Do you have a bucket list in your head (or on paper)? Things you’d like to see and do in this lifetime, like the Bucket List movie, which has inspired countless people to fulfill their dreams? Perhaps your bucket list includes being up close to a geyser, snorkeling in a rift, seeing the northern lights, hiking near gorgeous waterfalls, seeing the midnight sun, learning ancient history on location, visiting a music festival, riding unique horses, climbing a mountain, entering a volcano, swimming in the Blue Lagoon, going whale and puffin-watching, or crossing the Arctic Circle. 

If so, all of this can be accomplished in Iceland, the land of fire and ice. Even the name gives you a glimpse into the extraordinary things to see and do here. Iceland travel is easy, due to the many flights that go in and out of Reykjavik, the ease of getting around the country via the Ring Road, the extremely friendly locals, and the abundance of bucket list features. This is a land of incomparable beauty, seemingly a playground of the gods, from the landscape’s many unique features, clear waters, and expansive night skies. 

The Landscape

Perchance you’d like to descend into a volcano? Good thing you're here. Iceland is the largest volcanic island on earth. At Thrihnukagigur, you can descend right into the inside of a volcano – the only place in the world where you can do this! Caving here is safe – Thrihnukagigur last erupted over 4,000 years ago. 

Of course, there are mountains aplenty in Iceland. Frommer’s has a list of the best hikes in Iceland, if you want to get out and hike or climb them. 

Want to hike near a still-warm volcano? Head to Eyjafjallajökull, where the 2010 eruption affected flights and weather around the world. For this, take the Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail.

Hikes that feature extraordinary scenery are everywhere in Iceland. The most popular hike is the Laugavegur trek, 55km long. Look:

Maybe you want to experience a geyser? The word originated here, from the Icelandic Geysir. Geysir is a hot spring in South Iceland in Thingvellir National Park (along with Gulfoss, the well-known waterfall). Here, you can see Strokkur, which spouts every 10 minutes or so, and smaller fumaroles that spout steam and gas (sulfur) or boiling mud.

Love the landscape so much you don't want to leave? Plan on coming for the summer as an environmental conservation volunteer with the Environmental Agency of Iceland. Details and how to apply here. Can't stay for 11 weeks or so? SEEDS has shorter term volunteer options to help with environmental, cultural, educational, and other programs.

Other ways to experience the landscape include sailing, helicopter tours, and super jeep tours.

The Animals

I love whale-watching, and here on a whale-watching tour, you can see minke and humpback whales, and occasionally blue whales, porpoises and dolphins, and orcas, depending on the season.

The puffin is ubiquitous in Iceland, and you can see them from April through September, especially in the Westman Islands. If eating unusual foods is on your bucket list, try eating smoked puffin at a local restaurant (or try the fermented shark). Other birds you can see here include plovers, ravens (the unofficial Icelandic National Bird), snipe, terns, and ptarmigan.

You may also want to go horseback riding – Icelandic horses (often called ponies, because they are so small) are famous for having five gaits. You’ll be able to find a tour in a variety of landscapes here – beaches of various colors, meadows, in fields or volcanic landscapes, by deserted fjords or steep cliffs. Horseback riding tours are available for all levels, from families and beginners to expert riders, and for a variety of time periods, from a few hours to several days.

Many other types of wildlife call Iceland home, from foxes and reindeer to seals and the very occasional polar bear. Note: NO SNAKES (yahoo!)!

The Water

Besides relaxing in the Blue Lagoon (located near Reykjavik), which seems to be on everyone’s bucket list, there are hot springs located all around the country. Head to Reykjadalur (Steam Valley) to bathe in natural hot springs. Visit Mývatn Nature Baths, called the Blue Lagoon of the north – but much less crowded than the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik.

Want to snorkel in a volcanic rift? Make plans to visit Silfra in Thingvellir National Park, where you can snorkel (in a drysuit!) in cold, crisp glacial runoff water, where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates meet. The eerie rocky environment underwater is punctuated by waving threads of green and orange aquatic growth. 

Photo: Wedged Between Tectonic Plates: Snorkeling Under the Midnight Sun

Waterfalls are plentiful in Iceland. The Hraunfossar waterfall runs over a lava field. Dettifoss, in northeast Iceland, is the most powerful in the country – just look at that water rushing forth! Svartifoss is located among dark basalt columns (the name means dark waterfall) – almost an alien landscape. Skogafoss is known for creating rainbows with its enormous mist, on sunny days. Hrafnabjargafoss is one of three waterfalls along the Skjalfandafljot glacial river. And of course, don’t miss seeing the most famous - and beautiful - Gulfoss (golden waterfall).

The Sky

Having grown up in Michigan, I’ve seen the Northern Lights a few times. But our southern Northern Lights are tiny ones compared to the sweeping vistas of the Arctic Circle, where the Aurora Borealis visibly dances in the colder months, September through April (the deep winter months have the best visibility). Check the aurora forecast for best times, and learn how to photograph the Northern Lights so that you can take the experience home with you.

If you come in the summer, however, you’ll have a chance to see the Midnight Sun. During June and July, the sun does not set north of the Arctic Circle. This can make for some incredible photos – as well as some internal queries about when to sleep.

The Weather

In winter, be sure to explore an ice cave tunnel, inside a glacier. Climb a glacier! Visit Jökulsárlon glacier lagoon, where you can see icebergs that have broken away from the main glaciers.

Also during winter, you can partake in a variety of outdoor sports, including skiing, snowmobiling, and snowboarding (not so bucket list to this Michigander) and dogsledding (totally bucket list!). You can even go SURFING. Mind blown; crowning achievement for a bucket list.

In warmer weather, you have many options for outdoor adventures. You can sail, bike, go on cross-country tours in a super jeep, hike a volcano, climb, walk lava fields, and relax in a natural hot springs after all that excitement. There's room to roam and play. What do you love to do outside?

Culture

You’re also in a literary capital of the world, where there is 100% literacy, poems on benches, books and writers are revered, and the locals know how to celebrate life well in all seasons. Art and literature are woven into this culture. Visit during a music festival, or get tickets to a concert at Reykjavik’s beautiful Harpa concert hall. Do your research for when to come, and visit during the Reykjavik Arts Festival, Iceland Airwaves, Gay Pride, RIFF (The Reykjavik International Film Festival), Culture Night, Food & Fun, or the Sonar Festival.

Love Viking history? See the 871+/-2 Settlement Exhibit, an excavation of Iceland’s first settlement. Head to the Saga Centre in Hvolsvöllur, where you can learn about Icelandic mythology, history, and discovery. Soon you'll be starring in a Viking tv show in your own mind. 

Are you ready to live your bucket list?

All photos courtesy and copyright https://guidetoiceland.is/, except where noted. Word photo adapted by Wandering Educators