Iceland map & itineraries
There is a dazzlingly diverse array of places to visit in Iceland. The Westfjords, Snaefellsnes and Porsmork score in the 'wildest' stakes, though grey sand desert and barren mountains in the central highlands have a raw magnificence that attracts hardy hikers. Icy peaks, lonely peninsulas and islands, lakes and waterfalls break up the gentler north hills. The southern plains are home to the Golden Circle – an enclave of geysers, glaciers, hot springs and history near Reykjavik.
Our Iceland Vacations
Northern Lights photography vacation in Iceland, coast & ice
Photographic trip in the stunning west and southeast Iceland
From
£2950 to £3150
10 days
ex flights
Iceland vacation, small group
Delve into the ancient land of Vikings and volcanoes
From
US $4260 to US $4600
10 days
ex flights
Highlights of Iceland self drive vacation
Amazing self-drive to discover the best of Iceland
From
£1300 to £5000
10 days
ex flights
Northern Lights & orca photography vacation, Iceland
Incredible photographic trip in stunning West Iceland
From
£2450
7 days
ex flights
Iceland cruise, Circumnavigation
An unforgettable journey around the island of fire and ice
From
£1679 to £1759
10 days
ex flights
Northern Lights, glaciers & ice photography vacation Iceland
Incredible photographic trip in stunning south/east Iceland
From
£2700
8 days
ex flights
Northwest Iceland photography tour
Incredible photography trip Icelands remote Northwest corner
From
£2950
11 days
ex flights
West Greenland photography tour
Incredible photographic adventure in stunning West Greenland
From
£4250
10 days
ex flights
Northern lights and whale watching cruise in Iceland
A cruise and coach journey to see whales & northern lights
From
£1805
7 days
ex flights
Iceland horse riding vacation
Riding, Hiking, Bathing and Whale watching in Iceland
From
£1185
6 days
ex flights
Grand Tour of Iceland
Explore the landscapes and geographical phenomena of Iceland
From
US $8835
15 days
ex flights
Highlands of Iceland small group vacation
Discover the heart of Iceland, off the beaten track
From
£2390
9 days
ex flights
West Iceland self drive vacation
Amazing time in the wilderness exploring fjords in Iceland
From
€1500 to €5000
10 days
ex flights
Iceland photography vacation and Northern Lights
Photograph Iceland's stunning landscapes and Northern Lights
From
£2600
8 days
ex flights
Iceland northern lights and snowshoeing vacation
Hiking in snowshoes and bathing under the northern lights!
From
£2300
8 days
ex flights
Iceland hiking vacation, East fjords
6 days trekking in the “Kingdom of Elves” in the East fjords
From
£1600
7 days
ex flights
Arctic cruise to Greenland and Iceland
Explore the stunning natural beauty of Greenland and Iceland
From
£4935
14 days
ex flights
Iceland hiking vacation, Fjallabak
Amazing trek behind the mountains and off the beaten path
From
£2300
8 days
ex flights
Iceland hiking vacation, West Fjords
Explore Iceland's stunning and preserved West Fjords
From
£1400
6 days
ex flights
Iceland Highlands photography tour, waterfalls & canyons
Incredible photographic expedition into Iceland's wilderness
From
£3100
13 days
ex flights
Iceland new year vacation, Northern Lights explorer
Hunt the northern lights in Iceland At New Year
From
£1375
5 days
inc UK flights
Iceland vacation, Summer Solstice
Summer solstice and Midnight sun small group
From
£2600
9 days
ex flights
Northern Lights with Expert Astronomer
View the Northern Lights with an expert astronomer
From
US $1480 to US $1830
4 days
ex flights
Cruising Icelands Wild West Coast
Discover a different side of Iceland
From
US $4470
8 days
ex flights
Northern Lights tour in Iceland
Springs, waterfalls, volcanoes and Europe’s biggest glacier!
From
US $1251 to US $1940
6 days
ex flights
Thingvellir horse riding vacation in Iceland
Ride in beautiful valleys with unusual volcanic formations
From
£1373
7 days
ex flights
Iceland summer small group vacation
Visiting Iceland is an other-worldly experience.
