Iceland

We know and love Iceland as a Northern Nights and thermal lake hotspot, yet there's also plenty to talk about when it comes to Icelandic food. It ranks among some of the most inventive and outlandish in the world, although there are also a great number of home-grown classics to savour when you're feeling peckish.

Trendy canteens serving craft beer and chilled out lounges dishing out cocktails epitomise Reykjavik's offerings, with many opening at midnight and staying lively until the early hours. Refreshingly, most venues have no cover charges so getting in free sweetens the deal further. Drinks do tend to be on the pricey side in Iceland generally, so look out for happy hour.

There are nearly 200 museums in Iceland so you're never far away from something interesting to see and explore. In Reykjavik there are opportunities to admire artworks and sculptures, learn more about the fascinating history and culture of Iceland and take a closer look at some of its most iconic buildings.

At Iceland's award-winning Secret Solstice Festival, you'll be partying until the sun goes down, which, in this part of the world, means you won't get much sleep. That's because this festival is centred around Iceland's midnight sun period in the summertime, where the sun quite literally doesn't go down for long stretches of time. Think 72 straight hours of sunshine, drinks and a whole lot of music.

A holiday to Iceland isn't complete without seeing at least one of its many spectacular waterfalls. You could choose to take long hiking trails to get to some of the most spectacular, admiring fantastic scenery along the way. Or you can visit more easily accessible falls where you'll have an easier time navigating relatively flat terrain.

Iceland is quite simply one of the best places in the world to get an unforgettable view of the natural display of the Northern Lights. Even if you've had a look at photos and video footage of the Northern Lights, there's nothing that can top the experience of seeing them for yourself. If you're keen to catch a glimpse at this world famous spectacle while you're visiting Iceland, take a look below at our Northern Lights guide.

Although there's plenty of culture in the form of museums, gardens, galleries and quirky bars in Iceland's capital Reykjavik, in the heartlands of the country is where you'll find all of its breathtaking natural experiences. Below is a list of all the sights in Iceland it's truly worth travelling for, and by hiring a car you can get between all the attractions – like glaciers, geysers and waterfalls – on your own time and travel away from the city for the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Iceland's landscape is often referred to as out of this world, and with good reason. Much of the landscape is entirely uninhabitable and likened to the surface of the moon, but that just makes the pockets of liveable space that much more precious.

This is where Iceland's national parks come in. Though there are only three, they're tour-de-forces packed with volcanoes, rivers, glaciers and valleys just waiting to be explored. Here's a quick breakdown of what these vast beauties have to offer.

Iceland is a small country with a population of 323,000 people – and a yet-to-be-determined number of elves.

It might seem strange to talk about elves as part of the population, however a significant proportion of Icelanders believe that elves are real. In 2007, a University of Iceland survey found that over 80% of respondents refused to deny that elves exist. So maybe there's more to it than just some ancient legend.

With its spectacular landscape of glaciers, rocky mountains, hot springs and open-air pools Iceland is an amazing place to go on holiday. The Icelandic people and culture are also fascinating and friendly, as you'll discover when you visit. To give you an idea of what to expect take a look below at our list of interesting and fun facts.