Travelers Admit This Iconic Movie Stirred Up Enough Wanderlust To Make Them Visit Iceland

Some movies make you laugh; others make you cry. And a rare few make you book a plane ticket. One film's sweeping shots of Iceland's steam-filled valleys, dramatic lava fields, and glacier-carved fjords had travelers packing their bags for a glimpse of these otherworldly landscapes in person. That film was "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

Very loosely based on a 1939 short story by James Thurber published in The New Yorker, Ben Stiller's 2013 adaptation sent a daydreaming photo editor chasing real-life adventure across Iceland and beyond. The country's landscapes served as some of the film's most iconic backdrops and had a profound effect on moviegoers. For some, it was instantaneous. As commenter u/publiusnaso explained on Reddit's r/TrueFilm forum: "Within 24 hours of watching this film I had a flight booked to Iceland."

Many other Redditors write of being inspired to travel to Iceland by the movie, be it for a honeymoon, a getaway with friends, or a family vacation. There are tales of the movie inspiring quiet reflection, with u/StackProne in r/movies writing of their trip, "I sat in a quiet spot by a waterfall and listened to "Step Out" from the soundtrack and just cried the happiest tears." For others, it was truly life-changing. Redditor u/Banfimous writes of getting a longboard because of the movie (one scene shows Mitty riding a longboard down a particularly beautiful stretch of road). That choice led to their career, and years later, they finally made it to Iceland.

Iceland is best explored by road trip, and you'll want to rent a car if you're hoping to check out the Walter Mitty filming locations. Beginning in the east of the country, Stykkishólmur is a charming fishing village with colorful houses that stood in for Nuuk, Greenland, in the movie. (Certain scenes in Greenland and the Himalayas were shot in Iceland.) Stykkishólmur is also a jumping-off point for a trip to Flatey, a remote, secluded island off the coast, well worth a side quest. Nearby, you'll also find Grundarfjörður, one of Mitty's cycle routes in Greenland.

South toward Reykjavík, make sure to stop in Borgarnes, where the Geirabakari Kaffihús was transformed into a Papa John's for the film. The scenic views make it a good coffee stop. In the east of the country, Höfn is a spectacular stop, and the little harbor town stood in for the Greenland airport. About an hour away, you'll find Vatnajökull National Park, and just on its edge is Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon, with floating icebergs that made for a stunning filming location. Intense glacier-walking scenes set in the Himalayas were also filmed in this area.

Finally, travel to the east fjords, where one of the film's most memorable sequences unfolds: Walter's exhilarating longboard ride down a winding road into Seyðisfjörður, one of the best stops on Iceland's famous Ring Road. This colorful, mountain-framed town, known for its blue church and rainbow-painted street, is the perfect place to end a Walter Mitty journey through Iceland. Redditor u/Lonestarr357 sums it up perfectly: "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. If there's someone who saw this and didn't want to fly to Iceland afterwards, I don't want to meet them."