I've Been To Iceland A Couple Of Times And Here's The Things You Cannot Miss

Who doesn't want to spend a day with goats!

Hi! My name is Ada and I LOVE to travel!

Ada Enechi

I'm currently trying to complete 30 countries before I turn 30, but it's really hard to do when I keep going to the same country multiple times because I love it so much!

Ada Enechi

I'm from the UK so you tend to go to European countries multiple times and I can't count how many times I've visited the US.

But one of my favourite countries is Iceland and because I've been a couple times now, here are the absolute best things you have to while you're there:

1. Spend a couple days in Reykjavik

Ada Enechi

Now I know this seems obvious, but there's so much to do around the country people tend to use Reykjavik as a place to lay their heads while they run around on day trips elsewhere. Reykjavik is packed with amazing little stores, bars, and restaurants – you have to take a moment to soak it in because it's really not like anywhere else in Iceland.

2. Spend some time with goats

Goats get a bad rap; one day someone decided they looked like a demon, and people have run with that for years, but they're actually very sweet and lovely creatures. There was a time when goats were close to extinction in Iceland, but thanks to Haafell Goats and Roses farm and others they're thriving like never before.

3. Take a tour around the Golden Circle

Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon / Getty Images

It's almost a crime to travel to Iceland and not do the Golden Circle tour, I've done it twice now and it's a true spectacle every time. It takes around three hours to complete, and in that time you get to see three amazing natural events; Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall. To give you an idea of size, rift valley in the national park has the largest natural lake in Iceland and it's bigger than the whole of Manhattan.

Fun fact: At Thingvellir National Park you're walking in between both Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, but what's really interesting is that it's considered the birthplace of Iceland as a nation. In the year 930, Vikings would gather to hold parliament, which is also why it's called the parliament plates, and this makes it one of the oldest parliaments in the world.

4. Climb a glacier

Ada Enechi

Yes, I did say climb a glacier. If I could do it after sitting on my ass for two months and absolutely no training, so can you. Climbing a glacier is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, literally because they might not be around in 10 years. If you really want to grasp the horror that is global warming, spending an hour on Sólheimajökull Glacier will really open your eyes. Also wouldn't you want to have whiskey using the oldest ice in the world? It'll change your life.

5. Soak in a hot spring and count shooting stars

Instagram: @hotelhusafell

Iceland is full of hot spring baths; they're almost as common as pubs in the UK, but Húsafell Giljabáð is a special experience. Located in a dormant volcano, you'll feel unbelievably small when you realise how big the world around you is. I recommend going a night, because soaking in a 40-degree hot spring staring at a sky full of more stars than you've ever seen in your life is a heavenly experience. 

6. Watch the Northern Lights

Francesco Riccardo Iacomino / Getty Images

Did you know that you shouldn't look at the Northern Lights when pregnant or else your baby will come out with wonky eyes? No? Me neither! I couldn't do this list without speaking about the Northern Lights, but you really cannot plan for them. Iceland has unpredictable weather, so factoring in the time of year will do nothing for you. You just have to pray and hope for the best, luckily I managed to see them on my second trip to that magnificent country.

7. Fill up on bread

You're never going to have bread like what you get in Iceland. I know British bread is bottom barrel, so you're thinking: what do I know? Well, my partner is from a land where bread is more important than water (Germany), and even he was blown away. Take a visit to Laugarvatn Fontana to learn how to make bread the Icelandic way, in the ground using the natural hot springs.

8. Chase some waterfalls

Ada Enechi

One thing Iceland is not short of is waterfalls, I've seen more waterfalls here than anywhere else, and they're just 20 minutes away from each other! There's just something so magical about watching tonnes of water fall off a cliff, you can just stand there in silence and soak it all in.

9. Take a Saga tour

Ada Enechi

Iceland has a lot of amazing stories with great history, and you can tour these stories to learn a lot more about the country's origins and people. While travelling around the island, look out for stories like the Saga of Aid and learn more about the actual Thor (and not Chris Hemsworth).

10. Tear it up in some snow

Ada Enechi

If you travel to Iceland in the winter, it's almost a crime not to do some form of winter sport. I'm not a daredevil by any means, but snowmobiling on Langjökull is a magical experience and you'll see a sunset so beautiful you might just shed a tear.

11. Visit a Lighthouse

Ada Enechi

There's so much to do in Iceland that it's easy to be constantly running around, but in some moments you should take some time, pause, and soak in your surroundings. So why not do that next to the Akranes Lighthouse and visit a town less travelled?

12. Swim in the Blue Lagoon

Tim E White / Getty Images

If you grew up watching any and every reality show focussed around celebrities, the Blue Lagoon has always been at the top of your list to visit and it's worth the hype. Your body will never be more relaxed than when you spend hours soaking your body in the elixir hot spring that is the Blue Lagoon.

13. Take a stroll on the beach

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If you get the opportunity to go to the south coast of Iceland, you have to visit Reynisfjara – the black sand beach. And if you're a fan of Game Of Thrones, you'll be able to look out to Reynisdrangar (featured in Season 7), and maybe you'll hear the folklore about the trolls that live there.

14. Most importantly book a good tour guide

Two things you should know about Iceland, it's not cheap and you need a tour guide! The trips, excursions, and travelling around the country can really rack up in cost and for the majority of my travels around the world I wouldn't use a travel partner, but for a trip like this I would recommend using a company like Culture Trip to do most of the heavy lifting for you; the majority of what I've included in the list is part of the package they offer through their amazing Epic Trips. They'll set you up with a glorious tour guide like Björn who will fill you in on all the secrets about the country you literally cannot find online.

Have you visited Iceland? Leave your top travel tips in the comments below!