We’ve been in love with Iceland since our winter visit, when we were blown away by the beautiful landscapes, glaciers, waterfalls, and thermal lagoons. Iceland is like a whole other country in the summer, when the snow-covered fields are replaced with vivid green grass and purple lupines as far as the eye can see. There are so many exciting things to do in Iceland in the summer like whale watching and sightseeing under the midnight sun.

Many of the best things to do Iceland in the summer can’t be done during the other seasons, such as seeing puffins who come to nest and breed during the summer months. With warmer temperatures (although still colder than you may expect), longer days, and extraordinarily stunning scenery, it’s no wonder why summer is the most popular time to visit Iceland. We spent 10 days discovering the beauty of Iceland in the summer with our kids. Here’s our list of the 10 best things to do in Iceland in the summer.

What are 10 of the best things to do in Iceland in the summer?

Run through a field of lupines

First on our list is to run through a field of lupines. This is one of the most iconic things to do in Iceland in June.  Lupines have become a symbol of Icelandic summers since they are everywhere! We couldn’t get enough photos of these gorgeous purple flowers, which are reminiscent of lavender fields in the south of France.

Alaskan lupines are widespread throughout Iceland during the month of June and early July. It’s hard to go far without spotting some of these beauties. The plant is not native to Iceland, but it sure has done well there. The Icelandic Forestry Service started spreading the plant in 1960 to stop soil erosion and they caught on like wildfire. Now nature conservationists are actually destroying this invasive plant in some areas to protect the moss that grows on the lava fields.  Good or bad, these purple flowers make for some epic Instagram shots.

Visit a glacier under the midnight sun

One of the best parts of visting Iceland in the summer, especially June, is that the days are very long. This gives you more time to explore and discover. When we visited Iceland in the winter, we had to stop sightseeing early once it got dark outside. In June, we could sightsee until midnight under the midnight sun. In fact, we didn’t bother adjusting to the 4 hour time difference since we could sightsee as long as we wanted. It worked out perfectly for us during our road trip around the Ring Road. Where else can you walk up to a glacier under the midnight sun and have it all to yourselves? Here’s a peak from our midnight visit to Svinasfellsjokull Glacier.

Get up close to puffins

If you want to get up close to these adorable black and white birds, you need to visit Iceland in the summer. Puffins can be found in Iceland from May until September, when they are nesting and breeding on the island. Bird watchers come from all over the world to observe these cute little birds. In fact, Iceland is known as the puffin watching capital of the world.

We spotted puffins in East Iceland in the tiny town of Borgarfjordur Eystri, where about 10,000 pairs of puffins nest every summer. This is one of the best places to watch puffins in Iceland thanks to a wooden platform from which you can get really close without risk of falling off the cliff or destroying puffin burrows with eggs inside. Our kids loved being just a few feet away from these critters they had only seen at the zoo prior to our summer visit to Iceland. We had a blast snapping photos and seeing our kids get so excited!

Go horseback riding on an Icelandic horse

Iceland is one of those places you visit to get in touch with nature and enjoy the beauty around you. Horseback riding is one of the most relaxing ways to explore Iceland’s nature. Icelandic horses are a rare breed known for their beauty, friendliness, and intelligence. Take some time to love on a beautiful Icelandic horse while discovering the spendid scenery. There are horseback riding tours all throughout Iceland. We recommend horseback riding in East Iceland or North Iceland, where summers are sunnier and usually have better weather. This horseback ride was in the outskirtsts of Egilsstadir in East Iceland, where babbling brooks, snow-capped mountains, and fields of lupines awaited.

Take a Whale Watching Tour

Husavik is known as the whale watching capital of Europe. It is the best place to go whale watching in Iceland, although tours can be found in Reykjavik, Akureyri, and other cities along the coast. June, July, and August are peak season for whale watching in Iceland, making a whale watching tour one of the best things to do in Iceland in the summer.

We took a whale watching tour with North Sailing and spotted 3 humpback whales and a pod of dolphins. The stunning backdrop of snow-capped mountains in North Iceland made for some extraordinary photos. Our kids were thrilled to see whales so close and had a blast spotting them with binoculars. If you have kids, a whale watching tour will most likely be one of your favorite things to do in Iceland in the summer. Check out the whale watching tour options with North Sailing here, which include a whale and puffin watching combo tour.

