I’m not sure if you’ve heard it before, but the Icelanders have a phrase called ‘window weather’.
It's when everything looks absolutely lovely from inside, like you see the sun is out, the sky is blue, and it looks like the perfect day, until you realise it's deceptively cold, windy, or harsh once you step outdoors…
But if I may look at that phrase from the other side, though, I think it sums up Iceland beautifully. Because this is one of those places you simply cannot experience from behind a window, or, for that matter, through the window of your phone. To really understand Iceland, you have to be there, step outside, feel the spray from its waterfalls, walk across its glaciers, sink into its geothermal waters, stand beneath an Arctic sky and wait for the Aurora even though it might be colder than the coldest days we get anywhere else on earth!
And oh do you remember there was this thing we used to do every now and then? Packing bags, planning itineraries, booking flights... I think we used to call it ‘travel’ or something? Well, if that’s the bug that bit you and took you here, here are 7 fun things to do in Iceland that I'd make room for first.
Drive the Golden Circle, Iceland's Greatest Start
The Golden Circle brings you three places that explain exactly why this island fascinates geologists, photographers and travellers alike. At Þingvellir National Park, you can literally walk through the rift valley separating the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates! A little further on, Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes, sending boiling water nearly twenty metres into the air, and then you have the Gullfoss, a spectacular two-tiered waterfall that crashes into a canyon! I think we’ve had pretty much every element of nature in that paragraph…
Tour buses usually begin arriving from late morning onwards, and seeing these places before the crowds changes the entire experience. Many travellers also round off the day with a soak in the nearby Secret Lagoon, Iceland's oldest natural swimming pool!
Still deciding which experiences deserve a place on your itinerary? Connect with our experts and we'll help you plan the Iceland holiday that's right for you.
Chase the Northern Lights in Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Nobody can truly promise you the Aurora Borealis, and anyone who does is lying.
The lights appear when solar activity, cloud cover and darkness decide to cooperate with each other, which is exactly why many experienced travel planners never treat them as a single evening's activity. The smartest approach is to base yourself somewhere with very little light pollution, somewhere like Kirkjubæjarklaustur that has earned a reputation as one of southern Iceland's ‘darkest’ places!
Even if the aurora doesn't appear on your first night, you're still spending your evenings surrounded by lava fields, glaciers and complete silence. And when it finally does appear, shimmering green ribbons stretching across an Arctic sky, you'll understand why it's considered one of the best experiences in Iceland.
Walk Iceland's South Coast
Once you’re here, first see the Skógafoss, one of Iceland's most iconic waterfalls, plunging nearly 60 metres into a broad pool below. On sunny days, the constant mist often creates beautiful rainbows, and if you're willing to climb the staircase beside it, the view from the top is well worth the effort!
A little further along lies Reynisfjara, Iceland's famous black sand beach. Volcanic sand, basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising out of the Atlantic make it one of the country's most photographed locations!
It is, however, also one of its most dangerous. The beach is known for powerful sneaker waves that can surge much farther up the shore than expected, even when the sea appears calm. Always keep a safe distance from the water and follow the warning signs, because no photograph is worth taking unnecessary risks.
Want more time beneath the Northern Lights or extra days exploring Iceland's South Coast? Our tailor-made holidays let you build the itinerary entirely around the experiences that matter most to you!
The Icebergs at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
At Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, you can see enormous blue and white icebergs slowly break away from Europe's largest glacier before floating through the lagoon towards the Atlantic. Just across the road sits Diamond Beach, where many of those same icebergs wash ashore, sparkling against black volcanic sand like oversized crystals. Can you picture it yet? I’ll help you here with one.
Explore Skaftafell and Walk Beneath Ancient Glaciers
If you've never stood beside a glacier before, Skaftafell National Park is a pretty remarkable place to change that. The park has walking trails for almost every fitness level, leading to glacier viewpoints, waterfalls and some of Iceland's most beautiful scenery. If you're feeling a little more adventurous, guided glacier hikes let you strap on crampons and walk across the ice itself. It's not every day you find yourself standing on a glacier that's hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years old, surrounded by deep crevasses, putting it high on my list of the things to do in Iceland!
Walking across a glacier also gives you a completely different perspective on Iceland. What looks permanent from a distance is actually changing all the time.The ice slowly flows downhill under their own weight, while the ice beneath them continues to shape the valleys around them. Today, many are also retreating as the climate warms, making every visit a reminder that these remarkable landscapes are always changing.
Soak in Iceland's Geothermal Waters
Visiting a hot spring is just another Tuesday for Icelanders. With volcanic activity beneath much of the country, naturally heated water has been part of daily life here for generations.
If you're after a quieter experience, the Secret Lagoon lets you soak in warm mineral-rich water while small geothermal vents bubble away around the pool. But if you'd rather visit Iceland's most famous spa, the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavík is known for its milky-blue waters, silica mud masks and lava-field setting. Whichever you choose, there's something rather special about sitting in naturally warm water while the air around you is cold enough to make you reach for a towel the moment you step out.
Go Whale Watching From Reykjavík
Just off the coast of Reykjavík, the waters of Faxaflói Bay are home to humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises, particularly between April and September, when sightings are at their most frequent. Most whale-watching excursions last around three hours and are led by experienced naturalists who explain the behaviour, migration patterns and marine ecosystem you're witnessing along the way…
Of course, wildlife never works to a timetable, and that's part of the appeal to this wonderful thing to do in Iceland as well. Some trips turn out as only peaceful cruises across the bay, while others are rewarded with a humpback breaching in the distance or a curious pod of dolphins swimming alongside the boat!
Which Experience Should You Choose?
Truthfully? All of them.
Not because I'm trying to convince you to do everything, but because you genuinely can. Unlike many destinations where experiences are scattered across the country, Iceland's biggest highlights fit remarkably well into a week-long journey. It's entirely possible to stand beside glaciers, walk along black sand beaches, soak in geothermal waters, chase the Northern Lights and explore the Golden Circle, all within a single itinerary.
If that sounds like your kind of holiday, explore our Iceland tour packages from India and see just how much of this extraordinary country you can experience in one fabulous trip.
