Reykjavik Art, Northern Lights, And The West Fjords: Iceland, Land Of Fire And Ice

I’ve always been captivated by places where nature makes you feel insignificant in a good way, so for my 50th birthday—and some book research for my next story—I headed to Iceland: a land shaped by fire and ice.

From Reykjavik’s eclectic street art and sculptures to the remote Westfjords, and from crisp glacier-fed waterfalls to the glow of the Northern Lights, it was well worth the trip. In mid-March 2025, with snow still on the ground, I set out (with my husband Jonathan) to uncover some of Iceland’s vibrant culture, dramatic landscapes, and intriguing history. Here are some of the highlights, along with tips to help you plan your own journey.

• Why visit Iceland? Unique geology, volcanoes, glaciers, Northern Lights, and funky towns
• Reykjavik sculpture and street art
• Þingvellir National Park and Gullfoss
• The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
• Westfjords, Snæfellsnes and the Black Church at Budir
• When to go — and money
• Books about, or set in, Iceland

Why visit Iceland?

Iceland is often called the Land of Fire and Ice for its unique geology. The island sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart, fueling intense volcanic and geothermal activity. You can actually snorkel/dive between the plates, but you have to be keen on cold water to do so!

Volcanoes — many of them active — as well as geysers, and hot springs dot the landscape, while about 12% of the country is covered by glaciers. These natural extremes create spectacular sights – from lava fields and black-sand beaches to massive ice caps – and of course, the Northern Lights, which draw people to the country. Eruptions and glacial erosion continue to shape Iceland, so it is ever-changing.

The first permanent Norse settlers arrived around 874 AD. In 930 AD, early inhabitants founded Þingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir), the world’s first parliamentary assembly, marking the birth of the Icelandic nation. Over the centuries, Icelanders preserved their history in rich oral legends and medieval sagas.

After a long period under Norwegian and Danish rule, Iceland became an independent republic in 1944. Modern Iceland today blends a proud Viking heritage with a thriving contemporary culture, where medieval saga sites and turf farmhouses coexist with trendy cafés and high-tech geothermal power plants. If you’d like more detail about the history, visit the National Museum of Iceland, which has exhibits from every era.

Reykjavik

We flew into Keflavik Airport, which is about an hour from Reykjavik. There is a FlyBus for transferring into the city, or there are taxis and other options (but no Uber.) I used the Taxi Hreyfill app when we needed to go further than walking distance.

Reykjavík is a compact city, and you will likely spend time in the central area, which is small enough to walk around. One of the most iconic landmarks is the Hallgrímskirkja church. It’s free to enter and you can pay to go up the tower for the views.

There are lots of sculptures and also graffiti art, which you’ll find on almost every street downtown so keep an eye out down little lanes and on the side of buildings.

One of Reykjavik’s most iconic landmarks is the Sun Voyager (Sólfar), a gleaming steel sculpture on the waterfront that resembles a Viking ship.

You can walk to it along the promenade, it’s around 30 mins to the lighthouse from downtown, past the dramatic Harpa Concert Hall.

If you enjoy a spa, The Blue Lagoon is the most famous, but we went to The Sky Lagoon, which is nearer Rejkjavik and doesn’t allow young children. The steam gives an aura of privacy, and you can even have a drink in the water overlooking the sea. I loved this and you can get a taxi there and back. There’s a taxi rank outside. There are also bookable transfers.

We also enjoyed Flyover Iceland, which had some interesting storytelling, and then an indoor chair ‘flight’ over the Icelandic landscape.

There are several excellent bookshops, and I was thrilled to find PennInn, which has locations in the central city.

Þingvellir National Park and Gullfoss

Just outside Reykjavík lies Þingvellir National Park, which is where the world’s first parliament, the Alþingi, was established in 930 AD, and assemblies met here for centuries.

We did a day trip with Try Iceland Tours, a small group tour, which included Þingvellir, Geysir, as well as Gullfoss waterfall, and a late night watching the Northern Lights. I used the GetYourGuide app, which has lots of options (wherever you are in the world.)

We then visited the Strokkur geyser at Geysir, which is one of the biggest in the world. There is a visitor centre with toilets, food, and tourist shops, which was most welcome as we needed to warm up, and Jonathan needed to buy a thicker hat. It was seriously cold! (what did we expect in Iceland?!)

Not far from Þingvellir is Gullfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall. Gullfoss (“Golden Falls”) is a two-tiered cascade on the Hvítá River that drops into a rugged canyon. We arrived late in the afternoon and it was absolutely freezing!

Since we’ve spent a lot of time in New Zealand, which also has volcanoes, whale watching, black sand beaches, and other island activities, we didn’t do any other tours. But if you haven’t been in such a landscape before, definitely check out the other day trip tours out of Reykjavik that go north, east, and south. Some of them have a lot of hours driving, and some are in big coaches vs small jeeps, so do your research!

