Insight Guides Explore Iceland (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

Insight Guides Explore is an illustrated, practical pocket-sized travel guide to Iceland with ready-made cycling, walking and driving itineraries for different interests and themes, backed up by maps and all the practical information you will need for your trip. The easy-to-follow routes will save you time, and help you plan and enhance your visit. This Iceland guide book has been fully updated post-COVID-19.

In our Iceland travel guide you will find:

16 READY-MADE ITINERARIES TO CHOOSE FROM
Each detailed itinerary guides you step-by-step and features all the best places to visit en route, including where to eat and drink along the way.  With this guide book to Iceland you will enjoy 16  best routes around Iceland, from a Reykjavík Bike Tour to the East Fjords and the Kjölur Route, without having to plan them yourself.

INVALUABLE MAPS
Each Best Route of this Iceland travel guide is accompanied by a detailed full-colour map, while the larger pull-out map provides an essential overview of the destination.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Immerse yourself in Iceland's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions.

INSPIRATIONAL INSIDER INFORMATION
Concise insider information about landscape, history, food and drink, as well as entertainment options. This guide book to Iceland will make the ideal on-the-move companion to your trip.

MUST-SEE SIGHTS AND HAND-PICKED HIDDEN GEMS
From Vatnajökull National Park to Mt Snæfell, our travel guide to Iceland will have you covered regardless of your travelling style and expectations.

DIRECTORY SECTION
Invaluable insight into important travel information, top accommodation, restaurant and nightlife options of Iceland area, along with an overview of language, books and films.

STRIKING PICTURES
Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Vatnajökull National Park and the spectacular Blue Lagoon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781839053771

Insight Guides

Pictorial travel guide to Arizona & the Grand Canyon with a free eBook provides all you need for every step of your journey. With in-depth features on culture and history, stunning colour photography and handy maps, it’s perfect for inspiration and finding out when to go to Arizona & the Grand Canyon and what to see in Arizona & the Grand Canyon. 

Book preview

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How To Use This E-Book

This Explore Guide has been produced by the editors of Insight Guides, whose books have set the standard for visual travel guides since 1970. With top-quality photography and authoritative recommendations, these guidebooks bring you the very best routes and itineraries in the world’s most exciting destinations.

Best Routes

The routes in this book provide something to suit all budgets, tastes and trip lengths. As well as covering the destination’s many classic attractions, the itineraries track lesser-known sights, and there are also excursions for those who want to extend their visit outside the city. The routes embrace a range of interests, so whether you are an art fan, a gourmet, a history buff or have kids to entertain, you will find an option to suit.

We recommend reading the whole of a route before setting out. This should help you to familiarise yourself with it and enable you to plan where to stop for refreshments – options are shown in the ‘Food and Drink’ box at the end of each tour.

Introduction

The routes are set in context by this introductory section, giving an overview of the destination to set the scene, plus background information on food and drink, shopping and more, while a succinct history timeline highlights the key events over the centuries.

Directory

Also supporting the routes is a Directory chapter, with a clearly organised A–Z of practical information, our pick of where to stay while you are there and select restaurant listings; these eateries complement the more low-key cafés and restaurants that feature within the routes and are intended to offer a wider choice for evening dining. Also included here are some nightlife listings, plus a handy language guide and our recommendations for books and films about the destination.

Getting around the e-book

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights mentioned in the text are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of the destination. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

