Reykjavík

Hallgrímskirkja is an iconic part of Reykjavík's skyline and at 74.5 metres tall it is one of the tallest structures in the country. The gigantic church on the hill was a controversial project, but Icelanders have come to embrace their monumental tower in all its brutalist glory. The concrete mountain which took over 40 years to construct was inspired by the unusual columnar basalt formations along Iceland’s coast. You can admire the building inside and outside, go to the top of the tower to catch the view or attend an organ concert. The church is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson — a 17th-century minister and poet who wrote the “The Passion Hymns”. The book remains popular to this day.

The festival is regarded as the biggest celebration of music in Iceland and boasts an unrivalled line-up of established and up-and-coming artists.

One of Reykjavík's most iconic landmarks and a must-visit while in Iceland is Harpa, the city's concert hall and conference centre as well as home to the Icelandic Opera and the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. Located by the old harbour, near the centre of Reykjavík, this striking bit of contemporary architecture boasts a glass facade, which covers the entire building featuring honeycomb panels that change colours during the day as they reflect the sky and the ocean. At night, a light show makes the building look even more magical.

On the waterfront, only a few minutes from Harpa, sits the most famous sculpture in Iceland, the Sólfarið or the Sun Voyager. Made of steel and resembling a Viking ship — although this was not the artist's intention — the Sun Voyager is, according to its creator Jón Gunnar Árnason, an ode to the sun, a dreamboat symbolizing the promise of undiscovered territory, the dream of hope, progress, and freedom. This is also one of the best spots for a picture in Reykjavík, with mount Esja providing the perfect backdrop.

Simply put, Iceland’s famous Golden Circle is a popular route between three of the island's most visited attractions. Usually done as a day trip, the route starts in Reykjavik and takes you south and inland, to the Þingvellir National Park. There you enter the Geyser geothermal area with the Strokkur Geyser being most eager of the bunch. Finally, you arrive at to the 32-metre tall Gullfoss waterfall in the canyon of the roaring Hvítá river. Many tour agents and travellers themselves like to make extra stops along the way to see a geothermal power plant or spend a few hours at one of the spas. You could rent a car and drive between the landmarks at your own speed. In summer, you could even use the long daylight hours to avoid the crowds that tend to come earlier in the day. If you can pick your own route, don't miss the Kerid Crater Lake — a scenic lake that occupies a 3,000 years old volcanic crater that you can easily reach on foot.

Perlan is an otherworldly creation with a viewing platform and a revolving restaurant on top of water storage tanks. Apart from the glass domed restaurant, the complex hosts an exhibition space, a planetarium and an observation deck.

The onyx black sand of Reynisfjara is formed from volcanic activity in Iceland: when lava collides with the ocean, it rapidly cools and shatters into small fragments of basalt. With its enormous basalt stacks (features in Game of Thrones and once believed to be petrified trolls), roaring Atlantic waves and stunning vistas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches. The sea stacks along the shore are home to thousands of nesting seabirds like puffins, fulmars and guillemots — a must-see for birdwatchers. A visit to Reynisfjara is included in most tours of southern Iceland. Driving here is a good option, too, since it's only about 180 km from Reykjavík.

The Super DC-3 aircraft crashed into Sólheimasandur back in 1973, thankfully leaving its seven crew members unharmed. Since then the empty husk of a plane has been left exposed to the elements, rusting away in constant humidity and cracking from constant freezes and thaws. The wreckage is a particularly beloved spot by local and visiting photographers thanks to its sparse and wild surrounding black sand landscape and its incredible visual contrast to the aircraft’s gnarled metal carcass. To visit the plane wreck, you can join organised hiking, horse riding or ATV riding tours, take a bus or get there by yourself. Remember, that driving over the sands is considered to be driving off-road and carries heavy fines. Lastly, the wreck is located pretty close to the village of Vik made famous after a popular Netflix series Katla.