Please see the bottom of the post for a day-by-day itinerary.
Iceland, who knew there was so much going on on this small island? From glaciers to volcanoes and everything in between.
Iceland, who knew there was so much going on on this small island? From glaciers to volcanoes and everything in between.
My trip started in Reykjavik, a city named as "the bay of smokes". Reykjavik is a vibrant city, a big city in comparison to others in Iceland. This capital and its surrounding region is home to approximately 200,000 people out of a total population of just over 300,000. The second largest town of Akureyri is home to about 18,000 people. Needless to say it is a small country, population wise, and perhaps land wise, but don't let its size fool you. It has more power stemming from its nature and volcanoes than many other places on earth. Reykjavik is a European city, so keep that in mind when you're getting dressed for a night out on the town.
While the weather was grey at times, that didn't deter from Reykjavik's mood. The view from the top of the HallgrÃmskirkja lays out a view of colourful roofs giving this city a toy-like essence. Despite the clouds, Reykjavik seemed to be a very colourful city, from the amazing athletic gear sold in the stores to the people who live there, the language, the food and the night life. It is a simple city from an architectural point of view, but spend some time here to immerse yourself in the culture, to speak with the locals, to try the food and attempt to pronounce the names in Icelandic. Attempts were made...let's leave it at that.
Iceland gives you the freedom to do whatever you want. While this freedom is refreshing, I can't stress this enough: be smart. The waterfalls don't have guard rails, there is no one at the caves to tell you to wear protective gear and proper shoes (unless you're with a tour), there are no fences, no one screaming at you that you have gone too far, that you are not allowed, that it is too dangerous. You are on your own. You really do feel free to explore and be adventurous, but Iceland will humble you quickly, so have respect for nature.
Most of the time I felt as if I was in a movie like the Martian or Interstellar. I couldn't believe I was seeing what was in front of me. The terrain was as if I was on the moon. It is barren land, there is no vegetation, no trees and no forests. All you see are jutting mountains with ice covered peaks on one side and vast ocean on another. Constant jaw dropping views make it difficult to put your camera away. Not only does the view change every 100 meters, but it changes drastically from one side of the island to another.
There are 3 things you must absolutely do when in Iceland in winter; (1) see the Northern Lights, (2) visit an ice cave and (3) swim in the hot springs.
There was really just one thing I went to Iceland for in winter and that is the Northern Lights. I wanted to do two things before I turned 30 (I have no idea why only these two particular things and why before 30) but nevertheless, the two things were surfing, which I tried on my trip to Hawaii, Maui and the second was to see the Northern Lights. It took some work and some sleepless nights, but it happened! March 28, 2016 is a date I'll definitely remember. It is an adventure in itself to keep track of the forecast and to wake up during the night to make sure you're not missing the lights. There is some work involved, that's for sure, but what a treat it is in the end. Just make sure you know your camera and the best settings to capture the moment as it's unpredictable how much time you will have. The lights can last the whole night, half an hour or just five minutes. As the sky lights up green and the colour intensity changes, you'll forget about any hassle you went through to catch this phenomenon. A dream come true.
The second thing to do in Iceland is an ice cave tour. It's not difficult to explain why you need to do this tour. Just see the pictures below. It does feel slightly claustrophobic as you're walking underneath 7 meters of ice, but when the light shines into the cave, the view is unforgettable. This is something I had never seen before in my life and I'm so happy I got the chance to.
If you were to do just one more thing in Iceland, it would have to be the hot springs. At a certain depth the water can get as hot as 200 degrees Celsius, but don't worry, not in the baths you'll be taking a dip in. Take a break and enjoy the natural pools of hot relaxing water. I'd suggest to leave this for the end of the day or after a long hike to rejuvenate your muscles.
I absolutely must come here again. I feel like I only scratched the surface of everything Iceland has to offer. I was thinking about how to describe Iceland in a few words and what came to mind was this: Iceland, Mother Nature at its best.
