Wedding in Iceland: Things to do!

Happy Weekend Folks!

Welcome to Part 2 of 2 of Iceland Wedding Guest Advice!  We are very excited to share and embark on this Icelandic adventure with you!  Photos by Miss Ann, has researched and personally participated in  some epic activities for you to add to your Iceland wedding weekend itinerary.  Truly, it is very valuable to your guests regardless of their age or activity level to include various types of activities.  That being said, we hope this blog post helps you in building your Iceland destination wedding itinerary, as we  personally know it can be a challenge.  On with the show!  Below, I have detailed specifically awesome things to do in the following areas of Iceland: Reykjavik, Southern Iceland, and other regions of Iceland.

Reykjavik Wedding Adventure Ideas:  

  • Famous Hot Dog Stand in Iceland (Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur)
  • Iceland Dog Sledding
  • Golden Circle Tour:  The Golden Circle tour is popular tourist route that covers about 300 km looping from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back.  The three primary stops on the route are the national park Þingvellir, the waterfall Gullfoss, and the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur. Other stops if interested include Kerið volcano crater, Hveragerði greenhouse village, Skálholt church, and the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant.  Or hit the highlights like we did during our Iceland Wedding Weekend.  We had a convoy of cars venturing on this post wedding day Golden Circle driving itinerary.  See here for more information on our self driving Golden Circle Tour.
  • Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Cathedral (the official church of Iceland) The tallest and most prominent building in Reykjavik. Their hours are 9:00AM to 9:00PM and there is a fee to go up to the bell tower for an aerial view!
  • Horseback Riding Tours – Ride the unique Icelandic horse.
  • Iceland Opera House (Harpa)
  • National Museum of Iceland
  • Nauthólsvík Beach:  Yes!  A beach in Iceland is a fun must do if you’re in the area June through the end of August.
  • The one and only Penis Musuem
  • The Perlan Muesum and Resturant: Gorgeous views of the city and delicious lunch in the café!  See our Iceland Honeymoon portrait below!
  • Sólfar (Sun Voyager):  You will find this interesting sculpture along the sea wall northeast of the Harpa at the intersection of Frakkastigur & Sæbraut Roads.
  • Volcano House – Offers two 20 minute movies on 2 famous Iceland eruptions.  Close to the city center.
  • Viking – Maritime Museum Open daily from 10:00AM-5:00PM.
  • Helicopter Tours or Private Planes to other parts of the island (or to the Faroe Islands and Greenland).
  • Grayline Tours – A variety of tours offered.
  • Shopping: Kringlan Mall
  • Whale Watching Tour: The ship can bring you up close to whales in their natural habitat. See all sorts of minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and the popular humpback whales. You may be lucky enough to see sea birds such as gannets, puffins, guillemots, cormorants, gulls, kittiwakes, arctic terns, and many more.  Duration: 3 hours.
  • Various tours on snowmobiles, 4×4’s, and other winter terrain vehicles can also be found out of the city center.

Things to do in Southern Iceland:

  • Blue Lagoon: An amazing geothermal spa!  Which is naturally heated by geothermal activity, the water temperature in the swimming area of the lagoon averages 98–102 Â°F (37–39 Â°C) year round.
  • Dyrhólaey Cliffs (Dyrhólaey Cape).
  • Eyjafjallajökull Vistor Center  Super cute place with awesome details on the April 14, 2010 Eyjafjallajokull Volcano eruption (Fun Fact:  We were married 2 years to the date of this travel-stopping phenomena)!
  • Fjadrargljufur Canyon.
  • Ice Climbing Sólheimajökull (Glacier):  For our Iceland wedding weekend we took a group of ~7 people and it was amazing!  Safe, awesome views, and the folks we used were a very talented group of climbers.
  • Icelandic Wool Shop (near Vik Beach): Vikwool Icelandic Wool Factory is super cute shops where you will find genuine Icelandic wool items and Icelandic themed souvenirs.  Best prices in Iceland!  They also have a few locations in Reykjavik and North side of the country in Akureyri/Mývatn.
  • Inside the Volcano Experience (only available May 15th thru September 10th).
  • Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon is the largest glacier lagoon in Iceland and situated in south eastern Iceland. No cost but is ~5 hours from downtown Reykjavik so be prepared.  Boat Tours around the Lagoon are also offered in summer only.
  • Keldur Sod Farm:  Walk around these beautiful grounds where you can have amazing Iceland Wedding Portraits taken.  One of the cutest spots in Iceland to see grass covered houses.  …and just around the corner from Hotel Laekur.
  • Krýsuvík Mud Pots (Also refereed to as Seltun): A great hot spring area where magma boils underneath! The surface of land looks boiled and crazy colorful (rich browns and oranges). The hot springs are more than hundred degrees; steam geysers, water geysers and even mud pit geysers (No cost).  Example photo here.
  • Mýrdalsjökull Glacier Hike –  This easy and safe glacier walk is for those who want to get a glimpse of the breathtaking on, and its surroundings.
  • Reynisdrangar Basalt Columns (nearby Vik Beach).
  • Seljalandsfoss waterfall:  This exquisite Iceland waterfall is found in the midst of stunning cliffs 200 feet high off the country seaside.  Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is a very popular spot to have as your Iceland wedding ceremony location.
  • Skógafoss waterfall:  (Translation: Forest Falls).  Proves to be one of the fullest waterfalls in Iceland at a glorious width of 82 feet.  Many couples who visit here are able to get a rainbow or double rainbow in their wedding photos.  It’s massive, loud, misty, and offers a beautiful hike to the top as well.
  • Skogar Folk Museum
  • Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Iceland.
  • Thingvellir National Park.
  • Vik Beach (Vík í Mýrdal): Is a very interesting black sand beach where rocky formations emerge from the land and water.  The amazing texture of these formations expands into a sheltered cave offering up endless photographic spots in this small area.  Being a beach with such dynamite views, Vik Beach Champagne Toast is very popular to add to your Iceland wedding schedule.

Things to do in other areas in Iceland:

  • Birdland Exhibition
  • Bird Musuem (next to Lake Myvatn)
  • Dettifoss Waterfall is a powerful waterfall in the Vatnajokull National Park.
  • Dimmuborgir Rock Formations (translation Dark Cities) are volcanic rock formations nearby Lake Myvatn.  There are several walking paths you can navigate through as you photograph some stunning scenery!
  • Hvitserkur Sea Arch
  • Krafla Lava Fields (in Myvatn).
  • Lake Myvatn
  • Mud Pots (Akureyri)
  • Myvatn Nature Baths (similar to the Blue Lagoon).
  • Rock formations at Hellnar
  • Scuba Diving the Artic Circle, Geothermal Chimneys, and Puffin Island.
  • Sailing and Whale Watching in Husavik.
  • Vatnajokull National Park: Hljóðaklettar Cave.
  • Westfjords which face Greenland and offer up rocky coastlines and waterfalls such as Fjallfoss.
  • White Water Rafting
  • Whale Museum in Husavik.

The amount of adventure you can find in Iceland is endless this list is simply to get you started!  We hope this blog post on things to do in Iceland has been helpful to your Iceland wedding travel planning.  Iceland weddings are complicated to plan as there are many moving parts, but with the extra thought and experienced professionals it can be done flawlessly, I assure you!   Photos by Miss Ann would love to pause your forever moment as your Iceland Wedding Photographer & Planner!

With a smile, Ann & Chris Peters (Experts in Iceland Weddings)

 

© 2002-2013, Photos by Miss Ann, All Rights Reserved

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