Latest travel updates on Coronavirus (COVID19) here
If you’re hungry for an epic adventure, this pristine nation is a perfect place to explore. Capital city Reykjavik offers everything from eclectic nightlife to tantalizing Nordic cuisine. The countryside is a great place to spike your adrenaline by white water rafting, glacier trekking, or zipping on Zodiacs through glacial lagoons. And when you’re ready to unwind in a natural hot tub, hundreds of geothermal zones await (you may even spot the Northern Lights).
While the scene is small, and centred around Reykjavík, being gay or lesbian in Iceland is a complete non-issue (they’ve already had a lesbian prime minister). Since 2006, LGBT people have been able to legally adopt, and in 2010 same-sex marriage was legalized.
Gay Activity: Legal
Lesbian Activity: Legal
Gay Marriage: Legal
Right to Change Gender: Legal, but requires surgery
Same-Sex Adoption: Legal
LGBT Discrimination: Illegal
LGBT travellers will be delighted by how comfortable they feel in Iceland. While there’s technically only one gay bar (Kiki Bar), every bar, pub and club is essentially a safe space for gay men and lesbians to freely express themselves. Reykjavik Pride is also world-renown as the ‘Biggest Small Prides in the World’. Bonus: Advertising and corporate sponsorship is completely banned from the parade itself.
There are no gay villages in Iceland. However, LGBT travellers will feel comfortable even in small towns.
Reykjavik Pride: Annually in August
Bears on Ice: Annually Labour Day Weekend
Rainbow Reykjavik Festival (AKA Iceland Winter Pride): Annually in March
Reykjavik: Kiki Queer Bar
There are no Lesbian-specific bars in Iceland.
There are only a few places on Earth where travellers can snorkel between tectonic plates and witness the incredible majesty of our planet. One such place is Silfra in Iceland.
Iceland’s southern-most town is a gateway to incredible surrounds. Visit the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara or the nearby puffin cliffs. The region also boasts plenty of volcanoes and glaciers, exemplifying Iceland’s notorious moniker ‘The Land of Ice and Fire’.
Due to the country’s volcanic geography, naturally occuring thermal pools pepper the island. The most famous of which is The Blue Lagoon just outside Reykjavik.
The Golden Circle hosts some of Iceland’s most famous sights including but not limited to Gullfoss waterfall, the Great Geysir, and Þingvellir National Park (where you will see the Great Atlantic Rift).
Surprisingly cosmopolitan and completely LGBT-friendly, Iceland’s capital city may be small but it is certainly mighty. It boasts incredible food, art and culture scenes. You’ll need a few days to truely appreciate this Nordic city’s splendour.
Best Time to Visit: Iceland is a great place to visit all year round. If you’re after long days and midnight sunsets, head there during the summer solstice, when the sun rises only three hours after it sets (and it doesn’t even get dark). If the Northern Lights are on your bucket list, visit in October or March, as it can be too cloudy from November through February. Temperature-wise, summer reaches a ‘balmy’ 10-13C/50-55F, while winter hovers near the freezing mark.
Electricity: F-Type Sockets
Time Zone: (GMT) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Covid-19 Vaccination Requirements: Out Adventures requires proof of full Covid-19 vaccination from all guests, following recommendations by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more details please see our Covid-19 FAQ.
Other Vaccinations: Based on the entry requirements for Iceland, there are no other vaccinations needed. To determine if you should take preventative measures to reduce the risk of illness, you should consult your doctor or a travel medical clinic, as Out Adventures cannot provide vaccination recommendations.
Visas: For up-to-date visa information click here.
LGBT Rights in Iceland
While the scene is small, and centred around Reykjavík, being gay or lesbian in Iceland is a complete non-issue (they’ve already had a lesbian prime minister). Since 2006, LGBT people have been able to legally adopt, and in 2010 same-sex marriage was legalized.
Gay Activity: Legal
Lesbian Activity: Legal
Gay Marriage: Legal
Right to Change Gender: Legal, but requires surgery
Same-Sex Adoption: Legal
LGBT Discrimination: Illegal
Gay Iceland Travel
LGBT travellers will be delighted by how comfortable they feel in Iceland. While there’s technically only one gay bar (Kiki Bar), every bar, pub and club is essentially a safe space for gay men and lesbians to freely express themselves. Reykjavik Pride is also world-renown as the ‘Biggest Small Prides in the World’. Bonus: Advertising and corporate sponsorship is completely banned from the parade itself.
There are no gay villages in Iceland. However, LGBT travellers will feel comfortable even in small towns.
Reykjavik Pride: Annually in August
Bears on Ice: Annually Labour Day Weekend
Rainbow Reykjavik Festival (AKA Iceland Winter Pride): Annually in March
Reykjavik: Kiki Queer Bar
There are no Lesbian-specific bars in Iceland.
