Top 10 Iceland Locations

“Iceland is beautiful, sometimes it is hard to imagine living anywhere else.” Just a few words by Baltasar Kormakur are sufficient to summarize the beauty of Iceland. If you are a traveler visiting Iceland, you must trust the words of the acclaimed native actor and director. From diamond-shaped icebergs to the sky-reaching mountains, the natural wealth of Iceland never ceases to amaze. Take Silfra fissure, for example, a rare phenomenon that can truly take you by surprise. Not just the locations, there are other aspects like Northern Lights, and many interesting activities that make Iceland a paradise for enthusiastic travelers who want to spend each day doing something new. Icelandic people have high regard for their land and its natural wealth.

Every traveler comes across this challenge – what places to choose when in Iceland. There are so many breathtaking locations in the country that you may get confused while picking the best ones. We have compiled a list of the top 10 Iceland locations for you, including all the details that you need during your trip to Iceland. In this article you will get to know everything about the Iceland must see places. Just pack your bags and get ready for your trip.

Gullfoss

Gullfoss waterfall in Golden CircleGolden Circle Tours,

Gullfoss waterfall is a stunning sight to witness, and is always packed with enthusiastic tourists. There are many reasons for its fame, along with its picturesque beauty. The waterfall is one of the most popular attractions in the most popular traveling route in Iceland, Golden Circle Route. Gullfoss translates to ‘Golden Falls’ and is located in the Hvítá River Canyon in Southwest Iceland. The meltwater from Langjökull glacier flows in copious amounts, especially during the summer. The Hvita River rises to an average of 140 cubic meters per second around this time. Authorities measured 2,000 cubic meters per second as the highest ever flood flow rate here.

Gullfoss Waterfall has two stages – two separate features that beautifully complement each other. The fall has a unique look and formation that seems breathtaking. The shorter first cascade is 11 meters (36 feet) long, while the second fall is 21 meters (69 feet) long. The canyon walls on either side of the waterfall reach heights of up to 70 meters (230 feet), making their way into the great Gullfossgjúfur canyon. Geologists base their theory that glacial outbursts at the beginning of the last age are responsible for the formation of this canyon.

In the summer, approximately 140 cubic meters (459 cubic feet) of water surges down the waterfall every second, whilst in winter that number drops to around 109 cubic meters (358 cubic feet). With such energy, visitors should not be surprised to find themselves drenched by the waterfall’s mighty spray should they get too close.

About 140 cubic meters (459 cubic feet) of water rushes down the waterfall per second during the summer. The quantity lowers to around 109 cubic meters (358 cubic feet) in the winter. You are not supposed to be shocked if the tremendous spray of waterfall showers you when you go close. Some visitors enjoy the thrill of the activity without realizing that it could be dangerous to go too close to the waterfall.

It is easy to visit Gullfoss waterfall. We recommend that you either rent a car and drive there on your own, or join one of the guided Golden Circle tours that will take you to Gullfoss and some other interesting locations in the Golden Circle. A self-driving tour is perfect if you want to explore the waterfall at your pace, and visit some other locations on your way. If you don’t want to rent a car, you can find variety of great Golden Circle tours that departure from Reykjavik.  Gullfoss is one of the three attractions the Golden Circle is famous for. The other two attractions are actually also listed in the top 10 Iceland locations, so you will be up for a treat on this day of your trip.

When going on a Golden Circle tour you can choose between a regular tour that will take you on a minibus to all the most popular sites, or you can add some activity and adventures to your tour, like snorkeling, hot springs, glacier exploration or snowmobiling.

Tours to Gullfoss waterfall

4 Reviews
5/5

Duration

10 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Medium

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

6 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
10 hours
Group Size
Medium
Minimum age
6-11 years
2 Reviews
5/5

Duration

15 hours

Available

Aug – Apr

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

14 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
15 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
15 years
2 Reviews
5/5

Duration

12 hours

Available

Nov – Mar

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

6 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
12 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
8 years
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

8 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

No minimum age
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
8 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
No minimum age
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

8,5 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Large

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

2 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
8,5 hours
Group Size
Large
Minimum age
2-5 years
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

13 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Medium

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

2 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
13 hours
Group Size
Medium
Minimum age
2 years
4 Reviews
5/5

Duration

4 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Self Drive

Minimum age

No minimum age
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
4 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
No minimum age
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

8-9 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Private Tours

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

No minimum age
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
8-9 hours
Group Size
Private Tours
Minimum age
No minimum age
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

