5 bucket list activities you need to try in Iceland in the winter
Visiting Iceland in the winter is in and of itself a bucket list kind of adventure. However, wintertime in the land of fire and ice offers many opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime activities that you will hardly find anywhere else.
From getting up close and personal with massive ice structures to dunking in thermal pools, these bucket list activities will let you see Iceland’s mesmerizing landscape from a unique perspective.
Snowmobile adventure on one of Iceland’s glaciers
1. Hike on a glacier
There is a reason why Iceland is called the land of fire and ice. About 11% of the country’s area is covered by glaciers. The biggest chunk of that is Vatnajökull — Europe’s biggest glacier which covers over 8% of Iceland.
What a whopping shame would it be, to not see at least one of them up close! Glacier hiking offers a unique opportunity to observe Iceland’s ice giants in all detail.
Next to Vatnajökull, Sólheimajökull (an outlet glacier of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap) is a popular spot for this activity.
Ready for a glacier hike in Vatnajökull National Park
Glacier hiking is a quest for at least half a day and typically looks like this: your tour provider drives you as close to the hiking area as possible. After a brief walk, you get all geared up, and off on the glacier you go!
Hiking on a sheet of ice is an absolutely unique experience, the magic of which magnifies tenfold as you slowly make your way through ice crevasses, where giant ice blocks loom above you on both sides.
On a nice winter day, the unique shapes and textures of the ice shimmer in the golden sunlight, making you feel like you’re walking on a different planet.
For extra adventure, you can even try ice climbing around here.
Inside a creavsse
Ice as far as the eye can see
2. Visit an ice cave
With the presence of large glaciers comes the opportunity to do yet another unique activity — explore ice caves (i.e. glacier caves). Most of them are constantly changing as the glaciers move, which means that every year, new ice caves pop up to be explored.
In Iceland, there are tours specifically designed to visit ice caves, but many providers offer the option to combine an ice cave visit with a glacier hike.
The ice caves you’ll visit on these combined tours are typically rather small and quite different from what you see in pictures so keep that in mind. If you want to know what kind of ice cave you can expect, check with your tour provider.
The blue colour of the ice is mersmerizing
Fascinating patterns and structures
Some of the most known ice caves in Iceland include the Crystal Cave and Blue Diamond Cave in Vatnajökull Glacier and the Katla Ice Cave in the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier.
3. Go on a snowmobile tour
There is nothing like gliding on an all-white surface atop a mountain, listening to howling wind, and snow stretching as far as the eye can see.
Booking a snowmobile tour is a unique way to witness the vastness and magnificence of Iceland’s wilderness.
You’ll be picked up by a monster bus at your meeting point and taken to a base camp, where they’ll have you geared up and ready to ride after some safety instructions.
An epic winter adventure
This is what Earth’s most pristine corners look like
Beware, that if you go on a group tour, the speed at which you can operate the snowmobile depends on the other participants. Typically, it would be around 30 km/h. If you wish to go faster, try to talk to the tour leader to see what’s possible or book a private tour.
On a group tour, you’ll have about an hour to feel like a total badass cruising through the snow and taking photos of the incredible landscape around you.
What it’s like to ride a snowmobile
4. Chase the northern lights
Aurora borealis, or northern lights, is one of the main reasons why travelers choose to come to Iceland in the winter. With dark skies and limited daylight hours, wintertime gives you the highest chance of spotting this fascinating phenomenon.
Your ability to see the northern lights depends on multiple factors, including aurora activity and how cloudless and dark the sky is. The rest is pretty much luck.
Northern lights on the famous Golden Circle
You might spend three nights in a row standing in the middle of nowhere in the dark and not see anything, you might be on the outskirts of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, and witness a beautiful aurora. There’s never a guarantee — but that’s part of the adventure.
If you have a car, drive to more remote locations late at night and try your luck. Alternatively, there are plenty of tours to choose from if you’re unsure where to go or don’t have a car.
One important thing to know is that weak aurora will look grey or white to the naked eye. If you notice an unusually-looking cloud in a clear sky, take a picture with your camera or phone. It might just be the northern lights!
A faint aurora borealis above an Icelandic road
5. Bathe in hot springs and theramal baths
What better way to escape the bone-chilling cold of Iceland in the winter than by dunking in one of the countless hot springs and thermal baths?
There are options of all sizes and price points, from taking a dip in a hot river stream or a tiny, off-the-beaten-path rock pool, to pampering yourself with a visit to famous thermal spas that offer the ultimate wellness experience.
Trying out both will give you the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. My top three picks for bathing in thermal springs are:
Hrunalaug hot spring
Hrunalaug is a small hot spring located right outside Flúðir on the Golden Circle. It consists of three small pools with water temperatures between 37-38°C.
They only allow a limited number of people at a time, ensuring a quiet and intimate experience. Visitors can stay up to one hour and a half.
The perfect place to warm up on a cold winter day
Seljavallalaug swimming pool
Seljavallalaug is one of the oldest swimming pools in Iceland. It’s been around since 1923 and is located on the south coast of Iceland, not too far from Vik.
While the water is lukewarm more so than hot, the pool is completely free to enter. It takes about 10 minutes to walk here from the parking lot.
One of the oldest pools in Iceland
What better place to go for a winter sunset swim
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is the most known thermal lagoon in Iceland and as such, it comes with the highest price tag. But all the pampering and the experience are worth the money.
A premium ticket will get you three face masks and two free drinks. If you visit later in the day, prices are a little lower and you have a higher chance of having the lagoon almost all to yourself!
The colour of the water in Blue Lagoon is unreal
Enjoying the views from the inside of the spa
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Iceland in the winter is full of adventure and there is no shortage of epic, bucket-list activities. Make sure you include at least one or two to your itinerary for a truly unforgettable trip!
Which of these activities would you like to try the most? Have you already done any? Let me know in the comments below!