Iceland travel guide

Vatnajökull glacier is (by volume) Europe’s largest, and Vatnajökull national park is one of only three in Iceland. The park covers 13% of Iceland’s surface area, and is the largest in Europe outside of Russia. The icecap itself is enormous, and can be seen from the Ring Road over a distance of more than 200 km. Skaftafell is the gateway to the southern section of the park – if you want to reach the north you will need a pretty serious 4WD – as well as containing many of its highlights and housing most of the adventure companies. There are waterfalls and birch trees, rivers and ice sculptures, and this is the best place in Iceland to do longer glacier hikes. While these organised activities are understandably popular, Vatnajökull is also a place where it is possible to get away from everyone and everything for as long as you want, going on multi-day hikes in one of Iceland’s the wildest places. If you want to see what happens to the outermost parts of the ice, visit one of the glacial lagoons just off the Ring Road.

Icelanders are descendant of Vikings and proud of it! Actually, most of the Norse who settled Iceland were not Vikings but farmers, herders and merchants, and there is plenty of Irish, Scots and English ancestry mixed into the pot as well. Nevertheless, the desire to explore was clearly in the blood of the early Norse settlers, and Icelander Eirīkr Þōrvaldsson (known as Erik the Red) founded the first permanent European colony on Greenland. His son, Leifur Eiríksson (a.k.a. Leif the Lucky), led the first Europeans to North America – 500 years before Columbus, as you will no doubt be told. There are several museums exploring Viking culture and a statue of Leifur Eiríksson next to Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavik, but if you really want to immerse yourself in Viking lore, make sure to attend the five-day Hafnarfjörður Viking Festival in June.

Iceland has 30 volcanoes, which are more or less active, and there are good opportunities to climb them. The volcano Hekla is active and erupts around every decade. There is about 1,490 meters to the summit and it takes about 2-3 hours each way. You trek on volcanic rock, snow, ice and very small lava gravel, which is challenging to walk on, so proper hiking boots, perhaps walking stick and warm clothing is essential. It is quite a surreal experience to sit in a volcanic crater and eat your packed lunch, and there is a fantastic view over other mountains and glaciers. The otherwise cold peak is also covered with hot steam, so if you sit down on the ground, you can warm up your bum...

In a single word, the Westfjords are wild. The remotest part of a remote island, reaching the Wesfjords requires leaving the relative comfort of the ring road that circles 'mainland' Iceland. Tour buses often bypass the Westfjords, deeming them too far out of the usual tourist routes. But this is a mistake - there are few places in Europe that feel as untouched and untamed as the Westfjords. Bird cliffs, beaches, mountains and fjord valleys, this is a country of extreme weather, remote farms, small fishing villages and mind-blowing vistas. The Wesfjords also has some of Iceland's best hiking, although this is not something to be attempted by the inexperienced. But for anyone up for an adventure, the Westfjords are not to be missed. Just make sure you bring rain gear, winter clothes, sun screen and shorts - four seasons in a day is the rule, not the exception, here.

Watching a whale larger than your boat jump out of the water mere metres away is one of the most thrilling experiences Iceland has to offer, and it is one thing that simply shouldn't be missed. There are a few choices to be made. The first is location: Reykjavik is the most convenient, but Husavik in the north has by far the best chance of seeing the really big whales, like humpbacks and blue whales. Season is another consideration - summer is generally best (and most pleasant), but if you want to see orcas (killer whales) you will have to brave the Icelandic winter. Finally, boat choice: the bigger boats are more comfortable, but the more manoeuvrable zodiacs are faster and can get you much closer to the animals - not to mention that you are virtually at surface level yourself, which feels very different to observing them form several metres higher up. Also, the bigger boats can be so crowded that unless you are fast on your feet and don't mind pushing other guests out of your way, it might actually be hard to get a good view of the whales. Whatever your choices, going on a whale watching trip is an absolute must when visiting Iceland!

Þingvellir National Park is an UNESCO Heritage Site. It was here in 930 AD the world's first democratic parliament was established. Maybe contrary to many's belief, the Icelandic Vikings society was fairly advanced - at least when it came to democracy and justice. They had written laws which stated what has to be done to whom, when such and such crime was committed. At the annual assembly at Þingvellir, when people from all over Iceland would gather, these laws were recited at the Law Rock, maybe new were passed by the cheifmen, and disputes were settled. Every issue affecting Iceland were discussed on this site. Today, there are of course nothing left from the Viking age, besides the spectacular natural setting right at the rift valley created by the separation of the Northamerican and Euroasien tectonic plates, but that will also do.