Updated: 03/16/20 | March 16th, 2020

Last month, I finally went to Iceland. It wasn’t the impossible budget destination people made it out to be.

The locals were warm and welcoming, took me around, and showed me their homes. They were extremely hospitable, and I made a lot of Icelandic friends on my trip.

And, while locals make any destination better, what blew my mind was the magnificence of the natural landscape. It’s bewitching. You find yourself in a spellbound daze as you relocation from place to place, your eyes overloaded by all you’re seeing.

“How could such a tiny place have such a diverse and beautiful landscape?” you think to yourself as your jaw hurts from being open too much.

Over the course of 11 days, I wanted to scream from delight all over I went. The land is desolate, sparsely populated, and silent. That was the one thing I discovered — just how silent Iceland is.

There are no distractions, and I think that helps you form a deep connection with nature. You begin to feel its rhythm.

Today, I want to share 30 pictures from my trip in hopes of inspiring you to visit this country. I’m not the world’s best photographer, but it’s hard to take a bad picture in Iceland.

Sulfur pools at Hverir near Lake Myvatn in the north of Iceland. very otherworldly. If you’re traveling around the main road (the ring Road) this is a must-see place in the north.

The northern lights lighting the sky up green. This is my favorite picture of them. You can typically seem them from September to March (as long as it’s not cloudy).

Runoff from the geothermal plant near Myvatn.

Somewhere along the ring road that circles the country.

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, and its colorful houses. It’s one of the most colorful cities in Europe.

It’s a fun city with a lively nightlife. Be sure to spend at least a couple of days here!

Jökulsárlón ice lagoon in the southeast of Iceland. This ice flow is only a couple of decades old and one of the most popular attractions in the area. I delighted in just sitting down and listening to the ice blocks crash into each other on their way out to sea.

Best of all, it’s totally free to visit and there is lots of parking too. Be sure to walk along the narrow river that leads to the ocean. You can see smaller glaciers wash out to sea or end up on the beach.

Fjords on the eastern seaboard that could rival Norway.

Selfoss. Foss implies waterfall in Icelandic, and you’ll find a lot of waterfalls throughout the country.

UFO cloud. La verità è là fuori.

A enormous sulfur pool at Geysir. Geysir is a geyser that doesn’t erupt anymore. It was the first geyser known to Europeans and where the English word “geyser” originates from.

While Geysir is no longer active, the spot is still popular on the well-known golden Circle traveler trail outside Reykjavik thanks to another active geyser nearby called Strokkur.

Jökulsárlón ice lagoon in the southeast of Iceland. keep your eyes peeled for seals when you visit!

Mordor… I mean, some beautiful landscape on the way to Myvatn in the north.

The color contrast in this photo blows my mind.

Gulfoss! part of the golden Circle, this is one of the most significant waterfalls in Iceland. Its name implies “The golden Waterfall.” It was a really crappy day when I was there.

If you can, try to visit early before the crowds. lots of trip buses visit the golden Circle these days!

Looking onto the fjords.

Beautiful clouds above the severe sea on the eastern end of Iceland.

The road is long in Iceland but it always takes you where you want to go.

More northern lights. You can never get exhausted of these.

Dettifoss. This waterfall is located in the north near Selfoss and expected to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The road to get here is very bumpy so plan extra time and drive slow or you might get a flat tire.

Icelandic horses playing around. (Look at that long, flowing hair! I wish I had hair like that!)

On a rainy day driving through southern Iceland, we came across these enormous mountains covered in clouds. The photo doesn’t do the majesty justice but I still like it.

The backside of Seljalandsfoss. Out of all the pictures I took, this one is my favorite. I love the intermix of light, water, blue sky, and green here.

This is also one of the most popular waterfalls in the country. try to visit before 10am to beat the crowds!

A moss-covered lava field in southern Iceland.

Iceland is the land of rainbows, and I was lucky enough to find the end of one. (No pot of gold though. It should have been on the other end!)

Front side of Seljalandsfoss (rainbow included). You can actually walk behind the waterfall here, though you’ll likely get a little wet so make sure you have a raincoat.

Little pools and lava rocks near Settifoss.

If you’re a game of Thrones fan, you might recognize this cave as where Jon and Ygritte consummate their relationship. The water inLa grotta è abbastanza calda da nuotare e era una piscina pubblica.

Un altro pool di zolfo è Hverir. Mi piace il contrasto tra l’acqua blu e la terra rossa.

Bagni di natura myvatn. Più silenzioso e meno costoso della famosa laguna blu fuori da Reykjavik. Ho sdolcato qui da solo per oltre un’ora.

Aurora boreale. Questo era dall’inizio della notte quando stavano appena iniziando a uscire. Non meno bello.

***
Sono riuscito a vedere solo una frazione dell’Islanda durante il mio viaggio di 11 giorni, ma la mia visita è stata all’altezza delle mie grandi aspettative.

Nessuna foto o film che ho visto ha fatto giustizia. Era ancora meglio di persona e spero che queste foto ti ispirino a trasferire l’Islanda nella tua lista dei desideri.

Ottieni la vasta guida al budget per l’Islanda!

Vuoi pianificare il viaggio ideale in Islanda? Dai un’occhiata alla mia vasta guida all’Islanda scritta per viaggiatori budget come te! Taglia la lanugine trovata in altre guide e arriva direttamente alle informazioni utili di cui hai bisogno. Troverai itinerari suggeriti, suggerimenti, budget, modi per risparmiare denaro, dentro e fuori le cose battute per vedere e fare e i miei ristoranti, mercati, consigli di trasporto e molto altro preferiti e molto altro! Clicca qui per imparare molto di più e ottenere la tua copia oggi.

Prenota il tuo viaggio in Islanda: suggerimenti e trucchi logistici
Prenota il tuo volo
Usa Skyscanner o Momondo per trovare un volo economico. Sono i miei due motori di ricerca preferiti perché cercano siti e compagnie aeree in tutto il mondo, quindi sai sempre che nessuna pietra viene lasciata nulla. Inizia prima con Skyscanner perché hanno la portata più significativa!

Prenota il tuo alloggio
Puoi prenotare il tuo ostello con HostelWorld in quanto hanno l’inventario e le migliori offerte più significative. Se vuoi rimanere in un posto diverso da un ostello, usa Booking.com in quanto restituiscono costantemente le tariffe più convenienti per le pensioni e gli hotel economici. I miei posti preferiti in cui soggiornare sono:

Hlemmur Square (Reykjavik)

Kex Hostel (Reykjavik)

Backpackers Akureyri (Akureyri)

Non dimenticare l’assicurazione di viaggio
L’assicurazione di viaggio ti salterà contro malattie, lesioni, furti e cancellazioni. È una vasta protezione nel caso in cui qualcosa vada storto. Non ho mai fatto un viaggio senza di esso perché ho dovuto usarlo numerose volte in passato. Le mie aziende preferite che offrono il miglior servizio e valore sono:

Ala di sicurezza (per tutti sotto i 70)

Assicura il mio viaggio (per quelli più di 70)

Medjet (per ulteriore copertura di rimpatrio)

Cerchi le migliori aziende con cui risparmiare?
Dai un’occhiata alla mia pagina delle risorse per le migliori aziende da utilizzare quando viaggi. Elenco tutti quelli che uso per risparmiare denaro quando sono in viaggio. Ti farà risparmiare anche quando viaggi.

Vuoi molte più informazioni sull’Islanda?
Assicurati di visitare la nostra robusta guida di destinazione in Islanda per consigli di pianificazione anche molto più!