Top 10 Iceland Tourist Spots That Will Take Your Breath Away
Iceland is a photographer's dream, offering landscapes that seem almost otherworldly – from dramatic black sand beaches to cascading waterfalls and colorful rhyolite mountains. As someone who has spent countless hours chasing the perfect light across this stunning island, I'm excited to share the most captivating Instagram-worthy locations that will make your feed truly extraordinary.
In this comprehensive guide, I'll take you through the top 10 Iceland tourist spots, sharing insider tips on how to find them and the best times to visit. Whether you're planning your first trip or returning to capture more of Iceland's magic, these locations promise to deliver those jaw-dropping moments that define this remarkable country.
Reynisfjara: Iceland's Iconic Black Sand Beach
Reynisfjara isn't just any beach – it's a dramatic expanse of pitch-black sand created from volcanic lava that shattered into tiny pieces when it hit the cold Atlantic Ocean. What makes this location Instagram-worthy are the towering basalt columns that rise like geometric sculptures from the shoreline, forming what looks like a natural staircase to the heavens.
The Reynisdrangar sea stacks further enhance the beach – basalt pillars that jut dramatically from the ocean. According to local folklore, these formations are trolls who were turned to stone when caught by the morning sunlight. On stormy days, when massive waves crash against these dark sentinels, you'll capture some of the most dramatic seascapes imaginable.
Finding Your Way There
Reynisfjara is located near the small village of Vík on Iceland's South Coast, approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Reykjavík. The journey takes about 2.5 hours by car along the Ring Road (Route 1). The beach has its parking lot with facilities, making it easily accessible.
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Early morning or late afternoon offers the most dramatic lighting, with fewer tourists. Sunset creates particularly moody atmospheres against the black sand.
Time needed: Allow 1-2 hours to fully explore the beach, basalt columns, and viewpoints.
Safety note: Never turn your back on the ocean at Reynisfjara. The beach is notorious for its "sneaker waves" – unexpectedly large waves that can sweep visitors out to sea. Keep a safe distance from the shoreline, especially in winter.
Seasonal Considerations
Summer (June-August): The midnight sun creates opportunities for golden-hour photography at unusual times, but this is also peak tourist season.
Winter (November-March): Fewer crowds and the potential for capturing the beach with snow or during the northern lights. However, daylight hours are limited, and the weather can be challenging.
Shoulder seasons (May and September): Often ideal, with decent weather, fewer crowds, and beautiful light.
Landmannalaugar: Nature's Colorful Canvas
What Makes It Special
Landmannalaugar represents Iceland at its most colorful and otherworldly. This geothermal wonderland in the highlands features mountains painted in shades of red, yellow, green, and blue – created by rhyolite rock and centuries of mineral deposits. The contrast of these vibrant mountains against black lava fields creates scenes that look straight out of a fantasy novel.
What many visitors don't expect is the incredible diversity within a relatively small area: steaming hot springs, obsidian lava fields, snow patches (even in summer), and rushing rivers all converge to create a photographer's paradise.
Finding Your Way There
Landmannalaugar is located in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in Iceland's highlands, approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Reykjavík. It's only accessible during summer months (typically June to September), and you'll need a 4x4 vehicle to navigate the F-roads (mountain roads) that lead there.
The most common routes are:
- From the north via F208 (easier route)
- From the south via F208 through Fjallabak (more challenging with river crossings)
- Via F225 Landmannaleið (numerous river crossings)
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Midday can actually work well here, as the high sun illuminates the colorful mountainsides. However, for dramatic lighting, the golden hours near sunrise and sunset create stunning effects on the rhyolite mountains.
Time needed: A minimum of 4-5 hours is recommended for hiking and photography. Ideally, stay overnight at the mountain hut or campsite to experience different lighting conditions.
Season: Landmannalaugar is typically only accessible from late June to early September due to snow. July and August offer the most reliable access.
