Iceland: 5 Best Spots to Visit in The Winter
Visiting Iceland in winter is always an adventure – you never know what to expect and it’s pretty hard to plan for. One thing that’s for certain is the epic landscapes are made even more incredible by the winter scenery! We visited Iceland on a one week road trip during February of 2025. Because it was only seven days, we were unsure of the what to include in our itinerary. So from our trip – here are Icelands 5 best spots to visit in the winter!
#5: Dyrholaey
The Dyrholaey viewpoint includes a few things – a cool drive up to the top, a lighthouse, ocean views, AND insanely high views of the black sand beach merging with the ocean below. Although it was a bit cloudy, it didn’t stop us from seeing the beauty of the place that brings people out to this viewpoint! There were so many birds nestled in the cliffside and tons of space to get your own vantage point of the amazing scenery.
#4: Skaftafell Glacier Tour
Im usually not one for tours, but there are some things that you really won’t get the full effect of doing by yourself, and sometimes it’s also just not safe to. This tour was a winner for us – the tour guides are so knowledgeable about the area, the nature, the glaciers, the formations, and they know the spots that people getting up close and personal with a glacier would want to see! This glacier was EPIC – it had so many crevices to explore and getting to walk around a glacier high above was such a unique experience!
#3: Diamond Beach
Diamond beach is on everyones radar – but honestly for good reason. I was NOT expecting it to be THIS insane! The cool park about this is you can visit the glacier and then also head over to the black beach where you can see the “diamonds”. You do need to pay for parking and they do have some food trucks on site (over at the other side where the glacier parking is). It can be hit or miss (i.e. the amount of ice on the beach can change), but when we went there were sparkling rocks of ice as far as I could see. Plus, everyone kind of groups into the beginning section so if you walk further out you can experience the ice without the crowds. Admiring the “diamonds” and searching for seals by the glacier made for a great afternoon stop on our road trip.
#2: Snaefellness Peninsula
We loved this spot for so many reasons – the stunning views and how much there was to do within a relatively small area. From fishing villages, to hikes within a national park, to iconic viewpoints and waterfalls, and a great road tripping spot, this little corner of Iceland should be on your itinerary! It can be done as a day trip (although just as anywhere, the longer you stay the more you’ll get to see) and you will not regret fitting it in. This stunning picture was taken at Ytri Tinga beach which is an awesome spot to seal watch whilst also taking in the scenery.
#1: Stokksnes
This was by far my favourite spot in Iceland. The scenery here is unexpected and so stunning! If the black beaches and contrasting mountains aren’t enough to bring you out here, perhaps the movie scene viking village will entice you. There is an entrance fee here, but it was totally worth it to us! We went in the evening (around dinner time) whilst the sun was setting and it was quiet with little visitors, allowing us to enjoy the stunning vistas peacefully.
We had such an amazing week in Iceland, with the most amazing views! Stay tuned for more posts with ALL of our information from Iceland.