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

Many people travel to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, and it’s been on our ‘bucket list’ for a while — but it’s important to remember that it’s a natural phenomenon, and a whole load of things need to align for them to appear. You need patience and a bit of luck.

We went out on the day trip hopeful, as the sky was clear, and there was a solar wind, and amazingly, we did see the lights — it was a real show! We were also out in the national park so well away from the city lights. It went on for a couple of hours, in all different shapes.

Interestingly, the lights aren’t that bright with the naked eye, but looking through a camera lens or phone lens made the colours more vivid.

Westfjords, Snæfellsnes and the Black Church at Budir

Most tourists go east and south, and so the Westfjords are less visited and feel very remote, even though they are only a few hours drive from Reykjavik. We rented a car (from Blue Car Rental), and drove ourselves, stopping at lookouts and small towns. Check road.is for the latest updates as many roads are closed over winter, or may be icy, or damaged. There are also volcanic eruptions, so definitely monitor the roads and the weather. We had great cellphone reception (5G) at all times, so used that in the car for navigation, although it really was just one road.

Once in Snæfellsnes, we stopped for lunch at Samkomuhúsið Arnarstapa, Arnarstapi, and had the best Icelandic Lamb Soup of the trip. It’s served in many restaurants, but we found it was usually too salty, but this one was perfect! It’s a meaty broth with vegetables and barley. We also enjoyed eating Skyr for dessert and also breakfast sometimes. It’s like a thick yoghurt. Delicious!

Overlooking this area is Snæfellsjökull, a glacier-capped volcano at the peninsula’s tip, the setting of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

We stayed for one night at Hotel Budir on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, which was beautiful. We watched seals playing in an inlet by the hotel and the sunrise over the ocean.

Walking distance from the hotel is the Búðakirkja or Black Church, a tiny 19th-century wooden church standing alone against the wild landscape. I’ve wanted to visit since crime writer Michael Ridpath recommended it in this interview about Iceland, and it will be the setting for a new story that is currently brewing …!

When to go — and money

We visited in mid-March, so the days were ‘normal’ length — not too dark, not too light — and the time zone is the same as the UK (except they don’t do daylight savings so there is a 1 hour difference for some of the year). It was mostly cold and clear, 1-3 degrees Celsius in the day, and colder at night. It went down to -13 degrees C when we were out looking for the Lights, so definitely bring your winter gear. Our guide said it can even snow into the summer, so expect the weather to be variable and changeable even during the day.

It’s a small country, with a small population, and gets extremely busy in the summer, so if you are coming in high season, when the days are long, then make sure to book car hire and accommodation in advance, as well as restaurants.

The currency is ISK, Icelandic Krona, and we didn’t need cash at all. We just used our cards, mostly a Revolut card with an ISK balance or major credit cards. It is a VERY expensive country though, as almost everything is imported, so definitely budget for more than expected, and get self-catering if you want to keep costs down.

Books about or set in Iceland

Last Rituals — Yrsa Sigurdardottir. First in one of the best known Icelandic crime series. A student of Icelandic history in Reykjavik is found brutally murdered, his eyes gouged out. A grisly world of witchcraft both past and present, as the detective draws ever closer to a killer gripped by a dangerous obsession…

Writing in Ice: A Crime Writer’s Guide to Iceland — Michael Ridpath. I planned our trip using this book, because I know Michael’s mind is like my own! We visited the Black Church and stayed at Hotel Budir based on his recommendation, and it was wonderful! Michael also has a series of crime novels set in Iceland, the first is Where the Shadows Lie. You can also listen to my interview with Michael about Iceland here.

The Museum of Whales You Will Never See: Travels Among the Collectors of Iceland — A. Kendra Greene. From Reykjavík’s renowned Phallological Museum to a house of stones on the eastern coast; from the curious monsters which roam the remote shores of Bíldudalur to a museum of whales which proves impossible to find, an enchanted story of obsession, curation, and the peculiar magic of this isolated island.

Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland by Sarah Moss – A travel memoir about living in Iceland as a foreigner. In 2009, British author Sarah Moss moved to Reykjavík with her family for a year, right after the financial crash. Moss writes about the quirks of daily life in Iceland – learning to grocery shop in a place with limited ingredients, dealing with winter darkness, and navigating the eccentricities of the locals. An outsider’s fresh perspective on Icelandic culture, shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize in 2013.

The Darkness — Ragnar Jónasson. A body is found off the coast of Iceland. A cursory police investigation calls it suicide. She’s just another statistic, soon forgotten. But not by Reykjavik Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir. Difficult and unconventional, Hulda is being forced into early retirement. Offered one last cold case to investigate she chooses Elena’s. And when she discovers another woman vanished at a similar time, she believes a killer roams free. With days before she’s stripped of her badge, can Hulda catch the killer alone?

If you love books, check out Iceland Noir, a literary festival celebrating darkness in all its forms.

We had a great time in Iceland — I hope you have a good trip if you’re planning to go!