Reykjavík
Reykavík Arts Festival – throughout the city
The Reykjavík Pond in the center of the city and Reykjavik Harbor will be central points to Reykajvík Arts Festival this year. The festival will open with a newly commissioned performance work musician Högni Egilsson (member of bands GusGus and Hjaltalín) by the Pond at 5.30 PM on Thursday May 22nd.
The title of this year’s festival is “Not finished”, reflecting the creative work of an artist never being completed. Nearly 500 artists will participate in or contribute to this year festival, featuring over sixty concerts, theatre productions, film screenings, performances and exhibitions. For two weeks every year the festival presents, to the widest possible audience, exhibitions and performances of contemporary and classical works in major cultural venues and unconventional spaces throughout the city.
West Iceland
What to do when traveling with children at Snæfellsnes peninsula
“There are so many activities in the area that one can do with children. I recommend the charming swimming pool in Lýsuhóll, just before you arrive at Hótel Búðir. The pool is filled with natural hot mineral water. Visit the Volcano Museum in Stykkishólmur or go whale-watching in Grundarfjörður. A walk between Hellnar and Arnarstapi is also full of adventures just waiting to happen.”
Recommended by Hjalti Sverrisson, the hotel manager at Hótel Hellnar on the westernmost tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
See more West Iceland highlights
North Iceland
A tasty visit to the Kaldi craft beer Brewery
The micro brewery Bruggsmiðjan, located in the small town of Árskógssandur, offers guided tours around the brewery.
Over the past years Kaldi beer has become a favourite among beer connoisseurs, both local and international. The tour, which lasts about an hour, begins with a taste of the brewery‘s products, then the guide will explain the brewing techniques and give an introduction to the factory‘s history.
See more North Iceland highlights
East Iceland
How about a visit to Hell?
The violent past of Lake Víti (meaning hell in Icelandic) dates back to 1724, when glowing magma blew a 300-meter-wide (1,000 ft.) hole in the earth’s crust. The enormous explosion marked the beginning of a five-year-long eruption called the Lake Mývatn fires.
For more than 100 years after the eruption ended, a mud porridge boiled and bubbled in the bottom of the crater. Now we have this calm green lake.
This is one of two famous Víti lakes in Iceland. Not to be confused with Víti in the Askja area, further south in the central highlands. This Víti is in the Krafla caldera area in the Mývatn region in the north and is easily accessible by an asphalt road leading to it from Route 1 (the Ring Road).
See more East Iceland highlights
Southeast Iceland
Good reastaurants at the town of Höfn
“There are numerous lovely restaurants to be found in the town of Höfn. Kaffi Hornið is a good option for families with children, while Pakkhúsið restaurant is perfect for those who’d like to try our local produce. Lastly I’d recommend Humarhöfnin to those who’d like to taste delicious langoustine.”
Recommended by Árdís Erna Halldórsdóttir, the managing director of the Vatnajökull Information Center.
See more Southeast Iceland highlights
South Iceland
Cows celebrating summer
Farmers Anna María Kristjánsdóttir and Ari Árnason welcome guests to their farm Helluvað near the town of Hella, South Iceland, Sunday the 18th to witness when the farm cows are allowed back into the fields to graze after a long winter. The animals jump up and down in joy. They just don’t know what to do with themselves, the poor things, they have been holed up inside all winter,” Anna said in an interview with lnewspaper DV. The event will take place at 1pm on Sunday the 18th.
This is beautiful to witness, believe us.
See more South Iceland highlights
Reykjanes Peninsula
Explore the nature and get some adrenaline pumping through your veins
ATV Quad biking tour through lava and black sand in Krísuvík region is not for the faint hearted. For others it's pure joy. The tour takes you up mountains where you can expect fantastic view over the Blue Lagoon, the island of Eldey and more local landmarks. See more here.
