Iceland
Iceland is absolutely stunning. I have never been somewhere where the landscape changes so quickly.
One moment you are on a glacier, the next on black sand beaches, and then you’re driving through a lava field.
Only a couple days in Iceland? Follow our footsteps! Above is a Map of places we visited!
Iceland is a very EXPENSIVE country to visit. Getting to Iceland can be very cheap, but staying there can be costly.
Most cars in Iceland are manual. If you can’t drive a stick, be sure to specify an automatic car when renting.
Weather in Iceland can be extremely unpredictable at any time of the year. If you’re traveling in the “warmer” months be sure to bring a jacket and good shoes to keep in your car.
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a bit pricy and is typically considered a tourist trap. It is a man made hot spring that is heated by the nearby geothermal power plant. The area can get crowded. It can still be worth your time, especially since it is close to the airport. We suggest other options without the hefty price tag.
Reykjavik – Downtown
Downtown center is a great place to grab some lunch or dinner and shop for Iceland gear. There are plenty of things to do and a bustling nightlife!
Thingvellir National Park
MUST SEE:
Thingvellir is where continental plates divide. There are multiple parking lots where you pay to park. The top parking lot allows for a great view of the surrounding area. The bottom parking lot allows for you to walk through two completely separate tectonic plates (Seen in picture) – The Euroasian Plate and the North American Plate. There are hiking trails and wheelchair accessible paths. Take some time to enjoy a stroll and beautiful pictures!
Strokkur
MUST SEE:
Geysers are cool. VERY cool. If you haven’t seen a geyser, this one is very reliable and very entertaining. It erupts every 5 – 10 minutes. There is a parking lots where you pay to park. It is an easy stroll to the geyser and wheelchair accesible. Make sure to catch a video to show your friends!
Gullfoss
This is a massive breathtaking waterfall in the center of the country. There is a paid parking lot at the top and you can take a short hike down to the falls. It can get a little congested and some areas closer to the falls can be slippery. Make sure to hike down to the rocks for some awesome pictures.
Seljalandsfoss
This is a beautiful waterfall. Best part is you can hike AROUND the back side of it for some interesting pictures making it unique from most of the other waterfalls. Park in the paid parking lot and take a short hike to the waterfall. Be sure to get pictures from as many angles as you can!
Skogafoss
This is another massive waterfall. Park in the parking lot and take a short walk down a gravel path to the waterfall. You can hike to the top of this waterfall for a view from above. There is a nice river at the top and a few places to hike!
Solheimajokull
MUST SEE:
If you haven’t seen a glacier, it is spectacular. There are guided tours on this that we didn’t take, but we highly suggest it. There is a parking lot nearby and its a short walk to the glacier. We snuck onto the glacier without the proper shoes, but we highly suggest getting the proper equipment to hike on the ice.
Dyrholaey
MUST SEE:
“Dyrholaey” is actually the name of the lighthouse, but the whole area is beautiful. This area offers a breathtaking 360 degree view. From there you can see the mountains on the island, the rocky shores, and the black sand beaches. It can get a bit windy, so bring a jacket. There are multiple parking lots in this area, each one offering a different but spectacular view.
Reynisfjara Beach
There is a lot more on these beaches than just the unique rock columns. There are the black sand beaches and caves you can walk into. These beaches are a fantastic place to explore and take pictures! There is a parking lot nearby and its a short stroll to the beaches.
Our Itinerary
Iceland was a part of a larger trip. We went to Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Iceland on a single trip. Because of this we only had a couple days to see as much as we could in Iceland.
Day 1: Arrive in Iceland from United Kingdom around midnight. Grab rental car and head to the hotel for the night. View of Aurora Borealis from hotel.
Day 2: Head to Thingvellir National Park. Hike through the continental divide. Drive to Stokkur and watch the geyser. Head to Gullfoss for pictures. Drive to AirBnB dear Skogafoss for the night.
Day 3: Hike to the top of Skogafoss. Drive to Dyrholaey. Stop for pictures. Drive to the Reynisfjara Beach to explore the beach area. Return to Seljalandsfoss. Drive back to Reykjavik to spend the night in AirBnB and grab Iceland gear.
Day 4: Flight Home.
Cost
These are not exact costs. Everything is an Approximation. Flights are from our entire trip and not just to and from Iceland.
Flights and bags for Us (ATL > AMS & LGW > KEF > ATL) (Spirit/Wow Air): $800 x 2 = $1600
Generally you can find flights from HSV to Iceland for around $600 RT, but we have seen them as low as $266 on Delta.
Rental Car: $300 (Lagoon Car Rental – offsite from airport)
1 – 3 Night in Iceland: $330 (AirBnB)
Total: $2230 for 4 Days/2 adults (This included flights to mainland Europe)
Food in Iceland is very expensive. One meal for a small cheeseburger and fries cost $26. To save money we brought freezedried camping food (Backpacker’s Pantry). The camping food we brought needed boiled water, which we boiled at the AirBnB for breakfast and dinner. You can also buy hotdogs for around $7 at pretty much any gas station if you’re traveling on a budget.
Gas is also very expensive, so be prepared to spend $100+ on gas.
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