It’s summer time in Europe but winter is coming to Westeros.
If you’re a GOT aficionado (like us), then we’re sure you can’t help yourself from watching the season 7 trailers just one more time. Did you ever wish that you could be a part of Westeros for just one goddamn day?
Good news – you can visit Iceland, which is pretty much the same thing. After all, they call it the land of Ice and Fire for a reason. You can expect to see glaciers, volcanoes, geothermal pools, and landscapes that are strange yet beautiful.
Here’s what the north of Westeros “beyond the wall” would look like if it were real.
Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By Jay Kumar [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr
Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lagoon and it’s near Vatnajökull National Park. To make things more interesting, the water here is jeweled with several icebergs.
In Icelandic, Jökulsárlón literally means “glacier river lagoon”. It came into existence when the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier started thinning from where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon – Iceland – the land of Ice and Fire – By Andrés Nieto Porras [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr
This lagoon (or lake) is home to several sea fishes that reach here from the Atlantic Ocean. These fish also attract several hundred seals for their meals.
Looks familiar? You may have seen it in Die Another Day or Batman Begins. For GOT Season 7, Jökulsárlón has been a major filming spot.
Víti, Askja
Location: Askja, Central Highlands
Askja is a caldera that’s located in the middle of a lava desert. It is in Iceland’s uninhabited interiors and can only be visited for a brief time in summer.
Fire under Ice in Víti, Askja – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By EleKtr•ORL [CC BY NC ND 2.0] via [Flickr]
Next to Askja is a geothermal lake, Viti that’s smaller in size. It is possible to swim in Víti’s milky waters but has a strong smell because of sulfur.
Víti, Askja – Fire under Ice – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By EleKtr•ORL [CC BY NC ND 2.0] via [Flickr]
As if it wasn’t fiery enough, there is a “canyon of dragons” nearby. It is called Drekagil and it looks like a movie set from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Black Sand Beach, Vík
If Khaleesi’s dragons ever spit fire on a beach, the result would be something like this. Welcome to Iceland’s Black Sand beach!
Vík is a popular tourist destination and is located in South of Iceland. It has glaciers, beaches and a stunning viewpoint from where you can get a bird’s eye view.
Reynisfjara, Black Sand Beach, Vik, Iceland – By dconvertini [CC BY SA 2.0] via Flickr
The Black Sand Beach with its strange basalt columns forms a fascinating picture. It is usually a part of Iceland’s South Coast tours. Don’t forget to capture a stunning photo of this spot.Check this post that has excellent suggestions on cameras for traveling.
Thrihnukagigur Volcano
Ever thought you can go inside a volcano? Yes, you can literally go on a journey to the center of the earth and walk on fire if you visit Thrihnukagigur Volcano.
Inside Thrihnukagigur Volcano – Iceland – By Dan (catching up) (CC BY-ND 2.0) via Flickr
The Icelandic name for this volcano is Þríhnúkagígur and it is a dormant volcano near Reykjavík. It’s the only volcano on the entire planet where visitors can go into the magma chamber. You can surely do a self guided tour of Reykjavik but will need a guide for going inside Thrihnukagigur Volcano.
Thrihnukagigur Volcano – Iceland – By Dan (catching up) (CC BY-ND 2.0) via Flickr
Jarðböðinn (Mývatn Nature Baths) and Grjótagjá
Location: East of Reykjahlíð
Mývatn is a popular destination in Iceland because of its amazing geothermal pools where one can take a relaxing bath. The geothermal lake and the area around it both are referred to as Mývatn.
Mývatn Nature Baths – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By Richard Baer [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr
This lake is situated in an area that is frequently fed lava by Krafla volcano. The area around it is dominated by volcano landforms. As a result, this lake is mineral rich.
Do you remember the famous GOT episode where Jon Snow and Ygritte take a very special dip in a lagoon that’s inside a cave? Well, that lagoon cave is called Grjótagjá and it is near Myvatn Nature Baths.
Grjótagjá Cave – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – Dan (catching up) (CC BY-ND 2.0) via Flickr
Grjótagjá is a little lava cave that has a thermal spring inside it. However, the water can be as high as 50°C and is not always fit for a bath. It does look a little special, no?
Diamond Beach is another beach in Iceland with black sand but it has pieces of ice on it. This ice glitters in the light like a diamond, hence giving the beach its name.
