Top 10 Things to Do & See in Iceland (Winter)

DO: Check out some of the more touristy places-they are popular for a reason!
DON’T: Forget to pack lots of layers to keep you warm!

We had a 3-day weekend in Iceland for Thanksgiving & wanted to see all of the top places in as little time as possible. If you are short on time in Iceland, Reykjavik is a great place to stay and do day trips from. We absolutely loved our time in this beautiful country and it is definitely somewhere we’d like to return one day.

Below you will find:

**10 highlights of Iceland including:**
Day Tours
Places to Eat
Spots around the City to Explore

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**1.The Blue Lagoon**

This is a very popular place that is on most to-do lists, and that is for a reason! The Blue Lagoon was absolutely breathtaking and one of the coolest experiences we’ve had while traveling. We arrived at the airport very early and took a bus straight to the Blue Lagoon! The bus then took us to our accommodations afterwards. You can store your luggage at the Blue Lagoon for a small fee! I definitely recommend this as the kick-off to an awesome trip as it is conveniently in between the airport and Reykjavik. It is also great at sunrise! The lagoon has great accommodations including showers and locker rooms, a restaurant, saunas and even a swim up bar. We booked directly through Reykjavik Excursions!

**2. Hallgrimskirkja Church Lookout**

Once you get to Reykjavik one of the first things you should do is go to the top of this church to get a feel for the lay of the city with breathtaking views! It is a very reasonable fee to ride to the top (around 8 euro) and you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world-- which you kind of are- Iceland’s capital city is the world’s northernmost capital city!

**3. ROK Bar**

After getting great photos, a stop for a fun cocktail at a very cool-looking bar is the way to go! Right across the street from Hallgrimskirkja is ROK bar! This place had such a cool ambiance and wonderful espresso martinis. They do have a champagne happy hour and a lot of great options for authentic and unique food.

4. Laugavegur Street-After a few cocktails & a snack, you’ll be ready to do some shopping and exploring on one of Reykjavik’s famous streets. Along this famous strip are many shops to get your perfect Icelandic souvenir.

5. Baejarins Beztu Pylsur Hot Dog Stand- A world famous hot dog stand is a great place to have a quick dinner on a budget. Food & drink in Iceland is not cheap! This place had amazing hot dogs with memorable toppings for a decent price. We enjoyed stopping here for an easy early dinner snack on our first night before our northern lights tour!

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**6. Boat Tour-The Northern Lights**

We booked a boat tour through Viator called “Northern Lights Cruise from Reykjavik” to check out the northern lights on our first night in Iceland. Yes, this was a very long day after seeing the Blue Lagoon & exploring Reykjavik, but we did get a quick afternoon nap at our cozy Airbnb. This was quite an adventure. I thought seeing the lights by boat would be a unique experience and it was definitely one that we’ll never forget. It is highly recommended to book your tour on the first night of your trip in case you don’t see the lights-most companies, including this one will let you go the next night for free if the aurora borealis does not cooperate. We got lucky and were able to see the lights on our first shot. This company did an amazing job at “chasing the lights” and making it happen for us. The boat was definitely rocky, but was so much fun-they gave out dramamine for those who wanted it, there were warm suits to wear if so inclined and an on-board bar! They also took the best pictures and sent them to us the next day via email! We had a blast & it was the perfect ending to a perfect first day!

**7. The Golden CIrcle**

Another destination that you’ll see on most Iceland Itineraries is The Golden Circle! This is a must-do. We absolutely loved our day on this tour called “Full-Day Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik with Kerid Crater” that we booked through Viator & due to the weather we didn't even get to do one of the major stops. We never drove in Iceland, nor do I recommend it. The weather was absolutely crazy in November and we heard horror stories from people on our tour who had wrecked their rental car that week! Our tour guide knew how to drive in the crazy from years of experience and got us to all of our spots safely. This tour included so many awesome spots & was a full day of beautiful sights.

Must-Sees on the Golden Circle:

Kerid Crater

Thingvellir National Park-This is the place where you can see, or snorkel, on the boundary between the North American and Eurasian Tectonic plates! Because of the weather we didn’t get to hit this spot!
Strokkur Geysir-We had never seen a geysir before and this was such an incredible experience. We also had lunch at this spot too-I believe we all had soup & bread!
Gullfoss Falls-incredible waterfalls that are a must see.
A stop to see some Icelandic Horses-a perfect photo op to end the day!

**8. Saegreifinn Restaurant**

After an awesome day touring the circle, this is a great place to get some authentic Icelandic Seafood cuisine. It's a very casual and cozy restaurant where you walk up in order and then they bring the food to your table. I definitely recommend the lobster soup and trying one of the seafood skewers. We also tried whale, but weren't a huge fan of the taste. This restaurant is located right on the Harbor within walking distance of central Reykjavik. We even got lucky and after dinner we got a notification on our Aurora Borealis app telling us there was high activity and we got to see the Northern Lights again after dinner!

**9. Reykjavik Langjokull Ice Cave, Lava Falls, and Hot Springs Day Trip**

Our last day we went on an ice cave tour that we also booked through Viator . This is an extremely long day but definitely worth all of the travel. We started really early in the morning and took a big tour bus through the countryside of Iceland. Our trip included a stop at Hraunfossar Falls, an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch, and then a tour down below the Langjokull Glacier. It was a very surreal feeling knowing that we were so far down and that we were covered in ice but it was an amazing experience. Our tour guide took us through the different tunnels and even sung us some Icelandic songs afterwards we took the long ride back to Reykjavik for our final evening. Can you tell we’re from the Buckeye state?

10. Tie between Tommi's Burger Joint and Dillon Whiskey Bar- On our last night we actually visited both of these places. Tommi's Burger Joint is right along the harbor and is a pretty cost-effective option for a dinner in Iceland. We got burgers and milkshakes and talked about our day touring the ice cave. After our dinner, we headed to Dillon Whiskey Bar for a few final drinks to celebrate an amazing trip. This place had great music, and there were a lot of locals who were willing to talk and share experiences about living in Iceland. There was a great selection of whiskey the girls shared a bottle of wine (if you ordered two glasses of wine they just gave you the whole bottle)! What a great end to our trip!

If you just have a short time in Iceland these 10 spots are definitely the way to go to get the most out of your time. We saw beautiful landscapes, had amazing experiences swimming in the lagoon, ate unique food, tasted great drinks, and had a wonderful time with our friends!

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