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From this trip I also think that Iceland deserves your visit twice; once in winter and once in summer. There is so much to do and see in both seasons. Moreover, one week isn't enough to really experience Iceland. Two weeks will give you enough time to really do the hikes, take in the culture and experience Iceland as it was meant to be seen.
Tip: Everyone speaks English here, even in the small villages. All menus in restaurants are in English as well.
Day 1
- At the airport as you come out with your luggage, look for your name held by one of the representatives from the rental company. We missed this part and had to walk about 5 minutes to the rental company office. We booked the car with Reykjavik Rent a Car but if you do your research, there are many companies around. Make sure to take gravel protection insurance.
- Buy a sim card at the airport. There will be a convenience type store on your right hand side as you exit the passport control area. I suggest to buy at the airport even though it is more expensive than in the city because it's convenient to use to find your way to the hotel in Reykjavik. Buy a sim card with a company called Siminn. It has the most coverage in Iceland. Tourism has become Iceland's number 1 industry. As a result there are markers everywhere on the main road. It's difficult to get lost. However, having a GPS does help.
- Get settled - Guesthouse Galtafell - This is a great option for Reykjavik. They offer different types of rooms including 2 bedroom condos. Breakfast isn't included but there is an option for 1500 kronas per person. There is also a stove top available in the room that we stayed in, which adds the option of cooking. The location is amazing, just a short walk from shopping and tourist attractions. As a note, I used booking.com to book all accommodations. You can check out VRBO or airbnb as well.
- This day is for you to explore Reykjavik; do some shopping, visit galleries and museums, try different foods etc.
- After breakfast, you can stop at the tourist Information.
- Nearby are three tourist sites - the 871 +/-2 Settlement Museum, the City Cathedral (Dómkirkjan) in Austurvöllur Square, and the Harbor House Museum (Hafnarhús), dedicated to contemporary art. All three open at 10 am.
- Walk around the ReykjavÃk City Hall by the Tjörnin Pond and see the enormous 3-D map of Iceland inside Town Hall (Ráðhús).
- You can visit the Saga Museum (Viking history) but to be honest, I expected more from this museum and would not recommend it, but it is there if you are interested.
- After lunch (see restaurant list below for suggestions), head to the eastern half of the city center and explore ReykjavÃk's two main shopping streets; Laugavegur and SkólavörðustÃgur
- Venture to ReykjavÃk Old Harbour - Geirsgata.
- Go inside Kolaportid - a flea market, located next to the harbour. You can try the infamous fermented shark here. They give out samples.
- Then look at the Harpa Concert Hall and the Solfar Monument (Dream Boat). It is a symbol for discovery, dreams, hope, progress and freedom.
- SkólavörðustÃgur leads uphill to ReykjavÃk's most iconic landmark, HallgrÃmskirkja, where you can ascend the elevator for a panoramic view. Try to do this when it's sunny as the view of the multi-coloured roofs is fantastic. This is a must as you get to see Reykjavik from the top. Make sure to look at open hours. It costs 900 kronas to go up.
- Continue along the SkólavörðustÃgur, KlapparstÃgur and Laugavegur streets (main party strips).
- Nearby is Culture House, with an exhibit of medieval manuscripts
- Just next door is the Einar Jónsson Museum dedicated to Iceland's most renowned sculptor.
- From here it's a half-hour walk to the National Museum south of Tjörnin Pond.
- Enjoy dinner and bar hopping in the evening.
Restaurants and Cafes in Reykjavik - from all my research:
- For a casual lunch, visit Sægreifinn for lobster soup and a seafood kabob.
- Make sure to make reservation to the Grillmarket for lunch (on weekdays only) or for dinner. I would suggest trying the tasting menu as it'll give you a taste of Iceland right from the beginning. Make sure to book a few months in advance as it gets booked. On weekends, most of ReykjavÃk's finest restaurants are closed for lunch.
- To recharge, drop into the city's oldest cafe, Mokka Kaffi.
- Can stop for craft brews in casual Kaldi Bar.
- Icelandic home style food at Mamma Steina.
