If you’re visiting Iceland, we always recommend that you take your time to see what the country has to offer, or if you don’t have a lot of time, that you come back soon! We’ve already told you what to do in Iceland if you only have one day and those tours are popular for a reason, but what do you do when you’re staying here for longer and you’ve already seen the Golden Circle? Well, that depends on what you want! Here are some suggestions that might help.
The most popular tours from Reykjavik after the Golden Circle are:
The South Coast – see some magnificent waterfalls, a black-sand beach, and cool rock formations. Some tours take you to the highlands of southern Iceland.
- Available by bus, jeep, helicopter or airplane. You can also go on combo tours with glacier hiking or snowmobiling thrown in, or even with a hot spring bath!
Jökulsárlón – a beautiful serene lake full of icebergs in Eastern Iceland. You can take boat rides there in the summer!
- Available by bus, jeep or helicopter. We actually recommend a two-day tour because of the driving distance, they come with either glacier hiking or ice caving thrown in.
- (FYI – These tours usually stop by the main sights of the South Coast tour along the way.)
Reykjavik Sightseeing – Look around Iceland’s capital to see the sights including Hallgrimskirkja church, Harpa concert hall, and City Hall.
- Available by helicopter, bus tour, hop-on/hop-off bus, tuk-tuk, biking tour or guided walking tour.
Some places around Reykjavik see a lot less activity than the others. Among them:
Snæfellsnes – a bit of a longer tour, this one takes you to magnificent mountains and black beaches, cool rock formations and quaint villages northwest from Reykjavík.
- Available in a bus, jeep or helicopter or airplane tour, and also as a two-day tour.
West Iceland – This takes you to the most powerful hot spring in Europe, waterfalls that stream out from underneath lava fields, and possibly other activities.
- Available by bus or super jeep, with either lava caving or an ice cave thrown
Reykjanes – the most volcanic part of southern Iceland. See crater lakes and steaming hot springs.
- Available by jeep or helicopter or on a bus with the Blue Lagoon or ATVs thrown into the mix.
Even further afield – If you really want to get away, you can go to a different part of the country and travel around there.
- North Iceland – See things like lake Mývatn, rock formations, and hot springs.
- The West Fjords – the most remote part of Iceland. Lots of beautiful nature and very, very little human activity.
- The East fjords – north-east of Höfn has very few people living there, and very few travelers.
- You can travel around Iceland by domestic flight, bus or rental car.
- Contact us if you would like to do this and we will help you arrange it.
Some of the best activities from Reykjavik are:
Snowmobiling on a glacier – available by jeep or bus. Available with the Golden Circle, the South coast, with hot springs or with a northern lights chase.
Glacier Hike – this is mainly done on the south coast but also in the East. You can take a day tour from Reykjavik or drive yourself there, and they come in less or more difficult versions. You can even add bathing in a hot spring, ice climbing or visiting the southern highlands to the experience!
Ice Cave – available in wintertime in East Iceland or year round in Langjökull the south, and Lofthellir in northern Iceland. The Langjökull cave is the longest man-made ice tunnel in the world and is available by bus, jeep or helicopter.
Lava Caving – available in a half-day tour or along with a west Iceland tour.
ATVs – One great way to experience Icelandic nature is while blasting across it on an ATV! Available in a shorter, longer, or even longer tour, or in combinations along with e.g. the Blue Lagoon.
Paragliding – the ultimate in adrenaline travel, see Iceland from the air while hanging from a paraglider! If you book a tour, they will take you wherever the best weather conditions are that day.
Into the Volcano – unique in the world, travel inside the belly of an extinct volcano.
SUMMERTIME ONLY! Available by bus or helicopter tour.
Sometimes you don’t need all that excitement. Sometimes you just want to lay back and feel the stress leave your body. Here are some of the best ways to do that.
Helicopter tours – A bit more comfortable and luxurious for sightseeing than the greyhound These go everywhere including South Coast, Reykjanes, Snæfellsnes, inside the glacier and much more!
Hot Springs. There are SO MANY! You have no idea! Here are some of the better ones.
- The Blue Lagoon. It’s a classic, with healing minerals in the water.
- Take a glacier walking tour that includes bathing in a hot spring.
- Or this jeep tour with caving.
- Mývatn nature baths – a mineral-rich pool overlooking the mountains in Northern Iceland. You can go from Akureyri in the north, or fly from Reykjavik.
- Secret Lagoon: A small pool in the middle of a field. Very cosy. You can get a bus transfer there or travel by super jeep and go snowmobiling on the same tour.
- There are more options, read more in our hot springs article.
- Just visit the thermal swimming pools in Iceland. Almost every town has them (reykjavík has several) and nothing beats relaxing in the hot tubs.
Alright Dr. Doolittle, does that mean you want to look at them, ride them or eat them?
I want to visit them from a respectful distance!
- Whale watching – see some of the biggest beasts on earth on a convenient boat tour from Reykjavik. Also available in the north.
- Horses: see the horse theater or visit the horses at Fákasel Horse park.
Giddy-up, I want to ride!
- The Icelandic horse is unique in many ways and there are so many different tours to ride them! You can do a beginner level or an advanced level tour, you can see hot springs or even bathe in them (in summertime), you can ride along lava fields or in grassy valleys. If you need more advice just contact us.
- No word yet on Whale-riding tours.
Get in my belly!
There are so many food tours in and from Reykjavik!
- Reykjavik by food
- Northern Lights and Lobster
- Taste of nature to west Iceland
- Taste the Saga Brewery tour
- Reykjavík food lovers
- Reykjavík by Beer
- There are also food tours in Northern Iceland
- As well as in Snæfellsnes
Self-drive is a great way to see the country. All you have to do is rent a car and check out our self-drive tours.
Of course, there are so many other options, if you want even more ideas, just contact us! We will give you a personalised itinerary specially tailored to your needs – free of charge!
