Reel Adventures: Iconic Movies Filmed in Iceland
Have you ever been so engrossed in a movie or TV show and thought, "Where is this stunning location?" If yes, there's a good chance you've admired the mesmerizing beauty of Iceland without even realizing it.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
Ben Stiller plays the awkward and loving character of Walter Mitty, an employee at the famous Life Magazine, who eventually needs to track down a print for the magazine.
His crazy adventure brings him to many locations, including Iceland, where there were thirteen filming locations! That means your chances of spotting the same places featured in the movie are pretty good.
Some locations include the port at Grundarfjörður, where Ben Stiller gets off a ship, plus Vatnajökull National Park, which was supposed to be the Himalayas and Afghanistan in the movie.
The most sought-after location in The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty is Seyðisfjarðarvegur, Seydisfjordur — the spot where Walter's longboarding scene was filmed and an iconic part of the movie.
Watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty gets your imagination running to beautiful and scenic places, and the fact that Iceland is the location Walter visits in the movie, not just a fantasy, makes it even more special.
Oblivion
Taking place in 2077, Earth enters a war with extraterrestrials, which causes a relocation to a new Earth. The main character, Jack Harper, is played by Tom Cruise, who flew to Iceland to film most of the movie. Iceland provided a perfect backdrop for a post-war, futuristic world.
Some popular spots used in Oblivion are Dettifoss, Vatnajökull National Park, Jarlhettur, and Hrossaborg.
The team filmed in Iceland for 10 days, making it a jam-packed trip with time to shoot at all these locations. One of the most well-known spots was The Crater of Hrossaborg, which was used as the football stadium ruins in the movie.
Fans can visit the Crater and even hike to the top of the surrounding areas to take in the same futuristic views that Tom Cruise did when visiting The Crater of Hrossaborg.
You can reach Hrossaborg by renting a car and taking the six-hour drive from Reykjavik to North East Iceland — it can be an exciting road trip itinerary that brings you to the more remote areas of the country.
Interstellar
In this mind-bending sci-fi epic, Earth is dying due to crop failures and dust storms, and humanity's survival depends on finding a new home among the stars. Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a former NASA pilot turned farmer who gets recruited for a secret mission to travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of habitable planets.
One location used was Máfabót, a lowland area that sits between the open sea and a river on the South Coast of Iceland.
Another location was Svinafellsjökull, which is most famous for its appearance in photographs used for the movie poster and advertising, although it also featured in a few scenes of the movie.
The coolest part about this is that the two locations were used as different planets, which just shows the diversity of Iceland's landscapes. Svinafellsjokull is located in southwestern Iceland and is a four-hour drive from Reykjavik — stop by this spot to replicate the Interstellar movie poster yourself!
Tomb Raider
Based on the 1966 video game, the infamous Tomb Raider features Lara Croft, played by Angelina Jolie in the 2001 film. Lara Croft is a legendary heroine who attempts to save the world in this interactive video game. However, the movie left the digital world and was filmed in various countries, including South Africa, England, and, of course, Iceland.
The Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon was used in the film to represent Siberia, the land Lara Croft ventures into. Bordering Vatnajökull National Park, Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland that you can see for yourself by taking the quick five-hour drive from Reykjavik!
You can even take a boat tour with a guide to point out the locations at Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon & Boat Tour. If you grew up playing Tomb Raider or just love the movie, you have to visit the area — it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all Tomb Raider fans.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, the sequel to the 2001 Tomb Raider, was also filmed in Iceland
Fast & Furious 8
Chances are, you've heard of the popular Fast & Furious movie series! With stars like Charlize Theron, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and the late Paul Walker, it's no wonder it has gained so much popularity over the years.
The series follows APD officer Brian O'Conner, who goes undercover to catch illegal street racers and figure out who's behind a string of truck hijackings. From there, the movie follows the characters through the years, introducing new and exciting plots.
The gang headed to Iceland to film their eighth movie, The Fate of the Furious, with some scenes shot in the fishing town of Akranes, which is an hour north of Reykjavik. The most well-known spot, though, is Lake Myvatn in Northern Iceland, about six hours from Reykjavik, where they filmed in the middle of winter with the lake completely frozen over.
This allowed the vehicles to drive on the lake, creating a dramatic-looking backdrop of snowy drifts behind them. The stop is right along Ring Road, making it a great addition to your Iceland road trip.