- Puffin Restaurant: 3 Frakkar Hja Ulfari.
- Tapas Barinn for whale and puffin. This place has latin music, some tapas to try, such as fillet of lamb in liquorice sauce, smoked puffin with blueberry brennivin sauce, minke whale with cranberry sauce, bacon wrapped scallops and dates on salad with sweet chilli sauce.
- Fish Market - food is cooked on Japanese robata grill in view of customers. You can try smoked puffin, grilled whale meat, Icelandic vodka martini, reindeer, goose and arctic char, skjalfti lager, minke whale sashimi, giant king crab claws and much more.
- Stop for a drink at Kaffibarinn.
- Sjavargrillid - seafood.
- Breakfast and icecream - Eldur.
- Icelandic Fish and Chips.
- Resto.
- Bjarni Fel Sportsbar.
- A blog I follow, The Tig, had a list of restaurants that you can choose from.
Restaurants and Cafes in Reykjavik - that we visited:
- Grai Kotturinn - this French place offers great breakfasts.
- Make sure to visit a hot-dog stand called at Bæjarins Bestu and get a hot-dog with "everything on it." This is the cheapest option. The hot-dogs are made partially from lamb, so it wasn't my cup of tea.
- Cafe Loki - with a view onto the HallgrÃmskirkja, try some of the best flat breads with interesting toppings.
- Try the famous Skyr, yogurt/icecream type dish. I suggest buying some at a grocery store instead of ordering at a restaurant. In one restaurant it just tasted like sour cream.
- We had dinner at Prikid bar. This is a casual place.
- Dinner on our last night was at a place called Islenski Barinn - probably the best place of everything we had tried. You can try whale here as well as puffin. Very cute and warm atmosphere.
Day 2
- This is a busy day, so start early. The hotel offered a breakfast option so we decided to save some time and get breakfast at the hotel. However, you have the option to cook or go out. Generally in all hotels the breakfast included bread, different types of ham, cheese, vegetables and fruit as well as juice, water and coffee.
Tip: Most gas stations accept credit cards with chips. However, if you're having problems, see an attendant and ask about buying a pre-loaded card. Some gas stations only take those cards. Another tip, make sure you have enough gas and try to fill up whenever there is a gas station as it's difficult to predict how much gas you will need in case of a road closure and any backtracking you may need to do.
- Begin with Raufarholshellir. This is a cave that you can go into on your own with the right footwear. You can explore for more than a kilometer into its depth and see ice candles and lava formations. However, be careful here. It is a slippery entrance (note we were here at the end of March), so hiking shoes are a must.
- Drive through Selfoss (small town), through Hella and Hvolsvollur to Seljalandsfoss waterfall. If you see horses on the way, feel free to stop and take some pictures. These horses are very friendly.
- Stop at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall where it is possible to walk behind the waterfall.
- There will be a marker at this waterfall for another, in my opinion, more amazing waterfall called Gljúfrabúi waterfall. If facing Seljalandsfoss, it is about a 500 meter walk to the left. Make sure you have waterproof gear as you 1. will be walking behind the Seljalandsfoss and 2. will get wet once you get into Gljúfurárfoss (you will have to hop along some rocks to get through a small canyon to see this hidden Gljúfrabúi waterfall.
- On the way to Skogafoss waterfall you will see Eyjafjallajokull central volcano, which erupted in April and May 2010. Close to Skogafoss, there is a Folk Museum in Skogar. Make sure to go up the stairs at Skogafoss waterfall to see Iceland's landscape from above.
- Continue to Solheimajokull glacier and to Dyrhólaey, a nature reserve with bustling bird cliffs and an iconic rock archway over the sea.
- Then drive to the black beach Reynisfjara where there are sea caves and you can watch the waves rolling in from the south. These waves are more powerful than you think, so be careful not to get wet.
- See the Reynisfjall sea cliffs and the sea cave Hálsanefshelli.
- Stop at the village of Vik before driving over Myrdalssandur where you'll be able to look up at the central volcano Katla, which is under the ice cap of Myrdalsiokull glacier.
