Iceland Travel Guide | Best Places to Visit in Iceland

Iceland

The Country That Feels Like Another Planet

TL;DR — For the Impatient Traveller

This blog captures a 7-day Ring Road road trip in Iceland, where every few kilometres the landscape transforms from black sand beaches to glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, and ice lagoons. Inspired by movies like James Bond, Interstellar, and Dilwale, the journey blends cinematic expectations with raw, real travel experiences.

Despite not seeing the Northern Lights, the trip became unforgettable through moments like:

Driving a caravan across Iceland’s extreme landscapes
Walking between continents at Þingvellir National Park
Trekking to the DC-3 plane wreck in Sólheimasandur
Witnessing iconic spots like Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Reynisfjara Beach

The biggest takeaway:
Iceland doesn’t give you everything you come for, but what it gives stays with you forever.

The Lost Mumbaikar takeaway:
“Some countries impress you. Iceland quietly rearranges how you see the world”.

Why Iceland ranked number one country for me

Out of my Top 25 countries, Iceland sits firmly at number one, so it felt right to begin this story here. Not because it was easy, but because it was cinematic.

Long before I landed in Iceland, the country had already been living in my imagination. Hollywood had planted that image in my mind through James Bond’s icy chases, dramatic glacier landscapes, and the kind of raw scenery that makes the world feel almost science fiction. In many ways, it was those James Bond scenes that first made me dream about visiting Iceland.

Some places become famous because of tourism. Iceland became famous because it looks like another planet. Filmmakers quickly realized that if you want to show Mars, a frozen fantasy world, or some distant alien land, Iceland can do the job without trying too hard.

That is why productions like Interstellar, Game of Thrones, Batman Begins, Thor: The Dark World, Prometheus, Oblivion, and Star Wars: Rogue One all found their way here. And once Bollywood arrived, millions of Indian travellers quietly added Iceland to their dream travel bucket list. Bollywood added its own dream with Shah Rukh Khan walking through glaciers and waterfalls in Dilwale’s Gerua.

But Iceland’s story goes far beyond cinema. Long before drones, film crews, and Instagram reels, Vikings were already exploring these brutal seas, sailing across the North Atlantic with little more than instinct, courage, and wooden ships.

They reached Greenland and even North America nearly 500 years before Columbus, proving that exploration is not a trend here. It is part of Iceland’s identity. Maybe that is why this island never feels like a tourist destination.
It feels like a place built for explorers.

The Scandinavian Journey Before Iceland

Iceland was the final stop of our Scandinavian road trip in December 2018, after we had already explored Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. By then, I genuinely believed I understood winter travel in Europe.
I was wrong.

Finland welcomed us with reindeers, Christmas magic, and snow-covered silence, followed immediately by my legendary €3,800 RV mistake in Rovaniemi, where I rammed the RV in a parking area while we were out chasing the Northern Lights.

The mood was shaken, but travel has a strange way of healing itself. Sweden softened the blow with elegance and warm cafés, Norway stunned us with fjords so dramatic they looked unreal, and Denmark slowed life down with hygge, cinnamon, and calm winter light.

Somewhere between that financial pain and those Nordic road trips, I learned something important and passed it on to Julius and Jordan:
Money lost in travel is temporary, but moments collected in travel stay forever.

By the time we reached Reykjavík, Iceland, the mood had changed.

Then came Iceland.
The grand finale. The showstopper.

A country where nature doesn’t just exist. It performs.

A Country That Keeps Changing Its Face

Within a few kilometres, Iceland changes personalities. One moment you are looking at red Martian-like land, then suddenly black volcanic beaches, then blue icebergs, then green valleys, then mountains wrapped in silk-white snow.

It feels as if someone is quietly switching realities outside your RV window. One moment it is a science-fiction film set, the next it looks like a winter fairytale.

That is what makes Iceland travel so unforgettable. It does not feel like a normal destination.
It feels like a cosmic interruption — something that quietly resets your sense of scale and reminds you how small you are in front of nature.

The Ring Road Journey in Iceland

Our Iceland trip was a 7-day road trip around the famous Ring Road, one of the best road trips in the world, and for that week our home was a caravan.

After the Finland RV disaster, I drove this one with far more humility, caution, and respect.

Each of us had our own Iceland travel wishlist. Julius wanted Game of Thrones filming locations, I wanted James Bond glacier landscapes, and Sunitha wanted the full Dilwale Iceland experience — waterfalls, black sand beaches, and the famous DC-3 plane wreck at Sólheimasandur. She even wanted me to pose like SRK near the plane.

The goal was simple:
Drive. Explore. Watch the sky. Chase the Northern Lights.

The temperature was below zero, the nights were silent, and the conversations inside that caravan often became as memorable as the views outside.

The Northern Lights That Never Came

Every night we waited for the Northern Lights in Iceland. Every night we checked the sky.
And every night, nothing happened.

One evening, after sitting inside the caravan for hours, the boys kept peeking out every five minutes as if the sky had personally promised them something.

