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.

Saurbæjarkirkja turf church with black timber gable, turf roof, stone walls, and Eyjafjörður mountains behind it.

Saurbæjarkirkja

Saurbæjarkirkja is a preserved turf church in Eyjafjörður south of Akureyri, best for travelers deciding whether a quiet cultural detour belongs in a North Iceland driving day or should be skipped.

North Iceland · Turf church · Short cultural stop
The Settlement Center buildings in Borgarnes with Hafnarfjall mountain across the water.

The Settlement Center

The Settlement Center is a story-led museum in Borgarnes, useful when West Iceland or Snæfellsnes plans need cultural context, an indoor-leaning pause, and enough time to check visitor details before committing.

Museum · Borgarnes · West Iceland
Aerial view of Eskifjörður fjord, Hólmatindur mountain, and the Eastfjords shoreline.

Eskifjörður

Eskifjörður is a small Eastfjords harbor town below Hólmatindur, useful as a slower Ring Road detour, short fjord stop, or base for nearby walks, maritime history, and coastal viewpoints.

Eastfjords harbor town · Ring Road detour · Hólmatindur views
Gunnarshús at Skriðuklaustur with a turf roof, stone-patterned walls, lawn, footpath, and Fljótsdalur slopes behind it.

Skriðuklaustur

Skriðuklaustur is a cultural and historic site in Fljótsdalur, East Iceland, where Gunnar Gunnarsson’s turf-roofed house, medieval monastery ruins, and nearby park context make a calm cultural stop worth weighing against drive time.

Fljótsdalur culture stop · Near Egilsstaðir · Gunnarshús and ruins
Egilsstaðir beside Lagarfljót with green hills and mountains behind the East Iceland town.

Egilsstaðir

Egilsstaðir is East Iceland’s practical inland town beside Lagarfljót, useful as a Ring Road pause, flight gateway, or base for nearby fjords, forests, waterfalls, lake country, and highland-edge drives.

East Iceland base · Ring Road stop · Lagarfljót gateway
Turf-roofed houses at Skógar Museum below green South Iceland hills.

Skógar

Skógar is a tiny South Coast village beside Skógafoss, useful when you want to turn a famous waterfall stop into a slower cluster with culture, short walks, and route choices.

Village cluster · South Iceland · South Coast
Þórbergssetur exterior at Hali with its red book-spine wall and mountains behind the museum.

Þórbergssetur

Þórbergssetur is a culture center and heritage museum at Hali in Suðursveit, useful when a glacier-lagoon driving day needs local history, literary context, and a calmer indoor pause near Jökulsárlón.

Hali museum · Near Jökulsárlón · Indoor Ring Road pause
The Ófeigur shark-fishing boat displayed in the main hall of Reykir Regional Museum in Hrútafjörður.

Reykir Regional Museum (Hrútafjörður)

Reykir Regional Museum is a small Hrútafjörður cultural stop built around Ófeigur, a shark-fishing boat, farm-life exhibits, and the decision of whether a short museum pause improves a North Iceland drive.

Hrútafjörður · Museum · 30-60 min
Laufás turf farm with white gables, turf roofs, church, green hillside, and mountain in Eyjafjörður.

Laufás

Laufás is a preserved turf farm and church site in Eyjafjörður, best added when a North Iceland day needs cultural depth near Akureyri rather than another waterfall or geothermal stop.

Turf farm near Akureyri · 45-90 minutes · North Iceland culture
Aerial view of Hólar in Hjaltadalur with the cathedral, school buildings, road, and green valley below Hólabyrða.

Hólar in Hjaltadalur

Hólar in Hjaltadalur is a historic church, school, and turf-house site in Skagafjörður, best added when a North Iceland route has time for culture, short walks, and a slower detour from Route 1.

Skagafjörður · Historic site · 45-90 min
Aerial view of Viðey island in Kollafjörður with Reykjavík across the water

Viðey

Viðey is a quiet island just off Reykjavík, best when you want a ferry escape with walking paths, birdlife, historic buildings, and public art rather than another fast city landmark.

Reykjavík island · Ferry + walks · 1.5-3 hours
Aerial view of Þjóðveldisbærinn at Stöng with turf buildings, paths, and green Þjórsárdalur hills.

Þjóðveldisbærinn at Stöng

Þjóðveldisbærinn at Stöng is a reconstructed medieval turf farm in Þjórsárdalur, best for travelers deciding whether South Iceland history deserves space beside waterfalls and Golden Circle detours nearby.

South Iceland · Historic site · Golden Circle extension
Snorrastofa and Reykholt church buildings on a green hill in West Iceland.

Snorrastofa

Snorrastofa is a medieval cultural and research centre in Reykholt, best added when West Iceland needs saga history, a short indoor pause, and nearby waterfall or geothermal pairings.

Cultural site · West Iceland · Silver Circle
Skálholt Cathedral and the surrounding South Iceland fields seen from above at sunset.

Skálholt

Skálholt is a historic cathedral site in South Iceland, useful when a Golden Circle day needs culture, quiet walking, and context between the bigger natural landmarks without adding another scenic viewpoint.

Historic cathedral · Golden Circle · South Iceland · Culture stop
Fishing boats in Seyðisfjörður harbor with waterfalls and mountains behind the Eastfjords town.

Seyðisfjörður

Seyðisfjörður is a colorful harbor town at the end of an Eastfjords road, worth the Route 93 detour when you have time for mountain views, Rainbow Street, and a slower fjord stop.

Eastfjords town detour · Route 93 harbor stop · Rainbow Street and fjord views
National Museum of Iceland building and entrance sign on Suðurgata in Reykjavík.