Must-See Spots Within Landmannalaugar
- Brennisteinsalda – The "Sulphur Wave" mountain is the most colorful peak and offers spectacular views from its summit (a 1-2 hour hike).
- Bláhnúkur – The "Blue Peak" provides panoramic views of the entire area (a moderately challenging 1.5-hour hike).
- Natural hot spring – After hiking, soak in the natural hot river where warm and cold streams mix.
- Laugahraun Lava Field – The black obsidian lava field creates a stark contrast to the colorful mountains.
Sigöldugljúfur: The Valley of Tears
What Makes It Special
Perhaps Iceland's most spectacular hidden gem, Sigöldugljúfur (often called "The Valley of Tears") features a moss-covered canyon wall with numerous waterfalls cascading down simultaneously. What makes this spot particularly Instagram-worthy is that it remains relatively unknown compared to Iceland's more famous attractions, meaning you can often have this magical scene all to yourself.
The canyon walls are decorated with dozens of parallel waterfalls, creating a scene that looks almost too perfect to be natural. The vibrant green moss contrasting with the white waterfalls and black basalt creates a color palette that's quintessentially Icelandic.
Finding Your Way There
Sigöldugljúfur is located in the highlands, approximately 240 kilometers (150 miles) from Reykjavík. You'll need a 4x4 vehicle to reach it as it's accessed via F-roads.
To find it:
- Take Route 1 (Ring Road) east from Reykjavík
- Turn onto Route 32 (Þjórsárdalsvegur)
- Continue to F26 (Sprengisandsleið)
- After passing Sigalda power plant, look for a small parking area near Sigöldulón reservoir
From the parking area, it's approximately a 15-20 minute walk to the canyon viewpoint.
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Late afternoon when the sun illuminates the canyon wall and waterfalls with warm light.
Time needed: Allow 2-3 hours for the drive from the main road, hiking to the viewpoint, and photography.
Season: Accessible only during summer months (June to September) when highland roads are open.
Hvítserkur: The Troll of North Iceland
What Makes It Special
Rising 15 meters (49 feet) from the sea at the edge of Vatnsnes Peninsula, Hvítserkur is a dramatic basalt stack that resembles a creature drinking from the ocean. According to legend, it's a troll who was caught by the sunrise and turned to stone while trying to destroy a church bell.
What makes this spot particularly photogenic is how it changes with the tides. At low tide, you can capture reflections in the wet sand, while high tide surrounds it with crashing waves. The isolation of this strange formation against the expansive Húnaflói Bay creates a sense of otherworldliness that makes for compelling photographs.
Finding Your Way There
Hvítserkur is located on the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes Peninsula in North Iceland, approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Reykjavík. The journey takes about 3 hours by car.
To reach it:
- Take Ring Road (Route 1) north
- Turn onto Route 711 and follow signs to Hvítserkur
- A gravel road leads to a parking area with a viewing platform
From the parking area, there's a somewhat steep path down to the beach level for closer photographs.
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Sunrise and sunset offer the most dramatic lighting. Sunrise is particularly special as the first light hits the eastern-facing formation.
Time needed: Allow 1-2 hours to photograph from different vantage points.
Tide timing: Check tide schedules before visiting. Low tide allows beach access for reflections, while high tide creates dramatic wave action.
Seasonal Considerations
Summer: The midnight sun provides extended golden hours for photography, but the formation never appears fully silhouetted.
Winter: Opportunities for northern lights behind the formation, but limited daylight and challenging weather conditions.
Spring/Fall: Often ideal with mixed lighting conditions and fewer tourists.
Dettifoss: Europe's Most Powerful Waterfall
What Makes It Special
Dettifoss isn't just Instagram-worthy – it's an experience that overwhelms all your senses. As Europe's most powerful waterfall, it sends 500 cubic meters of glacial water thundering over its edge every second, creating a misty roar that you can feel in your chest. The waterfall drops 44 meters (144 feet) into a massive canyon, with the gray-white glacial water contrasting dramatically against dark basalt columns.
