The Most Instagrammable Places in Iceland (To Go in 48 Hours)

Last week, I went to Iceland on a quick weekend getaway to spend 48 hours (or not even that) in the country. While it was extremely tiresome because of the initial red-eye flight from NYC plus the time difference, my whole Icelandic experience was truly unforgettable. So, here are the most Instagrammable places in Iceland (at least from my 48h trip!).

Disclaimer:

My goal with this post is to highlight all the things I did in 48 hours, tell you more about the most ‘important’ places to go, and also mention all the recommendations that have been given to me. In no way, I’m saying 2 days is enough to visit Iceland. The country is not that small and there are just SO many things to do and see everywhere you go, from north to south!

Our Hotel…

My main purpose with this trip was to relax, so I straight up booked my dream hotel, which is The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon. It is quite expensive, but if you have an extra budget available, I would highly recommend you stay one night, at least. The hotel is just AMAZING and most spa experiences (the spa is also awesome) – like the Icelandic clay ritual, saunas and a whole section of the blue lagoon just for yourself – are included.

At the blue lagoon…

The highlights…

During our trip, we had to split ourselves between enjoying what the hotel had to offer and actually driving around to see the main Iceland attractions.

Driving around the Golden Circle

If you’re doing a quick trip or layover in Iceland and want to get a basic glance of the country, I recommend driving around the so-called Golden Circle, which is (literally!) a circle that you can drive just by following the main highways to then make stops at the main attractions.

The roads are SO beautiful and SO empty that you’ll be tempted to stop several times along the way for pictures of the landscape. HOWEVER, I recommend you find the appropriate spots where you can go off the main road to stop your car. Most highways in Iceland are simple two-way roads with no shoulder for car stops, which makes stopping just anywhere a bit dangerous.

Secret Lagoon Hot Springs

Our first stop was to check out the Secret Lagoon Hot Springs. They’re natural hot springs located in the village of Fludir, and its waters’ temperatures vary between 38 and 40 degrees celsius (100-104 Fahrenheit) naturally. The place was honestly not really my vibe, since it was a bit crowded and we weren’t really in the mood to get wet on our first stop, but definitely worth going to take a look!

It’s a really interesting experience and the whole place smells a bit like sulfur! haha!

Geysir

As the name suggests, this is where you can find THE geyser that named the whole category: Geysir! Geysir itself doesn’t have a registered activity for years now, but I’d say the main attraction is the geyser Strokkur, which erupts every 4-10 minutes.

Gullfoss Falls

If you can’t add 2 extra hours on your Golden Circle tour to go to the Skogafoss falls, Gullfoss is definitely the way to go (and it’s so close to Geysir that it’s a shame if you don’t go!). The falls are really impressing and beautiful, and very different from Skogafoss, since there are many falls in it.

4th stop – Lunch at Fridheimar

This is probably the most ‘coveted’ place to go for lunch while you’re driving through the Golden Circle, but it’s definitely worth going – especially if you like tomatoes. They have won several awards for their dishes and have literally EVERYTHING made with tomato – from the basic soup to a tomato beer and cheesecake (!!!). Reservations are highly recommended.

Other stops in the Golden Circle I recommend if you have more time…

Thingvellir National Park

Since we were already short on time, we drove through Thingvellir without stopping much. However, I heard from several people that the stops there are among the most beautiful ones on the Golden Circle (oh well!).

Skogafoss waterfall

Reykjavik

If you’re staying in Reykjavik, this is probably your final stop. If you, like me, stayed in Grindavik, it’s one last stop on the way, but really worth it! Reykjavic is very underestimated, but it’s a very cute city! Definitely worth stopping by for a walk.

I really hope you like this post and let me know what other things you’d like to know about my trip to Iceland!