Volcanos, geysers, waterfalls, whales, glaciers, and lava fields OH MY!!! Iceland is packed with natural wonders and lots to do, which makes planning pretty intimidating. Depending on your travel style, you may just show up, rent your car, and roll. Or, you could be like me and plan all the minute details as much as you can. This was Ryan's baby, but with his hectic job, planning was not going to happen unless I stepped in.
Viti Crater
Krafla Myvatn area
Hverfell crater
I scoured many blogs about driving the Ring Road in Iceland and found that most people preferred the travel book: Lonely Planet, Iceland. This book was a lifesaver for planning and for our entire trip and I can highly recommend it. It is full of great eateries, maps, hikes, sample itineraries, every stop along the road, and camping/lodging information. The book is divided up into North, South, East, West, and Interior Iceland to make it easy to reference sites you may want to find in each area.
With Ryan's 'use or lose' vacation time we had about 10 days to use towards this trip. If you are planning to do the Ring Road, then 7 days should be enough time to see most of the highlights. Since we had extra time, we were able to get off of the Ring Road and explore a bit further.
Iceberg Lagoon
Glaciers
Glacier and glacier lagoon
Arrival in Keflavik Airport: KEF is a pretty easy airport to fly in and out of. Since we are based in Germany, we flew out of Stuttgart on WOW Air an Icelandic Airline. This airline is a budget line and offers super awesome prices in and out of KEF. When we booked our flights, however, there was no return flight on WOW Air, so we booked through German Wings for our return flight. I will note that WOW air also flies to the states and offers some cheap fares, so check them out!
Departure from Keflavik Airport:
We dropped our camper van off in the morning of our last full day in Iceland. Our company was amazing and drove us where we needed to go. They dropped us off at the BSI bus station in Reykjavik, where we paid a small fee to store our luggage and had just a short walk to into town to explore more of the city. After several hours and an amazing lunch, we walked back to the bus station. I hired a company called Back to Iceland for $25 per person, after researching several companies. They picked us up at the bus station, took us to the Blue Lagoon, stored our luggage, and then after 5 hours at the Lagoon, they picked us up around 9:00 p.m. to take us to the airport for our red eye flight. Several companies had time constraints that would have left us sitting at the airport for 4-5 hours before our flight or limiting our time to relax at the Blue Lagoon. This was a great company, great price, and allowed us to end our trip on a relaxing note! Cannot recommend them enough.
Getting Around In Iceland:
We chose to go the Campervan Route which you can read about here, but there are many other options you can consider depending on how adventurous you are.
Cycling: We saw lots of cyclists tackling the Ring Road, and while it offers incredible views, weather can be changing and a bike could limit which sites are easy to access.
Iceland Bus System: Very limited but can help travelers get around
Rental Car: These can be pricey, but are a good option if you are planning to camp or find lodging along the Ring Road
Hitchhiking: We saw lots of hitchhikers all over Iceland. It seemed to be pretty common, but you should obviously use precaution if you choose this option.
Outdoor Excursions to Consider When Planning:
Hiking: Next time we go to Iceland we plan to hike several 2-3 day trails. Iceland is full of both short and long beautiful hikes. Some great areas we hiked included: Skaftafell, Skogar, Snaefellsness, and Myvatn. Some others that we wished we had time for were Dorsmork, Laugavegurinn, and Fimmvordulhals.
Wildlife: Iceland is home to Puffins and several species of Whales. We did get to see some puffins from afar, but we got up close and personal with the Humpback whales! Don't miss a whale watching trip if you have time. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Seals are also everywhere and stinking cute!
Humpbacks
Horseback Riding: Iceland has special Icelandic horses that are smaller and sturdier than horses you find in the states. Everywhere you go in Iceland you will find these beautiful creatures and opportunities to ride if you wish. This was my first time riding a horse and I had a blast.
Hestaport Riding Company
Scuba Diving: Iceland is a Scuba diver's dream dive spot. Ryan and I are both certified, but due to the cost and time constraints to did not dive. I think when we go back next time, we will make it a point to dive. You can dive at Silfra in-between the continental plates and learn more about plate tectonics.
