"Welcome to our curated list of recommendations for traveling in Iceland. These suggestions have been gathered from our personal networks. While these recommendations are not personally vetted by us, they come highly recommended by those within our network. Please feel free to add your own favourite spots or share any updates in the comments section below. If you come across any information that may have changed, such as closures or updated details, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. Let's build a community-sourced guide to ensure that everyone can enjoy the best of what Iceland has to offer." Marco van Embden, Cape Town
“Iceland is an island ever evolving with active volcanoes, shifting plates, and grand landscapes. Largely unchanged for centuries, you can sense the ages as nature reigns supreme here.” ~ Robin, Operations Manager at Timeless Africa Safaris
Quick Iceland Facts:
- Language: Icelandic, English widely spoken
- Currency: Icelandic króna (ISK) (they country is moving towards paperless currency so everywhere credit card is accepted)
- Time Zone: UTC+0 (GMT)
- Capital: Reykjavík
1. Tour Operators / Travel Agent Recommendations
- HL Adventure
Contact: Jöhanna Ejólfsdóttir
E: johanna@hl.is
“ They had a great service. We had a great tour and experience. He took care of our family 4-5 years ago and was outstanding. And I believe he's grown a lot since then.” - Iceland Exclusive Travel (multiple recommendations)
Contacts: Sigrun Elsa & Villi Goði
E: sigrun@icextravel.com / villigodi@gmail.com
T: 3548968987
“My husband and I just returned from Iceland and had an amazing trip. A few YPOers recommended our guide, and it was one of the best travel suggestions we've received. It's a husband/wife team”
“Villi Goði has lots of experience with YPO. Here’s his private email.”
“He took care of our family 4-5 years ago and was outstanding. And I believe he's grown a lot since then.” - Icepath
Guide: Eybor Bjogvinsson
E: thor@icepath.is - Edition Hotels
Contact: Ragnheidur Theodorsdottir - Business development manager
E: ragnheidur.theodorsdottir@editionhotels.com
T: +354 847 5736
“Ragga is from Iceland and was incredibly helpful in planning local excursions and picking the perfect local restaurants for our stay.’ - Yachts Dubrovnik
+385 99 806 3277
💼 Dubrovnik Tour Guide CEO - Emperio Yachting
Savvas Kontrafouris
+30 698 390 3034
Emperio Yachting was born out of the vision of forward-thinking yacht owners who wanted total control over their vessels and absolute transparency in all management procedures and operations. Savaas is the guy to talk to about a yacht. He is based in Greece.
2. Dining Recommendations
- Apotek
- Moss Restaurant – "Offering fine dining has just been awarded a Michelin star."
- Lava Restaurant or the restaurant in the Blue Lagoon spa. "Don’t forget to view the private wine cellar."
- Fiskmarkaðurinn
- The Grillmarket
- Dairy Farm Efstidalur - Local Ice Cream and great burgers
- Krauma Restaurant and Hot tubs – lovely restaurant near 6. & 7.
- Kol
- Messinn
- ÓX + Amma Don
- ROK
- Sumac
- Tomato Farm Fridheimar - Best tomato soup in Iceland. It is important to book a table at Fridheimar as it is very popular
3. Activities Recommendations
Robin’s advice & personal recommendations:
E: robin@tasafaris.com, Operations & Product Manager at Timeless Africa Safaris.
“Snowmobiling on the glacier. There are a couple cool RV excursions as well. Helicopter tour that takes you to the base of a volcano that erupted. You get dropped in on a window washer basket and go down a couple hundred feet, and it’s lit up inside. Very cool. We actually rented an RV and drove around Ring Road for 10 days. Incredible way to see and explore all that Iceland has to offer.”
In Geysir:
- good location to explore the Golden Circle (Haukadalur Geothermal Area)
- Take a walk through the park to see the various geysirs in action – have your camera ready as the main eruption happens every 10mmin or so
- Enjoy midnight golf at their own golf course
In Blue Lagoon:
- approx. 20 minutes drive from the airport and 40 min from Reykjavik
- You can buy a public day pass to the Blue Lagoon as a day visitor as well as a day pass to the Retreat spa for that something special.
- New nearer the city is Sky Lagoon - Sky Lagoon Iceland | Hot Springs Spa near Reykjavík
- Gullfoss Waterfall – located 10 min from Geysir Hotel – Spectacular waterfalls to visit - known for being the largest volume falls in all of Europe.
In Reykjavik:
- the city of Reykjavik is small and easily accessible on foot
- Visit the Fly Over experience, whale museum and Lava Museum (all near the port)
- Perlan Museum for the Northern Lights show and fantastic views of the city
- Stroll through downtown with many small boutique shops and markets and colourful houses and the impressive church, Hallgrimskirkja
- Boat-based whale watching (can be in rubber ducks)
- Cool restaurants in the city – can definitely recommend Kol Restaurant – a trendy spot offering delicious, light meals and close to the church. The Perlan Museum also has a rooftop restaurant with magnificent views
In Thingvellir National Park:
- Thingvellir is a protected national shrine that was the open-air site of Iceland’s parliament from the 10th to 18th century. Because of this, it holds a very important place in this country’s history. (about 40 minutes from Reykjavik)
- Explore the man-made Ice Tunnel on the Langjokull Glacier (about 2hrs from Reyjkavick – arrange a tour as access is not possible by regular car)
- Visit the subterranean Lava Cave for a tour - Vidgelmir Cave - largest lava cave in Iceland (near Hraunfossar waterfall and Langjokull Glacier)
- Snowmobiling on a Glacier (various) (about 2hrs from Reykjavik – arrange a tour as access is not possible by regular car)
- There are many other outdoor activities on offer, dependent on the time of travel – mountain biking, hiking, white water rafting, climbing, quad biking etc
- Many beautiful waterfalls spread throughout the island.
4. Accommodation Recommendations
In Blue Lagoon:
- Retreat Hotel - "For ultimate in luxury. You get full access to the public Blue Lagoon and a private lagoon area as well as the extensive spa. Stunning views across the moss-lava fields"
- Silica Hotel - the 4* sister hotel. Also, access to Blu Lagoon and private pool.
In Geysir:
- Geysir Hotel – “Great location overlooking an active Geysir which erupts every 10min”
- Little Geysir – "Located across the car park, less luxurious but you still have your breakfast at the Geysir Hotel”
In Reykjavik:
- The Reykjavik Edition – “which is right on the harbor. It was within walking distance of everything in Reykjavik and the amenities were amazing.”
- Hilton Reykjavik Nordica
- Iceland Parliament Hotel