Visit the Secret Lagoon

We visited the famous Blue Lagoon in the winter, but opted for a different thermal pool during our summer visit to Iceland. The lesser-known and less expensive Secret Lagoon is Iceland’s oldest thermal pool and dates back to 1891. This geothermal pool has a bubbling geyser just a few feet away that drains into the pool, heating its water to perfect temperatures for a relaxing soak. You can even walk on a wooden platform around the area to see the natural thermal springs that drain into and heat the pool. We floated on noodles in the hot pool with our kids and enjoyed the natural hot spring without huge crowds of people. The Secret Lagoon is in Fludir and makes a great stop when touring the Golden Circle.

Take a boat ride on Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Jokulsarlon is one of the most-visited attractions in Iceland. It is one of those places you will never forget. The glacier lagoon is home to 1000-year-old chunks of ice that have broken off Europe’s largest glacier- Vatnajökull. The icebergs float through the lagoon to make their way to the ocean. There’s no better way to visit Jokulsarlon than by taking a boat tour to get up close to the icebergs. There are amphibious boats and zodiac boats. Young children are not permitted on the zodiac boats, so we took the amphibious boat tour of Jokulsarlon. We cruised past a seal relaxing on a chunk of ice and got to taste a piece of 1000-year-old ice. It was also interesting to learn more about the glacier lagoon and Vatnajökull. The boat ride was definitely one of the kids’ favorite things to do in Iceland in the summer.

Chase waterfalls

Iceland is home to around 10,000 waterfalls fed by frequent rain, snow, and melting glaciers in the summer. Forget TLC’s hit song- do go chasing waterfalls when in Iceland. Discovering magnificent waterfalls is one of the most awe-inspiring things to do in Iceland in the summer. It is also one of the free things to do in Iceland in summer since you don’t have to pay entrance fees to any of the waterfalls (except for a small parking fee at Seljalandsfoss). Haifoss waterfall, Iceland’s 2nd largest waterfall, is best visited in the summer when the roads to access it are not covered in snow. Photos don’t even do justice to this enormous jaw-dropping waterfall.

Hang with locals at a public thermal pool

As an alternative to the touristy and expensive Blue Lagoon (which we still recommend and you can read more about it here in our post about the best things to do in South Iceland), visit a public heated swimming pool in Iceland. Not only will you save a lot of money, you will get the chance to hang out with locals who love their public thermal pools.

We visited Laugardalslaug, Reykjavik’s largest pool, which was extremely kid-friendly and fun. The complex has a children’s pool, water slides, numerous hot tubs, steam bath, a gym and a mini golf course. We only paid about $20 for the four of us to enter since kids under 6 are free, children are less than $2, and adults are less than $10. Entrance is free with the Reykjavik City Card. Photos were not allowed at Laugardslaug to protect the privacy of swimmers, but we did get permission to take the little GoPro video below of the water slide. The photo below is of the public pool in Hofsos, which has a stellar view but not as many bells and whistles for kids. There are thermal public swimming pools all over Iceland, so pick one and go!

Take a Game of Thrones Tour

Last but certainly not least, taking a Game of Thrones tour is one of the most exciting things to do in Iceland in the summer. We are HUGE fans of Game of Thrones so this was a must-do in Iceland. Although this tour can be done in the winter, some of the locations may not be accessible due to weather conditions, so a summer tour is recommended to see the most. An Iceland Game of Thrones tour will take you to many of the locations where the series was filmed, including the tectonic ridge where they filmed scenes for the Gates of Eeyrie. You may recognize the photo below as a filming location for Game of Thrones in Iceland. This is the mountain where the epic fight scene between The Hound and Brienne of Tarth took place. Check out our detailed blog post all about our private Game of Thrones Iceland tour with Iceland Premium Tours.

Summary of the 10 best things to do in Iceland in June, July, and August

We hope we’ve inspired you to try some of our favorite things to do in Iceland in the summer. We were there in mid-June, which is a fantastic time to visit with the midnight sun, nesting puffins, peak whale-watching season, and lupines in full bloom coloring the countryside purple. Whether you visit in the months of June, July, or August, you’ll find plenty of fun things to do in Iceland in the summer. You will take hundreds (if not thousands) of photos of the gorgeous scenery. Check out some of our favorite drone shots of Iceland in the winter for inspiration. Read our suggestions for what to do in Reykjavik, since you’ll most likely be spending some time in the capital city. If you’re looking for a cheap flight to Iceland, check out our Wow Air review to learn what to expect flying this low-cost carrier as a family. For photos and details about the best luxury hotel in South Iceland, read our Hotel Ranga review.

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**Disclosure- North Sailing comped our whale watching tour and Iceland Premium Tours comped our Game of Thrones Tour. As always, all opinions are our own and we were not paid to write this post.

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