Best Of Reykjavík Activities 2024: Best Day Trip

You’ve had your five a day (veggies/beers/panic attacks), now you gotta stay active. Whether it’s to get a dose of culture, hopping on a day tour or splashing around in your municipal pool, you can’t go wrong with our picks for Best Activities.

Best Day Trip

Kleifarvatn

Reykjanes Peninsula

Kleifarvatn lake

We used to recommend the Reykjanes Route as whole, but this year the panel felt that it was safer to recommend the nearby Kleifarvatn, due to certain parts of the route getting torn up by routine volcanic eruptions. We are happy to report that the immediate area around Kleifarvatn has been magma-free for a long time and the sweeping blue lake is surrounded by geothermal hot springs and wind-carved rock formations that are a perfect quick dose of what Iceland has to offer. And if you want to go check out an active volcanic eruption, there will probably be one nearby (or under your feet, come find out!). It‘s easy to get to via a rent-a-car but there are also a number of tours arranged with that area in mind, be it by quad, horse, hiking boots or fancy jeep.

Runner-Up:

Silfra

Þingvellir National Park

Snorkelling in Silfra is an excellent day trip from Reykjavík for the more adventurous-minded. Silfra is a fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, offering crystal-clear glacial water and incredible underwater visibility. Adventurers can snorkel in what have been dubbed the Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral and Silfra Lagoon, and take in the otherworldly underwater landscapes. Plus you get to swim across two continents in one of the most surreal underwater environments on the planet. Check with your local tour wrangler and get your kit off.

Runner-Up:

Flúðir

As long as you’re going on that Golden Circle tour anyway, why not swing by the Flúðir area? It’s just a short detour from the famous route. You can visit the Secret Lagoon, a man-made geothermal hot spring and check out the bistro Friðheimar in a nearby tomato greenhouse. The bistro has a solid tomato soup which also happens to be one of the more affordable stops in the area. Unlike the local Krambúðin convenience store, which may be the most expensive store on earth (of any kind, their bananas are at Hermès bag prices).

Previous Winners

2023: The Reykjanes Route

2022: Geldingardalir Volcano

2021: Geldingardalir Volcano