Shannon O'Brien Travel Itineraries

The best destinations

Photo of Iceland
Photo of Iceland

The Best of Iceland

#35 best destination in the world

Map view

Svartifoss - Sjónarsker, Vatnajokull National Park

Photo of Vatnajokull National Park

Walk difficulty: Moderate

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Waterfall in Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park, surrounded by dark lava columns, which gave rise to its name
  • The base of this waterfall is noteworthy for its hexagonal column sections that break off faster than the falling water wears down the edges

Blue Lagoon

Photo of Blue Lagoon

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $$

  • Geothermal spa located in a lava field near Grindavík, in a location favorable for geothermal power, and is supplied by water used in the nearby geothermal power station
  • The water's milky blue shade is due to its high silica content
  • The silica forms soft white mud on the bottom of the lake which bathers rub on themselves

Reynisfjara

Photo of Reynisfjara

Walk difficulty: Easy

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Basalt sea stacks situated under the mountain Reynisfjall, and it is framed by the black sand beach Reynisfjara
  • Set just off the shore are jagged rock formations that are the remains of ancient sea cliffs

Skaftafell

Photo of Skaftafell

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $$

  • Skaftafell is a preservation area in Öræfi, once a major farm, later being named a national park
  • Originally known as Skaftafell National Park, it was subsequently joined together with other nearby regions to form the larger Vatnajökull National Park, in 2008
  • Skaftafell has emerged as a popular location for glacier tourism with most tours run on the nearby Svínafellsjökull and Falljökull

Öxarárfoss, Þingvellir

Photo of Þingvellir

Walk difficulty: Easy

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Waterfall in Þingvellir National Park that flows from the river Öxará over the Almannagjá
  • The pool at the base of the waterfall is filled with rocks and is often extremely icy during winter
  • Þingvellir, (anglicised as Thingvellir) was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland, from the year 930 until the last session held at Þingvellir in 1798

Hallgrímskirkja

Photo of Hallgrímskirkja

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Lutheran Church of Iceland in Reykjavík, the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country
  • Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland's national identity since its completion in 1986
  • The church is named after the Icelandic poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson

Gullfoss

Photo of Gullfoss

Walk difficulty: Easy

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Waterfall located in the canyon of the Hvítá river
  • In the first half of the 20th century, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, to foreign investors
  • However, the investors' bids to buy the region were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money
  • The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland, and is now protected
  • Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur, Gullfoss forms part of the Golden Circle, a popular day excursion

Skógafoss

Photo of Skógafoss

Walk difficulty: Moderate

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Waterfall on the Skógá River, at the cliff marking the former coastline
  • After the coastline had receded, the former sea cliffs remained parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres, creating together with some mountains a clear border between the coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland
  • The Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country
  • Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days

Seljalandsfoss - Gljúfrafoss

Photo of Seljalandsfoss

Walk difficulty: Easy

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall located in the South Region in Icelan
  • The waterfall is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull
  • Visitors can walk behind the falls into a small cave
  • Gljúfrafoss is a small waterfall north of the larger falls of Seljalandsfoss

Jökulsárlón

Photo of Jökulsárlón

Walk difficulty: Easy

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $$

  • Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in Vatnajökull National Park
  • The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the glaciers
  • In 2009 it was reported to be the deepest lake in Iceland, as glacial retreat extended its boundaries
  • The size of the lake has increased fourfold since the 1970s
  • There are lagoon tours provided by several different companies in boats or kayaks, and in the winter there are ice cave tours

Snæfellsnes

Photo of Snæfellsnes

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Peninsula featuring the Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland
  • It is the highest mountain on the peninsula and has a glacier at its peak
  • The mountain is also known as the setting of the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by the French author Jules Verne