7 Things to do in Iceland in 2020
Last Updated on August 10, 2019
If you have been on Facebook at all for the past year, you would have seen tonnes of articles popping up about Iceland and its beauty. You can’t really miss it, everywhere I look I see someone else talking about how beautiful the country is or this amazing experience they had there and it’s made me eager to jump on a plane and explore it straight away. But sometimes we can’t just do that at a drop of a hat which is why I am putting it on my 2020 travel goals (bucket list seems so cliché).
Here are 7 of the best things to do in Iceland and why you should visit. Don’t worry, it’s not too late to explore because Iceland will still be waiting for you in 2020!
Here are 7 best things to do in Iceland
1. The Ring Road
This road trip is such an iconic and one of the best things to do in Iceland and in my opinion, road trips are the best way to explore the area. You can stop over suddenly if you like the look of a place, loud (usually) bad music blaring and you get to see the country the best way, by car!
The Ring Road spans for 832 miles and has numerous natural attractions for you to see so you really shouldn’t miss this one. 90% of tourists that travel to Iceland stay within an hour out of Reykjavik, and by the looks of it, Iceland has so much incredible beauty so you need to spread your wings (or turn that engine on) and start exploring the rest of what the country has to offer.
2. Majestic Iceland horses
Icelandic horses must be one of the most photogenic animals on the planet. You can just see that they are proud to be Icelandic, I would be too if I was from Iceland! Although I have never seen them in real life I have seen plenty of videos and they are quite simply stunning, which is why I have put them on my 2020 travel goals list.
3. Northern Lights
One of the most beautiful events in the world would have to be the Northern Lights. It’s quite hard to time your visit to see them as they are so unpredictable, but it’s one of the major draws for tourists coming to Iceland. The skies need to be ultra clear and because it’s a North Atlantic country the weather can be very random at times, but it still doesn’t stop me wanting to see them!
If I happen to be there when the Northern Lights are supposed to be happening, I’m booking myself into an Aurora Bubble, yes you read that right! It’s basically a bubble room with the top half-transparent so you can see the skies. Even if the lights didn’t happen, staying in one of these would be an amazing experience!
The best accommodation in iceland
4. Glacier hiking
As the weather is rapidly changing glaciers could be harder to come by, which is why I would love to explore and hike one of the ice caves. More than 10% of Iceland is currently covered in glaciers so I imagine it would be hard to miss one! Vatnajökull glacier is the largest in Iceland and in Europe! One of the most popular hiking glaciers would be Öræfajökull glacier because the highest peak in the country is located there.
5. Volcanoes
One of the experiences high on my list is seeing an active volcano. Iceland is home to 130 volcanic mountains because it sits on two tectonic plates and has 30 active volcano systems running throughout the island. Most are dormant, you can even climb into Thrihnukagigur volcano which is not active anymore, but there are also active volcanoes to be seen too which excites me a lot!
6. Visit the second largest national park in Europe!
Vatnajökull National Park spans for 4600 square miles which is pretty impressive. Just to give you an idea of how big that is, the national park takes up 13% of Iceland! Inside you can see a glacier lake (for the real experience do a Jökulsárlón tour ), mountain peaks, rivers, waterfalls and geothermal areas too. This national park really looks like an incredible place to go. There’s also two other national parks in Iceland. One called Þingvallavatn and the other called Snæfellsjökull, both look astonishing too!
7. Waterfalls
I am a total waterfall chaser at heart. I love an impressive waterfall and apparently, Iceland has an abundance of them just waiting to be photographed, not necessarily for swimming in as I don’t think I am brave enough for that and I would still like to keep my toes! Seljalandsfoss is probably one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world. You would have seen it on your Instagram feed at least once this year and rightly so. Svartifoss waterfall is also one not to miss. It’s also called ‘Black Fall’ as the background is covered in distinctive black hanging basalt columns.
There are 7 reasons why I’m making my way to Iceland in 2020 and why you should too. So, I guess the next question is, who’s coming with me?!
Other articles you will love:
- 6 Unique Things to do in Vik, Iceland
- Discovering the Golden Circle in Iceland
- 10 Must-Try Traditional Nonalcholic European Drinks
Sara | Belly Rumbles
Iceland has been on my list for a very long time now. It’s just so far away from Australia. But I want to see those Northern lights. Hopefully it will be 2017 for me too.
Kerri
I’m inclined not to get too carried away about Iceland because it just seems like everyone is going there at the moment. But then on the other hand it does look amazing and the natural landscapes are fantastic. Look forward to seeing what you get up to.
Indrani
Reasons good enough to visit Iceland!
30 active volcanoes… aren’t you scared? My main reason would be for the northern lights.
Vyjay Rao
Iceland is a wonderland and a dream of a destination for us. Would love to get there some day for all the wonderful things you have listed out here. Of course the top of the list is the Northern Lights.
Tom
These are some great reasons to visit Iceland, and virtually the same as my reasons to visit the country! Definitely gonna head there sooner rather than later!
Nadine
One of my main motivations for moving to the Northern Hemisphere was to be closer to Iceland! I have no idea why I didn’t visit last time I was living in this part of the world… Anyway, you’ve summed up my reasons for wanting to visit beautifully!
Jenna Kvidt
All great reasons to visit!! Iceland is one of our favorite places, but we have only been in the summer so we haven’t seen the northern lights yet. Would love to go back again for that and to explore more. Hope you have a great trip!
Pedro @travelwithpedro
I’m sure you’ll absolutely love it! Since I was there a few years ago, I’m itching to go back. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, so I’ll definitely go back. Have fun!
shannonelizabeth
I visited Iceland in August 2013 and it was amazing. Like you say, visitors should definitely get out of Reykjavik and take a road trip or see the sights by coach, especially Vatnajökull National Park. I also recommend visiting the Westmann Islands where you can see puffins and hike up a volcano that last erupted in 1973. I’m going again for a few days just before New Year and really hope I see the Northern Lights! Enjoy your trip 🙂
Skye
Iceland remains right at the top of our list and the more people go, the more I am desperate to! The pictures remind me of Norway and we LOVE Norway. It looks incredible. Looking forward to following your adventure.
thislifelistlee
Wonderful post, I too am itching to get myself to Iceland. It’s another Life List adventure I would like to check off. I am also intrigued to go diving at the Silfra Fissure. I mean diving in crystal clear waters between two tectonic plates…wow.
Iceland has so much beauty. Looking forward to reading your blog about Iceland.
JJAdams
I went to Iceland in 2015 and there are just sooo any tourists in downtown Reykajvik. I really didn’t enjoy being in the city itself because of all fo the other people… BUT once you’re outside of the city, it’s just GORGEOUS. We took a rental car and did the golden circle, as well as a couple of tours after buying the Iceland Travel Saver (Discount Book) and they were all super interesting and a lot of fun!