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Icelandic coast

Travel guide · Waterfalls, lava and the northern lights

Travelling to Iceland

Waterfalls, glaciers, black-sand beaches, volcanoes and the northern lights: an island made for a road trip. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from March to October
  • Where to eat: the harbour food stand
Photo: Unsplash

Iceland in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Iceland are from March to October.
  • Hire your car with gravel and wind insurance.
  • To eat like a local: the harbour food stand. Don’t leave without trying: Lamb soup (kjötsúpa), Skyr, Pylsur.

Iceland in November

You can go, with a few caveats: winter: few hours of daylight and closed roads. A 4x4, short routes near Reykjavik and the south, and check road.is every morning.

  • November

    Winter: few hours of daylight and closed roads

    There are 4–6 hours of daylight, storms that close roads and the interior (the Highlands) is shut. In return, the northern lights.

    What to do: A 4x4, short routes near Reykjavik and the south, and check road.is every morning.

November is one of the months when people search most for travelling to Iceland: book early. More destinations for November

When to travel to Iceland

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Iceland are from March to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in March · where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June

  • from November to February

    Winter: few hours of daylight and closed roads

    There are 4–6 hours of daylight, storms that close roads and the interior (the Highlands) is shut. In return, the northern lights.

    What to do: A 4x4, short routes near Reykjavik and the south, and check road.is every morning.

    Best time: June to August (or February to March for northern lights with more daylight)

Festivals and special moments

  • June, July

    White nights

    Light skies until late in the north. Ideal for long walks outdoors.

  • June

    Summer solstice

    Nordic outdoor celebrations; very long days.

What to see in Iceland

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Reykjavik
    South-west

    Reykjavik

    A small, colourful capital, with Hallgrímskirkja church, the Harpa concert hall and neighbourhood thermal pools.

    • Hallgrímskirkja
    • Harpa
    • Lake Tjörnin
    • Perlan
    Reykjavik guide
  • Golden Circle
    South-west

    Golden Circle

    The classic route: Þingvellir National Park, the Strokkur geyser and Gullfoss waterfall.

    • Þingvellir
    • Geysir / Strokkur
    • Gullfoss
    • Kerið crater
    Golden Circle guide
  • South Coast
    South Coast

    South Coast

    Waterfalls such as Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, glaciers and black-sand beaches.

    • Seljalandsfoss
    • Skógafoss
    • Reynisfjara Beach
    • Vík í Mýrdal
    South Coast guide
  • Blue Lagoon
    South-west

    Blue Lagoon

    The spa of milky-blue water among lava fields, near the airport.

    • Blue Lagoon
    • Bridge Between Continents
    • Gunnuhver
    • Reykjanesviti lighthouse
    Blue Lagoon guide
  • Vík í Mýrdal

    Vík í Mýrdal

    Iceland’s southernmost village, with the black-sand beach of Reynisfjara and its basalt columns.

    • Reynisfjara
    • Reynisdrangar
    • Vík church
    • Dyrhólaey
    Vík í Mýrdal guide
  • Jökulsárlón

    Jökulsárlón

    The glacier lagoon full of icebergs and, opposite, Diamond Beach.

    • Glacier lagoon
    • Diamond Beach
    • Amphibian boat tour
    • Seals
    Jökulsárlón guide
  • Akureyri

    Akureyri

    The capital of the north, on a fjord, a base for Lake Mývatn and Goðafoss waterfall.

    • Akureyri Church
    • Botanical garden
    • Goðafoss
    • Lake Mývatn
    Akureyri guide
  • Húsavík

    Húsavík

    Europe’s whale-watching capital, on Skjálfandi Bay.

    • Whale watching
    • Whale Museum
    • Wooden church
    • GeoSea
    Húsavík guide
  • Snæfellsnes Peninsula

    Snæfellsnes Peninsula

    A peninsula that sums up Iceland: a glacier-capped volcano, beaches, cliffs and Kirkjufell mountain.

    • Kirkjufell
    • Snæfellsjökull
    • Arnarstapi
    • Djúpalónssandur
    Snæfellsnes Peninsula guide
  • Skaftafell

    Skaftafell

    Part of Vatnajökull National Park, with glacier tongues and basalt waterfalls.

    • Svartifoss
    • Skaftafellsjökull
    • Glacier hikes
    • Sjónarnípa viewpoint
    Skaftafell guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Reykjavik

From the Golden Circle

From the South Coast

From the Blue Lagoon

From Vík í Mýrdal

From Jökulsárlón

From Akureyri

From Húsavík

From the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

From Skaftafell

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What to eat in Iceland

To eat like a local: the harbour food stand, and order lamb soup or skyr. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Lamb soup (kjötsúpa)

    Lamb with root vegetables, to warm you up.

  • Skyr

    A thick, yoghurt-like dairy product, eaten for centuries.

  • Pylsur

    The Icelandic hot dog, with crispy and raw onions.

