Halló
HAH-loh
Hello
A friendly greeting at any time of day
Travel guide
Learn Iceland before you go
A young island of fire and ice in the North Atlantic, with glaciers, waterfalls, hot springs and one of the oldest parliaments in the world.
CapitalReykjavík
CurrencyIcelandic króna (ISK)
Official languageIcelandic, the national and official language by a law of 2011
Drives on theRight (since 26 May 1968)
Calling code+354
10 phrases to learn
In Icelandic (íslenska). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Góðan daginn
GOH-than DYE-in
Good day, good morning
Greeting someone during the day
Gott kvöld
GOHT KVULD
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Góða nótt
GOH-tha NOHT
Good night
Saying goodnight
Bless
BLESS
Bye
Leaving; Icelanders often say it twice, 'bless bless'
Takk fyrir
TAHK FIH-rir
Thank you
Thanking anyone; 'takk' alone also works
Það var ekkert
THATH var EH-kert
You're welcome (literally 'it was nothing')
Answering someone who thanks you
Já / Nei
YOW / NAY
Yes / No
Answering a question
Afsakið
AHF-sah-kith
Excuse me
Getting someone's attention or passing by
Fyrirgefðu
FIH-rir-gev-thu
Sorry
Apologising
At the table
- Tap water in Iceland is clean and safe to drink, so there is no need to buy bottled water.
- Coffee is part of daily life, and pastries such as kleinur and pancakes are served with it at home and at family gatherings.
- Take off your shoes when you enter an Icelandic home, unless your hosts tell you not to.
- A host may say 'Verði þér að góðu', which is used like 'enjoy your meal'. 'Takk' or 'takk fyrir' means thank you.
- Tipping is not expected: service is included in the price.
Local tips
Drive on the right, lights always on
Iceland drives on the right. Headlights must be on day and night, and everyone must wear a seat belt. The usual speed limit is 90 km/h on paved country roads, lower on gravel, and 50 km/h in towns. Watch for sheep on the road and for single-lane bridges, signed 'Einbreið brú'.
Never drive off the road
Driving off marked roads is against the law and fined heavily, because moss and soil take decades to recover. (There are a few narrow exceptions, for example for some work vehicles and for driving on glaciers or firm, frozen snow.) Mountain roads (F-roads) in the highlands open only in summer and need a four-wheel-drive car.
Check the weather and the roads every day
Weather changes fast, and storms can close roads, even in summer. Check road conditions at umferdin.is and safety warnings at safetravel.is before you set off, and dress in warm, waterproof layers.
Respect the waves and the ice
On south coast beaches such as Reynisfjara, sudden large waves can reach far up the sand, so keep well back from the water. Do not walk onto glaciers or climb on icebergs without a guide.
Cards everywhere, no tipping
The currency is the Icelandic króna, but almost every shop, taxi and petrol station takes cards, so you need little cash. Tipping is not expected, as service is included in prices.
Shower before you swim
Swimming pools and hot tubs are a big part of Icelandic life. The water has very few chemicals in it, so everyone must shower thoroughly, without a swimsuit, in the changing room before going in. Swimsuits and towels can be hired.
Light and dark
In June it barely gets dark at night, so pack an eye mask. From about September to April the long, dark nights bring a good chance of seeing the northern lights away from town lights.
Emergencies
The emergency number in Iceland is 112, for police, ambulance, fire and rescue. There is also a 112 web chat, and warnings about eruptions and storms can be sent by text message to phones in the area.
Dishes to try
- Skyr: A thick, mild, high-protein dairy food made from skimmed milk. It looks and is eaten like a strained yoghurt, but it is really a soft fresh cheese. It is served cold, often with berries and a little cream, or in flavoured pots.
- Icelandic lamb soup (Kjötsúpa): A hearty soup of lamb on the bone, simmered with rutabaga (swede), carrots, potatoes and cabbage, often thickened with a little rice or oats and seasoned with dried soup herbs. It is the dish Icelanders abroad often cook to show foreigners what Icelandic food is like.
- Fish stew (Plokkfiskur): Cooked white fish, such as cod or haddock, broken into flakes and mixed with boiled potatoes and onion in a creamy white sauce. It began as a way to use up leftover fish and is served with dark rye bread and butter.
- Smoked lamb (Hangikjöt): Lamb or mutton smoked, traditionally over birch or dried sheep dung, then boiled and served hot or cold in slices. At Christmas it comes with potatoes in white sauce and green peas, and it is also eaten in thin slices on flatbread.
- Rye bread (Rúgbrauð): A dark, dense, slightly sweet rye bread with no crust, served with butter, smoked lamb, pickled herring or fish stew. The traditional way was to bake it slowly in a pot.
- Twisted doughnuts (Kleinur): Small fried pastries cut into slanted shapes (trapezoids), with one end pulled through a slit to make a twist. They are sold in bakeries and shops all over the country and eaten plain with coffee.
- Icelandic pancakes (Pönnukökur): Very thin pancakes, smaller than French crêpes, served either rolled up with sugar or folded into triangles with jam and whipped cream. They are a favourite at family coffee parties and on special days such as the First Day of Summer and the national day.
- Fermented shark (Hákarl): Greenland shark meat, which is poisonous when fresh, cured for weeks under gravel and then hung to dry for four to five months. It has a strong smell of ammonia and is served in small cubes on toothpicks, often with a shot of brennivín.
Cities to see
- Reykjavík (capital): Hallgrímskirkja church, Harpa concert hall, The Reagan and Gorbachev summit of 1986.
- Akureyri: The Akureyri Botanical Garden, The long fjord Eyjafjörður, The island of Grímsey on the Arctic Circle, part of the municipality.
- Húsavík: Whale watching, The Húsavík Whale Museum, The wooden church of 1907.
- Ísafjörður: The Westfjords Heritage Museum, Old timber houses from the 1700s, The Neðstikaupstaður trading post.
- Stykkishólmur: The Norwegian House museum, The Baldur ferry, Snæfellsnes peninsula and Kirkjufell mountain.
- Keflavík: Keflavík International Airport, The Viking World museum in Njarðvík, A former United States air base.