- East of Myrdalssandur, find Eldgiarhraun lava field, formed from the earth's largest volume single eruption lava flow in historic times. This lava filed was formed in one massive eruption in the year 934 in the volcanic rift of Eldgia (60 km long). Lava field's size is between 18-19 cubic km. - Frommers. By the way check their website for some tips.
- East of Eldgjahraun laval field and the glacier river of Kadafljot, find historic lava field of Skaftareldhraun.
- Fja?rargljufur: Iceland has several dramatic gorges, but this one's spiky crags and vertiginous ledges virtually summon the mystics and landscape painters. Fja?rargljufur is close to the Ring Road, near the village of Kirkjub?jarklaustur in south Iceland, and the trail along the rim is a breeze. - Unfortunately we missed this part as it was getting dark, so perhaps if you are planning more hikes on this day, consider breaking it up into two days.
- For the night, we stayed in the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur at Horgsland Guesthouse - check in time is until 9 pm and breakfast was included.
- There is a restaurant nearby called Systrakaffi where we had dinner.
Day 3
- This day will continue with a quick stop at Foss a Sidu, (a waterfall) and your route will take you further to Skaftafell National Park where you can choose to spend your time seeing the Svartifoss Waterfall, which requires a 1.5 hour hike. You can also take a longer hike with a guide to Skaftafellsjokull glacier or to an ice cave. The drive to Skaftafell is absolutely gorgeous.
- From my research this is the glacier hike you can do and this is the ice cave tour.
- Doing an ice cave tour is an absolute must. End of March is probably the last time you can do these caves as they melt later in the year. We booked the Ice Cave tour with Guide To Iceland mostly because it was one of the few tour groups that offered this tour this late in the year. To get to this tour, you will need to drive to Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, where boat tours are offered during the summer (April to October). If you are lucky, you can see seals in this area. Make sure to stop on the opposite side of the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon (before the bridge) to explore the beach with ice.
- Booking with Extreme Iceland Tours may be more convenient as it's located in the same park as the hike to Svartifoss waterfall.
- From Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon the route takes you through the town of Hofn. On a clear day there are beautiful views up to many outlet glaciers of Vatnajokull. Do some grocery shopping here at a store called Netto to be able to cook breakfast the next day as you will staying at a fully equipped cottage. Having breakfast with a view like that is divine. Also buy enough to make sandwiches for lunch for the next day.
- Have dinner at Kaffihornid before going to the cottage. There are many restaurants around the area with amazing seafood as well.
- From the town of Hofn you will need to drive close to the village Djupivogur. The cottage we stayed at was on a farm and was called Bragdavellir Cottages. You can check in here at any time as the cottage will be left open for you. This is an absolutely amazing cottage located in the mountains. It is a perfect place for you to see Aurora Borealis as the sky is completely unobstructed. I wish I had booked this cottage for 2 nights. I definitely recommend doing this if you have the time. It was incredible and the place where my dream of seeing the northern lights came true. There are short hikes, waterfalls and other activities you can do in the area. The cottage owner provided a list of activities around the area.
Day 4
- Cook breakfast in the morning.
- From Djupivogur and Berufjordur the route takes you along to the town of Egilsstadir and the area around Lake Lagarfljot. The drive here is breathtaking especially approximately 10 minutes before you reach Egilsstadir. Get your cameras ready.
- From Egilsstadir your route heads to Myvatn which is filled with activities for you to do. In the evening you can take a rejuvenating swim at Mývatn Nature Baths. In fact, I suggest going to the baths here an not at the famous Blue Lagoon because there are significantly fewer people here, it feels more authentic and it is cheaper (3500 kronas). Bring a towel and flip flops.
- Accomodations were booked at Dimmuborgir Guesthouse where there is a shared kitchen. Breakfast was not included and check-in time is until 6 pm.
Restaurant options:
- Vogafjós Cowshed Cafe - enjoy a home-made smoked trout appetizer, while cows are milked on the other side of a plate glass window.
