Iceland

Need To Know

  • Everything is expensive, get used to it.
  • If you drive in Iceland (you should) there are SEVEN things you absolutely need to know –
    1. Know how to tackle 2 lane roundabouts (the inner lane has right of way!!). Watch some videos to understand. This one is great. Its not that difficult – you will get a hang of it pretty quickly.
    2. Know how to navigate single-lane bridges. The car that approaches first has the right of way. Watch a video to understand. Single lane bridges are mostly south of Vik – traffic is pretty light there, so this should not be a big deal.
    3. When filling up gas in Iceland the Green pump is for gasoline, and the black pump is for diesel (this is opposite of what the color code is in the US)
    4. Some gas stations require that your Credit Card has a PIN. Do not wait until the last moment to set this up on your CC. You cannot set this up online or on the phone. Your bank will snail-mail you the PIN. So do this well in advance of your trip.
    5. Turning right on a red light is illegal
    6. There are no yellow lines on the roadway to separate lanes of oncoming traffic. All lines are white. Always assume two-way traffic. Solid lines and dashed lines mean the same as in the US – dashed line on your side means its OK to pass.
    7. You wont see traffic cops, but does not mean you have a license to speed. There are speed cameras in many places, read about it before you go.
  • EVERY place takes Credit Cards – set up Apple Pay with 2-3 cards and you wont even need to touch your wallet. Cash is absolutely not needed, and you will not even see cash during your time in Iceland
  • You have to pay to park pretty much everywhere. Install the Parka app before you travel. When you get there and rent a car, take a picture of your license plate and register it with the Parka app. After that you can conveniently pay for parking using the app. Iceland uses a very “big brother” method to track cars and parking. Cameras are everywhere and they scan your license plate every time you enter and exit a parking lot that requires parking. Don’t forget to unregister your license plate after your trip.
  • Most hotels include breakfast, and its pretty good. Kronan (grocery store chain) has pretty good ready-to-eat sandwiches. If you plan well, you can pick up lunch in the morning and eat a picnic lunch at lunch time. And then eat dinner in a restaurant.

Must See/Must Do

We only did Reykjavik and the South + Golden Circle. We left these for the next visit: East, North, Highlands, Snæfellsnes peninsula

  • Seljalandsfoss waterfall – walk behind the waterfall (★★★★★)
  • Skogafoss waterfall – (★★★★★)
  • Solheimajokull Glacier (★★★★★) – small hike for a great view of the glacier
  • Svartifoss – the waterfall with the basalt columns (★★★★★)
  • Fjallsarlon Glacier – walk up the small hill to see icebergs – consider doing a zodiac boat ride here (★★★★★)
  • Stokksnes – beach right next to a tall mountain (★★★★☆) – its alright. (Skip it if you are short on time)
  • Jokulsarlon Glacier – GREAT views of icebergs right from the parking lot. This is the easiest way to see icebergs. Consider doing an amphibian or zodiac boat ride here (★★★★★). Don’t come back from Iceland without visiting this.
  • Diamond Beach – Really close to Jokulsarlon Glacier. The diamonds are the ice chunks of the black sand beach (★★★★★). Don’t come back from Iceland without visiting this.
  • Mulagljufur Canyon & Waterfalls – too long of a hike to see the view. We skipped.
  • Svínafellsjokull Glacier (★★★★★) – small hike for a great view of the glacier
  • Fjadrargljufur Canyon (★★★★★) – little bit of an uphill climb for great views of this lush green canyon
  • Dyrholaey Puffins view (★★★★★)
  • Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach (★★★★☆) – its alright. The hype is a little too much. Visit it anyway, but plan a quick stop.
  • Go take a dip in a hot spring. Secret Lagoon is pretty good. (★★★★★)
  • Gullfoss waterfall (★★★★★)
  • Strokkur Geyser and other geysers in the Geysir area (★★★☆☆) – imminently skippable if you have been to Yellowstone and Lassen. It will feel pretty meh. Visit this if you have not visited Yellowstone/Lassen
  • Thingvellir National Park (★★★★★) – see the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling away from each other. You can actually walk in the rift valley. You can also dive here (Silfra canyon)
  • Reykjavik –
    • Harpa Concert Hall (★★★★★)
    • Sun Voyager sculpture (★★★★★) – probably the second most photographed site in Reykjavik
    • Hallgrimskirkja church (★★★★☆) – probably the most photographed site in Reykjavik
    • Lava Show (★★★★☆)
    • Perlan museum (★★★★☆)

10-day Itinerary

  1. Depart home city
  2. Arrive Keflavik, night in Reykjavik
  3. Check out from Reykjavik
    • Seljalandsfoss
    • Skogafoss
    • Solheimajokull glacier
    • Night in Vik
    • 3h20m drive
  4. check out Vik
    • Svartifoss
    • Fjallsarlon Glacier
    • Jokulsarlon Glacier boat tour
    • Diamond Beach
    • Night near Jokulsarlon
    • 3h drive
  5. check out Jokulsarlon
    • Svinafellsjokull Glacier
    • Fjadrargljufur Canyon
    • Dyrholaey puffins
    • Reynisfjara black sand beach
    • Night in Vik
    • 3h30m drive
  6. check out Vik
    • Kerid Crater
    • Secret Lagoon hot water bath
    • Gullfoss waterfakk
    • Geysers
    • Night in Geysir area
    • 3h drive
  7. check out Geysir
    • Thingvellir National Park
    • Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall
    • Night near Kirkjufellsfoss
    • 3h 30m drive
  8. check out Kirkjufellsfoss
    • Svortuloft Lighthouse
    • Djúpalónssandur beach
    • Arnarstapi Cliff Viewpoint
    • Night in Reykjavik
    • 4h drive
  9. Reykjavik
    • Lava Show
    • Hallgrimskirkja church
    • Perlan
    • Sun Voyager
    • Harpa Concert Hall
    • Night in Reykjavik
    • 40m drive
  10. Fly out