Iceland Is More Than a Destination — It Is a Setting
Most people come to Iceland to see something: the Northern Lights, the glaciers, the waterfalls. But the most memorable trips are often the ones where you come to do something — to pursue a hobby you love in a landscape that makes it feel entirely new.
Salmon fishing on a river so pristine it barely seems real. Skiing down a mountain with a view of the fjord. Swimming between tectonic plates in crystal-clear glacial water. Cooking a meal from ingredients you’ve never tasted before. Iceland takes the familiar and makes it extraordinary — and at Ice Paradise Tours, we love helping travellers find exactly the experience that fits them.
Iceland’s Classic Outdoor Pursuits
Hiking — Iceland on Foot
There is no better way to understand Iceland than to walk through it. The country’s national parks and nature reserves contain some of the most dramatic and varied hiking terrain in Europe — and the trails range from gentle half-day walks to serious multi-day expeditions through remote highland wilderness.
The most celebrated routes include the Laugavegur trail (Iceland’s most famous, connecting the Landmannalaugar highlands to Þórsmörk), the Fimmvörðuháls pass (a dramatic extension through volcanic terrain), the remote Lónsöræfi in the east, the Hornstrandir peninsula in the Westfjords (accessible only by boat and entirely off the grid), and the Vatnaleið route across the interior.
Guided hiking tours are available throughout the summer season in a wide range of difficulty levels. Trail running has also grown rapidly in Iceland over recent years and is now practiced competitively across summer events — worth noting if you’re a runner looking for new terrain.
Horseback Riding — Iceland From the Saddle
Galloping along a black sand beach. Crossing a glacial river on horseback. Trotting across a wind-swept heath with nothing around you for miles. For riders, Iceland is not just a destination — it is a bucket list experience in every direction.
The Icelandic horse is a unique and extraordinary breed — small, powerful, sure-footed, and famous for its five gaits, including the smooth and distinctive tölt. Riding this horse across Icelandic terrain is something no other destination can replicate. Tours range from two-hour midnight sun rides to two-week highland treks, and are available throughout the year, though the selection narrows in winter.
For more advanced riders, September brings one of Iceland’s most unique opportunities: joining the annual sheep roundup in Skagafjörður in North Iceland. Hundreds of horses and sheep are herded down from the summer highland pastures in a tradition unchanged for over a thousand years. It is one of the most authentic rural experiences Iceland offers — and it is genuinely thrilling.
Winter Sports — Snow, Ice, and Adrenaline
Iceland’s winter sports season runs from November through to May — a long window that gives skiers, snowboarders, and winter adventurers more time than most European destinations. The main ski areas are Hlíðarfjall in Akureyri and Bláfjöll near Reykjavík, both welcoming alpine skiers, snowboarders, and cross-country enthusiasts.
Beyond the pistes, Iceland’s backcountry is extraordinary. Guided off-track skiing and snowshoeing tours take you into terrain that most visitors never see. For those seeking something even more remote, heli-skiing and glacial mountain skiing offer the kind of runs you will talk about for the rest of your life — descending vast, untracked snowfields with views that stretch to the ocean.
Snowmobiling is extremely popular in North Iceland, and dogsledding tours are available for those who want to experience winter travel the old-fashioned way. If you are travelling with a group of mixed ability and interest, winter in Iceland has something for everyone.
Fishing — A Mecca for Anglers
Iceland is one of the great fishing destinations on earth. The rivers are clean, the salmon runs are legendary, and the landscapes in which you fish are among the most beautiful you will ever stand in. The country offers river fishing, fly fishing, sea angling, and ice fishing — and each discipline has its own network of outstanding locations.
The most celebrated salmon rivers include Vatnsdalsá, Láxá í Aðaldal, Laxá í Kjós, Hofsá, Selá, and Jökulsá á Brú — names that serious fly fishers will recognise immediately. Fishing lodges throughout the country provide permits, equipment, and full board after long days on the water. In August 2023, the largest salmon ever recorded in Iceland was landed in the Hvítá river near Selfoss: 118 centimetres and a story that will outlast every trophy.
Golf — Fairways Under the Midnight Sun
Iceland has fifteen 18-hole golf courses and forty-six 9-hole courses scattered across the country — many of them set against backdrops of lava fields, mountain ridges, and ocean views that no golf course architect could design. The season runs from May to September, and in June, the midnight sun means you can play a full round at midnight without a torch.
The Arctic Open in Akureyri is the flagship event on the Icelandic golf calendar — held under the midnight sun in late June and drawing international players who come as much for the experience as the competition. It is one of those sporting events that is genuinely unique to Iceland.
Water — Iceland’s Element
Swimming Pool Culture — A Way of Life
Iceland has over a hundred geothermally heated outdoor swimming pools, and they are not tourist attractions — they are where Icelanders actually live. Every town, no matter how small, has one. They are places for conversation, relaxation, and community, and visiting them is one of the most authentic ways to experience daily Icelandic life.
