ICELAND - THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP!
So you are thinking about going to Iceland? All I have to say is do it! You will not regret it! It is in my top five favorite countries - as it is amazing!
We did the itinerary below in six nights and I am not going to lie it was kind of crazy! We fit a lot into six days! In fact... some of the days we did so much that we ate beef jerky and cashews for lunch while we were driving because we did not have time to stop.
But, that is the great thing about Iceland you can see a lot in six days or see even more in two weeks. Even though it is a fairly small country there is so much to do and see. I bet that you could spend an entire month there and do something new every day.
This itinerary accounts for you renting a car --- I think that is the best way to travel around Iceland. It is the ultimate road trip destination! It is like the Ring Road (their main highway that makes a circle around the country) was built for people to road trip on!
TRAVEL HACK:
if your phone is unlocked buy a SIM card from one of the local gas stations. This is what we like to do instead of buying a GPS or Car wifi. It is the least expensive way to get wifi, phone calls, etc... Even though our car did come with a GPS for free... I still recommend a SIM card so you can search things on the internet, post Instagram stories, etc... Sometimes you can even get a local sim from the airport. If there is any country to have a SIM card in; it is Iceland! They literally have the best service of any country I have ever traveled to. Even when you are in the middle of no where you still have service. I think we lost service once for like maybe a max of five minutes. It was Insane!
So do yourself a favor and save yourself some money. For 15gb of data (we only used 3GB in 6 days and we are heavy internet users) it will cost you about $20 - $25 USD. If you rent a hotspot it will cost you about $9 USD a day. GPS can cost you as much as $15 USD a day.
DAY ONE: Arrive and Explore Reykjavik or Go Straight Into Day Twos Itinerary.
Arrive at Keflavik, if you are coming from the United States you will probably arrive pretty early. We arrived at about 6am. The Keflavik airport is about a 45 minute drive to Reykjavik.
We arrived at our hotel, and the room wasn't ready for us just yet, so we went into town - I think that Icelandic people are much like myself and they are not morning people. At 9am there was not a single shop open - we kind of just walked around the town in a jet-lagged stooper.
Cute Little Restaurant in Reykjavik
WHERE TO STAY:
This is just based on the two hotels we stayed at. There are a lot of options in Reykjavik.
We stayed at the Hotel Odinsve which was $171.36/night. Which for Reykjavik is actually not very expensive. It was also super nice and the people at the front desk were super helpful. We did not request an early check in because we like to live life on the edge. It did not pay off - as I previously stated our room was not ready. But.... they got it ready for us within two hours of us arriving which was super nice of them; Not to mention they have a super good dinner and breakfast. There is also a parking lot right by the hotel. However, you do have to pay to park. But it was nice because parking can be difficult to find in Reykjavik.
This hotel is very nice. It is closer to the center of town - but you pay the price for it! It ran us $344/night. The rooms were fantastic and clean with nice restrooms. Breakfast for two was included in that price, which can run you on average $32/person. There is on street parking that you will have to pay for - It was a bit hard to find a parking spot close to the hotel.
WHERE TO EAT:
Just as a disclaimer - the meals in Iceland can be super expensive - but totally worth it if you aren't on a tight budget. Icelandic food is seriously some of the freshest and best food that I have ever eaten. Maybe...you can think about that now and make food one of the important parts of your budget. Don't let the thought of expensive food deter you from going as there are ways to eat for cheap in Iceland. You can buy food from the local grocery store, pick up a sandwich or something delicious from a gas station (which btw they have quality food at gas stations - better than the USA).
I have 42 different food allergies with two being Gluten/Wheat and Dairy and I did not have an issue eating anywhere in Iceland. We ordered soup at a few restaurants and I asked if there was any flour in it. At one point the waiter kind of looked at me confused as if to say "Why would we put flour in our soup". This is a super common practice in the United States because it makes it thicker and it is a cheaty way to make it go farther. I can very rarely eat soup in a restaurant so it was a great treat. They were also all very helpful and never made me feel bad or like I was an inconvienance to them due to my allergies.
BREAKFAST:
Get some breakfast from the laundromat. It is this super delicious hipster restaurant. It is also super popular and you can share the bar seats and tall tables with people if it is super busy and seating is limited. They were also super considerate of my allergies.
HOTEL ODINSVE:
They have a really good buffet. Pretty much any hotel that offers breakfast has a delicious breakfast buffet. The Smoked Salmon it to die for in Iceland.
RADDISON BLUE 1919:
They also have a super delicious breakfast Buffet and it was included in our room price.
LUNCH:
Super cute little resturant with some delicious fish!
DINNER:
HOTEL ODINSVE:
They have a super delicious restaurant connected to the hotel. They were also very nice as we did not have a reservation and they still fit us in within five minutes.
They had some good gluten free options and the non gluten free options also looked delicious!
WHAT TO DO!
Not only is it super beautiful to take photos in front of but, if you take the elevator to the top and climb a few stairs you can get a picture of the best view of the city. It is also probably a picture you have seen before if you have been researching Iceland. To get to the top of the tower you have to buy a ticket in the gift shop. There is a line that forms at the elevator. Save yourself the trouble of waiting in line and then having to go buy the ticket and then having to wait in line again. I waited in line while Robert got the ticket because we are efficient like that ;).
