Top 7 Self-Guided Tours in Iceland

1.Reykjavik Main Sights and Hidden Spots: A Self-Guided Audio Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $11Our pick

Use the VoiceMap app to walk from Hallgrímskirkja through central Reykjavík, Harpa, the Old Harbour, and Iceland’s Parliament. GPS-triggered audio explains the city’s religious, political, and cultural past while offline maps guide you. Plan on 90 minutes to two hours, or longer with café and photo stops.

“This guide was great! Easy to follow, clear instructions and a good level of information and interest. We saw a lot of the city, learned about what we were looking at and really enjoyed it. It took us about 3 hours, walking, stopping to look and listen, stopping for a coffee in a recommended café and enjoying going round at our own pace.”

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2.Iceland’s Golden Circle Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · 3 to 6 hours (approx.)

Drive Iceland’s Golden Circle at your own pace with Action’s GPS-triggered audio tour. Hear stories about Vikings, geology, folklore, and modern Iceland as you travel from Reykjavik to Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, Skálholt, Sólheimar, and Kerid Crater. Download it on strong Wi-Fi first, then use it offline in your rental car.

“The audio tour is nice enough and has a few interesting bits, and we liked the way it started automatically so you could concentrate on driving. That must be really useful if you're travelling alone. BUT the narrator sounded like he was reading it for the first time, with a lot of mispronunciations and some sentences being really hard to understand because of the way he put the emphasis. The info was pitched at a pretty basic level (maybe aimed at children?) and I knew some of the dates were wrong from having glanced at Wikipedia the day before. If the only thing you know about Norse gods is from…”

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3.Self-Guided Tour of Ísafjörður: Art, History, and Architecture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $9Best value

Use the VoiceMap app to walk from the Westfjord History Museum to Silfurtorg in about 75 to 90 minutes. A local narrator leads you past fishing landmarks, Kerecis, Ísafjarðarkirkja, the old hospital, Whalebone Arch, public art, and town gardens. Download the route before you start.

“A great way to explore this lovely town. The app was very easy to use and very informative. Would highly recommend”

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4.Reykjavik Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $9

Use the World City Trail app to guide yourself through 3.1 km of central Reykjavik sights, from the Sun Voyager and Harpa to Hallgrimskirkja and Rainbow Street. Solve simple riddles, hear short stories, pause for food or photos, and continue whenever you like. It is available 24/7 in six languages, with no live guide.

“Really good trail. Loads to see and good clues. The write ups at each clue were a bit repetitive but other than that a great trail! Would recommend.”

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5.Icelands Reykjavik Self Guided Walking Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $19

This private, self-guided Reykjavik walk uses Action’s Tour Guide app to lead you through more than 1.6 miles and 30 audio stories. Hear local legends, Viking lore, and city history as you pass Hallgrimskirkja, Sun Voyager, Harpa, Parliament, and City Hall. Download it on strong Wi-Fi, then walk offline at your own speed.

“Easy to use app. It was very neat how all you needed to do was walk with it running for the stories to play, or simply go to the "learn more" at a highlighted spot. I also liked that there were transcripts of the audio, and the clear audio directions and map. The stories were interesting, and the narration engaging. It was very informative and added a lot of missing context to my understanding of Reykjavik.”

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6.Snaefellsnes Peninsula Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.)

Guide With Action’s self-guided tour turns your car into a private sightseeing vehicle. Follow an offline GPS route across 89 miles of Snæfellsnes, with more than 83 narrated stories about volcanoes, churches, folklore, waterfalls, and fishing villages. Pause, restart, or spread the route across several days. One purchase covers up to four people.

“It was very informative and intuitive. It is GPS enabled so it will pick up exactly where it left off if you cancel out of the app and need to go back in. Make sure to download before you need it!”

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7.Reykjanes Peninsula: Volcanos & Blue Lagoon Self-Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews

Drive from Njarðvík across the Reykjanes Peninsula with Action’s self-guided audio app. Follow stories about volcanoes, Vikings, pirates, trolls, and Icelandic fishing life while stopping at Blue Lagoon, Gunnuhver, sea cliffs, lighthouses, lava pools, and Fagradalsfjall. The tour costs $49.99 per car, works offline, and does not include attraction tickets.

“The tour was spot on with locations. Worked flawlessly! Commentary was interesting, curent and insightful. The route was easy to navigate. Tour is very doable in just over three hours. However, I could easily spend up to 6 hours with several of the side trips. FYI: Only one restroom (WC) towards the last stop.”

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