What makes Dettifoss particularly special for photographers is the raw, untamed power it represents. Unlike more manicured tourist attractions, Dettifoss retains a primal quality, surrounded by a stark, moon-like landscape that enhances its dramatic impact.
Finding Your Way There
Dettifoss is located in Northeast Iceland within Vatnajökull National Park, approximately 550 kilometers (340 miles) from Reykjavík. Most visitors combine it with a multi-day exploration of North Iceland.
There are two approaches:
- East side (Road 864): Generally more dramatic views but gravel road access (4x4 recommended in poor weather)
- West side (Road 862): Paved road with easier access but somewhat more distant views
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Midday when the sun is high enough to illuminate the canyon, creating rainbows in the mist. Late evening in summer also offers beautiful soft light.
Time needed: Allow 1-2 hours to view the waterfall from different perspectives and potentially visit nearby Selfoss waterfall as well.
Weather considerations: Wind direction significantly impacts your experience – if blowing toward the viewpoints, you'll be soaked in spray (protect camera equipment accordingly).
Seasonal Considerations
Summer (June-August): Peak accessibility with 24-hour daylight. The immense volume of snowmelt makes the waterfall especially powerful.
Shoulder seasons (May and September): Fewer crowds with good accessibility.
Winter (October-April): Limited or no access as roads may be closed due to snow. When accessible, the contrast of snow and ice against the dark rocks creates dramatic scenes.
Stuðlagil Canyon: Iceland's Basalt Column Masterpiece
What Makes It Special
Stuðlagil Canyon remained Iceland's best-kept secret until around 2017 when the water level dropped after the construction of the Kárahnjúkar Hydroelectric Plant, revealing some of the most spectacular basalt column formations in the world. The canyon features symmetrical hexagonal basalt columns lining both sides of a vivid blue-green river, creating a scene that seems almost artificially perfect.
What makes this location particularly Instagram-worthy is the extraordinary color contrast between the dark basalt, the turquoise glacial river, and the green moss that occasionally adorns the rock formations. These elements combine to create a fairy-tale landscape that's uniquely photogenic.
Finding Your Way There
Stuðlagil Canyon is located in East Iceland, approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) from Reykjavík. Most visitors access it as part of a Ring Road journey.
There are two ways to access the canyon:
- East side: Easier access with a viewing platform requiring minimal hiking (15 minutes from parking)
- West side: More immersive experience requiring a 5 km (3 mile) hike each way, but allowing access to the canyon floor
For the west side access:
- Park at Grund farm
- Follow the marked hiking trail along the river
- Allow 3-4 hours round trip for hiking and photography
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Midday when sunlight penetrates the canyon, illuminating the blue water, or late afternoon when warm light bathes the basalt columns.
Time needed: East side viewing platform: 1 hour. West side hike and canyon exploration: 4-5 hours.
Season: The west side with canyon floor access is only possible during summer (June-September) when the river is low enough to cross. The east side viewing platform is accessible year-round, weather permitting.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon: Where Ice Meets Ocean
What Makes It Special
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon represents one of Iceland's most dramatic landscapes – a place where massive icebergs calve from Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and slowly drift through the lagoon toward the Atlantic Ocean. What makes this location exceptionally Instagram-worthy is the constantly changing arrangement of ice sculptures, each with unique shapes, textures, and the mesmerizing blue color that comes from compressed ancient ice.
Adjacent to the lagoon is Diamond Beach, where smaller ice chunks wash up on black sand, creating what looks like diamonds scattered across velvet – another photographer's dream location.
Finding Your Way There
Jökulsárlón is located on Iceland's southeast coast along Route 1 (Ring Road), approximately 380 kilometers (235 miles) from Reykjavík. The journey takes about 5 hours by car.
The lagoon has a large parking area with facilities, and Diamond Beach is just across the road on the ocean side.
