterfalls.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1880 USD
East to West with the Westmand Islands
Drive around the Lake Lagarfljot and visit Hengifoss waterfall and the Hallormsstadur forest. Continue to the South Coast with its beautiful waterfalls, glacier lagoons and black sand beaches. Take a detour to spend a day in the stunning Westman Islands and end your trip with the Golden Circle.
view tour ⤍13 days / from2200 USD
All of Iceland in 13 days
In just under 2 weeks, explore the highlights Iceland has to offer. From the popular Golden Circle, follow the Ring Road and explore waterfalls and lagoons on your way around the island. This itinerary leads you all the way to the North and the Westfjords of Iceland.
view tour ⤍12 days / from2100 USD
Incredible Iceland in 12 days
This driving trip trip will take you to some of Iceland’s most incredible sights and natural wonders. Drive through glacial valleys and across towering mountains as you gaze over stark landscapes of shining silver steaks and marble lava fields patched with emerald green moss...
view tour ⤍9 days / from1800 USD
West & Arctic Coast Way Highlights
The area around the volcanic Lake Myvatn is surrounded by impressive geological sights, stunning waterfalls and mighty canyons. Visit the 'capital of the North' Akureyri before continuing to the Snaefellsnes peninsula, known as “miniature Iceland” for the diversity of landscape it offers.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1600 USD
Exploring the South Coast and Snaefellsnes
Glaciers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, lagoons - Iceland offers stunning landscapes to explore. This itinerary allows you to discover the south in your own rental car. Drive the famous Golden Circle and discover waterfalls along the way.
view tour ⤍10 days / from1900 USD
Arctic Coast Way Fly & Drive
North Iceland is one of Iceland's most fascinating regions with plenty of famous sights and lesser-known sights - impressive waterfalls, geothermal activity, lava formations and canyons. A visit to Akureyri as well as charming fishing villages along the coastline are included in the itinerary.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2000 USD
Iceland: the Ring Road in 10 days
Spend 10 days driving along Iceland's scenic Ring Road, which stretches around the outside of the country. Soak in a thermal tub or pool beside gushing geysers or waterfalls, and relish the prospect of whale-watching, bird-watching, and glacier hiking in magical surroundings.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1700 USD
Wild, wild West Drive
The wild Westfjords feature a stunning landscape of towering mountains, deep blue fjords, thundering waterfalls, sea cliffs teeming with birds and rejuvenating hot springs! Snaefellsnes is known as “miniature Iceland” for the diversity of landscape it offers.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1700 USD
A week's trip to the South Coast and Snaefellsnes
With just a week's time, you'll be able to discover the popular Golden Circle, Skogafos and Seljalandsfoss, as well as Skaftafell National Park. This self-drive trip focuses on the south coast only, limiting your driving distances each day and as such allowing you more time to explore.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1600 USD
Classic Highlights with the Westman Islands
This Classic Highlights trip to Iceland's most visited sights with a day off the beaten path in the gorgeous Westman Islands. This trip is perfect for those who want to visit the most popular sights of Iceland, and have an extra day to do something different without adding a lot of extra driving.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1680 USD
Westfjords Circle and Strandir
The wild Westfjords feature a stunning landscape of towering mountains, deep blue fjords, thundering waterfalls, sea cliffs teeming with birds and rejuvenating hot springs! You also take a detour to where the road ends in remote Strandir to drive along the coastline.
view tour ⤍5 days / from1320 USD
Classic Highlights - Golden Circle & South Coast
Our most popular short trip to Iceland's most visited sights! The Golden Circle is Iceland's most popular tourist route with the rift valley at the Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area and the Gullfoss waterfall. The South Coast is well known for its waterfalls and the Glacier Lagoon.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1700 USD
Ring Road Express with the Golden Circle
Iceland's Ring Road is the most popular tourist route around the Iceland. The landscape is everything you have dreamed of - breathtaking waterfalls, volcanic landscape, black sand beaches, glaciers, fjords and charming fishing villages.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1600 USD
Explore North Iceland and Snaefellsnes
Discover the best of North Iceland and Snaefellsnes! The area around the volcanic Lake Myvatn is surrounded by impressive geological sights, stunning waterfalls and mighty canyons! The Snaefellsnes peninsula is known as “miniature Iceland” for the diversity of landscape it offers.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1250 USD
Western Iceland: Cliffs, Coast and Waterfalls
Welcome to the road trip of a lifetime, which will bring you to some of Iceland’s remotest spots, such the dramatic Latrabjarg Cliffs and the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss Waterfalls. Drive through glacial valleys and soak up breathtaking sunsets. Laze afternoons away soaking in natural hot springs!
