The land of fire and ice – a location that has been on my bucket list for years – I finally am able to scratch it off!
I had the chance to visit Iceland for just over a week with my husband and best friend. We explored so much, ate delicious food, saw so much wildlife and experienced the variety of scenery Iceland has to offer.
I am going to tell you everything we did, what I recommend, and I even made a little map for you to use if you’re visiting Iceland! It has trails, groceries, gas stations, roadside stops, waterfalls, and more on it.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
The Itinerary:
Day 1
We used Indie Campers for this trip because it was the most cost effective for us since the van also had 2 beds in it, therefore cutting out our hotel costs. So once we arrived at the KEF airport we called a taxi to take us to Indie Campers to pick up our van which was an easy and great process! I would definitely recommend booking with Indie Campers (not sponsored).
The first stop of our trip was the famous Sky Lagoon where we booked the “Pure Lite” package. Sky Lagoon opened in 2021 and it is a wellness center that features a cafe, in-pool bar, 230-foot infinity pool, waterfall to swim under, and if you book the “Ritual” package you can experience their 7-step wellness package. This spa was an excellent choice for us after a long travel night of no sleep, and we felt so clean and refreshed after. This lagoon is man-made, but it is a great experience nonetheless and was such a different experience than the natural hot springs we visited on this trip. I definitely would go here again! When we first arrived here, there was a group of people who were walking in before us and we overheard one of them say “this place looks like if the Teletubbies had an evil lair” and that was the best reference I’ve ever heard, plus pretty accurate.
After getting rejuvenated at the spa, we decided it was time to start our drive around Iceland. We headed to the Kerið Volcanic Crater where we did the short hike around the perimeter of this Icelandic gem. It is one of the three most recognizable volcanic craters in Iceland.
Only about a 35 minute drive from the Crater is the Geysir Geothermal Area which is located in Haukadalur Valley, South-west Iceland. It is home to Geysir (sometimes known as The Great Geysir) which erupts every 5-8 minutes so we saw it erupt a couple times. There are also some “baby” geyser’s around it you will have the chance to see if you visit here.
If you visit Geysir, make sure you take the time to drive 10 minutes up the road to Gullfoss, a majestic waterfall that also has amazing views of a canyon. Heads up, you’ll likely experience some splash from the waterfall here!
The next stop on our trip was for some food and we ended up eating the most delicious hamburger I have ever had (and I don’t care for hamburgers to be quite honest with you). The restaurant is called Valhalla restaurant and it was like stepping into a play about Vikings. The restaurant is laid out with how Vikings would eat, and there was also Billiards and Axe Throwing available (we opted for Billiards). We found this restaurant by googling the closest restaurant on our route and I am so happy we had the chance to experience it, it was really fun (and delicious).
We ended our first day rejuvenated, excited and with full bellies. We found a blog post that mentioned a parking lot where you can park and sleep for free right next to our next morning’s first destination, so we did just that.
Day 2
When we woke up, the first stop of the day was a waterfall lover’s haven! There is a paid parking lot and immediately you will see the first waterfall, Seljalandsfoss. We actually ended up coming here twice on our trip because we loved it so much and the first time we went, the walk behind this first waterfall was closed but the second time it was open!! Once you’re done visiting that waterfall, you’ll notice a trail that takes you to some other waterfalls that are pretty but not as extravagant. Keep following that trail down until you see a slot in the rocks with a river running inside of it (hope you’re ready to get wet!). This waterfall you’re about to see in here, Gljufrafoss, is possibly my favourite waterfall of the entire trip. It is so beautiful!
Before hitting our next destination, we stopped for some coffee at the Faxi bakery which has some delicious baked goods as well. To our surprise, this bakery is situated just across the road from where a major volcanic eruption was a couple years back and there are photos there to show you.
This day was full of waterfalls as our next stop was to Skogafoss. Skogafoss is one of Iceland’s biggest waterfalls, and on a sunny day you’ll see a rainbow or two there. You can get as close as you want to the waterfall (so again, you’ll likely get wet) and you can also climb the staircase to see the waterfall from the top. A local we met here told us of a legend here; it is believed that behind this waterfall you can find a chest filled with gold and possibly other treasures.
