What are our top 5 Iceland activities?

Are you looking for the best activities to do in Iceland? If so, you are in the right place.

In September 2021, we flew from Boston to Reykjavik and embarked on an incredible ring road journey. We had no idea what to expect except that we would be renting a camper van for eight days to explore the land of fire and ice.

Each day we tried to plan at least one activity to do.

It was a difficult task, but we have narrowed down our five favorite things to do in Iceland. Some you will already know about, and others will hopefully be new.

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#1 - Snorkeling at Silfra

On day 2 of our Iceland road trip, we started by visiting Thingvellir National Park. It takes about 45 minutes to get there from Reykjavik. The park's location is between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

We did a fantastic snorkeling tour at Silfra. Silfra is the crack in the Earth created by the two tectonic plates. The water is crystal clear at Silfra because it is filtered through underground lava rocks.

We used the company, Dive.is, and they provided us with a guide, all of the equipment and suits, and entrance into Thingvellir National Park. The water was about 4 degrees Celsius, but the wetsuits did a great job protecting us.

Snorkeling at Silfra is an experience that we highly recommend while in Iceland. It is so unique and enjoyable.

Where is Silfra located?

#2 - The Blue Lagoon

On our last day in Iceland, we spent the first half of our day soaking in the magical waters of Iceland's Blue Lagoon. It is a must-do activity while in Iceland.

The entrance fee to the Blue Lagoon included a silica mud mask, towel, and a drink. In addition to lounging around the lagoon, we also tried the sauna and steam room.

We loved the hair conditioner that was in the showers. It did a great job protecting our hair from the minerals in the lagoon. We applied a lot of conditioner to our hair before entering the lagoon and had no issues with tangles after washing our hair.

We didn't want to leave the Blue Lagoon, but we were excited to see the volcano erupting, so we headed to the eruption site.

Where is the Blue Lagoon located?

#3 Zodiac Boat Tour

Jokulsarlon is a glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland.

The lagoon has tons of icebergs from Europe's largest glacier Vatnajokull. We took a zodiac boat tour around Jokulsarlon to get up close to the giant glacier and icebergs.

The company we used for the tour was Arctic Adventures. They provided the wetsuits for our trip and the bus ride to the lagoon.

The zodiac trip was around an hour.

Where is Jokulsarlon located?"

#4 - The Beer Spa

After whale watching, we drove to the Beer Spa or Bjórböðin. This experience was so unique and relaxing. We can't recommend it enough if you are in North Iceland.

Our beer spa experience started with relaxing in their outdoor hot tubs. The views from the hot tub were spectacular.

After the hot tub, it was our turn for the beer spa. The tub had water, beer, hops, and yeast. There is a beer tap so you can drink a cold beer while bathing in hot beer.

What an experience! The bath was 25 minutes, and then we headed to the relaxation room for another 25 minutes.

The beer spa also has a nice restaurant where we had a delicious lunch.

Where is the Beer Spa located?

#5 - Whale Watching

Whale watching in Iceland is very popular in the cute village of Húsavík.

On day 5 of our Iceland road trip, we went whale watching with North Sailing and explored the village of Húsavík.

We did not see whales in Húsavík, so we tried again in Hjalteyri. We were determined to see whales, and North Sailing gave us vouchers to use again, so we gave it one last try and were very glad that we did.

We saw a family of pilot whales and a humpback whale. It was an extraordinary experience being that close to the whales. 

Where is North Sailing located?

These were our Top 5 Activities in Iceland. Let us know about your Iceland trip. We would love to hear from you in the comments.

Looking for more Iceland inspiration? Check out our Ultimate Iceland 8 Day Road Trip!

Want to know how we captured our Iceland photos and videos?

Check out our Vlogging Gear Blog or Vlog to find out what cameras and equipment we use.

*The links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy something using the links, we will receive a commission. Using the link is at NO extra cost to you. We appreciate it when you buy through one of our affiliate links. It is a great way to show your support for us. It will allow us to continue to bring you valuable, free content.

Curious About What It’s Like to Rent a Camper Van in Iceland?

We rented an Iceland Camper Van for our journey around the Ring Road in Iceland. We rented a Dacia Dokker campervan.

It is a two-seater that sleeps two people comfortably. We opted for the manual transmission with a heater.

The van included the following: extra driver, gas burner, cooking and eating tools, cleaning tools and soap, a mattress, unlimited mileage, CDW Insurance, and an overnight heater. We opted for the following extras: inverter, sleeping bags, gas canister, Wifi 4G router, and an airport shuttle.

We loved having the freedom to travel around Iceland in our van. We could cook a meal wherever we were, and we could drive into a campsite after a day of exploring. We did not have to make prior reservations with the campsites, so we had the flexibility to be on the road as much or as little as we wanted each day.

It was also cost-effective because we combined the price of a hotel with a rental car. We also saved on food because we could prepare our own in the van. Iceland is very expensive, so renting the van allowed us to explore Iceland in a budget-friendly way.

If you are interested in what renting a camper van in Iceland is like and its prices, check out our Iceland Camper Van Blog or our Iceland Camper Van Vlog.

Who is One Way Ticket?

Hi everyone! We're Ali and Holly.

We are teachers that love to travel and experience new cultures.

Currently, we are exploring Europe one country at a time.

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