Spas and Hot Springs: Hot pots are in abundance in Iceland thanks to all that geothermal activity going on. Almost every town has a pool with warm pools to swim in. Don't be shy, because you always must shower naked before entering the pools. This is to keep the pools clean and if you skip this step it can offend the locals. The two major Hot Springs that you commonly hear about are the Blue Lagoon and Myvatn Nature Baths. Both of these places were amazing, and I highly recommend stopping in for some relaxation time and take in the views while you soak. The Blue Lagoon has different packages you can purchase and I suggest purchasing your tickets ahead of time to save the hassle and skip the line. The standard admission is 35 Euro and goes up from there.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon with our silica mask
Myvatn Nature Baths
Myvatn
Myvatn
There are so many natural hot springs on the island, but we only got to experience one in Hveragerdi. We hiked about 2 miles up into the mountains to Reykjadalur a hot river where you are able to swim/soak. We put our suits on in the car under our hiking clothes and then changed our clothes before we hiked back to the van. If you have 2-3 hours this is a worthwhile stop and overall fun experience.
Hot River
Hot River
Love him!
Planning your route:
First, you need to decide what you want to see. Do you want to see the Ring Road? Do you want to hike in the Interior? Do you want to cross into the Arctic Circle by taking a ferry to Grimsey? Do you want to see a particular part of Iceland? The Lonely Planet book is a great start to help you get an idea of what there is to do throughout Iceland and how to budget your time.
If you are interested in making your home base in Reykjavik, there are several day tours you can take from there. You can search through various tour options here and here, but getting out on the open road and seeing Iceland's beauty is really the way to go and offers you the most flexibility on your trip and is easier on the budget. Almost all of Iceland's sites are free, so paying for a tour can be more expensive than just renting a car and driving to them on your own.
I think that having a basic game plan is good, but just be aware that once you are there you can always adapt the schedule. For instance, we thought we might whale watch, but didn't book this until we were there and knew for sure we would be in the area on a particular day. We also hadn't planned to drive a few of the peninsulas, drive more of the East Fjords, go horse back riding, or do the Myvatn Nature Baths. We had tentative plans and things were hoping to do and see, but once we were there we were able to add much much more to our itinerary!
We started by picking up our Camper Van in Reykjavik, getting groceries, and set off for the Golden Circle. From there we drove the Ring Road counterclockwise starting in the South going to the East, the North, and ending in the West. I realized once we got going that I had planned too much time for various sites so we ended up having 2 extra days to fill with adventure! We considered doing a day trip up to Grimsey on the ferry to get our "You crossed the Arctic Circle" certificate, but this trip takes a full day (leaves at 9:00 am and arriving back around 7:00 pm). Next time we will do this for sure.
Before our trip I sat down with our handy Lonely Planet Iceland book and highlighted places of interest before our trip so we could know what to look for while we were driving. You itinerary also will be affected by how late you want to drive before stopping to camp. Since the sky stays lighter longer in Iceland, we usually tried to be stopped by 8:30 pm to make dinner, watch a movie, and search for the Northern Lights. We never had a specific spot we "had" to stop in each evening since it depended on how much we got done each day. Every night, I would map out the next day's attack and have a ballpark idea of where we might stop the next night. Each morning we were up by 7:00 am to start the day, make breakfast, and get on the road to see what Iceland had for us that day.
Look for this sign while driving for points of interest
After you have chosen the big places you want to see, you can make a list of second priority places. We were able to see even more than we had planned, so just remember to have your tentative plan, but be willing to change it so you can maximize your experience. After all, aren't all the surprises along the way the best part of a road trip!
What Clothing to Pack:
Contrary to what people may think, Iceland isn't all icy. With that being said, rain is common throughout the year and nights are chilly. Of course weather also depends on the time of year that you travel. We traveled in late August and into the first week of September. Most days were sunny, with rain here and there, some crazy wind, and usually sitting around the 55 degrees F. During the night time it got lower into the low 40's. The best advice is to layer up!
