You’ve heard all about Iceland.  You’ve seen the Instagram photos and you remember when EVERYONE was going.  But now it’s finally YOUR turn and during the winter season, no less! Before you head out on your adventure, check out my top 5 favorite experiences and prepare to be wowed. These are the best excursions in Iceland and if I were to plan this trip all over again, I would definitely included these.

1. Blue Ice Cave Excursion

I would hands-down make this a top priority.  Quite honestly this was the main reason I wanted to go to Iceland during the winter season (which on the surface is definitely the WORST time of year for a Cali girl to visit this country, lol). (It’s also a must-do for any Frozen 2 fan.)

We did an ice cave plus glacier walk which was really cool and gave us more of an understanding of how the blue ice forms within the glaciers. But if you’re generally not into hiking, I’d say you can skip the glacier walk portion.  We did our tour through Glacier Adventures and I would HIGHLY recommend them.  They were knowledgeable and professional.  But there are lots of other great tour operators in the country too, if you can’t get a reservation with Glacier Adventures.

2. Spend the Night in a Bubble

The second coolest thing we did was definitely spend the night in a Bubble!  There is only one company in Iceland that offers this “Buubble” experience and you must book a tour as part of the package.  We chose the Golden Circle tour because it was what worked best with our schedule, but of the two winter offers, I think either would be amazing.  Be prepared to not actually get any sleep from the excitement of being in a bubble in the middle of the forest in the dead of winter – but TOTALLY worth the lack of sleep! (The absolute BEST excursion in Iceland).

3. Hunt for the Northern Lights

While you don’t need to go with a group to experience the Northern Lights (just go out into the country on a clear night and wait…), it is the best way to know what you’re looking for if you’ve never seen them before.  Going with a guide or an expert can really help educate you on where to go and what to look for.  They may also be able to help you with your photos (which are quite difficult to get if you’ve never photographed the Northern Lights before).

Below are a couple of excursions for stalking the Northern Lights:

4. Pamper Yourself at the Blue Lagoon

If you have the budget and want to splurge on a private experience, then the Blue Lagoon Retreat is the way to go.  You can do a day pass at the spa for a little over $500 or you can spend the night in the Retreat hotel for $1,100.  If this is waaaaay outside of your budget (like it was for us), a day pass to the main Blue Lagoon is completely fine too.  Either way you must visit the Blue Lagoon – hype and all. It was the most relaxing spa experience I’ve ever had and the perfect way to end a trip to Iceland.

5. Visit the Icelandic Horses

The horses in Iceland are a rare breed that you can only find in Iceland!  The country has very strict laws about the mating of this breed and the importation/exportation of these horses. Once an Icelandic horse leaves Iceland, it’s not allowed to return to the country.  This preserves this one-of-a-kind breed and makes sure they’ll be around, long after we are. 

And if you are feeling particularly adventurous, try your hand at horseback riding while you’re there (but make sure you wear the right clothing because it’ll be FREEZING).

Hope you enjoyed my list of top excursions to do in Iceland! There are also tons of other activities for the adventurer in you. From snowmobiling to snorkeling to helicopter & hovercraft rides, there is literally something for everyone.  Is there anything you would add to this list?

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