16 Best Hotels in Iceland, From Rural Lodges to Reykjavik Boutiques

This really depends on what you plan on doing during your stay. If you’re road tripping, plan to have a handful of “home bases” scattered around the country—unless your “road trip” is more like planning a set of day trips from Reykjavik, you’re going to be moving around quite a bit. The capital city certainly has the most options when it comes to accommodations, but the hotels, Airbnbs, and inns dotted around the countryside are beyond charming, and you’re likely to meet a local or two along the way. If you’re looking to have multiple properties to choose from, Reykjavik, Vik, and Akureyri are going to be the largest cities. If you’re hoping to catch the puffins in the summer months, settling in on Vestmannaeyjar is a good idea. For a large variety of Iceland’s iconic landscapes, the Myvatn area in the north packs expansive lava rock fields, craters, hot springs, geothermal mud pits, and massive lakes into a single area. For an easy-going road trip route, head along the South Coast: Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón (the much-photographed glacier lagoon) and back again. If this is the way you end up going, Vik is a great place to lay your head at night.