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Iceland Historic Sites

6 mapped5 regionsSaga age to modernSome on private land
Eiríksstaðir
Gásir

Iceland's recorded history starts with the settlement around 870 AD, and its historic sites run from then to the last century. This page maps a mix — the Gásir medieval trading post near Akureyri, the reconstructed Eiríksstaðir farm of Erik the Red, the saga-age homestead at Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, the excavated Skriðuklaustur monastery, and two wrecks: the Sólheimasandur DC-3 and the beached Garðar BA 64 trawler. Some are staffed sites with opening hours; others are bare ruins or wrecks you reach on foot.

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Ask anything about Iceland's historic sites

Quick answers — which sites you can visit, what’s actually there, opening hours and how to get there.

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Before you visit
Sites differ
Some are staffed museums, others bare ruins or wrecks
Reconstructed sitesAdmission + hours
DC-3 wreck~4 km walk each way
Some sitesOn private land
Turf & stoneworkDo not walk on

Sites worth a page

The sites with real background and photos — a medieval trading post and a reconstructed saga farm.

Cars & campers

−15%exclusive discountFree cancellationKEF airport pickup 24/74.8
Dacia Duster 4x4
SUV

Dacia Duster 4x4

Cheapest real 4WD in the fleet — gravel, the Westfjords and easy summer F-roads without truck prices.

TransmissionManual
FuelPetrol/diesel
Seats5
Drive4WD
From
5,355 kr6,300 kr/day
Reserve −15%
VW Caravelle
9-seater

VW Caravelle

Whole family or friend group in one car — gear in the back, room to stretch.

TransmissionAutomatic
FuelDiesel
Seats9
Drive2WD
From
12,750 kr15,000 kr/day
Reserve −15%
Key Camper Wild Duo
Camper

Key Camper Wild Duo

Sleep right by the trailhead, wake up at the falls — F-road ready from mid-June.

TransmissionManual
FuelPetrol
Sleeps2
Drive4WD
From
5,304 kr6,240 kr/day
Reserve −15%

Tours near Iceland's historic sites

Free cancellationSmall groups
Glacier & Golden Circle
Adventure

Glacier & Golden Circle

Snowmobile across a glacier, then hit the Golden Circle classics.

Duration10 hours
PickupReykjavík
ActivitySnowmobile
VehicleSuper Jeep
From
49.990 kr
View tour →

When & how to visit Iceland's historic sites

Most of these sit on or near the Ring Road, so they slot into a wider drive rather than a trip of their own. In the west, Eiríksstaðir — the reconstructed farm linked to Erik the Red — is a staffed summer site with admission and set hours. Near Akureyri, Gásir is an open archaeological area where a medieval trading post once stood. On the South Coast, the Sólheimasandur DC-3 wreck is free but a roughly 4 km walk each way across an exposed black-sand plain — there is no shelter, so check the weather and bring layers. In the east, the excavated Skriðuklaustur monastery pairs with the neighbouring cultural centre, and in the Westfjords the rusting Garðar BA 64 trawler sits beached on the shore. Keep off fragile turf and stonework, respect private-farmland closures, and check live road conditions before remote drives.

Browse historic sites by region

South Coast historic sitesSouth Coast
2 historic sitesWest Iceland historic sitesWest Iceland
1 historic sitesNorth Iceland historic sitesNorth Iceland
1 historic sitesEast Iceland historic sitesEast Iceland
1 historic sitesWestfjords historic sitesWestfjords
1 historic sites

The historic sites of Iceland, compared

All 6 mapped sites, ranked — our best-documented picks first. Tap any name for the full guide. Background and location details come from Wikidata, Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap where they exist.

SiteRegionKnown for
EiríksstaðirWest IcelandWorth discovering
GásirNorth IcelandWorth discovering
accident of a Douglas DC-3 at SólheimasandurSouth CoastHistoric site in South Coast
Excavations in SkriðuklausturEast IcelandHistoric site in East Iceland
Garðar BA 64WestfjordsHistoric site in Westfjords
Þjóðveldisbærinn StöngSouth CoastHistoric site in South Coast

While you're planning

Historic sites pair well with Iceland's museums, churches and heritage stops. Most history days combine a few of these.

Museums
Saga homes, folk collections and art museums
Churches
Turf churches, cathedrals and village chapels
National Parks
Þingvellir — where the Alþingi met from 930 AD
Interactive Map
Every historic site, plotted and searchable

Historic site
questions

What historic sites can I actually visit in Iceland?
They vary a lot. Some are reconstructed turf buildings with staff and opening hours — like Eiríksstaðir, the reconstructed farm of Erik the Red in West Iceland. Others are bare foundations or archaeological digs, such as the medieval trading post at Gásir near Akureyri or the excavated monastery at Skriðuklaustur in the east. A couple are wrecks: the Sólheimasandur DC-3 plane on the South Coast and the beached Garðar BA 64 trawler in the Westfjords.
How old are Iceland’s historic sites?
Most trace to the settlement and saga age (roughly 870–1300 AD). Eiríksstaðir is tied to Erik the Red and the late 900s, Gásir was a busy medieval trading post, and Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng reconstructs a farm buried by the 1104 Hekla eruption. A few are modern, like the 1973 DC-3 crash site and the Garðar BA 64, Iceland’s oldest steel ship (built 1912, beached 1981).
Is the Sólheimasandur plane wreck free to see?
Yes, the DC-3 wreck itself is free. It sits on a black-sand plain on the South Coast, about a 45-minute (roughly 4 km) walk each way from the marked car park off Route 1 — you cannot drive to the wreck. There is no shade, water or shelter on the walk, so bring layers and check the weather; the plain is fully exposed.
Do I need to pay to visit reconstructed sites?
Reconstructed turf houses and museum sites, such as Eiríksstaðir and Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng, usually charge a small admission and keep seasonal hours (mainly summer). Open-air ruins, wrecks and roadside markers are free. Check the specific site’s page and opening times before you build a day around it.
Can I walk on the ruins and foundations?
Stay off the turf walls and stonework. Icelandic turf structures and archaeological remains are fragile and legally protected — walking on them causes damage that takes decades to recover. Keep to marked paths and viewing points, and follow any signage. Some sites sit on private farmland, so respect closures and ask if access is unclear.
Do I need a 4WD to reach these sites?
It depends on the site. Roadside and lowland sites like the Sólheimasandur wreck car park and Eiríksstaðir are reachable by any car on paved or gravel roads. A few remote spots involve rough tracks. Check live road conditions before you drive, and on any remote route tell someone your plan and check safetravel.is.