Good to know
You can travel to the Schengen area, which includes Iceland, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa…
Iceland follows Schengen area rules. Your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it might have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ag…
The European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now being implemented across the Schengen area…
There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of Iceland. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty…
Exercise normal security precautions. Latest change: Entry and exit requirements section – updated information on the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
Exercise normal security precautions. Latest change: Editorial change.
Wind can rip car doors off their hinges here. Hold the door with both hands and check the wind warning on vedur.is.
Dyrholaey closes during puffin nesting in May. Check before driving up to the arch.
Vik has one supermarket and it closes early. Stock up in Selfoss or Hvolsvollur if you arrive late.
Glacier walks on Solheimajokull leave from a car park 30 minutes west and must be booked with a guide.
Local knowledge
Contributed by guides, operators and creators on the ground. Community advice, kept separate from official sources.
At Reynisfjara stay above the marked line and keep watching the sea. Waves that look small at the horizon arrive waist high on the sand.
Book an experience
Verified operators in Vik, booked direct through KLNK.
Frequently asked questions
Only with care. Sneaker waves reach far up the black sand without warning. Obey the warning lights and stay well back from the water.
About 190 km, roughly 2 and a half hours on Route 1 in good conditions.
Dyrholaey from mid May to mid August, subject to nesting closures.
Yes. Skogafoss, Solheimajokull and Reynisfjara are all within 30 minutes, and Jokulsarlon is about 2 hours east.
For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Iceland guide. Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of Iceland. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
U.S. Department of State currently advises normal precautions (level 1 of 4). Advice differs slightly between governments, so check your own country's advisory before you travel.
Travel information last reviewed 18 August 2026. Compiled from European Commission Newsroom, IATA Timatic, Open-Meteo and Tourpublish Travel Intelligence. Always confirm entry rules and safety guidance with official government sources before you travel.
Advisories, entry rules and alerts apply to Iceland as a whole.
Aggregated from official sources. Content is never rewritten — always display the publisher, publication time and original source link.
Photography: Andrea Schaffer (CC BY 2.0); Jakub Fryš (CC BY-SA 4.0); Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0).