What's overrated in Iceland (and what to do instead)

The overrated list

Blue Lagoon at peak time — ISK 14738, 45-minute check-in queue, thousands of people in one milky bath. Swap: Sky Lagoon at 8pm (ISK 9212) or Krauma (ISK 5527). Solheimasandur DC-3 plane wreck — 4km each way in wind for a rusty fuselage. Skip entirely. Fermented shark tastings — a paid rite of humiliation. Skip. Puffin Museum in Vik — ISK 2211 for stuffed birds. Skip; see live puffins at Dyrholaey or Latrabjarg.

Also on the naughty list

Whale-watching combined with puffin boats out of Reykjavik — you get less of both. Do them separately (Husavik for whales, Akureyri or east fjords for puffins). Northern Lights bus tours from Reykjavik (ISK 11054) — the city light dome is 30 minutes east; drive yourself for free. Ice bar in Reykjavik (ISK 3685) — you flew to a country of actual ice. Fine-dining tasting menus at ISK 22108+ — the ingredients are the same in ISK 6141 mid-range restaurants; you’re paying for napkin origami.