- National Parks & Reserves
- Walking Hiking Trekking
- Inspiration
- Iceland
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
Describe your
ideal trip
Tailor your trip
with a local expert
Book your personal trip
100% securely with us
Find inspiration and
information for your next trip.
Get a local travel agent to
plan your personalized trip.
Book & travel securely with our money-back
guarantee and local expert assistance.
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 19.07.2021
In an adventure only for the bravest hikers, David Leffman tackles the rhyolite hills, black sand deserts and the icy glacier caps of the 55km Laugavegur trail from Landmannalaugar to Skógar.
Whiteout. Five hours into a five-day hike and I was already stuck in a blizzard. I could barely see my feet through the stinging wind-driven snow, let alone the next yellow post marking the route. I was below Hrafntinnusker, a boulder-strewn hilltop made of obsidian – black volcanic glass. And, somewhere over on the far side of the crest, probably less than 500m away, was the bunkhouse where I was planning to spend the night. I only hoped it wouldn't take another five hours to get there.
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!
customize ⤍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!
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍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...
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍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.
customize ⤍From here the descent to Skógar began abruptly. The previous few hours' snow was suddenly gone and my pace picked up. However, slowed again by a bridge over a river canyon, a short wooden structure whose far-end steps were missing: nothing for it but to drop my pack off the end and climb down the superstructure. The Laugavegur trail followed the river as it grew steadily larger, cutting an increasingly deep gorge down across moorland. Each twist decorated by ever-higher cascades which culminated at the Skógarfoss waterfall, dropping straight off the plateau in a 62m-high curtain of mist and noise. Nesting fulmars – technically seabirds, with the coast in distant sight across a level plain – wheeled in and out of the spray as I descended steps down the side of the falls towards a green sward and the tiny, thinly-spread hamlet of Skógar.
Top image: Laugavegur trail in Iceland © attilio pregnolato/Shutterstock
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 19.07.2021
Use Rough Guides' trusted partners for great rates
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Iceland
Plan your tailor-made trip with a local expert
Book securely with money-back guarantee
Travel stress-free with local assistance and 24/7 support