Honeymoons in Iceland: where to go & what to do

By Europe specialist Jackie

Circling the steaming vent of a volcano in a helicopter. Swimming between the spreading tectonic plates. Jet skiing past porpoises and whales. Hiking across a rolling lava field. The northern lights over a snowy field. Though it’s a bit atypical, Iceland makes a great honeymoon destination for couples who prefer outdoor adventure and singular experiences rather than tropical sands and all-inclusive resorts.

Which is not to say that the island lacks luxury. Geothermal hot springs are abundant, and the country’s culture has embraced the pleasures of a steamy soak after a long day spent outdoors, so spas are abundant. Additionally, the pocket-sized capital of Reykjavík has a lively food scene that includes several Michelin-starred restaurants.

Where to go on honeymoon in Iceland

Where you go depends on when you’re taking your honeymoon in Iceland. Between May and September, you can rent a car and circumnavigate the whole island on the Ring Road. Driving around the coast, you’ll have plenty of time alone together to enjoy each other’s company and take in the primal landscape of waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and craggy igneous bedrock.

The months from October to April bring longer nights and less predictable weather. If you’re visiting then, I suggest staying closer to the capital and opting for a professional driver to whisk you to nearby sights like the Golden Circle. That said, these months are when you can soak up the northern lights, which often dance across the sky during the long wintry nights.

Flightseeing on the Reykjanes Peninsula

All international flights come into the Reykjanes Peninsula, in Southwest Iceland, which is also home to the Fagradalsfjall volcano. In summer of 2023, this volcano riveted the world with its two-month eruption that left a dark scar across the Geldingadalur valley.

I feel like the best way to start any trip to Iceland is with a private helicopter tour over the often-steaming mouth of Fagradalsfjall. Banking over the gaping mouth, you’ll be able to peer down at the different textures the cooling lava created, from smooth curves to fractured fields, all in gleaming black basalt.

Depending on the “weather” of the volcano, you might even get to land on the site of one of the earlier eruptions. You’ll have time to explore on foot, walking over some of the most recently created land on the planet.

Where to stay on the Reykjanes Peninsula

The milky aquamarine waters of the Blue Lagoon are an arresting sight — at least I thought so the first (and fifth... and tenth...) time I saw them. They’re also home to The Retreat, arguably the most luxurious hotel in the country — a stay here offers an indulgent start to your Iceland honeymoon.

While here, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Retreat Lagoon, the Blue Lagoon’s smaller, private, less-crowded sister lagoon. Floating along the gently warmed waters, you’ll explore the lava-lined passages and hidden nooks of the maze-like lagoon without dealing with the throngs. You can also relax into your trip with treatments in the spa.

Snorkelling between tectonic plates in the Golden Circle

Also in the southwest, the Golden Circle is a route that will take you through a microcosm of the country’s highlights in just one day. You’ll see the raw landscapes of Þingvellir National Park, the steaming geysers of Geysir, and the feathery mists of Gullfoss waterfall.

Most visitors take a driving tour of the major sights and call it a day. And I absolutely suggest doing that, on your own or with a private guide. However, for a literally deeper look, I suggest adding another day here for a slightly different adventure — snorkelling between the tectonic plates at Þingvellir.

Donning a dry suit, you’ll slip into the glacier-melt water, which hovers just above the freezing point year-round, to swim down the Sifra fissure. Through the crystal-clear stream, you can look down to see where the two continental plates are tearing apart the Earth’s crust. I found it breathtaking, both for the surreal beauty and the icy temperatures — I was comfortable in the dry suit, but the hot cocoa afterwards was a welcome warm-up.

Where to stay in the Golden Circle

For front-row seats to the area’s impressive natural spectacles, I suggest Hótel Geysir. A sleek modern stay designed to blend in with the surroundings, the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows look out over its namesake, which erupts about once every ten minutes.

Hiking & a diamond beach in South Iceland

Hiking is an essential part of any Iceland honeymoon and there are few places better to do it than in South Iceland. That’s where you’ll find, Þórsmörk Nature Reserve, a sprawling park that’s largely inaccessible to regular visitors — you need to cross unbridged rivers of icy cold glacial melt, only possible with a specially designed vehicle that can handle the rugged terrain.

