There’s so much to see and do in unique Iceland that it’s hard to choose between all of the options! Tours offered are numerous and it can be overwhelming to figure out which are the best ones. Here are the top five Iceland activities that you can’t miss on your Iceland adventure!

Geothermal bath

Going for a relaxing soak in a geothermal bath is a must do activity in Iceland! Of course the Blue Lagoon is the most famous one with its spa-like facilities and its easy access to the airport and Reykjavík. We went our first day in Iceland and it was the perfect way to start our travels and cure jet lag. Buy your timed tickets in advance, with prices starting at $55USD for standard tickets. It’s worth it to pay a bit more for towels unless you pack your own plus a drink from the bar is included in the comfort and above pricing. The minerals that make the water the beautiful shade of blue also make your skin feel so soft after bathing for a while.

In Northern Iceland, Myvatn Nature Baths is another geothermal bath option. The setting of the lagoon is beautiful with the mountains in the background and it tends to be less visited than the Blue Lagoon. The ticket prices for adults are a little over $30 with an additional fee for a towel.

Glacier Hike

We love hiking and did tons of it while in Iceland but the most unique hike was our first ever glacier hike! We went on the three and a half hour glacier walk for $88USD per person from Skaftafell with Glacier Guides and had a blast. We were with a small group and the tour guide was a lot of fun. In addition to enjoying the natural beauty of the glacier with sunshine and blue skies a plenty we learned a lot too! Beyond the mechanics of using our crampons, we heard all about crevasses, moulins, dirt cones, and glacier mice. One of my favorite moments was when we were all completely silent and listened to the sound of running water from glacier runoff. We also got to drink fresh glacial water!

Farm Stay

One of the more memorable places we overnighted was on a working Icelandic farm through an Airbnb stay. While we stayed in many lovely guesthouses, this one gave us a taste of what life is like for the many farming families in the country. After dinner with the family, we accompanied them on their evening rounds to check on the newborn lambs and their mothers as well as the cows. Lamb season is Iceland is in May so it was the perfect time for our visit! And of course they had Icelandic ponies on the farm too! In addition to many options on Airbnb, there’s a whole website devoted to Icelandic Farm Holidays.

Whale Watching

If you plan to visit Iceland during their summer from April to  September, definitely go whale watching! You can go from the capital Reykjavík or the whale captial Husavik in the North. I did research about going on the carbon neutral Whales, Puffins and Sails tour with North Sailing but we decided to go from the Snæfellsnes Peninsula instead since we wanted to see orcas. Láki Tours offers a fantastic three hour, $75USD summer whale watching tour and we were lucky to see a pod of 15 killer whales! They are so beautiful and majestic to see in the wild and it was an experience we won’t soon forget. Other sighting possible include sperm, minke, and humpback whales as well as white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises!

Swimming Pool

I read in several articles while planning our trip and heard on the xxwilltravel podcast episode about Iceland ahead of time that going to a town swimming pool is a great way to experience Iceland the way locals do.  Plus it’s a lot cheaper than the geothermal spa or nature bath for a soak in the hot tub, swim in the warm pool or go down the slide. Watching this fun Inspired by Iceland video learn about hot tub etiquette before you go!

Which activity in Iceland would be first on your list? Let us hear from you in the comments below! If you’ve been to Iceland, feel free to share your favorite activities too!