- Gamli Bærinn - more casual bar.
Day 5
- The entire day is devoted to exploring the area of Mývatn and Krafla.
- From Myvatn, you will do a short drive to Grjótagjá, an eerie fissure and geothermal vent, then take an hour to climb to the rim of Hverfell, a crater to see the area from above.
- If you do not have groceries with you to cook breakfast, stop at Samkaup to get some grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Drive east of Mývatn to the Hverir, a geothermal hotspot, then head to a geothermal area at Hverarond and then into Krafla and spend some time exploring the Leirhnjúkur lava field.
- You can visit Iceland's major waterfalls in Jokulsargljufur National Park, Dettifoss. However, please check the road closures as this road is closed in winter and you do not want to waste time driving back and forth (as we did).
- Drive further to Husavik to spend the night. Accomodations were booked at Arbol Guesthouse with last check in time at 8 pm. Breakfast was included.
- Whale watching tours are available from Husavik in the high season as HúsavÃk is a whale Mecca.
- There is also a whale museum in Husavik.
- If you hadn't had enough, you can choose to go to the SkútustaðagÃgar pseudocraters and do a 2-hour round-trip hike up Vindbelgjarfjall to survey the area.
- Restaurant to visit for dinner is Gamli Baukur
Day 6
- From Husavik your route will take you through the Adaldalur and Reykjadalur valleys to Godafoss, a truly impressive waterfall which is conveniently located close to the main road.
- Aldeyjarfoss is another waterfall worth the drive. It is out of the way, but if road is open, do it. We skipped it on this trip.
- Further on you will reach the town of Akureyri (the biggest town in north Iceland, with a population of almost 18,000 inhabitants). I recommend you take some time to explore the town before driving on to Skagafjordur fjord. Walk along a shopping street of Hafnarstræti, get a hot-dog, buy souvenirs and have a snack at the Kristjans Bakari Konditori. Have lunch at Bautinn.
- There is 1 and 2 hour parking lots available. You will have to go into a bank or an information centre to get a parking card on which you indicate what time you arrived. You may need to return to your car to change time a few times and repark.
- Accommodations were booked at Hotel Tindastoll with the latest check in at 11 pm. Breakfast was included and there is a hot tub in this hotel open until 11 pm.
- Optional: Horse Riding along the Black River (all year)
- Optional: River Rafting in North Iceland (May-Sep)
- Drop into Olafshus for dinner.
Day 7
- Today I had planned to take the Kjolur Highland Road (F35) to South Iceland, this is a fantastic highland road passing between the glaciers. It is possible to stop here and there, for example, at Hveravellir which is one of the most beautiful hot spring areas in Iceland.
- Further on you will find one of the primary Icelandic waterfalls, Gullfoss (the golden waterfall) and Geysir geothermal field where you will see hundreds of hot springs, including the Great Geysir which gave its name to all other geysers in the world and the geyser Strokkur which erupts every 5 minutes or so to a height of 15 – 20 m, sometimes to a height of 40 meters.
- From Geysir Geothermal field the route takes you to Thingvellir national park where it is good to spend some hours exploring before you drive back to Reykjavik.
- Unfortunately, the F35 road was partially closed and we were forced to take Route 1 all the way back to Reykjavik, missing these sites. It is over 1.5 hour drive from Reykjavik and you need time to spend at these spots. As a result I would leave a big part of the day for this, which unfortunately we did not have. Make sure to budget at least half a day for these spots. I was missing one day from this itinerary. If I were to do this again, I would do this on day 1 and break up day 1 into two days.
- On this day we stayed at the same hotel as on Day 1. This gives you an extra evening in Reykjavik to enjoy some night life and great food.
Day 8
- On this final day you have a few options. You can either do more exploring in Reykjavik if you hadn't had enough time on the first day, or you can visit the Blue Lagoon where you will be able to relax for a few hours. From here it is a very short drive to Keflavik International Airport, where you leave your car and fly back home.
- We chose to walk through the Blue Lagoon to just see what it is all about(there is a trail there). I was glad to have gone to the baths in northern Iceland as it felt more authentic and less busy.
