Dramatic Iceland mountain landscape with red-roofed huts under cloudy skies

Places to see

Iceland Attractions

Use this page to find the landmarks, landscapes, and scenic areas worth building your route around.

Useful for

landmarksroute anchorsscenic stopsphoto planning

Where to start

Start with a few route-shaping sights.

Use these as quick entry points. The full attraction list is in the searchable results below.

All place guides

Find sights worth building into your route.

Search and filter attraction pages and visual collections without mixing in route or region hubs.

Lava fountains rising from the Holuhraun fissure during the Bárðarbunga volcanic episode.

Bárðarbunga

Bárðarbunga is a powerful subglacial volcano beneath northwestern Vatnajökull, useful for travelers deciding whether its remote Highlands context belongs in a specialist plan or should stay a geology-aware reference point.

Vatnajökull · Subglacial volcano · Highlands
Þórisjökull glacier above rough Kaldidalur road and dark highland ground.

Þórisjökull

Þórisjökull is a small glacier-capped volcano near Kaldidalur in the western Highlands, worth adding only when the rough approach, weather, vehicle rules, and route purpose all support the detour.

Glacier-volcano · Highlands · Kaldidalur
Ódáðahraun lava desert seen from Askja with huts, a stream, and wide highland plains below.

Ódáðahraun

Ódáðahraun is a vast lava desert north of Vatnajökull, useful for travelers deciding whether a Highlands route should focus on Askja, Holuhraun, rough roads, or easier alternatives nearby.

Lava desert · Highlands · Askja context
Blue Ljótipollur crater lake surrounded by red and brown volcanic slopes in the South Highlands.

Ljótipollur

Ljótipollur is a red-walled crater lake near Landmannalaugar in the South Highlands, best for travelers deciding whether a short crater-rim detour is worth the F-road access, walking, weather, and route time.

Crater lake · South Highlands · F-road access
Aerial view of the Grímsvötn eruption plume rising through Vatnajökull ice with an aircraft wing in the foreground.

Grímsvötn

Grímsvötn is a subglacial volcanic system beneath Vatnajökull, worth planning around only if you understand that access is remote, specialist-led, and controlled by glacier, weather, and volcanic-safety checks.

Vatnajökull · Subglacial volcano · Highlands
Eiríksjökull rising above Hallmundarhraun with a broad white glacier cap in West Iceland.

Eiríksjökull

Eiríksjökull is a glacier-capped table mountain between West Iceland and the Highlands, worth adding only when rougher inland access, weather, and extra time support a scenic detour rather than a simple roadside stop.

Remote glacier · Highlands edge · Rough access
Hikers on a trail below colorful rhyolite slopes near Brennisteinsalda in Landmannalaugar.

Brennisteinsalda

Brennisteinsalda is a colorful rhyolite mountain hike in Landmannalaugar, best for travelers who can handle Highland access, changing weather, and a moderate trail before committing it to a South Iceland or Highlands route.

Highland hike · Landmannalaugar · Fjallabak
View from Bláhnjúkur over Landmannalaugar, Laugahraun lava, pale river braids, and surrounding Highlands mountains.

Bláhnjúkur

Bláhnjúkur is the steep blue-black summit hike above Landmannalaugar in Iceland’s Highlands. It is worth adding when weather, road access, time, and hiking confidence make the climb sensible.

Landmannalaugar summit · Highlands · Steep hike
Steam rising from the colorful Hveradalir geothermal slopes in the Kerlingarfjöll mountains.

Kerlingarfjöll

Kerlingarfjöll is a remote Highlands mountain range and geothermal hiking area reached from the Kjölur corridor. It is worth planning only when road status, vehicle choice, weather, and daylight make the detour realistic.

Geothermal mountains · Highlands · Kjölur corridor
Víti crater lake below snowy Dyngjufjöll mountains and Öskjuvatn inside Askja Caldera.

Víti by Askja

Víti by Askja is a pale geothermal crater lake inside the remote Askja caldera in the Highlands, worth adding only when summer F-road access, weather, vehicle choice, and crater safety all line up.

Highlands · Geothermal crater · Askja add-on
Askja Caldera with Víti crater in the foreground and Öskjuvatn lake below snowy Dyngjufjöll mountains.

Askja Caldera

Askja Caldera is a remote Highlands volcano landscape where Öskjuvatn, Víti crater, lava, and F-road access make the visit memorable but serious.

Highlands · F-road access · Volcanic caldera

Build a trip around the places you want to see.

Once the sights are clear, use planning pages to turn them into a route with realistic timing.