6 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

6 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
6 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
6 years
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

10 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Private Tours

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

8 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
10 hours
Group Size
Private Tours
Minimum age
6-11 years
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

10 years

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

6 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
10 years
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
6 years
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

11 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

7 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
11 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
7 years
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

10 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

6 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
10 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
6 years
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

12 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Private Tours

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

5 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
12 hours
Group Size
Private Tours
Minimum age
5 years
0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

8 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Private Tours

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

No minimum age
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
8 hours
Group Size
Private Tours
Minimum age
No minimum age
6 Reviews
5/5

Duration

10 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Medium

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

2 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
10 hours
Group Size
Medium
Minimum age
2 years
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

8-10 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

8 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
8-10 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
6-11 years
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

9 hours

Available

Oct – May

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

8 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
9 hours
Group Size
Minimum age
6 years
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

12,5 hours

Available

Aug – Apr

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Large

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

8 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
12,5 hours
Group Size
Large
Minimum age
6 years
13 Reviews
5/5

Duration

11 hours

Available

All year

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

14 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík
Duration
11 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
14 years

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

South Coast Iceland, Seljalandsfoss waterfall - south Iceland tour guide

Seljalandsfoss carries the beauty of the divine era of gods. The ecstatic waterfall is popular because of a distinguishing feature – tourists can fully encircle it. Yes, it may sound astonishing at first, but you can complete a full round around this beautiful waterfall. Seljalandsfoss is located on the South Coast of Iceland with an enormous drop of 60 meters (200 feet). Seljalandsfoss waterfall is part of the beautiful River Seljalandsá. However, its origins lie underneath the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. The cascade of the falls is narrow as compared to other famous waterfalls in the country.

The waterfall consists of impressive natural features and is easy to access, considering its proximity to the Ring Road. These are among many reasons why it is one of the country’s most famous and visited waterfalls.

When visiting Seljalandsfoss, it is both easy to rent a car and drive there on your own or join one of the guided tours that will take you to Seljalandsfoss. Most tours that will take you to the South Coast of Iceland will make a stop at Seljalandsfoss since it is the top attraction in South Iceland. The tours are well planned and you can choose between variety of activities to add to your day. Does something like ice caves, snowmobiling or glacier hiking sound interesting to you? Then check out the day tours that will take you to Seljalandsfoss

When going on a self-driving tours you will however get complete independence to see the places at your pace. Many visitors have a lot of places of their interest in the area around Seljalandsfoss and for them it might be better to rent a car and drive there on their own. Seljalandsfoss is located around 2 hours from the capital city, Reykjavik

The pathway that surrounds Seljalandsfoss is its most distinguishing feature. It seems amazing the way the entire formation looks. The cliffs behind the waterfalls have a broad cavern, and rocks & paths allow guests to fully encircle the waterfall. The continuous mist of the falls adds to the aura of Seljalandsfoss. The tourists are often dampened due to this perpetual mist, which feels mesmerizing but it also makes the rocks of the pathway slippery. There are floodlights set up on both sides of the waterfall that charmingly illuminate the scene during the night when the midnight sun is not out. Authorities felt the need to install the lights in 2001 due to the rising fame of the falls among the tourists. During winter, the path might be slippery and sometimes even closed due to snow. 

Most visitors like to continue north to the waterfall Gljúfrabúi after they visit Seljalandsfoss. It is located only 1 minute drive from Seljalandsfoss. A rock face partially covers the Gljúfrabúi waterfall, but it cannot hamper its beauty. Gljúfrabúi is a hidden gem in the area that people often do not notice because of the popularity of Seljalandsfoss. You must take some time out to visit the area. Tourists can plan a combined trip to Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi, and Skógafoss waterfall (see below). Skogafoss falls from the same height as Seljalandsfoss. It is a more powerful waterfall, and one of the top attractions in Iceland as well. 

Tours to Seljalandsfoss waterfall

0 Reviews
0.0/5

Duration

10 hours

Available

May – Sept

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Private Tours

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

No minimum age
Tour starts
Reykjavík, South Iceland
Duration
10 hours
Group Size
Private Tours
Minimum age
No minimum age
1 Reviews
5/5

Duration

10 hours

Available

May – Sep

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

Small

Type of Tour

Pick up

Minimum age

6 years
Tour starts
Reykjavík, South Iceland
Duration
10 hours
Group Size
Small
Minimum age
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