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Discover Iceland 🇮🇸: Hidden Gems & Cultural Treasures You Won’t Find in Guidebooks
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items I’ve been obsessed with Iceland since seeing the famous blue lagoon, pictures, and I’m excited to return. I’ve curated the experiences that gave me goosebumps, the meals that made me understand Icelandic culture, and the spots where I felt the raw ma...
Map
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Activities
Where to Eat
Sights to See
Activities
This is how you experience Iceland like a local, not a tourist. From the legendary Laugavegur highland trek to the sacred ritual of soaking in neighborhood geothermal pools with Icelanders discussing life, these activities reveal the soul of the isla...
This is the perfect alternative to those who don’t want to book the Blue Lagoon experience.
Sky Lagoon Entrance Ticket Including 7-Step Ritual
The original, best geothermal spa experience. Enjoy a clay mud mask and soothing mineral waters
Blue Lagoon Admission Including Return Transfers from Reykjavik
Located in a former public bathroom (yes, really) in downtown Reykjavik, this DIY museum shows Iceland’s vibrant punk scene from the ’80s onward. The curator is usually there and will talk your ear off about how punk shaped modern Icelandic culture. ...
Icelandic Punk Museum in Reykjavik
Not touristy - this is where Icelanders buy their wool. The factory has been making lopapeysa (Icelandic wool sweaters) since 1896. Locals bring their grandmothers here to pick yarn for knitting projects. The staff will tell you about Icelandic sheep...
Álafoss
Where to Eat
Iceland’s food scene is where ancient tradition crashes into modern innovation, and these spots show you both sides. You’ll find family-run restaurants serving fermented shark with stories about grandmother’s recipes, geothermal bakeries where locals...
The OG Reykjavik bakery since 1920, still family-run, still making rye bread from geothermal heat. Their Italian baker makes sourdough that locals swear by. The upstairs café is where writers and artists spend mornings. Get the skyr cake - it’s techn...
Sandholt
The cinnamon buns here are baked fresh every few hours and people line up in -10°C weather for them. Get there at 7am when they open or 3pm for the second batch. The cardamom snúður changed my understanding of pastries. Don’t skip the rye bread donut...
Brauð & Co
Iceland’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, but not stuffy - the chefs explain each foraged ingredient’s story. The tasting menu uses ingredients like dulse seaweed, crowberries, and Arctic thyme. Expensive but worth it once. The hay-smoked cod cour...
Dill Restaurant
Everyone knows this place, but go at 2am on a Saturday when everyone is stumbling out of bars. The hot dog (with everything - remoulade, fried onions, raw onions, ketchup, mustard) is the great equalizer. You’ll be in line with doctors, artists, fish...
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Iceland has so many unique foods, it’s hard to pin point them all - this tour covers the top picks of Icelandic cuisine!
Reykjavik Food Walk - Local Foodie Adventure in Iceland
Wanna eat like a Viking? Have a traditional Viking dinner experience here!
Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant - Your Viking Experience in Iceland
Wanna be transported back into time? This traditional Icelandic food experience will take you there. Make sure you bring an empty belly!
Reykjavik Food Lovers Tour - Icelandic Traditional Food
Sights to See
Forget the tour bus crowds at overcrowded waterfalls. These places reveal Iceland’s layers—the hidden waterfall you wade through a stream to reach, the remote fishing village museum that explains how herring built a nation, the punk rock museum in a ...
Forget the Blue Lagoon’s crowds. This natural hot river in the highlands is where Icelanders actually soak. You’re sitting in steaming water surrounded by rhyolite mountains that look like paintings. The F-road requires 4x4. The mountain hut serves l...
Landmannalaugar hot spring
Yes, it’s touristy, but this tour is efficient if you’re short on time. The guide I had (Björn) told us folklore stories at each stop that made the geysers and waterfalls come alive. Skip the gift shop stops and spend that time at Þingvellir
Golden Circle Classic Day Tour from Reykjavik
This company has a 95% success rate and will reschedule you for free if you don’t see them. They took us to three different locations chasing clear skies. The photographers are incredible - you’ll get professional photos included.
#1 Northern Lights Tour In Iceland from Reykjavik with PRO photos