Game of Thrones
I know. Game of Thrones is not a movie. But I couldn’t leave it out. I just couldn’t.
One of the most famous franchises of all time is HBO's Game of Thrones, a show that quickly became a household name that fans would look forward to every week. The show produced eight seasons of jam-packed plot twists and turns, with people from all over the world dreaming to travel to this series of filming locations — Game of Thrones spiked tourism in Iceland once word got out that scenes were filmed there.
Iceland has plenty of spots that you'll recognize from the show. Some favorites include Laxnes Horse Farm, which provided some adorable extras for the show (the Westerosi horses!), and The Commonwealth farm, where the village was attacked by Wildlings under Tormund.
Thingvellir National Park is a hot spot where you can visit the trail that the savage Wildlings took across the north to the Wall. With so many different places to explore, you can turn your Game of Thrones location tour into your very own road trip!
Thor: The Dark World
Chris Hemsworth plays the leading character of Thor in the adored film series, and this Marvel movie has gained fans over the years with its four films.
In 2013, Thor: The Dark World was released after filming in both the UK and Iceland, and now fans want to see it for themselves in person.
An already famous Icelandic waterfall, Skógafoss, was used on set as the mythical home of the gods. You can also walk the Thorsmork Valley, commonly known as “the Valley of Thor” — its vibrant green and lush landscape will take your breath away.
The valley is located in the South Highlands of Iceland between the Tindfjallajökull and the Eyjafjallajökull, about two hours from Reykjavik, and there were also a few scenes around Reykjavik! Transport yourself into the world of Thor by visiting these key locations.
Noah
When the earth becomes too sinful, it's chosen by God to be wiped from existence, and Noah, played by Russell Crowe, is tasked to build an ark large enough to hold his loved ones and animals. His goal is to complete it before the devastating flood hits, which is set to destroy the world.
This 2014 film made Iceland its home for three weeks during filming on the country's south coast. The Reykjanes Peninsula near Reykjavik was where most of the film was set during this time, and Russell Crowe admitted he endured harsh conditions when filming some scenes — he had to go in and out of the sea when the water was at a high of 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can visit the same South Coast area that he swam in! It's a quick forty-minute drive from Reykjavik, making it a great stop on your Iceland journey.
Captain America
Captain America took the world by storm when the film was first released in 2011 — the Marvel phenomenon was a box office hit and went on to produce three more films, with the last one starring Anthony Mackie being released in 2025.
Chris Evans plays the fan-favorite super-soldier who ends up indulging in an experimental super-soldier serum after he was denied joining the military due to his size.
From there, the film takes you on a wild ride, watching the character join the army and do good for the world.
Marvel Studios filmed the third film, Captain America: Civil War, in Iceland, when Chris Evans and the crew headed to the stunning country to get the perfect shots. The movie begins with shots of the film's adaptation of Siberia, which was filmed near the village of Vik.
Vik is a gorgeous place to explore in general with its infamous black sand beaches — take the day trip from Reykjavik, which is only a two-hour and thirty-minute drive away.
Journey To The Center Of The Earth
This film is all about Iceland! The original was produced in 1959 and was based on a book by Jules Verne, and was then remade in 2008 with a famous cast that included Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson. They even hired an Icelandic actress, Aníta Briem, who stars in the film.
The movie follows a professor and his team, who are on an expedition to Iceland, but get trapped in a cavern that leads them to a route below the Earth's surface. The route brings them through incredible places in hopes of escaping, while the Icelandic volcanic activity around them increases.
So, where can you go to feel like you're part of the Journey To The Center Of The Earth? Well, since the film's plot takes place in Iceland, it's not hard to find — the Snæfellsjökull glacier and volcano is where the book and film were set, so it made complete sense that they chose to film there.
Snæfellsjökull is a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano located in western Iceland, about a 2-hour and 57-minute road trip from Reykjavik, so you better rent a 4x4 SUV for a comfortable trip.
Star Wars
The list wouldn't be complete without one of the most famous sagas of all time, The Star Wars Saga. With a total of twelve films, there are plenty of locations where the movies have been filmed, and Iceland has had the pleasure of hosting George Lucas' masterpieces, including The Force Awakens. The Last Jedi, and Rogue One.
One of the spots seen in these two films is Vatnajokull National Park, which was used as the frigid planet of Hoth. Fans can even hike the glacier walls of Skaftafell, which was featured in The Last Jedi, and Rogue One was shot near Vik as Planet Eadu.