The next location on this itinerary is one that was super high on my bucket list. It was time for me to finally feast my eyes on Reynisfjara Beach. This was where I first got to see black sand! This beach has natural rock formations and basalt columns. If you visit here please be careful, this location is heavily known for Sneaker Waves, a large unexpected wave that can drag a human into the water. We visited on a clear, calm, sunny day and the waves were still unbelievably big during our visit, then they would die down and be pretty tame and then huge out of no where. It was cool to see – from a very safe distance.
We visited Iceland at the end of April, and seeing as we were just days away from Star Wars Day (May 4th), we all knew we just had to visit the famous Yoda Cave (Gígjagjá). This felt like a religious experience to me. It is a natural wonder and the resemblance to Yoda is uncanny.
Day 3
The next stop I have here is one of my favourite views I saw on the whole trip, but the trail itself wasn’t the greatest because it was so muddy. I’m very glad we visited here though. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon is a must-see with a short hike for magnificent views. Just be ware of the conditions of the trail. I think I am a sucker for canyons because every time I see one, I feel like a new human. This canyon was created by progressive erosion by flowing water from glaciers through the rocks, and it could be a postcard because it is picture-perfect.
We needed a washroom and to fill up our water bottles (and to use some Wifi) so we stopped in at the Vatnajökull National Park Visitor Center. After, we found a restaurant close by where we ate more delicious food – this is when we realized that Iceland is full of amazing food. Even a simple muffin in Iceland made me feel as if I had never experienced real food before. Everything here just tasted exquisite. The restaurant we ate at is called Systrakaffi.
With full bellies once again, we headed over to a short hike at Dverghamrar. To be honest we wanted to visit here merely because the name translates to “The Dwarf Cliffs” and we are all big Lord of the Rings fans. Dverghamrar Cliffs is a natural monument of six-sided basalt columns, formed by cooling lava and wave erosion. It feels really smooth to the touch.
We needed a coffee break so we stopped at one of the most beautiful road side stops and made coffee in our van – this stop was such a vibe. I don’t have the exact location of it, but it was located just off the road as an official rest stop near Lomagnupur.
We wanted to finish our day with a good hike so we hiked at Skaftafell to see Svartifoss. This hike really tired us out so we took our time and enjoyed the views along the way before we drove off to a colder destination…
Jökulsárlón Glacier and Diamond Beach. We watched the sunset here, went to our camp and when we woke back we came straight back to this destination. The glacier and beach are on opposite sides of the same road, so we just walked from one parking lot to the other since they’re so close. Diamond beach looked extremely different from the night before, I’m glad we saw it more than once so we could witness the huge difference. These stops are a must, in my opinion.
One thing I’m just remembering now is that there are a lot of charging stations for your vehicle around Iceland, but some don’t connect to certain inputs. The glacier had a charger but didn’t work with our van – ask the rental company for input on this if you need power!
Day 4
On the road again, we made it to a stop we were all so stoked for! Stokksnes. Or Stoked-snes, as we called it. Now I personally was excited to see the famous reflection here but it simply did not exist while we were there because of lack of rain (I think). But…still 1000000% worth it, and one of all of our favourite destinations on the whole trip. Here you will find a Viking village that I think is in the show The Witcher, and then there is beautiful scenery and a little trail with a ladder over a fence that takes you to some sea cliffs where we saw WHALES!!! And Seals!!!! All wild, free and living their best lives. We watched them for hours. This was a great, long day and caught up on some much needed sleep.
Day 5
Ok so hear me out, this blog post is about to get messy so I recommend you just use my map when planning your trip from here on out because we backtracked and went around the island the opposite way from here – let me explain. We realized we missed a spot that we were all really looking forward to, and it was still early in our trip, we were way ahead of schedule, so we decided to back track and hit some more locations in the areas we already drove through. The next location we hit was my absolute favourite hike I have done in my LIFE.
Múlagljúfur Canyon. This place was the highlight of the whole trip, which is wild to say because all of Iceland is just majestic and leaves you breathless, but truly this had me in awe like I’ve never experienced. I highly recommend hiking here, and you can stop at the lookout of the canyon (my favourite view) or you can continue up like we did but I will warn you, it gets narrow, steep, and slippery.
We drove back through Vik and spent some time just enjoying the town and shopping – PRO TIP: groceries in Vik were the cheapest we found.
We were ready to get a Puffin sighting in so we drove to Ingólfshöfði Cape and saw them immediately! I did not realize how small puffins were, and learned a lot of people are surprised by their size. It was incredible to see them and photograph them.