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Each time of day offers something special:
- Sunrise: Beautiful pink and gold light on the icebergs
- Midday: Bright blue colors in the ice are most visible
- Sunset: Warm light creates stunning contrasts
- Nighttime (summer): Midnight sun bathes the scene in golden light
- Nighttime (winter): Potential for northern lights above the icebergs
Time needed: Allow 2-3 hours to fully explore both the lagoon and Diamond Beach. Boat tours of the lagoon (available May-October) add another hour.
Seasonal Considerations
Summer: Midnight sun allows for extended photography hours. Boat tours operate, bringing you closer to the icebergs.
Winter: Fewer visitors and the possibility of capturing northern lights reflected in the lagoon. The lagoon rarely freezes completely due to its connection to the ocean.
Year-round appeal: Each season offers dramatically different conditions and lighting, making repeat visits worthwhile.
Skógafoss: The Perfect Waterfall
What Makes It Special
Skógafoss is often considered the perfect waterfall – a textbook vertical drop of 60 meters (197 feet) spanning a width of 25 meters (82 feet). What makes this waterfall especially Instagram-worthy is its accessibility combined with its perfect proportions and the frequency with which it produces rainbows on sunny days.
The waterfall's setting adds to its photographic appeal – you can capture it with green fields in summer, snow-covered landscapes in winter, or with northern lights dancing above it if you're exceptionally lucky.
Finding Your Way There
Skógafoss is conveniently located just off Iceland's Ring Road on the south coast, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Reykjavík. The waterfall is visible from the road and has a large parking area with facilities.
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Morning often provides the best conditions, as the sun rises in the east, creating rainbows in the mist. Late evening in summer also offers beautiful soft light with fewer crowds.
Time needed: Allow 1-2 hours to view the waterfall from different angles, including climbing the stairs to the viewing platform at the top (approximately 500 steps).
Seasonal Considerations
Summer: Peak tourist season with crowds, but the surrounding landscape is lush and green.
Winter: Fewer visitors, and the waterfall can be partially frozen, creating unique ice formations. The surrounding landscape covered in snow adds another dimension.
Shoulder seasons: Often ideal with moderate crowds and good weather possibilities.
Fjaðrárgljúfur: The Magnificent Canyon
What Makes It Special
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a serpentine canyon that stretches about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), with walls reaching up to 100 meters (328 feet) high. This location is particularly Instagram-worthy because the sinuous canyon curves create leading lines through the landscape, with mossy walls and a small river winding through its base.
The canyon gained international attention after appearing in a Justin Bieber music video, leading to such an influx of visitors that authorities periodically close parts of it to allow vegetation recovery. This highlights the importance of responsible photography at this delicate site.
Finding Your Way There
Fjaðrárgljúfur is located in South Iceland, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Reykjavík. From the Ring Road (Route 1), turn onto Road 998 near Kirkjubæjarklaustur and follow it for about 2 kilometers to the parking area.
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Morning or late afternoon provides dramatic side-lighting that emphasizes the canyon's depth and textures.
Time needed: Allow 1-2 hours to walk the rim path and explore various viewpoints.
Accessibility note: The canyon rim path can be slippery when wet, and some viewpoints have limited safety barriers. Always maintain a safe distance from edges.
Seasonal Considerations
Summer (June- August): Lush green moss covers the canyon walls, creating a vibrant scene.
Autumn (September- October): The moss takes on golden hues, creating warm color contrasts.
Winter (November- March): The canyon has limited access due to ice on paths.
Spring (April-May): Snowmelt increases the river flow, and new vegetation emerges.
Seljalandsfoss: The Waterfall You Can Walk Behind
What Makes It Special
Seljalandsfoss offers something truly unique among Iceland's many waterfalls – the opportunity to walk behind the curtain of water, providing a 360-degree perspective that few waterfalls in the world offer. This 60-meter (197-foot) waterfall cascades over what used to be the coastline of Iceland, with the sea now several kilometers away.