The use of the black sand beach of Mýrdalssandur complemented the out-of-this-world movies. Visiting the Star Wars locations is a perfect trip in itself — located all over Iceland, it makes the perfect fan-fueled road trip throughout the country.
Prometheus
Ridley Scott's Prometheus takes you on a wild sci-fi horror ride set in the late 21st century as part of the Alien franchise. A team of scientists, led by Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, follows an ancient star map to the distant moon LV-223, seeking the origins of humanity. They discover a derelict alien ship and encounter deadly creatures, revealing dark secrets about humanity's creators.
Iceland played the perfect alien planet! Dettifoss Waterfall, Europe's most powerful waterfall, was used in the opening sequence where an Engineer sacrifices itself — the surrounding volcanic landscape made it look totally otherworldly.
The barren, lava-covered fields near Hekla Volcano were also used for shots of the desolate moon LV-223. You can visit Dettifoss by taking the six-hour drive from Reykjavik to northeast Iceland. It's part of the Diamond Circle route, so you can easily add it to your Iceland adventure!
Batman Begins
Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins reboots the Batman franchise, showing us how Bruce Wayne transforms into the Dark Knight. After his parents' murder, Bruce travels the world training with the League of Shadows under Ra's al Ghul. He then returns to Gotham to battle corruption and the villainous Scarecrow.
Svínafellsjökull Glacier was used as the Himalayan training grounds where Bruce Wayne learns his skills with the League of Shadows. The icy, jagged terrain was perfect for showing just how harsh his training conditions were!
The glacier is about four hours from Reykjavik, near Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park. You can even take guided glacier hikes — imagine walking the same paths where Batman trained! How cool is that?
Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood's war drama tells the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the American perspective. It focuses on the six soldiers who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi in that famous photograph, exploring the psychological toll of war through the survivors' memories.
The black sand beaches near Vík, especially Reynisfjara, were used to recreate Iwo Jima's volcanic ash beaches for the battle scenes. Their dark, dramatic shores were a perfect match for the Pacific island! Other coastal areas on the Reykjanes Peninsula were also used for landing scenes.
Vík is just a 2.5-hour drive from Reykjavik, making it perfect for a day trip to see these powerful filming locations.
Die Another Day
The 20th James Bond film sees Pierce Brosnan's 007 get betrayed and captured during a mission in North Korea. After escaping, Bond chases the villain Gustav Graves in a typical Bond fashion, complete with a memorable car chase on ice!
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon was used for that iconic ice chase scene where Bond's Aston Martin battles Zao's Jaguar on a frozen lake. The icebergs and frozen surface created one of the most visually striking Bond sequences ever!
Since this location appears in multiple films, it's definitely a must-visit for movie fans. The lagoon offers boat tours where you can see the same dramatic setting where Bond performed his death-defying stunts.
The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick's experimental drama weaves together the story of a family in 1950s Texas with cosmic sequences exploring the origins of life. It follows Jack O'Brien's reflections on his upbringing and big questions about existence, all told through stunning visuals.
The Krafla Volcanic Area, located near Lake Mývatn, was used for the film's creation-of-the-universe sequence, which depicts Earth's earliest stages, featuring bubbling mud pools and lava fields. Talk about otherworldly!
Krafla and Lake Mývatn are about six hours from Reykjavik via the Ring Road. You can take geothermal tours to explore the same terrain that represented the birth of our planet in this acclaimed film.
Justice League
This DC superhero film follows Batman and Wonder Woman as they put together a team — Superman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg — to stop the alien warlord Steppenwolf from collecting powerful artifacts to conquer Earth.
Djúpavík in the Westfjords was used as a fictional Eastern European village under attack by Steppenwolf. Its isolated cliffs and rugged shores were perfect for showing an alien invasion! You'll also spot brief shots of Iceland's famous Skógafoss Waterfall.
Djúpavík is pretty remote. It's a five-hour drive from Reykjavik to the Westfjords, but the dramatic coastal scenery makes it worth the journey for dedicated superhero fans!
Conclusion
Iceland's dramatic and versatile landscapes have inspired numerous film and TV universes, and the magical union of nature and imagination has rendered these locations iconic. So the next time you're planning a trip or watching your favorite show, remember — you might just be admiring the hidden gem that is Iceland.