Iceland stop over

I was there in September on a multi day tour. Our friends did the stop over on their way to France. They picked up a day tour called golden circle and found it enjoyable. 2 nights should be just right. I would say time of yr would be very imp in your decision. It can be pricey so plan for it. Reykjavik is an easy town to walk to see the local sights. There is a convenient airporter bus to take u to REykavik.

We stopped over in Iceland for four nights, on our way to London.
We went directly to the Blue Lagoon upon landing at Keflavik Airport. There is a bus that takes you there, and then takes you on into Reykjavik.
We went on the Reykjavik Excursions Golden Circle Tour, an excellent day long tour. We had a wonderful meal in the Harpa (performing arts center) restaurant and went to a show there afterwards. We went to a couple of museums, shopped in the shopping street, and talked to Icelanders all over the place. As is often the case, people in other parts of the world often know way more about Americans than we know about them. We try to learn more about their everyday lives, their society, their politics, by talking to everyone we can.

Really happy to have had the chance to visit Iceland. Would go back in a heartbeat.

I did a stopover once on the way to Germany (maybe 3 days?) and ended up coming back to Iceland another time just to see more. Start by looking at the Reykjavik and Iceland tourism websites. They have tons of ideas of what to do. Reykjavik itself is a very pleasant city worth two full days of walking, sightseeing, and trying out the wonderful food (very pricy, as is the rest of Iceland...that's the only downside). There are outfitters like Reykjavik Excursions that do day tours to different sites. If you're flying one of the airlines that allows for a stopover, I'd definitely recommend it.

Couple things: I’d think stopping on the way back makes more sense, fewer jet lag issues.

And: a stopover with no penalty is not always a “free” stopover. Price the journey with and without the stopover to check.

I'm leaving this week and doing a four night stop in Reykjavik on the way to Europe.
It will only be light for 4 hours per day, (!!); but there are tons of things to do there.
I've got a walking tour booked, as well as a N. Lights tour.
Hoping the sky is clear so I can see them.
I'll let you know how it all was when I get back.
Cross fingers for me that the presently simmering volcano does not erupt while I'm there!

We've spent a week there (our destination was Iceland) one April, and I've also passed thru the airport, changing planes on the way back to the USA, but if you can fit in a stopover for a few days, you will be rewarded. It's a starkly beautiful country. Rather than "places," I might suggest "activities," if you're up for them.

Since so much of Iceland is essentially volcanoes covered by glaciers, consider a glacier walk. Several outfitter/adventure companies (we used the outstanding Icelandic Mountain guides company - https://www.mountainguides.is/ ) will provide crampons and ice axes and lead you on a hike to see glaciers and crevasses up close.

Unless you live in whale country yourself, a whale watching tour ( we enjoyed ours with Elding - https://www.elding.is ) is a must. We only spotted one Minke Whale on our trip that day, but some lucky boast see lots of whales/dolphins/porpoises.

Also, the Volcano House in Reykjavik has a small museum, but their main feature is a two-film documentary presentation of the impact of a big eruption back in the early 1970's and a more recent one. You really get an appreciation of the effect that living in a volcanic land has on the lcelanders.

Such a cool place - I hope you go! The landscape is unique, with black sand and cone-like hills. A large percentage of the population believe in gnomes (and building projects often detour around places where gnomes are believed to have their homes). https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/10/why-so-many-icelanders-still-believe-in-invisible-elves/280783/
And as a Scandinavian country, they are incredibly advanced environmentally and socially.

We were there around Easter one year and as we were lounging in the silky waters of the Blue Lagoon, it started to snow! One of the most magical moments of my life!

Last year we stopped for 3 nights on the way back from Germany. We spent one day walking around Reykjavik and one doing a Golden Circle tour. It was great to break up the long flight and nice that Icelandair goes directly to Denver. We'll be stopping again for 3 nights next year. I'm afraid that I will be doomed to doing the stop on all future trips if my wife has anything to say about it. I enjoyed Iceland except for the high prices.

You might like to see my colleague's presentation of a Reykjavik slideshow/class as well as these blog posts:

https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2017/08/iceland-guidebook-march/

https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2017/08/budget-tips-iceland/