© 2023 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

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Table of Contents

Recommended Routes for…

Foodies

Island Fun

Music Lovers

Natural Wonders

Pampering

Vikings And Sagas

Walkers

Wildlife

Explore Iceland

Geography And Layout

Getting Around

History

Climate

Population

Local Customs

Politics And Economics

Food and Drink

Local Cuisine

Where To Eat

Drinks

Shopping

Where To Buy

What To Buy

Entertainment

Music

Nightlife

Outdoor Activities

Exploring The Countryside

Nature Watching

Ice And Snow

Into The Water

Games

History: Key Dates

An empty land

Viking settlement

Conversion and feuding

Disaster and decline

Central Reykjavík

Austurvöllur: Freedom And Democracy

Around Tjörnin

Fríkirkjuvegur And Lækjargata

Lækjartorg And Bankastræti

Laugavegur And Skólavörðustígur

Reykjavík Harbours

Hafnarstræti

Tryggvagata

Boat Trips From Ægisgarður

Grandi Harbour

Reykjavík Bike Tour

The North Coast

Laugardalur

Elliðaárdalur Valley

Öskjuhlíð And Perlan

The South Coast

Shortcut Home

Seltjarnarnes Peninsula

Reykjanes

The Northwestern Tip

Southwards Down The Coast

Grindavík

The Blue Lagoon

Krýsuvík And Kleifarvatn

Hafnarfjörður

The Southwest

Hveragerði

Eyrarbakki And Stokkseyri

The Golden Circle

The Ring Road To Vík

Heimaey

Heimaey Town Centre

A Walk To Storhöfði

The Southeast

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

East Through Skeiðarársandur

Vatnajökull National Park

Ingólfshöfði

Jökulsárlón

Höfn And Around

The East Fjords

Following The Fjords

Egilsstaðir

Lake Lögurinn

The Northeast

Vopnafjörður

Cod Coast

Vatnajökull National Park: Jökulsárgljúfur

Húsavík

Rejoining The Ring Road

Mývatn

Reykjahlíð

Cycle Circuit Around The Lake

Námafjall And Hverir

Krafla

Akureyri & Around

Akureyri

Tröllaskagi Peninsula

The Northwest

Sauðárkrókur And Around

West To Vatnsnes Peninsula

The West Fjords

Hólmavík

To Ísafjörður

Ísafjörður And Around

Ísafjörður To Patreksfjörður

Látrabjarg And Rauðasandur

Brjánslækur Ferry

Snæfellsnes and the West

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Borgarnes And Around

Reykholt And Around

The Interior: Kjölur Route

Into The Wild

Innri-Skúti

The Kerlingarfjöll Region

Kjalfell And Beinahóll

Hveravellir And Beyond

The Interior: Sprengisandur Route

Waterfall Country

The Interior Proper

Landmannalaugar

Accommodation

Reykjavík

Reykjanes

The Southwest

The Southeast

Heimaey

The East Fjords

The Northeast

Mývatn

Akureyri

The Northwest

The West Fjords

Snæfellsnes and the West

Restaurants

Reykjavík

Reykjanes

The Southwest

Heimaey

The Southeast

The East Fjords

The Northeast

Mývatn

Akureyri & Around

The West Fjords

Snæfellsnes and the West

Nightlife

Bars and live music

Cinema

Concert venues

Theatre

A–Z

A

Accessible travellers

Age restrictions

B

Budgeting

C

Children

Clothing

Crime and safety

Customs

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

Etiquette

F

Festivals

H

Health (See also Emergencies)

Hours and holidays

I

Internet facilities

L

Language

LGBTQ+ travellers

M

Media

Money

P

Post offices

R

Religion

S

Smoking

T

Telephones

Time zone

Toilets

Tourist information

Tours and guides

Transport

V

Visas and passports

W

Weights and measures

Women travellers

Language

About Icelandic

Greetings & basics

Signs

Days of the week

Numbers

Technology

At the restaurant

Books and Film

Books

Films

Recommended Routes For...

Foodies

Reykjavík (route 1) is something of a foodie destination, with its clutch of Nordic restaurants. Outside the capital, go for lobster in Höfn (route 7), or try an old ‘horror’, putrefied shark, at Bjarnarhöfn (route 14).

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Island fun

Visit friendly Heimaey (route 6), under the shadow of a menacing red volcano; Hrísey (route 11) with its tame ptarmigans; or spend a night in the old settlement on Flatey in Breiðafjörður (route 13).

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Music lovers

Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík (route 3) is a work of art. Summer recitals are held at Seyðisfjörður’s Blue Church (route 8); or learn about Icelandic folk music in Siglufjörður (route 11).

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Natural wonders

Rumbling volcanoes and multicoloured mudpots abound round Mývatn (route 10). Hike on a glacier at Skaftafell (route 7), or enjoy epic waterfalls Gullfoss (route 5), Dynjandi (route 13) or Dettifoss (route 9).

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Pampering

Iceland’s many geothermal pools and spas are a bather’s delight. Most famous are the Blue Lagoon (route 4) and Mývatn Nature Baths (route 10). Newest is the Beer Spa at Árskógssandur (route 11).

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Vikings and sagas

Get a saga overview at the Settlement Centre in Borgarnes (route 14), sail to Drangey island (route 12) where gloomy antihero Grettir was exiled, or see Viking artefacts at the National Museum (route 1).

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Walkers

Vatnajökull National Park has beautiful walks and multiday hikes at Skaftafell (route 7) and Jökulsárgljúfur (route 9). Seasoned hikers should head for deserted Hornstrandir (route 13) or the bleak Interior (routes 15 and 16).

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Wildlife

Húsavík (route 9) is the whale-watching capital of Europe. Bird-watchers are spoilt: see ducks at Mývatn (route 10), skuas at Skeiðarársandur (route 7), or mixed bird cliffs at Látrabjarg (route 13).

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Explore Iceland

Iceland is a place of dramatic contrasts: bleak and blasted, yet intensely beautiful; full of grinding ice and fiery eruptions; with a tiny capital city that generates a huge amount of quirky, energetic culture.