From
US $5050
10 days
ex flights
Myvatn Marathon running vacation, Iceland
Combine a visit of natural sites and a famous run race
From
£1200
5 days
ex flights
1. Akureyri
2. Eastfjords
3. Fimmvorduhals
4. Fjallabak & Katla
5. The Highlands
6. Jokulsarlon
7. Reykjavik
8. Snaefellsnes
9. Thingvellir NP
10. Trollaskagi Peninsula
11. Vatnajokull NP
12. Westfjords
13. Westmann Islands
2. Eastfjords
3. Fimmvorduhals
4. Fjallabak & Katla
5. The Highlands
6. Jokulsarlon
7. Reykjavik
8. Snaefellsnes
9. Thingvellir NP
10. Trollaskagi Peninsula
11. Vatnajokull NP
12. Westfjords
13. Westmann Islands
Akureyri
1. Akureyri
The charming 'capital' of north Iceland generates an impressive cosmopolitan buzz for its size (pop: 17,000) – gourmet restaurants, boho cafes, evening bustle and summer festivals. Museums encompass history and art plus antique toys, planes and motorbikes. It's also a good place to witness runtur ('round tour') where young Icelanders drive slowly around bumper to bumper with horns and voices blaring.
Eastfjords
2. Eastfjords
Less wild than Westfjords, these still feel remote; their understated drama ripe for exploration on foot or kayak, heading out from tiny fishing villages in the lee of immense mountains. Borgarfjordur is framed by ethereal cliffs, Mjorifjordur is enlivened by multiple waterfalls, while Seydisfjordur's bohemian town offers multicoloured wooden houses and a delightful vibe.
Fimmvorduhals
3. Fimmvorduhals
If you don't fancy a multi-day trek, this is a wonderful one-day option. There are several waterfalls – Skogafoss stands out – plus an eerily steaming ash plain left from Eyjafjallajokull's 2010 eruption. Flower covered stone terraces and a ridge rimmed valley provide eye opening contrast. There's also a chance to clamber the still warm lava of the world's two newest mountains, Magni and Modi.
Fjallabak & Katla
4. Fjallabak & Katla
Iceland's first Geopark was designated in Fjallabak, and though Bárdarbunga's 2014 eruption grabbed global headlines, vulcanologists eye up the eponymous Katla most warily – long-overdue a cataclysmic eruption. Iceland's most southerly town Vik would probably vanish in ensuing glacial floods, so visit its iconic black strand now to see why it was once voted among the world's most beautiful beaches.
The Highlands
5. The Highlands
These are Iceland's Badlands – so lunar the Apollo astronauts came here to train, But one person's bleak is another's rawly majestic, and this interior massif is a hardcore hiking/biking Mecca, offering lava fields, ice sculpted caves, Kerlingarfjoll Mountains, and hot springs to ease the challenging Kjolur trail. The Sprengisandur route has a melancholy majesty with tales of ghosts and on-the-run desperadoes.
Jokulsarlon
6. Jokulsarlon
Just by the Ring Road, this lagoon stops drivers in their tracks to watch ghostly blue icebergs calve from an offshoot of Vatnajokull, lingering after their crashing arrival. Cruise among the bergs or gaze from jet black beaches dotted with seals and ice. Cinematographers love it – Tomb Raider, Batman Begins and Die Another Day all shot here (the Bond crew lost six Aston Martins on the frozen lagoon!).
Reykjavik
7. Reykjavik
The world's northernmost capital was established by a 9th century Norse chieftain, and crams an enviable cultural scene into a compact slice of urbanity close to the geothermal gems of the Golden Circle. Buildings range from colourful traditional to modernist marvels like the Harpa concert hall. Potter round sculpture ringed Tjornin Lake, or take a whale watching tour from the picturesque Old Harbour.
Snaefellsnes
8. Snaefellsnes
The gigantic Snaefellsjokull ice cap featured in Jules Verne's Journey To The Centre Of The Earth. Eerie volcanic peaks and lava fields, bird filled sea cliffs and golden beaches cram this 100km peninsula pierced by the islet dotted Breidafjordur. 19th century Stykkisholmur is a picturesque coastal base with a volcano museum in an old cinema and a stunning futuristic church.
Thingvellir NP
9. Thingvellir NP
The world's oldest parliament was founded here in 930AD, with edicts proclaimed from Loburg (Law Rock). The natural fissures let visitors watch tectonic plates tear North America and Europe apart. Designated horse and hiking trails are complemented by submerged rifts offering dive sites of astounding visibility, such as Lake Thingvallavatn, an oasis of eco-diversity.
Trollaskagi Peninsula
10. Trollaskagi Peninsula
Road tunnels linking once isolated towns opened up this enclave of geo-drama within the gentler northern hills. Take your pick from ski fields, whale watching tours or boats to offshore islands. Man-made attractions include a fjordside hot pool at Hofsos, fine local produce and an evocative museum at Siglufjordur chronicling Iceland's vital herring industry.