See more Reykjanes Iceland highlights
Best of Iceland This Week is a guide for those who are curious about what's going on across Iceland and want local recommendations about events, activities and places of interest. This is the only Icelandic guide of its kind. New every week.
Reykjavík
Reykavík Arts Festival – throughout the city
The Reykjavík Pond in the center of the city and Reykjavik Harbor will be central points to Reykajvík Arts Festival this year. The festival will open with a newly commissioned performance work musician Högni Egilsson (member of bands GusGus and Hjaltalín) by the Pond at 5.30 PM on Thursday May 22nd.
The title of this year’s festival is “Not finished”, reflecting the creative work of an artist never being completed. Nearly 500 artists will participate in or contribute to this year festival, featuring over sixty concerts, theatre productions, film screenings, performances and exhibitions. For two weeks every year the festival presents, to the widest possible audience, exhibitions and performances of contemporary and classical works in major cultural venues and unconventional spaces throughout the city.
West Iceland
What to do when traveling with children at Snæfellsnes peninsula
“There are so many activities in the area that one can do with children. I recommend the charming swimming pool in Lýsuhóll, just before you arrive at Hótel Búðir. The pool is filled with natural hot mineral water. Visit the Volcano Museum in Stykkishólmur or go whale-watching in Grundarfjörður. A walk between Hellnar and Arnarstapi is also full of adventures just waiting to happen.”
Recommended by Hjalti Sverrisson, the hotel manager at Hótel Hellnar on the westernmost tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
See more West Iceland highlights
North Iceland
A tasty visit to the Kaldi craft beer Brewery
The micro brewery Bruggsmiðjan, located in the small town of Árskógssandur, offers guided tours around the brewery.
Over the past years Kaldi beer has become a favourite among beer connoisseurs, both local and international. The tour, which lasts about an hour, begins with a taste of the brewery‘s products, then the guide will explain the brewing techniques and give an introduction to the factory‘s history.
See more North Iceland highlights
East Iceland
How about a visit to Hell?
The violent past of Lake Víti (meaning hell in Icelandic) dates back to 1724, when glowing magma blew a 300-meter-wide (1,000 ft.) hole in the earth’s crust. The enormous explosion marked the beginning of a five-year-long eruption called the Lake Mývatn fires.
For more than 100 years after the eruption ended, a mud porridge boiled and bubbled in the bottom of the crater. Now we have this calm green lake.
This is one of two famous Víti lakes in Iceland. Not to be confused with Víti in the Askja area, further south in the central highlands. This Víti is in the Krafla caldera area in the Mývatn region in the north and is easily accessible by an asphalt road leading to it from Route 1 (the Ring Road).
See more East Iceland highlights
Southeast Iceland
Good reastaurants at the town of Höfn
“There are numerous lovely restaurants to be found in the town of Höfn. Kaffi Hornið is a good option for families with children, while Pakkhúsið restaurant is perfect for those who’d like to try our local produce. Lastly I’d recommend Humarhöfnin to those who’d like to taste delicious langoustine.”
Recommended by Árdís Erna Halldórsdóttir, the managing director of the Vatnajökull Information Center.
See more Southeast Iceland highlights
South Iceland
Cows celebrating summer
Farmers Anna María Kristjánsdóttir and Ari Árnason welcome guests to their farm Helluvað near the town of Hella, South Iceland, Sunday the 18th to witness when the farm cows are allowed back into the fields to graze after a long winter. The animals jump up and down in joy. They just don’t know what to do with themselves, the poor things, they have been holed up inside all winter,” Anna said in an interview with lnewspaper DV. The event will take place at 1pm on Sunday the 18th.
This is beautiful to witness, believe us.
See more South Iceland highlights
Reykjanes Peninsula
Explore the nature and get some adrenaline pumping through your veins
ATV Quad biking tour through lava and black sand in Krísuvík region is not for the faint hearted. For others it's pure joy. The tour takes you up mountains where you can expect fantastic view over the Blue Lagoon, the island of Eldey and more local landmarks. See more here.
