One of the biggest reasons our guests choose Northern Lights Cabin is the location. From the private deck you are within a short drive of the three headline stops on Iceland's Golden Circle — the erupting hot springs at Geysir, the thundering Gullfoss waterfall, and the tectonic rift valley of Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the North American and Eurasian plates slowly pull apart.

Closer to home, the volcanic crater lake at Kerið is only about 12 minutes away, and the photogenic blue cascade of Brúarfoss rewards anyone willing to take the riverside walk. Head further south and you reach the famous waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, the hidden moss-walled canyon of Nauthúsagil, and remote Háifoss — one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls and a filming location for Stranger Things.

The area is just as rewarding if you like to be active. Marked hiking trails climb the nearby fells of Búrfell, Laugarvatnsfjall and Hestfjall, while the steaming Reykjadalur "hot spring valley" lets you finish a walk with a soak in a naturally warm river. The geothermal fields at Nesjavellir make for a dramatic half-day hike with views over Lake Þingvallavatn.

Prefer something different? You can saddle up for Icelandic horse riding on the famously gentle five-gaited horses, or get out on the water kayaking the Hvítá river and the calm, geothermally warmed Lake Laugarvatn just up the road.

We've written detailed guides — with directions, driving distances from the cabin, opening times and our own tips — for every one of these. Browse them all on our Places Nearby and Activities Nearby pages.