Ryan and I also wanted to pack light and each only take our carryon suitcases and a backpack we shared. This meant that we had to wear some of our clothes multiple times. Some of you may think that sounds "dirty" and believe me, I was worried I would feel this way while we were there, but I really never did. Plus, this is camping my friends, you have to be up for a little adventure on this kind of trip. Since the weather was pretty temperate, even with longer hikes, my clothes were never drenched in sweat. So my point is, you should be able to wear a shirt twice and be just fine :) I packed mostly workout clothes that were dri-fit, which also helped to moisture wick. There are laundry facilities you can use along the way, but we didn't find that necessary. Here is what we found to be essential on our road trip:
- rain jacket and waterproof hiking pants (we both have Columbia for our jacket and pants)
- hats, gloves, scarf
- fleece jacket
- down vest
- hiking boots- I have waterproof Timberlands, Ryan loves his Merrils (but they aren't waterproof)
- warm wool socks to wear daily and at night to keep you warm
- warm pajamas (Some nights I wore my pj pants, 2 tops, my fleece, hat, and one night even my vest)
- long sleeve dry fit workout shirts
- 2 pairs of dry fit skinny running pants (when it rained I threw on my waterproof pants over them)
- underwear and sports bras for us ladies
- thermal underwear (we didn't pack this, but it could be helpful)
- swimsuit and flip flops for the hot springs/pools
- flats, tights, and a sweater in case I needed a "nicer" outfit but this is totally optional
So most days I wore my long sleeve shirt, fleece jacket, and down vest with long workout pants, socks, and boots. As needed I would add my rain gear on top, hat, and gloves. By layering up it was easy to remove layers when we got toasty during a hike or the weather took a warmer turn. To save space in our suitcase I wore my boots, fleece, and vest on the plane.
Toiletries:
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- face wipes and body wipes for days when showers aren't available
- vitamins/medicines
- razor
- shampoo and body wash (we purchased larger sizes at the Bonus to share)
- makeup if you so wish
- Chapstick
- sunscreen
- sunglasses
- Backpack Rain cover
- microfiber fast drying towels (these were amazing, dried so fast, and didn't smell up the van)
Other Items to Pack:
Electronics:
- GPS (optional) we brought ours and realized Iceland was not on it so it was a no go
- Ipad or phone - go now and download the Ulmon app for offline maps - this saved us with no GPS
- Road Map- make sure you buy one at any Gas station to have as a back up
- Converter Charger (you can rent one, but we purchased our own)
- camera and charger
- go pro
- laptop (optional) to watch movies and download pics/videos
Paperwork:
- Passport
- Credit and debit card
- Driver's license
- campervan paperwork
- flight boarding passes/paperwork
- Airbnb info for Reykjavik
- Back to Iceland transfer paperwork
- Flybus tickets
- Itinerary
- Lonely Planet Guidebook
Other:
- Flashlights
- spare phone charger
- auxiliary cords for music
- toilet paper and paper towels
- clorox wipes to clean dishes
- snacks from home
The roadmap we purchased
Icelandic Food Specialties:
Well you could probably guess that it is a seafood haven. We went fishing on one of the fjords and caught some cod and haddock. Even though I am not the biggest seafood fan, I actually enjoyed our grilled fishies! I even went so far as to order some famous fish soup in Dalvik and got a refill.
Skyr is another Icelandic treat similar to yogurt. We had skyr in a pie form, smoothie, and on its' own and every way was a winner. I already raved about the Pylsur, also known as the Icelandic hot dog. These babies you can find at street stands, gas stations, and cafe's.
Icelandic Chocolate- good, but not as good as German Chocolate
If you have time stop at a dairy farm or cafe for some homemade ice cream! We tried Vogafjos in Myvatn (also had amazing meals all farm to table) and Erppstadir in the west of Iceland. In the Myvatn area, we had Hverabraud, or hot spring bread. There are many more treats to enjoy, but these were a few of our favorites!
You cannot forget to mention the Coffee! Coffee is delicious and found everywhere in Iceland. Every gas station has coffee and I have to admit it was pretty darn good. In Reykjavik I went on a little coffee tasting excursion to try several coffee shops, which resulted in me being hopped up on caffeine all day. Here is a list of the few cafe's that we got to try in Reykjavik, however there are more:
Babalu: Eclectic cafe with 2 floors. We had the tomato soup (yum), coffee, and some Icelandic beer.
Reykjavik Roasters: small, hipster cafe, serious good coffee
Kaffi Moka: oldest coffee shop in Reykjavik, amazing coffee, and incredible waffles!
Cafe Haiti: small shop near the Harbour, friendly staff, and a nice cuppa jo!
Lastly I have to mention the Beer! You will find beers like Gull and Viking everywhere, but we love a good microbrew. We tried so many and its hard to remember all of them, but our favorites were Einstock and Kaldi. Einstock is based in Akureyri and can be found at Vinboudin liquor stores, cafe's, restaurants, etc. This was Ryan's favorite of all that we tried and I really liked their porter. Kaldi we really liked also and found in Dalvik at our Fish Soup place! They have a bar in Reykjavik called Kaldi where you can sample several of their beers.