  • Catch of the day

    Freshly caught cod, haddock or Arctic char.

  • Geothermal rye bread

    Baked for hours buried beside hot springs.

  • Höfn langoustine

    Langoustines from the south-east, in soup or grilled.

The typical dish of Iceland, at home

Kjötsúpa
Photo: SeppVei · Public domain

Kjötsúpa

Icelandic lamb soup with root vegetables (swede, carrot, potato) and a little rice or oats. Icelandic lambs graze freely all summer and have a very mild flavour.

  • Serves 6
  • 2 h

Ingredients

  • 1 kg bone-in lamb (shoulder or neck)
  • 1 swede or large turnip
  • 3 carrots
  • 4 potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 50 g rice or rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon of dried soup herbs (thyme, parsley)
  • Salt and pepper

How to make it at home

  1. Simmer the lamb in 2 litres of salted water, skimming off the foam, for 1 hour.
  2. Add the rice or oats, the chopped onion and the herbs.
  3. Add the diced vegetables and simmer for 30 minutes more.
  4. Take out the meat, remove the bone and cut it into pieces.
  5. Return it to the soup and serve piping hot.

The trick: With a meaty, fatty bone, the broth tastes much better.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Iceland

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Almost all electricity and heating comes from geothermal and hydro power.
  • The Althing, its parliament, was founded in 930 at Þingvellir: one of the oldest in the world.
  • In the phone book people are listed by first name: surnames are patronymics (son or daughter of…).
  • There are no mosquitoes.
  • The North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart: at Silfra you can dive between them.
  • In summer it barely gets dark and in winter there are few hours of daylight.

Traditions of Iceland

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 12 to 24 December The thirteen Yule Lads (Jólasveinar)

    Thirteen mischievous trolls come down from the mountains, one each night, and leave presents in children’s shoes.

  • Christmas Jólabókaflóð

    The “Christmas book flood”: on Christmas Eve people give books and read late into the night.

  • January and February Þorrablót

    Feasts of traditional winter food, fermented shark included.

  • Neighbourhood pools

    Public thermal pools are every town’s meeting place.

What not to do in Iceland

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t drive off roads or tracks: it’s illegal and damages the moss for decades.
  • Don’t go near the water’s edge on the black-sand beaches: sneaker waves sweep people away every year.
  • Don’t step onto the ice in the glacier lagoons or climb glaciers without a guide.
  • Don’t take the mountain roads (F roads) without a 4x4, or at all in winter.
  • Don’t get into pools and hot springs without showering naked first: it’s compulsory.
  • Don’t buy bottled water: the tap water is among the best in the world.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

  • Entering the country

    Visas, electronic authorisations and health requirements for Iceland depend on your nationality. Check your government’s official travel advice and the embassy before you book.

    UK: foreign travel advice (GOV.UK) US: travel advisories (travel.state.gov)
  • Traveller tips

    Hire your car with gravel and wind insurance.

    Book a time slot for the Blue Lagoon.

    Petrol stations are scarce on the south coast: fill up the tank.

Frequently asked questions about Iceland

What people search for most before travelling to Iceland.

What’s the best time to travel to Iceland?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Iceland are from March to October.

What to see in Iceland in a week?

The essentials of Iceland: Reykjavik, Golden Circle, South Coast, Blue Lagoon and Vík í Mýrdal. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Iceland?

Lamb soup (kjötsúpa), Skyr, Pylsur, Catch of the day, Geothermal rye bread, Höfn langoustine. To eat like a local: the harbour food stand.

What is the typical dish of Iceland?

Kjötsúpa. Icelandic lamb soup with root vegetables (swede, carrot, potato) and a little rice or oats. Icelandic lambs graze freely all summer and have a very mild flavour.

What should you not do in Iceland?

Don’t drive off roads or tracks: it’s illegal and damages the moss for decades. Don’t go near the water’s edge on the black-sand beaches: sneaker waves sweep people away every year. Don’t step onto the ice in the glacier lagoons or climb glaciers without a guide.

When can you see the northern lights in Iceland?

From September to April, on clear nights and away from the lights of Reykjavik. From November to February there are more hours of darkness, but also more roads closed by snow.

Is it worth travelling to Iceland in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: winter: few hours of daylight and closed roads. A 4x4, short routes near Reykjavik and the south, and check road.is every morning.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Unsplash. Reykjavik, Jakub Hałun (CC BY-SA 4.0). Golden Circle, Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0). South Coast, Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0). Blue Lagoon, Jakub Hałun (CC BY-SA 4.0). Vík í Mýrdal, Andrea Schaffer (CC BY 2.0). Jökulsárlón, Martin Peeks (CC BY-SA 3.0). Akureyri, Gerd Eichmann (CC BY-SA 4.0). Húsavík, Chris 73 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Snæfellsnes Peninsula, C-M (CC BY-SA 4.0). Skaftafell, Original uploader was Worldtraveller at en.wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).