What makes this location particularly Instagram-worthy is the opportunity for backlit photographs shooting outward from behind the falls, creating a magical portal-like effect. The waterfall is also perfectly positioned for sunset shots, when the golden light shines directly through the water.
Finding Your Way There
Seljalandsfoss is conveniently located just off the Ring Road on Iceland's south coast, approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Reykjavík. The waterfall is visible from the road and has a designated parking area (note that as of 2023, there's a small parking fee).
Timing Your Visit
Best time of day: Late afternoon and sunset create the most magical lighting, especially in summer when the sun sets behind the waterfall, creating a golden glow through the water.
Time needed: Allow 1-2 hours to view the waterfall from all angles, including the path behind it, and to visit the nearby hidden waterfall, Gljúfrabúi.
Clothing recommendation: Waterproof clothing is essential if you plan to walk behind the falls, as you will get wet from the considerable spray.
Seasonal Considerations
Summer: The path behind the waterfall is reliably open, though expect crowds during peak hours.
Winter: The path behind the waterfall is often closed due to ice, but the frozen sections of the waterfall create unique photographic opportunities.
Spring/Fall: Variable conditions with fewer crowds. The path access depends on ice conditions.
Don't Miss Nearby Gljúfrabúi
Just a 10-minute walk north of Seljalandsfoss hides the often-overlooked Gljúfrabúi waterfall (literally "Canyon Dweller"). This partially hidden falls requires wading through a narrow canyon opening or climbing up a small rock face to view. The effort rewards you with a magical, less-photographed scene that makes for unique Instagram content.
Planning Your Iceland Itinerary
Sample 7-Day South Coast & Highlands Itinerary
Day 1: Reykjavík to Seljalandsfoss & Skógafoss
- Morning departure from Reykjavík
- Afternoon/sunset at Seljalandsfoss and hidden Gljúfrabúi
- Overnight near Skógafoss for early morning photography
Day 2: Vík Area
- Sunrise at Skógafoss
- Mid-morning at Reynisfjara black sand beach
- Afternoon exploring Dyrhólaey arch (great for puffin photography in summer)
- Sunset at Reynisfjara for different lighting
- Overnight in Vík
Day 3: Fjaðrárgljúfur & Jökulsárlón
- Morning at Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
- Drive to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Sunset and Blue Hour at Diamond Beach
- Overnight near Jökulsárlón
Day 4: East Iceland
- Sunrise at Jökulsárlón
- Drive to Stuðlagil Canyon (4-5 hours total for hiking and photography)
- Overnight in East Iceland (Egilsstaðir area)
Day 5: North Iceland
- Drive to the Lake Mývatn area
- Afternoon at Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls
- Overnight in North Iceland
Day 6: Vatnsnes Peninsula
- Morning exploring Lake Mývatn geothermal areas
- Afternoon drive to Vatnsnes Peninsula
- Sunset at Hvítserkur sea stack
- Overnight in Northwest Iceland
Day 7: Highlands (summer only) or alternative coastal route
- If accessible: Spend the Full day exploring Landmannalaugar and Sigöldugljúfur
- Alternative: Return to Reykjavík via Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Final Thoughts
Iceland isn't just a destination—it's a transformation waiting to happen. These top 10 Iceland tourist spots represent more than just checkboxes on a travel itinerary; they're portals to experiences that will fundamentally change how you see our planet. From the moment the midnight sun casts its golden glow across Reynisfjara's black sands to the heart-stopping thunder of Dettifoss, Iceland doesn't just show you its wonders—it pulls you into them.
About the Author
Meet Gitana, the adventurous soul behind Tripsiniceland! She has been living in Iceland since 2022, Gitana is passionate about helping travelers discover the best of this stunning country. Through her blog, she shares expert tips and insider advice to ensure you have an unforgettable Icelandic adventure. Whether you're dreaming of glaciers, volcanoes, or hidden gems, Gitana’s goal is to make your Iceland experience truly extraordinary!