Vatnajokull NP
11. Vatnajokull NP
Europe's second largest national park, Vatnajökull covers nearly 15 percent of Iceland, its geological cornucopia mixing mighty waterfalls like Dettifoss with rivers fringed by beaches of black ash. Reindeer roam its broad wetlands and expansive ranges, while its eponymous glacier – the world's largest ice cap outside the poles – conceals active volcanoes in a true meeting of ice and fire.
Westfjords
12. Westfjords
Like giant pincers keeping the Arctic at bay, the Westfjords are Iceland's Rugged Max. Tiny fishing villages clinging to a twisting shoreline are sole riposte to the rule of wild nature. Sweeping beaches adorn the south, slipped between fjords and wave-battered cliffs where seabirds shriek . Spot Arctic fox as you roam the tundra in the hiking and mountain biking heaven of Hornstrandir.
Westmann Islands
13. Westmann Islands
This archipelago includes one of the world's youngest islands – Surtsey, born in fire from the sea in 1963. Only Heimaey is inhabited, its little port set between dunes and volcanoes brooding on a resonant past: a fort built by 15th century English raiders, a mass kidnap by Algerian slavers in 1627, plus the 'Pompeii of the North' – dwellings excavated from lava that covered 300 houses in a 1973 eruption.
Our top Iceland Vacation
Northern Lights photography vacation in Iceland, coast & ice
Photographic trip in the stunning west and southeast Iceland
From
£2950 to £3150
10 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 26 Oct
2019: 1 Feb, 15 Feb, 3 Mar, 30 Sep, 10 Oct, 20 Oct
2018: 26 Oct
2019: 1 Feb, 15 Feb, 3 Mar, 30 Sep, 10 Oct, 20 Oct
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about Iceland or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Travel times in Iceland
The following times give you a rough idea of the travel times between the main attractions in Iceland.
More about Iceland
Summer is the best time to visit Iceland for midnight sun and migrating whales. The Northern Lights are at their best in March, September and October...
Iceland's landscape could double for a Tolkien fantasy, and its culture is fed by this unique geography. This travel guide explores a place that is truly unique...
Whale pods, wild photography and wilder landscapes provide plenty of daytime activities, with the Northern Lights thrilling travelers during long winter nights...
Iceland's landscapes hit you with an onslaught of natural wonders, from waterfalls to fjords, uninhabited peninsulas to glacier topped volcanoes...
Iceland has been shaped by nature's powerful forces and the Northern Lights add their dramatic paintbrush to its already colossal canvas...
Iceland's remote location, its wild landscapes and its folklore weave their way through its books, poems and music, now as much as ever...
Iceland's capital Reykjavik is home to colourful homes and modernist architecture, with the sea and the mountains as its nearest natural neighbours...
Self driving in Iceland lets you follow nature, not crowds. In summer, follow the midnight sun. In winter, head for the hills to spot the Northern Lights...
With tourist numbers swamping local residents, we look at overtourism and explore how travelers can visit Iceland without contributing to this problem...
Booking a vacation to Iceland, rather than traveling independently is more enjoyable for you and beneficial to the country, its environment and people...
Iceland doesn't offer many activities especially aimed at children, but its magical appeal is so evident it doesn't have to...
These tips come directly from our friends in Iceland who have shared their wisdom on all things hot, from geothermal pools to contemporary culture...
Avoiding places clogged with day trippers, and months when visitor numbers shoot up like a spouting geyser, is the responsible way to visit Iceland...
Despite being hugely controversial, whaling still occurs. We look at the justifications for whaling and what visitors to Iceland can do in response...
Find all of our Iceland guides in one place for more information on the different types of vacations such as walking or cruising in Iceland...
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Moyan Brenn] [Rainbow volcano (Auster-Skaftafellssysla): Victor Montol]
[Akureyri: HarmonyRae]
[Eastfjords: WorldIslandInfo.com]
[Fimmvorduhals - Skogafoss: James Brooks]
[Fjallabak and Katla Geopark: Massimo Margagnoni]
[The Highlands: Sparkle Motion]
[Jokulsarlon: Nick]
[Reykjavik: O Palsson]
[Snaefellsnes Peninsula - Kirkjufell: messicanbeer]
[Thingvellir National Park: Rob Young]
[Trollaskagi Peninsula - Herrings: Brian Gratwicke]
[Vatnajokull: Vincent]
[Westfjords: Bernard McManus]
[Westmann Islands Harbour at Heimaey: David Stanley]
[Driving times: Andrea Schaffer]
- Recently viewed