Best Places to Visit in Iceland
There are only a few places on Earth where travellers can snorkel between tectonic plates and witness the incredible majesty of our planet. One such place is Silfra in Iceland.
Iceland’s southern-most town is a gateway to incredible surrounds. Visit the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara or the nearby puffin cliffs. The region also boasts plenty of volcanoes and glaciers, exemplifying Iceland’s notorious moniker ‘The Land of Ice and Fire’.
Due to the country’s volcanic geography, naturally occuring thermal pools pepper the island. The most famous of which is The Blue Lagoon just outside Reykjavik.
The Golden Circle hosts some of Iceland’s most famous sights including but not limited to Gullfoss waterfall, the Great Geysir, and Þingvellir National Park (where you will see the Great Atlantic Rift).
Surprisingly cosmopolitan and completely LGBT-friendly, Iceland’s capital city may be small but it is certainly mighty. It boasts incredible food, art and culture scenes. You’ll need a few days to truely appreciate this Nordic city’s splendour.
More Info
Best Time to Visit: Iceland is a great place to visit all year round. If you’re after long days and midnight sunsets, head there during the summer solstice, when the sun rises only three hours after it sets (and it doesn’t even get dark). If the Northern Lights are on your bucket list, visit in October or March, as it can be too cloudy from November through February. Temperature-wise, summer reaches a ‘balmy’ 10-13C/50-55F, while winter hovers near the freezing mark.
Electricity: F-Type Sockets
Time Zone: (GMT) Monrovia, Reykjavik
Covid-19 Vaccination Requirements: Out Adventures requires proof of full Covid-19 vaccination from all guests, following recommendations by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more details please see our Covid-19 FAQ.
Other Vaccinations: Based on the entry requirements for Iceland, there are no other vaccinations needed. To determine if you should take preventative measures to reduce the risk of illness, you should consult your doctor or a travel medical clinic, as Out Adventures cannot provide vaccination recommendations.
Visas: For up-to-date visa information click here.
From the depths of a dive between tectonic plates, to hiking up a glacier, here are few of our favourite experiences from when we travel through Iceland.
Read MoreHow to pack for Iceland’s volatile weather.
Read MorePartners Bryon Williams and Steve Ellingson consider themselves hobby photographers. But their modest self-description doesn’t do their work justice. Check out this series feature work from their gay tour of Iceland.
Read Moren the second of Bryon Williams and Steve Ellingsons’ two-part photo series, the pair feature Iceland’s awe-inspiring countryside. This edition really defines why the country is known as “The Land of Fire and Ice”.
Read MoreFive facts about the biggest, little gay Pride in the world.
Read MoreGudni Kristinsson, who has led our Iceland gay getaways since 2012, is best remembered by guests for his delicious smile and huggable persona.
Read MoreFive days is a perfect amount of time to visit Iceland. I learned a lot about the country and its people.
A very well organized tour. Everything is taken care of for you from start to finish.
Incredible scenery! Great place to visit, reasonable pace. Wonderful fellow-travelers Great guide.
Out Adventures gay Iceland tour was very well organized, excursions, accommodation, all planned to perfection.
Great itinerary. Fun group. Super easy way to book a vacation, that is guaranteed to have fun agenda. And the personal touches throughout the experience were great!
Great time and experience. Beautiful country and very nice people.
We got VIP treatment at a large local gay Reykjavík event, had special unadvertised extras along the way and got to know people we ordinarily would have just been introduced to in passing. This was my second Out Adventures tour and won’t be my last.
THIS was a tour I went on to appease my partner, I truly was nervous about an “active” adventure. Truth is it turned out to be a trip of a lifetime! Spectacular country with beautiful views, great tour guide, the other travelers were super, and a wonderful itinerary that, as an active one, wasn’t so active that it wore me out! Our days were full and wonderful and I would definitely travel with Out Adventures again. We are already planning our next trip!
The trip far exceeded expectations. Every day’s events were well planned yet flexible enough to accommodate for weather conditions (two excursions were switched to take advantage of this). Though clearly this is not something that can be done on all trips this demonstrates how important the customer experience is to Out Adventures. The guide was excellent and the destination amazing. Our experience was so positive we’re already planning our next trip with Out Adventures.
Friendly and helpful Out Adventures staff before the trip , a great local guide, very good variety of activities, beautiful country.
Not only does Out Adventures put together an ideal itinerary for visiting Iceland, but traveling with Gudni is like having an old friend show you around their home country with pride and a knowledge of the facts AND the people.
Iceland is an amazing place and Out Adventures makes sure you’ll have a gay time!