view tour ⤍10 days / from1900 USD
Iceland: West and North combined
Take the road less traveled and explore the North and the Westfjords of Iceland in your own rental car. Glaciers, lava fields, beaches, waterfalls and much more await those adventurous enough to explore Iceland further.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1750 USD
Longer North Iceland and Snaefellsnes
Have a bit more time to explore Northern Iceland? Stunning waterfalls, mighty canyons, a diverse scenery and much more is waiting for you. Take your rental car and go at your own pace, discovering Northern Iceland in a bit over one week.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1800 USD
From East to West with the Westman Islands
Drive around the Lake Lagarfljot and visit Hengifoss waterfall and the Hallormsstadur forest. Continue to the South Coast with its beautiful waterfalls, glacier lagoons and black sand beaches. Take a detour to spend a day in the stunning Westman Islands and end your trip with the Golden Circle.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1750 USD
Wild West Drive and Strandir
This holiday is perfect for travellers who want to go off the beaten path and explore the stunning landscape of the Westfjords & Snaefellsnes including the remote Strandir regions. With your rented SUV, you can set your own schedule to explore the scenery.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1750 USD
Classic Ring Road with Snaefellsnes
There's a good reason the Ring Road is Iceland's most popular route: famous glaciers and volcanoes, stunning waterfalls, and amazing lagoons await. The Snaefellsnes peninsula makes the perfect add-on to your tour, granting you a compact overview of Iceland's scenery.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1750 USD
Extended Wild, Wild West
Awaken the adventurous part of your soul and visit the Westfjords and parts of the Snaefellsnes peninsula that are yet to be discovered by most Iceland visitors. Here's where you'll have nature to yourself, from lava fields and craters to red sand beaches.
view tour ⤍5 days / from1300 USD
North Iceland Fly and Drive
Take an adventure to North Iceland, one of Iceland's most fascinating regions! This holiday is perfect for those pressed on time, in just five days you get to explore the highlights of North Iceland in your own rental car, so going at your own pace.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1800 USD
Longer South Coast and Snaefellsnes
Discover the Golden Circle on a slightly longer tour: from waterfalls to black sand beaches, driving the popular Golden Circle all down to Snaefellsnes, the peninsula known as “miniature Iceland”, This itinerary allows you to go at your own pace in your own rental car.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1715 USD
Iceland: Landscapes and Lagoons
This unforgettable driving trip will take you to some of Iceland’s most iconic natural wonders. Whilst soaking luxuriantly in geothermal pools, you will relish the thought of driving through glacial valleys and across towering mountains, walking along black sand beaches.
view tour ⤍5 days / from1400 USD
Circling the Westfjords
Take the road less travelled around the Westfjords. Visit places unspoiled by humans and see the wonders and creativity of nature at their very best! Suited for those on a tight schedule, this 5 day itinerary allows for a compact yet activity-packed trip.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1750 USD
Iceland: the Ring Road in 8 days
Spend eight days driving along Iceland's iconic Ring Road route, which runs around the whole of the country. Pass through spectacular scenery every day, and stopping off to stay in Vik, Akureyri and Reykjavik, whilst exploring the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon, Lake Myvatn, and much more!
view tour ⤍5 days / from1400 USD
North Iceland circle
Take an adventure to North Iceland, one of Iceland's most fascinating regions! A rich wildlife and landscape makes this part of Iceland a visitor magnet all throughout the year. This holiday includes your domestic flight to Akureyri and a rental car to explore the region in depth.
view tour ⤍15 days / from2400 USD
All of Iceland in 15 days
The extension to our popular all of Iceland route: visit the spectacular Dettifoss waterfall on the diamond circle route, as well as one of the most remote regions in Iceland: Strandir. This itinerary is best for those looking to explore Iceland at a leisurely pace.
view tour ⤍11 days / from3549 USD
The Magic of Eastern Iceland
Be enchanted by eastern Iceland as you drive through glacial valleys and across towering mountains, looking over treeless landscapes of shining silver streaks and marble lava fields patched with emerald green moss. Enjoy a whale-watching trip at Húsavík and soak in geothermal pools.
view tour ⤍9 days / from1900 USD
Classic Iceland in 9 days
This tour includes all of Iceland's highlights: the breathtaking waterfalls on the Ring Road, the popular golden Circle as well as the Snæfellsnes peninsula with its dramatic landscapes. Get ready for a fast-paced self-drive adventure and discover Iceland.
view tour ⤍16 days / from2500 USD
Total Immersion: Your 16-day Road Trip
Ready to explore the nooks and crannies of Iceland? This 16-day itinerary allows you to discover the tourist highlights as well as the off-the-beaten-track destinations. From waterfalls over glaciers to volcanoes - tour the island in your own rental car.
view tour ⤍But it first pays to know the rules. Because in Iceland, the right spa etiquette is taken deadly seriously. Here are five dos and don’ts to bear in mind.
