Iceland in Pictures: 87 Free Photos of Reykjavík, Gullfoss and Þingvellir
Iceland in 87 free photos: the colourful capital by the sea, the rift where two continents pull apart, a thundering waterfall, a glacier on top of a volcano, and the milky blue water of the Blue Lagoon.
Iceland at a glance
- Getting there: flights land at Keflavík, about 50 km from Reykjavík, with buses to the city.
- Getting around: a hire car or a day tour; Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss make up the Golden Circle, an easy day from Reykjavík.
- When to go: June to August for the midnight sun and open roads; September to March for the northern lights.
How to download: click a photo to see it large, then use Download. The originals are about 1200 × 800 pixels: right for blog posts, slides, social media, school projects and video call backgrounds.
Reykjavík
The northernmost capital in the world is small and walkable: the main street Laugavegur, the concrete tower of Hallgrímskirkja above the roofs, Höfði House, where Reagan and Gorbachev met in 1986, and the steel Sun Voyager on the seafront. The Árbær open-air museum keeps old turf-roofed houses and a church, and whale-watching boats leave from the old harbour.
Þingvellir
At Þingvellir the North American and Eurasian plates drift apart, opening cracks and cliffs across the valley; you walk through the Almannagjá gorge between walls of lava, and divers swim in the clear water of the fissures. The Icelandic parliament, the Alþing, first met here in 930, which makes the place doubly important to Icelanders; it is a national park and a UNESCO site.
Gullfoss
The Hvítá river drops 32 metres in two steps at Gullfoss, the Golden Falls, and disappears into a narrow canyon in clouds of spray. Paths lead along the edge to the foot of the upper fall.
Mýrdalsjökull glacier
Mýrdalsjökull, the ice cap in the south of the island, covers the volcano Katla. Snowmobile tours roar up from the edge, where black volcanic gravel meets the ice, into a white world under fast-changing skies.
The Blue Lagoon
In a lava field on the Reykjanes peninsula, warm, mineral-rich seawater from a geothermal power plant fills the Blue Lagoon, milky blue against the black rock. It is the most famous spa in Iceland and close to the airport.
Reindeer
Reindeer were brought to Iceland from Norway in the 18th century and now live wild in the east of the island; these were photographed in an enclosure.
More free photos
- Reykjavík attractions
- Free waterfall pictures
- Free ice and glacier pictures
- Free mountain pictures
- Free geology pictures
Questions about these photos
Can I use these Iceland pictures for free?
Yes, for personal and commercial projects. All we ask is a link back to BigFoto.com; the box at the top of the page has a credit link you can copy.
What is the Golden Circle in Iceland?
A round trip of about 300 km from Reykjavík to three sights: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir hot spring area and the Gullfoss waterfall. It fits into one day by car or on a tour.