- There is also a Viking world museum near Keflavik airport
Other Places
(couldn't do on this trip because of either lack of time or road closures):West Iceland
- Westfjords.
- Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.
- Hornbjarg: These sea cliffs in Iceland's far north-west aren't easy to reach, but the views are incredible. You get to see Iceland's entire coastline.
- Glymur is Iceland's tallest waterfall. The hike is quite difficult but rewarding.
- Latrabjarg is the most western point of Iceland. There is a very good chance to see a puffin.
- Kirkjufell Mountain.
- Grótta is a gorgeous lighthouse in Reykjavik. This is the best place in town to go see the sunset.
- Snaefellsnes is a peninsula with a huge volcano under a glacier.
- Natural bridge at the Arnarstapi coastline
Central Iceland
- Askja: Volcanic mountains. Visitors can swim in a warm, opaque blue-green pond at the bottom of a steep crater.
South Iceland
- Gjain gorge.
- Háifoss, Iceland's second tallest waterfall.
- Close to Thingvellir Park you can even do a snorkeling tour.
- Landmannalaugar mountains hike.
- Thorsmork is one of the best places to hike. It is in between 3 glaciers and only accessible in summer.
- Port of Tþorlákshöfn for the ferry to the Westman Islands to spend a night in the village of Heimaey to explore and see the Elephant Rock.
- Maelifell.
- Take a tour inside a crater.
- The Laugavegur trail.
- Gjábakkahellir Cave near Þingvellir National Park in the summer months, and the Leiðarendi Cave in the Bláfjöll area in wintertime.
Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis
It is definitely a sight to see and worth a few sleepless nights. For Northern Lights forecast, keep checking this site throughout the day. The site explains how to read the map. Based on what we heard from some locals, on the scale of 0-9, it rarely increases above 5, so a 4 means you are in for a show. Keep an eye out for the lights once it gets dark. It is really unpredictable however; the show may last for 5 minutes or 25 minutes or can happen at 11 pm. or at 5 am. There is no way of knowing so you can put an alarm for every hour and take turns to check the skies. One suggestion is that I wouldn't chase the lights. If it happens to appear in the location you're in, great; if not, I wouldn't move around specifically for it as you may miss some of the incredible places Iceland has to offer.Packing List (End of March trip)
The weather is a bit unpredictable. It is not the cold that I remember, but piercing wind. In the south the weather ranged from 0-5 degrees Celsius and in the north it went down to -10 degrees Celsius at the end of March. As a result, the best advice I can give you is to bring layers and wind-proof/water-proof items:- Base layer - merino wool shirts
- Second layer - fleece - bring several
- Third layer - puffy jacket
- Fourth layer - wind-proof and water-proof shell
- Warm hat and gloves. Bring several pairs as they get dirty and/or wet
- Balaclava proved to be helpful at times
- Merino wool socks
- Walking boots for the city
- Hiking shoes are a must
- Hiking pants/athletic pants
- Wind-proof and water-proof pants
- Sunglasses and sunscreen for when you do a hike to the top of the crater
- Moisturiser - because of the cold, the skin does get dry
- Flip Flops, a towel and a bathing suit for the nature baths
- Camera and a Tripod
Budget for one person - Off Season (Canadian Dollars):
In summer, car rental and accommodations get more expensive due to a larger number of tourists. Some expenses such as a car, gas, hotels can be split if you have more people.|
Plane ticket from Toronto
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$ 680.00
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Rental Car with insurance for a week ($1,300/4)
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$ 325.00
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Gas for the week ($250/4)
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$ 62.50
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Accommodations
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$ 500.00
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Excursions (Museum, Ice Cave and Hot springs)
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$ 300.00
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Restaurants
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$ 500.00
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Groceries
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$ 100.00
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Total
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$ 2,467.50
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Other Useful Websites:
- Things to do in Iceland - http://www.visiticeland.com/things-to-do
- Interesting Hotel - http://www.buubble.com/