I can arrange a private tour to delve into this remote heartland with a guide in an extra-large 4x4. You’ll spend the day driving and hiking through mossy canyons, near towering glaciers, past wind-scoured hills of black basalt, and over braided rivers.

This was the site of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption that halted travel across much of the continent — your guide can show you how the volcano shaped the geology around you. Another highlight is the Stakkholtsgjá waterfall, a misty spill of water deep in a ravine — on windy days, the water blows out like a bridal veil.

South Iceland is also home to the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon — an icy pool at the toe of the glacier where icebergs cleave off. Many of those bergs wind up stranded on the black-sand shores of Diamond Beach, where they glitter in the sun like their namesake. I’ll arrange a private tour of both, though if you’re more active you might prefer a private kayak tour through the lagoon, gliding past the ponderous chunks of ice bobbing in the water.

Where to stay in South Iceland

Nestled on a scenic riverbank in the shadow of the Mount Hekla volcano, Hotel Rangá is a rustic but comfortable log cabin lodge that’s convenient for exploring both Þórsmörk and Jökulsárlón, as well as the nearby Hekla UNESCO Global Geopark. I always opt for the riverview rooms to make the most of my time here.

Puffins & folklore in the Eastfjords

Most visitors to Iceland stick to the southern coast, but if you want a trip that goes a bit further afield, I love the Eastfjords — it’s one of my favourite honeymoon destinations in Iceland. Very few visitors make it here, which means it feels deeply authentic, with tiny fishing villages perched on steep fjords, a culture that breathes traditional folklore, and a way of life that seems unchanged from the past centuries.

I like to arrange my travel so I can spend the early morning in Borgarfjörður Eystri, a small fishing village backed by striped mountains. This is thought to be the home of the Queen of Elves, said to live in a large rock nearby.

However, the big draw here is the puffin nesting site at Hafnarhólmi, a scrap of an island that’s very close by. At dawn and dusk during the spring and summer, you’ll see huge numbers of the comical birds. You might also see fulmars, kittiwakes, and eiders. There’s no need for a guide — you can just walk up to the beach to watch.

Where to stay on the Eastfjords

Just south of Egilsstaðir, Hotel 1001 Nott overlooks Lake Lagarfljót. This narrow lake is said to be the home of Lagarfljót Wyrm, a cousin of the Loch Ness Monster but with a history that dates back to the 1300s. Each room boasts expansive windows and private terraces to make the most of the scenic locale. I also love the views from the hotel’s restaurant with an adjoining lounge and the two lakeside hot tubs.

Jet skiing with whales off northern Iceland

Though few people make it this far on the Ring Road, I think Northern Iceland offers some of the country’s most impressive landscapes, especially the Diamond Circle. This roughly circular sightseeing route includes Europe’s largest waterfall, called Dettifoss. It’s hard to overstate the impact of visiting Dettifoss — the deep rumble of the water is something you feel in your belly as much as you hear with your ears, and the whole area is wreathed in dazzling rainbows.

The circle also includes Lake Mývatn, a huge lake surrounded by bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, steaming vents, roiling black lava fields, and shooting geysers. I suggest a private tour to explore both the lake and the waterfall with a guide, who can help unpack the complicated geology that created these two sights.

Another stop on the circle is Akureyri, the country's second largest city, which perches at the tip of the Eyjafjörður Fjord. During the summer, the sheltered waters of the fjord are home to a lively population of dolphins, porpoises, seals, and humpbacks who visit during their long migration.

You can spend time with the whales on board a classic whale watchship with others, of course. However, last time I visited, I opted for a somewhat more intimate experience: a jet-ski whale watching tour.

After a brief tutorial on how to steer a jet ski (and then putting on a dry suit), I followed my guide out over the small waves into the heart of the fjord. To ease the tracking, he was in communication with the other guides over the radio, so we went to see a pod of frolicking porpoises. Slowing down so as not to startle them, we watched the playful animals as they splashed and swam in the nutrient dense water. Later, we swung closer to land to see the sleek dark shapes of seals slicing through the shallow water.

Where to stay in northern Iceland

I have two suggestions here. For your Diamond Circle adventures, Berjaya Akureyri Hotel is conveniently located right in the city and offers a clean and comfortable stay, if not a lot of style or flair.

