Rough Guides - The Mini Rough Guide to Iceland (Travel Guide eBook)

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Rough Guide Mini e-book is designed to inspire you and help you plan for your visit to Iceland, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Highlights, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan an unforgettable trip. The Introduction and History and Culture chapters give the lowdown on Iceland, past and present, while the Out and About chapter is a comprehensive guide to all the best sights. You will find ideas for getting active in Things to Do, while the Food and Drink chapter introduces you to the local cuisine and gives listings of our favourite restaurants by area. Travel Essentials offers just that; practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, Where to Stay provides a special selection of hotels for every budget.In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Iceland are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

Youll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Iceland. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Rough Guides

Published in 1982, the first Rough Guide to Greece was created by Mark Ellingham and a small group of friends who couldnt find a guidebook to meet their needs. Combining a contemporary, journalistic style with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers needs, the immediate success of the book spawned a series that rapidly covered dozens of destinations. These days, Rough Guides include recommendations from budget to luxury and cover more than 120 destinations worldwide, all regularly updated by our team of ever curious, roaming writers. These Rough Guide Minis may be small, but they are packed with information and inspiration and offer amazing value for money.

2022 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

10 THINGS NOT TO MISS

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1. rsmrk

One of Icelands most dramatic wilderness areas. For more information, .

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2. Heimaey

A quintessential Icelandic fishing port with an attractive harbour. For more information, .

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3. Reykjavk.

Icelands vibrant capital has many cultural attractions. For more information, .

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4. Geysir

No visit is complete without seeing Icelands hot springs. For more information, .

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5. Goafoss

Witness the power of these staggering falls. For more information, .

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6. Blue Lagoon

Bathe in the naturally heated, therapeutic waters. For more information, .

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7. Lake Mvatn

A bird-watchers paradise surrounded by volcanic peaks. For more information, .

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8. Northern Lights

The most breathtaking lightshow on earth. For more information, .

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9. Jkulsrln

This spectacular iceberg-studded lagoon is out of this world. For more information, .

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10. Whale-watching

Spot one of these majestic creatures off Hsavik. For more information, .

A Perfect Day IN REYKJAVK

9.30am

Breakfast. Start the day with breakfast at your hotel or head to the retro-style caf, Gri Ktturinn, on Hverfisgata 16a, for orange juice, pancakes with bacon and syrup and a tasty coffee.

11.00am

Shoreline stroll. Take a morning walk past the glittering Harpa concert hall to the harbour area. If you are tempted, you could take in a whale-watching trip from one of the boats moored here. Check out Icelandic pop art at the Hafnarhs gallery and admire Mt Esja across the bay.

12.30pm

Lobster stop. Stop for a bowl of lobster soup and a beer at Sgreifinn fish shack on Geirsgata 8.

1.30pm

Reykjavks heart. Take a walk through Austurvllur square, the citys traditional heart, where youll find the statue of Jn Sigursson, Parliament House and, adjacent, Reykjavks modest cathedral, the Dmkirkjan. Slip past the City Hall to see the abundant birdlife on Tjrnin pond.

2.00pm

Heritage walk. Walk down Reykjavks oldest street, Aalstrti, and look in at the citys most modern heritage museum, the Settlement Exhibition Reykjavk 8712, for some Icelandic history.

3.00pm

Retail therapy. Head to Reykjavks main shopping street, Laugavegur, for exclusive, cutting edge fashion labels alongside vintage clothes (Sptnik at 28b is particularly good for this). Branching off diagonally, Sklavrustgur is lined with beautiful art and design shops. Further up, you will find the famous Bad Taste Record Shop (Hverfisgata 32).

5.00pm

Steam and soak. Time to recover from shopping and sightseeing at one of Reykjavks many geothermal pools. The most central is Sundhllin, on Barnsstgur. The pool is indoor, with outdoor hot pots to relax and gossip in the perfect way to get ready for the night ahead.

8.00pm

Fine dining. There are many excellent restaurants in the city centre. Two options for cosy fine dining are the Ostabin (Fiskisl 26) and Dill (Laugavegur 59), a moodily lit and atmospheric first floor restaurant.

10.00pm