We spent seven days exploring this incredible country, and it was everything we hoped for—dramatic landscapes, surprisingly great food. We did four organized tours and spent three days wandering Reykjavik on our own, which felt like the perfect balance.

Getting There

We flew nonstop on Icelandair from Raleigh-Durham airport, which was super convenient. No connections, no layovers, just straight to Reykjavik. For airport pickup, we booked a private transfer through Viator—worth it after a long flight.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica. It's not exactly downtown, but it's close enough that you can easily walk (long) or grab a quick Uber. The hotel was comfortable and made a good home base for all our day trips.

The Tours

We did four organized tours, and each one showed us a completely different side of Iceland.

Golden Circle & Kerid Volcanic Crater

**Thingvellir National Park** sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian **tectonic plates** are moving away from each other.

We visited Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can actually see the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pulling apart. Then we headed to the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur geyser erupts every 5-10 minutes, shooting boiling water up to 30 meters in the air. Gullfoss waterfall was next—a massive two-tiered cascade plunging into a deep canyon. The mist was everywhere, and we got completely soaked, but it was incredible. The tour also included Kerid Volcanic Crater, which was a highlight for us. It's about 6,500 years old, with these striking red volcanic slopes surrounding a bright aquamarine lake at the bottom. You can walk around the rim and even hike down to the water's edge. The contrast of colors—red rock, green moss, and that vivid blue water—is unreal.

Reykjavik Food Walk

This was such a fun way to explore the city and learn about Icelandic food culture. We met at Harpa Concert Hall and spent about three hours visiting six local restaurants, trying everything from traditional lamb soup and cured arctic char to the famous Icelandic hot dog. We sampled local cheeses, homemade ice cream, and yes—we tried the fermented shark with a shot of Brennivin to wash it down. Our guide, a local, shared stories about Icelandic food traditions and pointed out landmarks like Hallgrimskirkja church and Parliament House as we walked between stops. It's a great first-day activity to get oriented and figure out where you want to eat for the rest of your trip.

**Seljalandsfoss**

Experience from beneath and behind the waterfall

South Shore

The south coast might be the most dramatic landscape we've ever seen. First stop was Seljalandsfoss, a 60-meter waterfall where you can actually walk behind the cascade—bring a rain jacket because you will get drenched. Nearby, there's a hidden waterfall called Gljufrabui tucked inside a cave that's worth the scramble to reach. Skogafoss was equally impressive, a thundering 60-meter drop that's been featured in movies and TV shows. We climbed the 500+ steps to the top for panoramic views. The real showstopper was Reynisfjara black sand beach—jet black volcanic sand, towering basalt columns, and these dramatic sea stacks called Reynisdrangar rising from the ocean. We also got views of glaciers and the infamous Eyjafjallajokull volcano in the distance.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This peninsula is called "Iceland in miniature" because it has a little bit of everything. The star of the show is Kirkjufell, Iceland's most photographed mountain—a distinctive peak with waterfalls in front that Game of Thrones fans will recognize as the "arrowhead mountain." We wandered through moss-covered lava fields at Berserkjahraun, which has a Viking legend about two berserkers who carved Iceland's first road through the terrain. Djupalonssandur beach has smooth black pebbles, shipwreck remains, and these famous "lifting stones" that fishermen used to test their strength. At Arnarstapi, we walked along coastal cliffs with dramatic rock arches and basalt formations. The charming black wooden church at Budakirkja made for great photos against the stark landscape. We even spotted seals lounging on the rocks at Ytri-Tunga beach, which has rare golden sand instead of the typical black. Snæfellsjokull glacier loomed in the background all day—it's the glacier-capped volcano from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Exploring Reykjavik

With four days of tours, we had three full days to explore Reykjavik at our own pace. We hit up all the main spots and made sure to visit the Perlan Museum, which has great exhibits about Iceland's nature and geology. We also ate at the restaurant inside Perlan, which is ranked among the top unique restaurants in the world. It's famous for being built on top of six massive geothermal hot water tanks—each holding over 4 million liters of hot water that heats the entire city. You're literally dining above Reykjavik's heating system. One thing that surprised us—the street art scene is incredible. We found more graffiti and murals in Iceland than almost anywhere else we've traveled. Random alleys, building sides, you name it.

The Vegan Situation

Here's something I didn't expect: Iceland has amazing vegan options. Like, everywhere. Restaurants, cafes, even casual spots—they all seem to have plant-based choices. For such a small country with a traditional meat and fish culture, the vegan scene really impressed us.

Final Thoughts

The landscapes are unreal, the food scene is better than expected, and there's something special about a place where you can see geysers erupting, walk behind waterfalls, stand on volcanic craters, and spot seals all in the same trip. We also found Iceland to be the safest country we've ever visited—you just feel completely at ease everywhere you go. Definitely worth the journey.

Iceland: Land of Fire, Ice, and Incredible Food