However, for a relaxing interlude with a bit more luxury, Deplar Farm is a stylish lodge in a converted farmhouse with black timber walls and a turf roof. Its location, in the Troll Peninsula, is wonderfully remote, making it an ideal place to unwind for a few days as you soak up the landscape with hikes, horse rides, or even just taking long soaks in the thermal pool.

A stratovolcano & Viking sushi on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

On the west coast of Iceland, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a primal landscape of black-water fjords, barren lava fields, and dark-sand beaches. You’ll find some of the best hiking, glacier tours, and whale watching in the country here, alongside tiny fishing villages.

In fact, the largest town on the peninsula is Stykkishólmur, a small village that curls around the natural port of Breiðafjörður. Once a rich fishing ground, this mountain-hemmed bay is now a nature preserve where you might see puffin colonies during their summer nesting season, as well as black guillemots, brent geese, white-tailed eagles, seals, and even dolphins or (rarely) whales. It’s an excellent base for exploring the region.

The main attraction here is the Snæfellsjökull National Park, named after the glacier-capped stratovolcano of the same name. A private tour can help unwind the intricate natural history that’s still creating the black-sand beaches, moss-furred fields of hardened lava, and raw-edged mountains. Or you can descend into Vatnshellir Cave, an 8,000-year-old tube created by a long-ago eruption.

For culinarily adventurous couples, I can also suggest that you take to the water for a so-called Viking sushi cruise. You’ll board a traditional trawler and head out into Breiðafjörður, cruising around the islands and islets that dot the bay.

Once you’re deep enough, the crew will drop a net and bring up their catch from the ocean floor. Then they’ll pry open scallops and sea urchins for you to slurp, still chilly and dripping from the water. There is no fresher seafood to be had anywhere else in the world.

Where to stay on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

A converted 19th-century family home, Hótel Egilsen is now a snug boutique hotel tucked into Stykkishólmur. There are just ten rooms here, each carefully balancing contemporary comforts with the building’s historic legacy.

Culture & cuisine in Reykjavík

Just a short drive from the airport, the capital makes an excellent last stop for a summer honeymoon spent following the Ring Road. It’s also the best base for exploring during the winter, within easy reach of nearby sights like the Golden Circle.

The heart of Icelandic culture, the city is home to a lively food scene that includes several Michelin-starred restaurants and some excellent cooking classes. It’s also where you can sample a lot of the country’s signature foods, including kleina, a fried pastry dusted with sugar that’s sometimes called an Icelandic doughnut. A food walking tour is a great introduction to the city’s culinary scene, with stops that usually include a chance to sample kleina for yourself.

Of course, you can make kleina at home but there are certain Icelandic dishes that are (mostly) impossible to replicate in your own kitchen, including bread baked in the earth itself. At Laugarvatn Fontana, a geothermal spa a 90-minute drive from the capital, you can visit the bakery to see how it’s done. After the demonstration, you’ll get to dig into a slice of the dense, chewy rye bread, slathered in Icelandic butter and topped with smoked trout.

The small city is also packed with cultural attractions, including Þjóðminjasafn Íslands (National Museum of Iceland), which looks back on the country’s history, and Listasafn Íslands (National Gallery), where exhibits feature the work of 20th-century Icelandic artists. I absolutely suggest making time to explore both of them.

However, for a more intimate connection to the country’s culture, I like to go on a guided folklore tour. The otherworldly population of Iceland includes the “hidden people”, sometimes called elves, as well as a wide cast of other creatures. A walking tour through the capital will introduce you to the country’s folklore as well as taking you to corners of the city that few visitors ever see.

Where to stay in Reykjavík

Located in the historical heart of downtown, The Reykjavik Edition overlooks the snowy peak of Mount Esja and the Snæfellsjökull glacier, just minutes from the main shopping street in downtown Reykjavik. It’s not the most luxe hotel, but all the beds face floor-to-ceiling windows, and some feature an outdoor terrace for soaking up the views.

Best time to go on honeymoon in Iceland

When you go on honeymoon in Iceland is a matter of your priorities. For long days spent outdoors and warmer temperatures, April to September is your best bet. But for wintry fun and long nights looking for the northern lights, consider a visit between October and March.