View from the top of the hallgrimskirkja Church
A different perspective of the hallgrimskirkja Church - from the drone.
View Of Hallgrimskirkja Church
Explore the streets after the shops open:
Even if you do not buy anything it is a very fun city to window shop in. They also have some stores with some great souvenirs. If you are in the market for a parka check out 66 degrees north. They are an Icelandic company with some really nice parkas.
Have An Adventure: Horse Ride
We went on a horse ride - But it is kind of expensive p/p and riding english was a bit weird as we ride western at home. It was still a lot of fun and the place we visited was gorgeous. It looked like we were on Mars or some other planet. We went with the company Viking Horses and they were great! The tour ran us $176/Person.
Our Horse Ride with Viking Horses
Visit Perlan for the second best view of Reykjavik:
We did not actually go into the building, as we flew our drone from that area instead for some good pics. But, if you go into the building onto the balcony you can get some great pictures.
Finally: Chase The Northern Lights:
If you are there between September to the first week of April go on the hunt for the Northern lights when it gets dark.
DAY TWO: BEGIN THE MOST EPIC ROAD TRIP YOU HAVE EVER BEEN ON. Remember that this is a pretty full day and you can split it into two days if you have the time to do so. I am by far not a morning person, especially with jet lag from the US on my side (which makes it harder to get up early), but the earlier you leave the more time you will have to spend at each place. We left at about 10am and we had to skip a few things on my itinerary. But that’s okay! FIRST STOP: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall - Drive time from Reykjavik is 1 Hour 35 Minutes. This is a pretty spectacular waterfall - and what makes it so amazing is that you can walk behind it. It is 60m (197 ft) tall and really easy to get to. That is the great thing about Iceland, everything is so convenient to get to. You can put it in the car GPS or your phone because you took my advice and got that SIM card, it will take you right to it - you will be able to see it from the main road. If you are going in winter bring some Crampons if you want to go behind it. When we were there the entire pathway was ice. And yes! We did almost slide to our really cold demise straight into the water because we decided to risk it and go on the path without crampons. But it was totally worth it - just to stand behind a waterfall. We did not make it down to the very bottom as we did consider sliding down on our butts - but we would have never made it back up. We probably would of had to of been rescued. It would have made for a funny story, but one I am glad I do not have to tell. I would also recommend that you bring rain pants and jackets... unless you like being soaking wet in less than warm weather? It is up to you! But you will get soaked.
This picture really shows how frozen everything was! Even the grass was frozen!
Trying not to slide in. It is hard to tell but the entire ground is covered in a sheet of ice.
View from almost the back of Seljalandsfoss
SECOND STOP: Head to Guljafross waterfall - one to five minute walk from Seljalandsfoss This waterfall is supposed to be epic as well! It is in a cave and just a few minutes walk from Seljalandsfoss. We had to skip it due to the fact that we accidentally spent a little too much time slipping and sliding around at Seljalandsfoss.
OPTIONAL STOP IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME OR SPENDING A FEW EXTRA DAYS IN ICELAND:
Stop at the Seljavallalaug hot spring pool. It is a little bit of a hike, but it is the oldest hot pool in Iceland.. It is completely self contained and they rely on the community, volunteers and donations for its upkeep. It is about a 15-20 minute walk from the parking lot. There are changing rooms - no showers.
THIRD STOP: Skogafoss waterfall - drive time from seljalandsfoss - 27 minutes This is also a spectacular waterfall and definitely worth seeing. It is spectacularly wide 100 feet (30 meters) and tall 227 feet (69 meters). It was also very icy and we got even more wet, but it was fine because we had our rain clothes on. We also got lucky enough to get a rainbow in front of the waterfall. I am not sure if it is because my husband is secretly a leprechaun being from Ireland and all or if it was because we just got lucky. There is also a path that you can climb to the top of for a different view of the waterfall. We did not climb up it, because we decided to just fly the drone instead - also because we were on a tight schedule and getting hungry. I get extra hangry when I am hungry so for Roberts sake it was better that we did not climb to the top!
If you look really close you can see me in the blue, under the rainbow. You can really see the scale of the waterfall from this photo.
More Frozen Ground! We could walk on this a little better though because it didn't have a hill that you could slide to your freezing death on.
OPTIONAL STOP IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME:
The Sólheimasandur Plane Crash:
We also did not have time to stop here as it is actually a little bit of a long walk there and back (2.8 miles or 4km one way). It is a WWII US plane that crash landed on the beach and the photos I have seen of it are beautiful. It is like a scene out of a post apocalyptic movie. The perfect mix of black and grey to create something beautiful!
FOURTH STOP: Vik - Drive Time From Skogafoss - 31 Minutes VIK (If you are taking extra time for this road trip and adding in the optional stops - which you totally should - This would be a great place to spend the night). This is where we stopped for lunch and then we headed to the Rynisfjara black sand beach. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. Not because the water was a crystal Caribbean blue and the sand was as soft as a baby bums, but because there was snow on the beach. To me it was just so beautiful! While here you should def check out the basalt columns. They are truly incredibly and a lot of fun to climb on. WARNING: Be careful as a lot of tourists have been swept into the ocean by freak waves. At first I thought it was people trying to scare me into being extra careful, but a few tourists have actually drowned as the currents are really strong there. Don’t turn your back to the ocean - we actually saw a few people get super soaked - luckily no one got dragged in but it was still pretty crazy.