Settled by the Vikings, drawn by the allure of a fresh and empty land, Icelanders have always survived on their foresight, imagination and wits. Although Iceland has a long, rich cultural history, stretching back to the Saga Age, it is the land itself, sculpted by the forces of nature into a unique, ever-changing landscape, that tells the country’s most compelling story.

Nordic houses line Lake Tjörnin, Reykjavík

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Geography and layout

Iceland covers 103,000 sq km (40,000 sq miles) of land, but is sparsely populated, with just three people per square kilometre. Sixty-four percent of Icelanders live in the capital area, and five percent in the second northern ‘city’, Akureyri. The rest of Iceland is empty, save for scattered farms and small fishing villages dotted around the coast. Sixty-two percent of the country is classified as a wasteland: the whole interior is a hostile uninhabited high desert. Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull, squats over 8,400 sq km (3,200 sq miles) of the southeast, its subglacial volcanoes wreaking havoc on the surrounding regions when they erupt.

Iceland straddles the North Atlantic Ridge, where two of the tectonic plates making up the Earth’s surface are slowly tearing apart. The country is literally being torn in two, widening at a rate of roughly 2cm (0.8ins) annually. Earthquakes and volcanic activity are commonplace along the huge diagonal double-pronged fault line, running from Reykjanes and the Vestmannaeyjar in the southwest to Krafla in the northeast.

In geological terms, Iceland is a mere baby, composed of some of the youngest rocks on earth and still being formed. Over the centuries, eruptions have spewed vast fields of lava across the island’s surface and projected choking clouds of ash high into the air, blocking out the sunlight and blighting crops. Every day there are multiple minor earthquakes and shocks, most of which are only detectable by seismologists.

The presence of so much natural energy just below ground makes it possible not just to see the raw power of nature in Iceland, but also to feel, hear and smell it.

Getting around

The Ring Road (or Route 1) circles the edge of the island (although it bypasses the fjords). It was only completed in 1974: before then, shifting sands and glacial floods proved too challenging for the road builders. You can get round the Ring Road by public bus, although services are limited, especially in winter. From Reykjavík, multiple coach tours visit the west and southwest. However, to circle the entire country, a car is the easiest option.

The routes in this guide begin in the capital city. Two walking tours and a fabulous bike ride allow you to familiarise yourself with Iceland’s history and culture, and indulge in Reykjavík’s quirky cafés, bohemian bars and exciting restaurants. The routes then cover the country in an anticlockwise direction, starting with volatile Reykjanes peninsula, home of the Blue Lagoon. The Southwest route incorporates the Golden Circle, a famous sightseeing tour that takes in three Icelandic highlights – Þingvellir, Geyser and the waterfall Gullfoss.

The routes then follow the Ring Road along the south coast, into a stunningly beautiful glacial wasteland, before taking time to explore the East Fjords and make several day trips around Egilsstaðir. Following that and pushing north, we take in Húsavík to watch whales and Mývatn for birdwatching and bubbling volcanic areas, before enjoying the gentle charms of the ‘city’ Akureyri. Heading west, through ancient fishing villages and past large seal colonies, the routes leave the Ring Road to take in the ups and downs of the remote, raw West Fjords, before exploring mystical Snæfellsnes Peninsula and the saga-filled West. The final two routes traverse Iceland’s barren interior.

History

Norwegian Viking Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir were the first official settlers in Iceland in 874, basing themselves in Reykjavík and planting their hay at Austurvöllur; a mock-up of a Viking farmstead and artefacts can be seen at two excellent museums in the city. Other Vikings followed, and a democratic nation was established in 930 with the formation of the Alþingi parliament.

But by the 10th century, the country had become too crowded for the available land, so Erik the Red abandoned it for Greenland; by the 12th century the trees were all chopped down, forcing Iceland to rely on other countries for fuel, ships and housing; and by the 13th century, family feuding tipped the country into civil war. Into the breach stepped the Norwegian king, who offered to quell the violence in return for taking possession of the island.

Control of the country passed to Denmark in 1397, after which things became much worse. Trade restrictions meant Iceland was reliant on Danish ships for supplies – and the ships often failed to arrive. Even the land itself seemed to turn against the Icelanders, with violent volcanic activity – particularly the devastating 1783 Laki eruption – poisoning crops and cattle. You can see the scale of the Laki event all around Kirkjubæjarklaustur, on the south coast.

Sunrise over iceberg-filled Jökulsárlón lagoon

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Life in Iceland was brutally hard. Only with the 19th-century independence movement did hope begin to rise, with Iceland finally becoming a republic on 17 June 1944. The country’s sudden lurch in status, from a poor, backward rural nation to a modern prosperous one, came with World War II and occupation by American troops, which prompted frenzied building and economic growth. The expanding fishing industry also brought wealth – and momentary strife with Britain, as Iceland sought to defend its precious cod. Today fishing is still important, although tourism is beginning to overtake it, boosted by Iceland’s association with international