National Museum of Iceland

The National Museum of Iceland is Reykjavík’s main heritage museum, useful when you want Icelandic history, artifact displays, and indoor context before deciding how much city time your trip deserves.

Reykjavík · Museum + culture · Indoor city stop
Snow-covered turf-style buildings and Möðrudalskirkja at Möðrudalur in Northeast Iceland.

Möðrudalur

Möðrudalur is a highland-edge farm settlement on Road 901 in Northeast Iceland, worth a stop when you want cultural texture, Herðubreið views, and a slower pause between Mývatn, Dettifoss, Askja access, and East Iceland.

Northeast Iceland · Farm settlement · Road 901
Leifsbúð in Búðardalur beside the harbor and Hvammsfjörður.

Leifsbúð

Leifsbúð is a small Vínland and Leifur Eiríksson exhibition in Búðardalur, best used when a Westfjords Way or Dalir driving day needs a short cultural pause rather than another landscape stop.

Cultural site · Búðardalur · Westfjords Way
Laugavegur street in Reykjavík with colorful storefronts, flags, and a pedestrian crossing.

Laugavegur

Laugavegur is Reykjavík’s main downtown street, a walkable city landmark where shops, cafes, murals, and nightlife shape the visit. Plan it as a city-day spine, not a standalone attraction for every Iceland trip.

Reykjavík · Main street · City walk
Hvalsneskirkja stone church and churchyard wall in the open Reykjanes landscape.

Hvalsneskirkja

Hvalsneskirkja is a historic stone church in Hvalsnes on the Reykjanes Peninsula, best added when you want a quiet cultural pause near Keflavík or Sandgerði rather than another major scenery stop.

Historic church · Reykjanes · Short stop
Höfði house beside the Reykjavík waterfront with mountains across the bay

Höfði

Höfði is a historic waterfront house in Reykjavík, best for a short exterior stop when Cold War history, architecture, or a harbor walk matters more than going inside.

Reykjavík · Historic landmark · 10-45 minutes
Hellisheiði Geothermal Exhibition building with steam rising behind it and snowy mountains beyond.

Hellisheiði

Hellisheiði is a lava plateau and geothermal power-plant stop east of Reykjavík, worth adding when energy, steam, exposed pass scenery, and route context improve the drive toward South Iceland.

Near Reykjavík · Geothermal exhibition · Route 1 stop
Fishing vessels and colorful harbor buildings in Hafnarfjörður.

Hafnarfjörður

Hafnarfjörður is a harbor town just south of Reykjavík, worth adding when you want a quieter town walk, lava-garden stop, culture pause, or practical bridge toward nearby Reykjanes.

Greater Reykjavík · Harbor town · Reykjanes connector
Aerial view of Erpsstaðir farm and creamery in the green West Iceland valley.

Erpsstaðir

Erpsstaðir is a West Iceland dairy farm and creamery near Búðardalur, worth a stop when Route 60 needs a short food-and-farm pause, but easiest to keep flexible until visitor details line up.

Creamery stop · West Iceland · Route 60
Dómkirkjan white cathedral and clock tower beside Austurvöllur in central Reykjavík

Dómkirkjan

Dómkirkjan is Reykjavík’s Lutheran cathedral beside Austurvöllur and Alþingi, a compact historic church best visited as part of a downtown walk rather than as a standalone sightseeing detour.

Reykjavík cathedral · Austurvöllur landmark · historic city walk · short cultural stop
Bolungarvík houses beside the fjord with steep Westfjords cliffs across the water.

Bolungarvík

Bolungarvík is a northern Westfjords fishing town near Ísafjörður, useful for travelers deciding whether a side trip for harbor life, Ósvör, Bolafjall views, and Hornstrandir access deserves space in a tight Westfjords plan.

Northern Westfjords town · Ósvör and Bolafjall · Near Ísafjörður · Westfjords Way
Bjarnarhöfn farm buildings below Bjarnarhafnarfjall on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Bjarnarhöfn

Bjarnarhöfn is a family farm and shark museum on north Snæfellsnes, worth adding when you want cultural context between scenic stops and have time for visitor-detail checks before committing.

Cultural stop · West Iceland · Snæfellsnes
Bessastaðir presidential residence and church on Álftanes with mountains across the water.

Bessastaðir

Bessastaðir is Iceland’s presidential residence on Álftanes near Reykjavík, a historic coastal estate best treated as a short outside view or quiet cultural detour within a wider city day.

Presidential residence · Álftanes · Short cultural stop · Near Reykjavík
White domed Ásmundarsafn building with Ásmundur Sveinsson sculptures beside the entrance in Reykjavík.

Ásmundarsafn

Ásmundarsafn is a Reykjavík sculpture museum in Ásmundur Sveinsson’s former Laugardalur home and studio, worth adding when architecture, garden works, and a quieter city-cultural stop fit your day.

Reykjavík · Sculpture museum · Laugardalur
Perlan glass dome and museum building on Öskjuhlíð hill above Reykjavík.

Perlan

Perlan is Reykjavík’s glass-domed nature museum and observation deck on Öskjuhlíð, combining city views with indoor exhibits about Iceland’s landscapes.

Reykjavík · Museum + viewpoint · Year-round
Turf-roofed buildings at Glaumbær Museum with Skagafjörður mountains behind them.

Glaumbær

Glaumbær is a turf-house museum in Skagafjörður, where preserved farm buildings, small rooms, and rural objects make North Iceland history tangible.

Skagafjörður turf farm · North Iceland museum · Ring Road culture stop · historic buildings
Travelers walking along Reykjavík rainbow street below Hallgrímskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is Reykjavík’s landmark church, with a sculptural exterior, spare interior, large organ, and tower view over the city.

Reykjavík landmark · church tower view · central city walk · architecture and culture

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.