Basalt Columns at Rynisfjara black sand beach
They were really fun to climb on.
Snow meets beach! So Beautiful!
OPTIONAL STOP IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME:
FJADRARGLJUFUR We did not have time to stop here as we spent so much time at Rynisfjara. But it looks awesome, even if you just stop for a quick look. "Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon in south east Iceland which is up to 100 m deep and about 2 kilometers long, with the Fjaðrá river flowing through it .The canyon has steep walls and winding water." FIFTH STOP: Time to sleep, look at your photos, eat dinner and chill out. Stop in Hali! Drive time From Vik - 2hrs 28mins
We decided to stop in Hali as we had a tour at the Vatnajokull Glacier ice cave the next day just 11 minutes up the road. It was an early morning tour so the closer we could be the better! We stayed at the Hali Country Hotel it was $176 for one night and it included breakfast. Accommodation in Iceland is fairly expensive - unless of course you decide to rent one of these nifty vans or something similar (which I think is easier to do in the summer time). We also ate dinner at the hotel - we just barely made it in time - but they were super nice and I would recommend you get the fish. They also had a room where you could put your wet clothes to dry. So that was pretty awesome as well - considering the fact that we had a lot of soaking wet stuff from the waterfalls. If you are here during the northern lights season and the weather is in your favor spend the night chasing the northern lights. An epic place to photograph the Aurora is Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.
Learn more about chasing and photographing the Aurora. DAY THREE: Continue your epic road trip around the ring road
But First! If you decide to go on a tour and see the Vatnajokull ice caves - which is totally worth it. It cost us $185.00 per person and I personally think it was worth the price. First they take you in this epic van with tires the size of me, then you get to go trekking into a blue cave of more epicness. It was a really fun experience - and the tour guide was also super nice we went with Vatnajokull Glacier Tours.
Ice Slide outside of the Ice Cave!
Inside the Ice Cave! Pretty beautiful - huh?
Afterwards we spent some time at the Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon itself flying the drone around and staring in awe at the glaciers - we even got to meet a friendly seal. They offer kayaking tours around the lagoon as well - which you should def do if you have the time!
Glacier Lagoon! STOP TWO: Head over to the Diamond Beach - 3 to 5 minute drive.
This is a really beautiful place. It is created when all of the glaciers from the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon flow down the river into the ocean and get washed back up onto the beach. They break up and in the sunlight look like glistening diamonds. It is a lot of fun to take pictures at, walk down and soak in the beauty.
WARNING: I read that you should never stand on the glaciers (of course we did not exactly listen to that, so don't follow our example - even though we were being extra careful and watching the waves - it is always better to be safe than sorry though). They can capsize if a wave comes in and you can get pinned under them - which will not end well unless you have gills.
TURN AROUND OR CONTINUE YOUR TRIP AROUND THE RING ROAD:
This is a great time to turn around if the road is closed. In the winter it can be hard to get passed the East coast section of road as it is closed often. Before we went we to Iceland I was monitoring the road closures and it was closed more often than I would have liked. We got lucky and made it through. But it was pretty treacherous - the views however were gorgeous and we got to see some wild reindeer along the way.
Even if the road is not blocked and you do not feel like making the drive all the way to Myvatn (it is 6 hrs) you can turn around here and head back towards the golden circle. We did not do this, but it is a very popular thing to do while in Iceland.
STOP THREE: Continue to Eglisstadir - 4hrs 13 mins
If you do decide to continue on your trip around the Ring Road you can stop and stay the night in Eglisstadir or push on to myvatn if you are feeling well and not too tired. The reason I chose Eglisstadir is because it gets you through the area where most of the road closures happen.
This is a gorgeous drive. The snow covered mountains are so dramatic and just so beautiful! I have no exact places to stop but you will find some pull offs and if you get lucky maybe you will spot some wild reindeer like we did.
When we got to Eglisstadir we decided to continue driving to Myvatn after dinner which is about another two hours. It was dark at this point and as a warning the semi trucks are fairly common at this time of night and if the weather is cold and snowy - they will throw up snow dust at you. It is completely blinding. The first time it took me by surprise and I had to slow down to a stop (hoping the entire time I was not going to drive off the road as I could not see). It was pretty scary and the second time I made sure to stop before it happened.
Wild Reeinder! There were actually a few of them but they were pretty shy!
Epic Mountains on our way to Eglisstadr and Myvatn
Cute little town on our way to Eglisstadr.
STOP FOUR: Myvatn
We arrived pretty late and stayed at (Dimmoburger guest house). We went straight to bed for our adventure that awaited us in the morning - or, should I say misadventure....
Dimmoburgir guest houses
Lake Myvatn at Sunset
Let me know if I missed anything. Leave your comments or email me so that I can add it in later!
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