Iceland Beyond Reykjavik: Exploring the unique countryside

With only four hours of daylight during midwinter and 20 hours of daylight in summer, Iceland would seem an extreme environment. However, the country has a mild climate year-round due to warm ocean currents from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Stream. Temperatures average about 30 degrees in winter and 57 during the height of summer. The temperate climate provides an ideal atmosphere in winter or summer to explore Iceland’s varied topography. The geological formations of the country can’t be found anywhere else in the world and add magnificence to Iceland that draws visitors back to explore further regions of this dynamic island.

Three Ways to Tour Iceland

There are three basic ways to explore the island: Rent a car, go with a guide company, or take the guided Iceland bus tours on a sightseeing journey. If you visit in winter, it would be a good idea to go with a tour company; the roads can difficult to navigate in snowy weather.

Custom-Guided Tours

For a custom-guided tour of Iceland, whether it entails city sights, culture and history to biking, hiking, or exploring the country’s diverse landscapes, try Iceland Encounter. This private tour company provides some of the best flexible custom tours in Iceland with comfortable, modified, all-terrain vehicles to traverse any road or pathway. Erling Aspelund and Kristín Björnsdóttir, a husband and wife team, are the owners of Iceland Encounter. Aspelund and Björnsdóttir are native Icelanders, who have also spent a good deal of time in the U.S. and are accustomed to the needs and preferences of North Americans travelers. They’re friendly and accommodating and will show you an Iceland beyond your dreams. From the black-sand beaches, city sights and culture, to fjords and waterfalls, they are experts on Iceland and provide outstanding tours.

Iceland and Reykjavik - Photos by Patrice Raplee

General Sightseeing and Adventure Tours

For general sightseeing tours, or more involved adventure tours of Iceland, like snowmobiling and photographing the Northern Lights, try Reykjavik Excursions. The company offers a great many tours, including the Golden Circle Tour, the South Shore Tour, as well as the Blue Lagoon Tour.

Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is one of the company’s most popular tours with an early morning start time in winter that begins with a visit to the geothermal power plant Helliseidi. The plant’s staff and interactive exhibits offer a plethora of information about Iceland’s utilization of natural geothermal steam to heat and steam power turbines to power the country.

The tour continues east across the intriguing countryside with unbelievable views of volcanoes, mountains, Icelandic Viking horses and sometimes even Artic foxes that dash through the fields. The first major natural terrain stop is the Gullfoss Waterfall that is stunningly powerful and beautiful any time of year. In winter, ice surrounds Gullfoss and lends a blue-green hue to the captivating waterfalls. You will garner some enviable camera shots here!

The additional tour stops visit the Geysir and Strokkur geysers by the Hvítá River and the Thingvellir National Park. Strokkur blows every few minutes and is encircled with scorching and gurgling steam holes. A paved path safely takes visitors through the area to view and photograph this misty and rugged site.

The last tour location stops at the Thingvellir National Park. This phenomenal section of Iceland is where the tectonic North American plate is moving away from the European plate a few centimeters a year. The rift is astonishing and very visible, yet the rocky terrain is mesmeric with the deep Thingvellir Lake centered within the park. The lake is also a world-class dive site in summer due to the numerous underwater canyons and clear water. In winter, the best time to visit is late in the day when sunset scatters pinkish light across the surrounding mountains. For additional information on Reykjavik Excursions, visit

South Shore

Another popular tour route, whether you drive or take a tour bus, is the South Shore. In winter, start early in the morning due to limited daylight.

The south coast of Iceland is dotted with small communities and astounding natural beauty. The Ocean on one side and snow dusted fields, hills and mountains on the other, including Hekla, the largest volcano in the country. An excellent first stop is in the small town of Eyrarbakki at sunrise. A dark blue sky outlines the town’s Icelandic seaside architecture and small church, while the sunrise sets the sky ablaze with vivid oranges and scarlet hues. Following the main route that veers inland a bit, the road ventures past several waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skogarfoss. In summer, visitors can walk behind Seljalandsfoss; in winter, rainbows fluctuate around the Skogarfoss falls. In addition, an excellent Iceland museum is located adjacent to Skogarfoss falls, the Skogar Folk Museum.

This same south shore route will take you to the stunning black-sand beaches that are otherworldly in appearance, with remnants of old volcano formations rising out of the ocean like spires and carved out by the sea. These geological formations that front the beaches are fascinating and make for great photography.

Pools and Spas

Swimming pools and spas in Iceland are abundant. With over 111 geothermal heated pools on the island, Icelanders swim regularly. The most popular spa in Iceland and top-rated medical spa in the world is the alluring Blue Lagoon. The geothermal heated spa is located close to the Keflavik Airport and only about 40 minutes from Reykjavik. Ocean water, with blue-green algae washes into the thermal pools every 40 hours and mixes with white silica sediment to makeup the soothing and healing skin properties of the Blue Lagoon. Years ago, a swimmer in these pools found that after swimming in the lagoon several times, his psoriasis completely cleared up on his skin. Since then, numerous scientific tests have proven that the warm waters infused with natural minerals and algae are extremely healing and beneficial for the skin.

The Blue Lagoon is a marvelous experience and soaking in the soft, light-blue, warm pools is the most relaxing experience you’ll find. There are also several restaurants, a clinic, skin care shop and public and private changing rooms at the spa, as well as a whole host of superior massage treatments available. In addition, there are accommodations located close to the Blue Lagoon. For additional information, visit

Icelandair is the country’s reliable and highly rated airline. Customer service staff and flight attendants all provide friendly, helpful, and organized service. Have you ever seen another airline set your incoming luggage upright on the conveyer belt so that you can just grab it and be off? The cabins are clean and comfortable even in economy, with footrests and a good selection of in-flight movies.