Ring Road & Golden Circle - The ultimate Iceland tripThe ultimate Iceland trip

Colourful street art adorns the streets of Reykjavík, showcasing the city's creative side. The 74.5-meter-high Hallgrímskirkja towers above the city, offering panoramic views over the colourful rooftops. At the harbour, the glass concert hall Harpa shines, where light casts patterns on its facade. In the city centre, you can stroll past the characteristic wooden houses of Laugavegur. The atmosphere in the Grandi harbour district is rugged, while you enjoy the salty sea air among the fishing boats.

Laugarvatn is a village on the lake of the same name in southwest Iceland, known for the geothermal activity in its soil. At Laugarvatn Fontana, you can bathe in natural hot springs; the traditional rye bread Rúgbrauð is baked here in the hot sand by the shore. Nearby are the rift valley of Þingvellir, the spouting geyser Strokkur, and the Gullfoss waterfall, where the water plunges 32 meters.

Vík derives its rugged character from the pitch-black sand of Reynisfjara and the powerful elements of the Atlantic Ocean. From the surf, the Reynisdrangar basalt columns rise like pointed peaks in the water. From the Dyrhólaey cliff, you look down on a natural rock arch and the expansive south coast. The white Víkurkirkja stands on a hill above the village, overlooking the Katla volcano. The atmosphere here is often turbulent due to the wind blowing along the rock faces of Reynisfjall mountain.

The hexagonal basalt columns of Kirkjugólf lie near Kirkjubæjarklaustur like a floor laid by nature in the grass. Hikers follow the path along the edge of the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, where the Fjaðrá river flows deeply between the steep rock walls. At the Systrafoss waterfall, two narrow streams of water plunge side by side from the cliff edge. The atmosphere is pleasant, and from the Systrastapi rock, you overlook the black sand plains of Mýrdalssandur.

Food lovers visit Höfn as Iceland's langoustine capital, where the scent of fresh catch fills the harbour. In the fishing harbour on the Hornafjörður, colourful boats dock with their daily catch for the local kitchens. From the quay, you can see the white peaks of Vatnajökull towering above the mountains. Those who walk along the coastal paths overlook the lagoon where the tide exposes sandbanks. The atmosphere is pleasant when the evening sun illuminates the glacier tongues of Vatnajökull.

Around the Lagarfljót near Egilsstaðir, a mysterious atmosphere full of ancient sagas prevails. Those who walk along the banks gaze over the water in search of the Lagarfljótsormurinn, a legendary monster from folk tales. In Hallormsstaðaskógur, the largest forest in the country, paths wind through a rare green landscape of birch trees. The atmosphere here is subdued, and those who climb the hills are rewarded with a vast view over the grey glacial water.

Dozens of 19th-century wooden houses from Norway define the streetscape of Seyðisfjörður and deviate from the usual Icelandic architecture. The light blue Bláa kirkjan is central in the village, directly on the rainbow-painted Regnbogagatan. Those who climb the slopes behind the center pass the powerful Gufufoss which flows towards the deep fjord. Along the banks of the fjord, you have a picturesque view over the water and the colorful facades.

Húsavík is located on Skjálfandi Bay in North Iceland and is considered a center for whale watching, where humpback whales, minke whales, and blue whales can be found. The Húsavík Whale Museum is located in the harbor, offering information about the biology and history of these marine mammals. On the outskirts of the town are the Geosea baths, where you can bathe in geothermally heated seawater with views over the bay and the mountains.

Otherworldly landscapes around Mývatn show the forces of the earth that emerged through volcanic activity. At Skútustaðagígar, you walk along jagged pseudocraters that welled up in the lava after steam explosions. The rugged Dimmuborgir lava field contains bizarre rock formations over two thousand years old. At the Hverir solfatara fields, sulfur springs hiss between the brightly colored mud pools. Those who step into the warm water of Jarðböðin can relax and look out over the smoking volcanic cones.

A mild microclimate gives Akureyri a much greener appearance than the surrounding Arctic nature. In the botanical garden Lystigarður Akureyrar, thousands of plant species grow along sheltered walking paths. The angular Akureyrarkirkja towers over the city and refers to local basalt formations. Along the Eyjafjörður, you can sometimes see whales swimming in the calm waters of the fjord. Along the lively shopping street Hafnarstræti, colourful wooden houses stand against a backdrop of snow-capped mountain peaks.

Skagafjörður is a fjord in North Iceland and the center of Icelandic horse breeding. Here you can visit the turf farm Glaumbær, a museum with buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the fjord lies the 170-meter-high rock island Drangey, a volcanic remnant where you can observe bird colonies. In the region, you can hike through deep valleys or go river rafting on the glacier rivers Austari-Jökulsá and Vestari-Jökulsá.

Hvammstangi is the largest settlement on the Vatnsnes peninsula and is known for its seal colonies along the coast. At Selasetur Íslands, the Icelandic Seal Museum, you can learn about the biology of the common and grey seals that rest on the rocks here. On the peninsula, you will find the 15-meter-high Hvítserkur basalt formation, a rock that has taken the shape of a dragon due to erosion.

The earliest Icelandic settlers and their ancient sagas are central to Borgarnes. At the Landnámssetur, you learn about the first inhabitants and the Egils saga through exhibitions. Those who walk along the coastline look out over the waters of the Borgarfjörður to the surrounding mountain peaks. A little further on, the water of Deildartunguhver bubbles out of the ground at a temperature of 97 degrees Celsius. By the quiet harbour, you look out over the snow-covered slopes of Mount Hafnarfjall.

Colourful street art adorns the streets of Reykjavík, showcasing the city's creative side. The 74.5-meter-high Hallgrímskirkja towers above the city, offering panoramic views over the colourful rooftops. At the harbour, the glass concert hall Harpa shines, where light casts patterns on its facade. In the city centre, you can stroll past the characteristic wooden houses of Laugavegur. The atmosphere in the Grandi harbour district is rugged, while you enjoy the salty sea air among the fishing boats.