Here are a few of our favorite little finds along the way!
Kaffihus Bakkabraedra: Amazing place in Dalvik, best fish soup ever, good coffee, friendly staff, and free wifi.
My Fish Soup
Amazing Kuchen and Kaffee
Vogafjos: restaurant on a dairy farm in Myvatn, farm to table food, delicious, and beautiful views
Hotel Aldan: quaint place in Seydisfjordur, great coffee, cake, and beer, friendly staff, amazing town
Fjoruhusid: small cafe in Hellnar at the trail head to Arnastapi, good fish soup, skyr cake, bread, Kaldi beer
Skyr Cake
Fish Soup and Hverabraud, oh, and the Kaldi beer:)
Nora Magasin: small bistro in Reykjavik with delicious food, coffee, and cocktails
Grocery Store Stops:
I talked about the Bonus Supermarkets in my Campervan blog, but I will mention again that we really liked these stores. Iceland is expensive, so any discounts you can get, take them! Here is a picture of where the Bonus' are located to help you plan where you will want to stop along the way.
Ryan made me Tikka Masala from our Bonus grocery run! YUM
Ryan's famous pasta!
While you drive on the Ring Road, you will encounter some towns along the way. Not all of Iceland is desolate, but a town is going to be itty bitty compared to what we think of in the U.S. There are some farm stays, small hotels, B&B's and hostels all around the island. Camping is also generally available in most towns big and small, but in our camper van we were able to camp anywhere that wasn't private property. In terms of gas a good general rule is to fill up on gas when you see a station and are below a 1/2 tank of gas. We never were stressed out trying to find a gas station at the last minute and that makes the trip so much more enjoyable!
Our camper van provided us with a discount card for all N1 gas stations. Most N1 stations will have a map showing where all the N1's are located. I just snapped a pic and had it to reference when we were looking for upcoming stations. Filling up and paying for gas is a little bit different than we are used to and Ryan got a little frustrated the first go around. You must first choose how much money to put on the machine before you can pump the gas. We always chose the highest option, because you only will be charged for how much gas you actually pump. Make sure you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees and paying should be a breeze. We use our Capitol One Venture card everywhere in Europe are have never had any difficulties. If you do have trouble, just go in and ask the attendant. Most people speak English and are very friendly.
N1 Stations- more detailed maps available in the N1 stations
N1 in Vik
Driving:
Driving in Iceland was pretty easy. The hardest part was for Ryan. When we booked our camper van, Ryan did not know how to drive a manual. Since those were the only vehicles available (due to last minute booking and automatics costing more than two grand), we took a quick lesson from some lovely friends who showed Ryan the ropes. After about an hour of figuring out the camper van, he was a pro! I was seriously so proud of him and he was pretty pleased with himself. The ring road is pretty self explanatory, just stay on Route 1. I guess that is why even though we went off of the ring road quite a bit, we didn't feel lost without the GPS. We found the road map and iPad offline map to get us everywhere we need to be.
Route 1 is paved and mostly a 2 way highway. Try to follow the speed limit (90 kph), however you will see speed camera warning signs before the camera comes along, so pay attention to avoid a speeding ticket! While Route 1 is paved, if you do any venturing off of the road, be aware that there are many gravel roads that go for miles in Iceland. These pothole filled roads can be hard on any vehicle, so go slow and take your time. I took us on a little trip that was a terribly pot holed scary mountain gravel road that lasted for 30 miles! It took a long time to get through it driving at 30 kph and we so scared we were going to end up with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere!
Car rental practices are pretty standard. You always have the option to buy extra insurances, but we didn't purchase them. Make sure you have your drivers license, and maybe even an international license. Since we live in Germany, we have our international license already, our US license, and our German license! Too many to keep track of.
So that sums up the basics of how we planned out this amazing trip. It has been one of our favorite trips we've taken so far and we cannot wait to go back and see and do all of the things we missed the first time. Whether you are coming from the U.S. or Europe, this place is a must see. God's beauty is present at every angle and makes us crave more and more of His creation! Places like this really show us how much He loves us. The fact that He would create a world full of such beauty that has its' purpose in survival of course, but also just for our unworthy eyes to see and appreciate!
Stay tuned for more posts on where we went and what we did in Iceland!
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