A popular challenge among travellers doing a full Ring Road circuit is to swim in as many pools as possible — a wellness challenge that also doubles as a cultural tour. Each pool has its own character, its own views, and its own collection of regulars who will happily talk to you if you sit in the right hot tub.
Cold-Water Swimming — Iceland’s Growing Obsession
Cold-water swimming has found a devoted following in Iceland, as it has across Scandinavia. The benefits to the immune system and mental health are widely understood here, and sea-bathing groups operate around the country year-round — meeting at shores and lakes regardless of temperature or season.
A great introduction for first-timers is Nauthólsvík Beach in Reykjavík — a man-made lagoon where geothermal water is pumped in during summer to warm the seawater to around 19 degrees Celsius. In winter, the ocean temperature drops to around 5 degrees. Hot tubs nearby provide a warm refuge for the traditional hot-cold cycle that cold-water swimmers swear by. It is bracing, invigorating, and completely addictive.
Diving & Snorkelling — Between Two Continents
Iceland’s diving and snorkelling locations are unlike anywhere else on earth. The most famous is the Silfra fissure in Þingvellir National Park — a crack between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates filled with glacial meltwater so clear that visibility can exceed 100 metres. Snorkelling or diving Silfra means floating through water that fell as rain or snow decades ago, filtered through lava rock until it is purer than most drinking water.
Other remarkable spots include Lake Kleifarvatn and the Litlaá River (both featuring submarine hot springs), wreck diving in the spectacular fjords of Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland, and — for the truly adventurous — snorkelling with puffins near the Arctic Circle. Local companies offer tours for certified divers across all difficulty levels.
Creative & Culinary Iceland
Culinary Experiences — Iceland Beyond the Hot Dog
Iceland’s food scene has undergone a quiet revolution in the last decade. The country now has three Michelin-starred restaurants — Dill, Moss, and Óx — each creating menus built around the finest Icelandic ingredients: lamb raised on open highland pastures, arctic char caught in glacial rivers, skyr, seaweed, and vegetables grown in geothermally heated greenhouses.
For those who want to get hands-on, cooking classes from providers like Salt eldhús and Creative Iceland let you work directly with Icelandic ingredients and techniques — taking home not just a meal but the knowledge to recreate it. Reykjavík food tours offer a more social introduction to Icelandic cuisine, moving between stops with a guide who can explain what you’re eating and why it matters.
Craft Beer — The Brewery Trail
Over the past five years, craft breweries have appeared in every corner of Iceland. What began as a Reykjavík trend has spread the length of the Ring Road, with small-batch producers experimenting with local ingredients — Icelandic water, arctic herbs, skyr, even glacial ice. A Ring Road trip is now a legitimate opportunity to build a brewery trail, sampling what each region has to offer.
One important note: Iceland operates a strict zero-tolerance policy on drink-driving. Plan your brewery visits carefully, stay overnight where possible, and make the most of the accommodation that many rural breweries now offer.
Creative Retreats — Writing, Art, and Photography
Iceland holds a Guinness World Record for the most writers per capita of any country on earth. It is a place where the Saga tradition of storytelling is still alive, where the landscape seems to demand that you respond to it creatively, and where the long winter nights and the endless summer light both produce something that is hard to describe but easy to feel. Artists come here to work — and they rarely leave without something new.
Artist residencies around the country welcome applications from international artists across all disciplines. Painting holidays, photography workshops, writing retreats, and handicraft tours run throughout the year. And for those who simply need solitude and a change of scenery, a cottage by the sea is always available — with no neighbours, no noise, and a view that does the creative work for you.
Film Location Tours — Iceland on Screen
Iceland’s landscapes have stood in for alien planets, distant futures, and fantasy kingdoms in some of the most successful films and series of the past two decades. Interstellar, Batman Begins, James Bond, Star Wars, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Game of Thrones, True Detective — the list of productions that have used Iceland as their backdrop keeps growing, drawn by a 35% reimbursement on production costs and a landscape that requires almost no dressing.
Many of these locations are easily accessible and can be visited as part of a guided film tour or independently with a good map. If you have a favourite film on the list, there is a good chance we can take you to where it was made.
Bring What You Love — Iceland Will Do the Rest
The best trips to Iceland are rarely just about sightseeing. They are about finding yourself doing something you love in a place that makes it feel completely new — standing in a glacial river with a fly rod, skiing a slope no one has tracked yet, sitting in a hot tub under the Northern Lights with a locally brewed beer, or writing something for the first time in years because the landscape finally gave you the words.
At Ice Paradise Tours, we specialise in building itineraries around what our guests actually love to do. Tell us your hobby, your pace, and your season — and we will build something around it.
Iceland is waiting. Bring what you love.