After visiting the puffins, we headed back to some waterfalls we visited on the way through the first time and then grabbed some coffee before heading to a hot spring. Hrunalaug was not on our list to visit originally, but we all really wanted to shower and when you visit hot springs its important to shower before and after using them. This hot spring is owned by farmers and they let the public use it for a fee. It felt like we were in the Shire. There are 3 different pools here and each are different temperatures, from warm to hot tub temperature. It was a great experience but heads up, the water is a little dirty – to be expected in a natural hot spring.
As we were headed to our next destination, we saw a sign with a picture of a pretty waterfall so we pulled in and we were so glad we did! The drive to the parking lot is down a very rock road, but it leads you to Iceland’ bluest waterfall Bruarfoss Waterfall. We all thought the photo we saw of this waterfall was edited, but it in fact is the true colour of the water here. Amazing.
We were quite hungry after such a busy day so we headed over to Laugarvatn Fontana. We knew of this place from watching Zac Efron’s show Down to Earth, this is where he bakes bread in the earth. Of course we had to see this for ourselves. We even got to eat some of the bread and it was my husband’s favourite food he has had in his life. I must say, it was incredible and I wish I could have it again. I guess I’ll have to go back to Iceland!
Close by there is the Hveragerdi Geothermal Park which we stopped in briefly to see, and we found another waterfall there which we never found the name of.
The last outdoorsy stop of this day was a 7KM hike to the Reykjadalur Geothermal River. This hike was beautiful, lots of incline but worth it the entire way. Once we got to the main spot we were in awe. This is one of the highlights of the trip for me, too. I need to come back here ASAP and go in the morning next time. I had read on a blog post that the river is hotter the further up you go, but for clarity, the river (I’m only talking about at the boardwalk section of the trail) starts as cold and then as you walk up the boardwalk it gets hotter and hotter, to a point where you aren’t allowed to swim beyond the boardwalk because the temperature becomes THAT hot. Wild!
This was our time to finally see Reykjavik. Not just see it, but experience it. We started by seeing the iconic rainbow road, and then we grabbed a hot dog with “everything on it” and as someone who doesn’t care for hot dogs, it was amazing and I ended up having 3 more on the trip. We ended the night at a local pub that was roaring with laughter and joy from locals around us. We ate pizza, drank beer and then went to our campsite.
Day 6
The next morning we spontaneously decided to go whale watching! Iceland is known for being one of the best places to whale watch, so I just couldn’t say no. We booked here and had a 3 hour tour. We saw about 8 whales, most of them Humpbacks. This company does not use solar technology to track or find whales because it can hurt their ears. Everyone just looks and shouts where they see one. When looking for whales you look for the “three B’s” which are birds, breeching and blows.
After that experience, it was time to head over to Kirkjufell mountain! It was kind of nice to sit in the van for the time it took to drive there as we were all pretty tired. Every night we were up looking for the Northern Lights every 30 minutes (which paid off by the end of the trip hehe). We spent time enjoying this area because there were seals, horses, a great cafe, and of course the mountain.
We all were still tired after this so we decided to find another hot spring and we really lucked out. I came across a place online called Gudlaug. We arrived here at the perfect time because we had it to ourselves! It has a viewing platform and two levels of hot springs, one level is warm water with a waterfall and the level above it is pretty hot water. It was so relaxing. We ended the night watching the Northern Lights. Perfect ending to a day if you ask me!
This is when we realized we maybe shouldn’t have gone the opposite direction of our original route because we were running out of time to complete the island, so we decided to rewrite our plans and just hit the places within realistic distances.
Day 7
Before returning our van, we had a few more destinations on our trip. One was the bridge between continents which is a bridge that connects two tectonic plates. The next stop was at some sea side cliffs we randomly found, which was a great place to have a picnic.
We returned our van which was easy, and hassle free. Then we had a taxi take us back to the airport so we could return home. I am so thankful for the opportunity to explore Iceland. I’ll be back.
Know Before You Go:
- most places that serve filtered coffee offer free refills, so yes it’s $6-$7 for a [very small] cup of coffee but you can fill it up as much as you’d like!
- Iceland is expensive. I recommend buying groceries in Vik, and ramen is only $0.50 if you’re dirt cheap like me.
- their 911 number is 112
Random Icelandic Tips the Locals Taught Me:
• f’s are pronounced “b”
• their 911 number is 112 – write this down!
• best grocery store to shop at is Kronan
My Map:
yourmatiekatie 