Then Jordan looked outside and said:

“I think the Northern Lights saw our caravan and decided not to come.”

Julius, without missing a beat, added:

“Maybe they come only when you sleep… like Santa.”

That one line said everything.

People say Iceland is dramatic enough to be called a country of contrasts. But according to the boys, it was not a country at all.
It was a planet. A moon. A completely different world.

Þingvellir National Park – Walking Between Continents

Julius had one place he really wanted to see: Þingvellir National Park.

For him, this was not just another stop on the Iceland itinerary. It was one of the very few places on Earth where you can actually walk between two tectonic plates.

Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate slowly pull apart by around 2 centimetres every year.

So when you stand there,
you are standing between two continents.

For a 10-year-old who loves geography, that was not a small fact.
That was a moment.

Iceland’s James Bond Landscape

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to visit Iceland was to experience the breathtaking beauty of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the famous Diamond Beach, especially after seeing this surreal landscape featured in James Bond movies like Die Another Day and A View to a Kill. Standing here felt less like visiting a tourist attraction and more like stepping into a cinematic Arctic dream.

Located near Vatnajökull Glacier, Europe’s largest glacier, Jökulsárlón is filled with massive floating icebergs slowly drifting toward the Atlantic Ocean. Across the road, these glacier pieces wash onto Iceland’s black volcanic shoreline, creating the magical sight known as Diamond Beach. The contrast of crystal-clear ice against the dark sand makes it one of the most stunning and photogenic places in Iceland.

The freezing Arctic winds, drifting blue ice, crashing waves, and complete silence made this one of the most unforgettable moments of our Iceland road trip.

The Plane Wreck Adventure in Sólheimasandur

Sunitha had her own mission in Iceland: the famous DC-3 plane wreck on Sólheimasandur.

Reaching it meant walking nearly 5 kilometres one way across black sand, and then doing the same on the way back.

Doing that in freezing Icelandic wind with little Jordan made the walk feel far bigger than it looked on a map.

By the time we reached the wreck, the plane looked exactly as dramatic as people describe it. But the real memory was not the wreck itself; it was
the freezing wind, the endless walk, and the effort it took to get there.

Iceland’s Landscapes – A Different World Every Few Hours

Driving through Iceland feels like moving through a series of completely different worlds.

One moment you are standing on the black volcanic sands of Reynisfjara Beach, with powerful Atlantic waves crashing against basalt columns.

A few hours later, you are at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where giant blue icebergs drift silently.

Just across the road is Diamond Beach, where pieces of glacier ice sparkle like crystals on black sand.

Add to that Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, the Golden Circle, and Vatnajökull National Park, and Iceland stops feeling like a country.

It starts feeling like an entire planet compressed into one island.

Seven Days That Stayed With Me

So this was our seven-day Iceland road trip in December.

We did not see the Northern Lights.
We froze in the wind.
We didn’t get enough day light.
We walked to a plane wreck.

And yet,
it became one of the finest trips of my life.

Because Iceland does not need to give you everything you came for even what it withholds somehow becomes part of the magic; mountains, waterfalls, geysers and glaciers in Icelandic format differs from anywhere else.

The Lost Mumbaikar says
“In Iceland, you can drive through fire, ice, black beaches, glaciers, and waterfalls in a single day… and still feel like you have seen only the
trailer.”

Your Turn

If you were planning a trip to Iceland, would you travel in winter for the Northern Lights or summer for the midnight sun?
Which Iceland experience excites you the most; glaciers, black sand beaches, volcanoes, or waterfalls?
Would you take a caravan and drive the entire Ring Road, or explore Iceland slowly from Reykjavík?

Frequently Asked Questions About Iceland Travel

What is the best time to visit Iceland?

The best time to visit Iceland depends on your travel goals. Winter is ideal for chasing the Northern Lights and snowy landscapes, while summer offers longer daylight hours, easier road conditions, and better opportunities for a complete Ring Road road trip.

Is a 7-day Iceland itinerary enough to explore the country?

A 7-day Iceland itinerary is perfect for experiencing many of the country’s highlights, especially if you plan a Ring Road journey. You’ll have enough time to visit waterfalls, glaciers, black sand beaches, ice lagoons, and several of Iceland’s most iconic attractions.

Is driving the Ring Road the best way to explore Iceland?

Yes. A self-drive Ring Road adventure gives you the flexibility to stop at scenic viewpoints, waterfalls, glaciers, and hidden gems whenever you like. It allows you to experience Iceland’s constantly changing landscapes at your own pace instead of following a fixed tour schedule.

What are the must-visit attractions during an Iceland road trip?

Some of the most unforgettable attractions include Thingvellir National Park, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Gullfoss, and the Geysir geothermal area. Together, they showcase the incredible diversity of Iceland’s natural beauty.

Is Iceland worth visiting even if you don’t see the Northern Lights?

Absolutely. While the Northern Lights are a major attraction, Iceland offers unforgettable experiences far beyond them. Dramatic waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, and scenic road trips make the country extraordinary regardless of whether the lights appear during your visit.