Hjalmar's Iceland Recommendations

Wonderguide by

Hjalmar Gislason

Hjalmar's Iceland Recommendations

So that I don't have to write the same email all the time... :-)

QR code
Use QR code to view online version
Powered by Wonderguide

In and around Reykjavik

For that short stopover

Image - Inside the Volcano
$ 347
Experience
Inside the Volcano Tour | Free Pickup from Reykjavik
Hjalmar:Expensive, but amazing. Plunge 400ft into the ground and stand inside a (mostly cooled) volcano.
Image - Hallgrimskirkja
Place
Hallgrimskirkja
Hjalmar:Can't miss the building, but going up is definitely worth it.
Image - MAT BAR
Place
MAT BAR
Hjalmar:Small courses with big tastes.
Image - Grillmarkaðurinn
Place
Grillmarkaðurinn
Hjalmar:Meat. In so many delicious ways.
Image - Fiskmarkaðurinn
Place
Fiskmarkaðurinn
Hjalmar:Fish. In so many delicious ways.
Image - Sumac Grill + Drinks
Place
Sumac Grill + Drinks
Hjalmar:North-African food in semi-Arctic Reykjavik. And soooo delicious.
Image - Public House Gastropub
Place
Public House Gastropub
Hjalmar:Icelandic+Japanese fusion tapas. Just try it.
Image - SKY Restaurant & Bar
Place
SKY Restaurant & Bar
Hjalmar:The view is so good that you won't even notice that the food isn't bad either.
A gift for you!

Limited offer

Gift from Hjalmar. Get a discount off all experiences!

Sign up now and get a discount off any experience of your choice.

Golden circle with a twist

You'll be doing the Golden Circle anyways. Add a couple of these and make it yours.

Image - Snorkel Between Continents In Silfra | Free Photos  _116049
$ 169
Experience
Snorkel Between Continents In Silfra | Free Photos
Hjalmar:They also offer diving tours (PADI license required). The water is so clear you'll feel like you're flying.
Image - Friðheimar: The Perfect Golden Circle Lunch Stop
Story
A visit to the greenhouses of Friðheimar and a very yummy tomato soup
Hjalmar:Tomatoes, grown in a greenhouse, heated by geothermal water, also in the winter, and their soup is to die for. Wonderfully quirky, surprisingly interesting and absolutely delicious.
more
Image - Secret Lagoon
Story
Secret Lagoon - We Kept It Unique For You!
Hjalmar:One of Iceland's oldest swimming pools. The geothermal water and the river more or less happened to mix to a comfortable temperature, so people dove in. Swimming there ever since.
more
Image - Fjorubordid Restaurant
Place
Fjorubordid Restaurant
Hjalmar:How big do you want your bucket of lobster* to be? Rustic and authentic. *Langoustine actually, but who really knows the difference.

A bit further East

Beyond the Golden Circle, but doable in a day

Image - Dyrhólaey
Place
Dyrhólaey
Image - Amphibian Boat Tour_50478
$ 50
Experience
Amphibian Boat Tour on Jökulsárlón Lagoon
Hjalmar:A must if you're willing to make it this far (getting here and back to Reykjavik in 1 day is a stretch)
Image - Skógafoss
Place
Skógafoss

The West

The "other" day trip out of Reykjavik. Under estimated, but has a lot to offer.

Image - Háafell - Goat farm
Place
Háafell - Goat farm
Hjalmar:My aunt's goat farm. I more or less grew up here.
Image - Hraunfossar
Place
Hraunfossar
Hjalmar:The water just comes out from the ground in a seemingly unexplicable way.
Image - Into the Glacier: Classic Tour_38910
$ 155
Experience
Into the Glacier Classic Tour | Meet on Location
Hjalmar:Go deep into a glacier and learn about the nature of glaciers (and their rapid decline)
Image - Glymur Waterfall
Place
Glymur Waterfall
Hjalmar:Iceland's (once) highest waterfall. A spectacular hike, 45 mins out of Reykjavik that almost nobody does for some inexplicable reason.
Image - Hótel Búðir
Place
Hótel Búðir
Hjalmar:The most serene of places. Wonderful hotel with wonderful food at the very far side of nowhere.
Image - Viking Sushi_131375
$ 71
Experience
Viking Sushi in Stykkisholmur
Hjalmar:This bay is teeming with life that you'll get to see from afar, up close and put in your mouth. Also: If you're lucky, you'll experience a waterfall - in the middle of the ocean - when the tide goes out. (Not joking)
more

The North-East

Only a few make it this far, but *so* worth it!

Image - Dettifoss
Place
Dettifoss
Hjalmar:Europe's most powerful waterfall. You'll understand why.
Image - Lavafeld Dimmu Borgir
Place
Lavafeld Dimmu Borgir
Hjalmar:Nature was trippin' when she made this place. Otherworldly lava formations.
Image - Ásbyrgi
Place
Ásbyrgi
Hjalmar:A horseshoe-shaped canyon made by a catastrophic flash flood a few millenia ago. Now one of the calmest and prettiest places on the island.
Image - Húsavík Original Whale Watching Tour_11312
$ 96
Experience
Húsavík Original Whale Watching Tour
Hjalmar:By far the best whale watching in Iceland.

Wonderguide map

  1. Inside the Volcano Tour | Free Pickup from Reykjavik
  2. Hallgrimskirkja
  3. MAT BAR
  4. Grillmarkaðurinn
  5. Fiskmarkaðurinn
  6. Sumac Grill + Drinks
  7. Public House Gastropub
  8. SKY Restaurant & Bar
  9. Snorkel Between Continents In Silfra | Free Photos
  10. Fjorubordid Restaurant
  11. Seljalandsfoss
  12. Dyrhólaey
  13. Skógafoss
  14. Háafell - Goat farm
  15. Hraunfossar
  16. Into the Glacier Classic Tour | Meet on Location
  17. Glymur Waterfall
  18. Hótel Búðir
  19. Viking Sushi in Stykkisholmur
  20. Dettifoss
  21. Lavafeld Dimmu Borgir
  22. Ásbyrgi

Like these tips?
High Five Hjalmar