It may sound obvious, but unlike the rest of Europe, where most bathers make-do with a quick shower-room rinse, Icelanders have a set, strict routine when going for a dip that must be followed to the letter.
First, read the rules. They’re pinned to every changing room wall and notice-board, as well as being published in English, French, German and Danish, so you really have no excuse not to follow them.
Second, get washing. Scrub your head, armpits, feet and groin with soap beforehand, and – most importantly – do it in your birthday suit, not bathing suit. A quick rinse just won’t do, especially because most geothermal pools use freshwater and far lower levels of chlorine, even at the Blue Lagoon at Reykjanes.
And having just read the rules, you have no excuse not to get naked. You have been warned.
Rough Guides tip: Bathing in the hot springs promises an unforgettable experience. Explore our list of the best Icelandic springs and get inspired for a trip to Iceland.
Seljavallalaug © kovop58/Shutterstock
Approaching a complete stranger in a bikini may at first seem like a coquettish, brazen thing to do, but it’s OK in Iceland.
In Reykjavík, hot tubs and pools are more like social clubs where people catch up on news and discuss politics: and they’ve done so since the twelfth century when poet, scholar and politician Snorri Sturluson built the first stone hot tub outside Reykholt.
To get the best of the conversations, go to a local’s pool such as Vesturbæjarlaug, a short walk from Reykjavík city centre, or Nauthólsvík, a geothermal saltwater pool by a golden beach.
Around seven o’clock on a weekday morning, the conversation bubbles as much as the thermal waters. There is no social hierarchy, and everyone is treated like an equal.
For something more romantic, take a date to Sundhöll, built in the 1930s, it's open late and is one of the oldest baths in the capital.
Planning a trip to Iceland? Explore our Iceland itineraries, as well as our list of the best things to do in Iceland.
Blue Lagoon © Rui Serra Maia/Shutterstock
Icelanders don’t like tourists who make too much noise: period. Their dose of social media may well be a get-together in the spa, but they talk quietly, which can sound as soft as whale song.
The reason? Many spas and indoor pools were built in the 1960s and loud noises echo down the corridors of the indoor pools and steam rooms.
“Our bathhouses tend to venerate tradition above anything else,” says spa aficionado Birgir Þorsteinn Jóakimsson, who visits Reykjavik’s Vesturbæjarlaug every day. “Talking loudly is a nasty habit, especially at an Icelandic spa - so you won’t be popular with the locals. It’s not a circus.”
It also pays to be alert, as hawkish pool attendants may ambush you, showing you the door. They’ve been known to throw tourists out for less.
For a better understanding of a destination as diverse as Iceland, explore our detailed guide to the best time to visit Iceland.
Blue Lagoon © Mariia Kan/Shutterstock
Those milky-blue waters are ridiculously tempting, but also feverishly hot. Draw the cool air into your lungs and take your time by testing the water temperature first to check your skin’s sensitivity to the geothermal heat.
In Reykjavík at Laugardalur Park, also known as the Valley of the Pools, the water used to hover at a white-hot 45 degrees Celcius, punishing unsuspecting dive-bombers. Such waters have since been cooled due to health and safety regulations, but with most still nudging upwards of 37 degrees, it’s an odd juxtaposition between bathing in hell, while feeling like you’re in heaven.
To maximise enjoyment, remember to swim in an anticlockwise direction. No one can really explain why, but Icelanders swim in circles from right to left, and so should you.
Blue Lagoon © Evannovostro/Shutterstock
The most sacred pools are only known by the locals – and with good reason. Places like the old pool at Gamla Laugin at Fludir on the Golden Circle – supposedly the oldest in Iceland – or Seljavallalaug, a snooker-chalk blue outdoor pool secreted up a valley near Skogar, are so sybaritic you wouldn’t want to share them with anyone else either.
“Everyone has their favourite they want to keep,” says Guðrún Bjarnadottir, a spa professional working at the Blue Lagoon. “If you talk to locals – and they like you – you may get lucky. My personal favourite is somewhere in the hills north of Hveragerdi. It’s in a mystical place known as the Smoky Valley, but the exact location and directions – well – that would be telling.”
For a worry-free journey, we offer tailor-made trips, including personalized plans and full support throughout your adventure.
Explore more of Iceland with The Rough Guide to Iceland. Compare flights, book hostels and hotels for your trip, and don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.
Header image: Blue Lagoon © Rui Serra Maia/Shutterstock.
written by Mike MacEacheran
updated 27.12.2023
Mike MacEacheran is a travel journalist & guidebook author based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has reported from 108 countries for National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveller, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer, The Sunday Times, The Wall Street Journal, Mail on Sunday, The Independent, Evening Standard, The Sun, The Globe and Mail, Scotland on Sunday, The National and South China Morning Post. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMacEacheran
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