{"id":3294,"date":"2014-07-02T16:17:04","date_gmt":"2014-07-02T16:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.hostelworld.com\/?p=3294"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:21:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T11:21:04","slug":"how-to-see-icelands-most-awesome-sights-in-3-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/how-to-see-icelands-most-awesome-sights-in-3-days\/","title":{"rendered":"How to See Iceland’s Most Awesome Sights in 3 Days"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To see the best sights of Iceland\u00a0in a short space of time, I booked a three-day schedule of tours from Reykjavik<\/a> with Viator. With very little public transport outside the capital (the car-loving population’s so small, it’s never been warranted), this was the\u00a0only option\u00a0for a non-driver – but you can use the routes I suggest if you’re hiring a car, too.<\/p>\n

Follow my tried-and-tested\u00a0itinerary below to\u00a0see all the big hitters over a long weekend. Just don’t blame me if you want to come back for longer…<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an earthquake on the south coast last night, 4.0 on the Richter scale. Did you feel it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I had actually been in bed at that point of my Iceland trip, but listening to our guide I didn’t feel too\u00a0surprised. Deep cracks in\u00a0the lava fields outside our bus gave a hint this part\u00a0of earth wasn’t exactly peaceful.<\/p>\n

There are\u00a01600 tremors a month<\/em> on average in Iceland, the only country in the world to sit on top of two tectonic plates. Between quake-triggering continental drift, volcanic eruptions and glacial erosion, you get why Iceland has one of the world’s weirdest\u00a0landscapes: it’s forever\u00a0having a make-over.<\/p>\n

What makes for volatile conditions has also created extreme natural beauty, something the country has capitalised on since its financial crash in 2008. Tourism is now Iceland’s largest industry, leaving its\u00a0traditional fishing economy behind. With lures like the northern lights and Game of Thrones filming here<\/a>,\u00a02014 is the first year Iceland visitors will top one million.<\/p>\n

So else what does the ‘world’s youngest\u00a0country’ have to offer? Well, some bits feel like being dropped on the moon, some like Lord of the Rings. You won’t find anywhere else like it in Europe, and that’s the allure.<\/p>\n

Day 1: Geysir and Gullfoss (the Golden Circle Tour)<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the Classic Golden Circle Tour, you\u2019ll think \u201cwoah\u2026\u201d so many times, it\u2019s like you\u2019re watching the latest Marvel movie action scene unfold in front of you. This is the<\/em> big tour that everyone says you should do\u00a0– and it’s worth it, despite the crowds.<\/p>\n

Starting at Thingvellir, a rift valley that\u2019s now a national park 45km east of\u00a0Reykjavik, you cross ground being\u00a0torn apart by continental drift. Look\u00a0out over the fissures running through the valley\u00a0before walking down\u00a0through the largest gorge, Almannagj\u00e1. This is also a historic site where\u00a0the world\u2019s oldest parliament Althing was founded in 930 (in 1844 it was moved to Reykjavik).<\/p>\n

\"Thingvellir,<\/p>\n

Next stop is Gullfoss (\u201cGolden Falls\u201d), an immense two-shelf waterfall that cuts a 20m crevice into the land. Walk along the cliff top to view from above, or take a staircase down to approach from the river and reach a platform next to where the water drops.<\/p>\n

\"Gullfoss,<\/p>\n

Air gets a little more sulfurous when you meet Geysir on the third stop \u2013 a noisy fellow who lives in the ground and spews his guts up every three to five minutes. Yep, the world\u2019s biggest celebrity hot spring performs right on time, every time like a true professional. Cameras at the ready\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Geysir,<\/p>\n

After a short stop at Skalholt church, our tour of Iceland\u2019s south-west corner ended at Nesjavellir power plant, where \u2013 like 26%\u00a0of the country\u2019s power \u2013 electricity is generated from geothermal energy. You can pay extra to see an exhibition within, but I was contented to stay outside to\u00a0watch plumes from smoking boreholes drift across the lava fields.<\/p>\n