Diamond Beach, a.k.a. Jokulsarlon Beach, Iceland – By www.davidbaxendale.com [ CC BY-ND 2.0] via Flickr
This beach is near Jökulsárlón lagoon and is also referred to as Jokulsarlon Beach. Many people just stop at Jokulsarlon and turn back. However, the Diamond Beach is towards the sea and on the other side of Road 1.
It is the father of all the world’s geysers, and is named appropriately; Geysir in Iceland is another popular tourist destination. Several hundreds of years back Geysir would gush out water that was up to 80 m high but the activity has reduced.
Strokkur, Geysir – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By Audrey [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr
Actually, the main Geysir rarely erupts but next to it is Strokkur, which erupts every few minutes. It can go as high as 30 meters high in the air before disappearing back into its hole. This natural activity can easily be perceived as an alien phenomenon.
Reykjadalur Hot Springs, Hveragerdi
Hveragerdi – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By Bernard McManus [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr
Another active geothermal field, the pictures of Hveragerði will remind you of GOT’s Riverlands. You can also enjoy a 3km long hike to reach Reykjadalur Hot Springs and bathe in the wild.
Reykjadalur Hot Springs, Hveragerdi, Iceland – By Juan [CC BY NC 2.0] via Flickr
Fjadrargljufur Canyon, Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Fjadrargljufur Canyon – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By Dirk Dallas [CC BY NC 2.0] via Flickr
More than Game of Thrones, this landscape may remind you of the Avatar movie. This magical canyon in 2 kilometers long and up to 100 meters wide. Iceland’s Fjaðrá river flows through it.
Fjadrargljufur Canyon, Kirkjubaejarklaustur – By Andrés Nieto Porras [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr
The trail that leads to Fjadrargljufur canyon starts at the car park. This canyon is close to Iceland’s famous ring road, near Kirkjubæjarklaustur village.
The Northern Lights
What can be more magical than watching the fire in the sky? Words alone won’t do justice so I will leave it to pictures
The Northern Lights in Iceland – the land of Ice and Fire – By TPSDave [CC0 Public] via Pixabay
How lucky are the people who live here! Their winter nights are full of magic. Here’s one last picture that will make your eyes pop.
The Northern Lights – Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire – By Shaherald Chia [CC BY-ND 2.0] via Flickr
Are you daydreaming about visiting Iceland already? If you have visited this spectacular country and have a few pictures of your own to share, let us know in the comments.
Heading to Iceland soon? Check out this post which will tell you what to pack for Iceland for a week.
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Wow, these photos are stunning! I’m heading to Iceland at the end of September and really hoping to catch the Northern Lights. Starting to look into where I want to get on my roadtrip and these photos make me think I need more than my 11 days…
Namaste, Guten Tag!
I'm Sonal from India, living in Germany and exploring Europe. I've been writing about my travel adventures since 2015. I often travel alone (and sometimes with my husband & our toddler).
I love nature, adventure, hiking to viewpoints, Yoga, and road trips. I love creating itineraries and in-depth travel guides which will help you make the most of your trip.
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Pictures are awesome in the blog.
Thank you! Glad you like it 🙂
Pictures are amazing and willing to look live.
Good to know 🙂
Spectacular photographs.
Thank you Niranjan. I think it is not possible to take a bad photo in Iceland, hehe.
I would love to go to Iceland, it is a photographer’s dream.
🙂
These are all phenomenal and beautifully captured images of Iceland.
It has been on my always growing travel bucket list and this helps me to visualize and embed it in my mind 🙂
Keep up the great work and many happy travels!
Thank you! 🙂 Hehe, we also do exactly what you do and maintain a “visual bucket list” for ourselves.
What a beautiful post! we’d love to return to Iceland and see more of it
Awesome! 🙂 Hope you return soon.
Wow, these photos are stunning! I’m heading to Iceland at the end of September and really hoping to catch the Northern Lights. Starting to look into where I want to get on my roadtrip and these photos make me think I need more than my 11 days…
Cheers,
Emily
Have a good time in Iceland 🙂
All GOT worthy Sonal! The black sand beach image is stunning. I love the play of colors. So dramatic, other worldly, really.
Ryan
Thanks Ryan, I’m glad you like it. 🙂
I really like this nice article.
Thank you Ananya. 🙂