Talk to me - people who have been to Iceland

[Mreader]

I am intrigued! I usually work in Europe during the summer, and before we go back to the United States, we always do a two week trip once the work assignment is complete. We were thinking of a few days in Iceland but it’s so unfamiliar to me. Every time I sit down to do research and Google things I get super overwhelmed! At first I thought we would do the entire 12 days there but now I’m thinking more about five days before we go home. This would be in July. Does anybody have any thoughts about an area that we must see? I’m reading about the Golden Circle the blue Lagoon, and I would definitely be interested in doing a horse riding trip and possibly a whale watching excursion. We will have 8 yo with us which does limit things.

Would love some PS input! I know there is a Tripadvisor, but PSers are just friendlier lol.

 

[dk168]

Hope you don't drink alcohol much, as I heard they are VERY expensive in line with other Nordic countries like Norway.

Enjoy your trip!

DK

 

[Mreader]

Hope you don't drink alcohol much, as I heard they are VERY expensive in line with other Nordic countries like Norway.

Enjoy your trip!

DK

I don’t need to partake. But again I’m not positive that that is what we are going to do! Just toying with the idea and curious about what others think .

 

[m-cubed]

Iceland is amazing. I’ve been twice. I was lucky enough to go the first time very soon after they reopened once vaccines became Available, and it felt like I had the whole country to myself! July is peak season, FYI, and you must book well in advance and expect some crowds, particularly if you stick to the south coast.

The country is spectacularly beautiful. I mean mindblowing. Make sure to stop at the various geothermal baths (whether the fancy tourist ones or just the local pools), and yes you do have to shower completely naked before going in because there is little or no chlorine used.

If there is a warning sign, heed it. Tourists die every year because they do something stupid and/or ignore signs. The most famous black sand beach is a killer because of sneaker waves. It’s perfectly safe if you stay far enough back, but go close to the water and you could easily get swept out and drown. Watch safetravel.is and vedur.is for alerts.

Ask if you have any questions.

 

[kenny]

Try their rich creamy ice cream and the lamb hot dogs.

 

[Mreader]

Iceland is amazing. I’ve been twice. I was lucky enough to go the first time very soon after they reopened once vaccines became Available, and it felt like I had the whole country to myself! July is peak season, FYI, and you must book well in advance and expect some crowds, particularly if you stick to the south coast.

The country is spectacularly beautiful. I mean mindblowing. Make sure to stop at the various geothermal baths (whether the fancy tourist ones or just the local pools), and yes you do have to shower completely naked before going in because there is little or no chlorine used.

If there is a warning sign, heed it. Tourists die every year because they do something stupid and/or ignore signs. The most famous black sand beach is a killer because of sneaker waves. It’s perfectly safe if you stay far enough back, but go close to the water and you could easily get swept out and drown. Watch safetravel.is and vedur.is for alerts.

Ask if you have any questions.

You are the second person to mention being careful. Definitely some thing to keep in mind! The other person said there aren’t that many caution signs, etc. and that you have to be vigilant. Any specific recommendations on the geothermal pools? I’ve read about blue lagoon, but that seems to be the main touristy one and if there’s a quieter one, I would be all ears.

The south seems to be the most popular route. Is there any place in particular that would be a good base or do you think staying in Reykjavík would be best?

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I can't give any specifics but my sister went for I think a week or so several years ago. She had an absolutely transformative trip and she still talks about it. A week, to her, wasn't long enough.
I very much hope to go one day!

 

[musicloveranthony]

It's a beautiful place - I am so glad I was able to visit. It's quite possibly the coolest place I've been (certainly the most different!) If you're adventurous, rent a 4x4 (Suzuki Jimny is my favorite) and explore the unpaved roads off the ring road. Definitely check out some of the hot-spring pools!

One of the natural hot-pools on a river that we really enjoyed was the Reykjadalur Hot Springs! There's a beautiful trail in the mountains to get there and the springs are great for a family.
A more swimming pool type of hot springs site we really loved was called the Secret Lagoon in the town of Fludir.
The waterfalls are wonderful - Golden Falls (Gullfloss) is an easy one to get to.
ABSOLUTELY make sure you see a glacier!! They aren't easy to see in this world and are becoming increasingly more challenging to get to (as they melt)
Eat the awesome Icelandic hot dogs! They're a specialty and every place prepares them a little different. We really liked the ones at Pylsuvagninn in the town of Selfloss (easy to get to).
Spend a whole day wandering around Reykjavik! It's a beautiful city and SUPER walkable!! A really cool feature of the city is that since there aren't forests in Iceland from which to harvest logs most of the buildings (almost all) are made of cement or, more interestingly, corrugated metal! It's really cool to see mansions built of corrugated metal!

Since you're on this site, I also recommend to stop by a jewelry store named Orr. She makes really really fun and cool designs that are really inexpensive https://www.instagram.com/orrbykjartan/

I didn't personally find Iceland to be as expensive as I was expecting. It's going to be the same prices as any area that relies on tourism.

 

[musicloveranthony]

You are the second person to mention being careful. Definitely some thing to keep in mind! The other person said there aren’t that many caution signs, etc. and that you have to be vigilant. Any specific recommendations on the geothermal pools? I’ve read about blue lagoon, but that seems to be the main touristy one and if there’s a quieter one, I would be all ears.

The south seems to be the most popular route. Is there any place in particular that would be a good base or do you think staying in Reykjavík would be best?

Definitely stay in Reykjavik

 

[Mreader]

It's a beautiful place - I am so glad I was able to visit. It's quite possibly the coolest place I've been (certainly the most different!) If you're adventurous, rent a 4x4 (Suzuki Jimny is my favorite) and explore the unpaved roads off the ring road. Definitely check out some of the hot-spring pools!

One of the natural hot-pools on a river that we really enjoyed was the Reykjadalur Hot Springs! There's a beautiful trail in the mountains to get there and the springs are great for a family.
A more swimming pool type of hot springs site we really loved was called the Secret Lagoon in the town of Fludir.
The waterfalls are wonderful - Golden Falls (Gullfloss) is an easy one to get to.
ABSOLUTELY make sure you see a glacier!! They aren't easy to see in this world and are becoming increasingly more challenging to get to (as they melt)
Eat the awesome Icelandic hot dogs! They're a specialty and every place prepares them a little different. We really liked the ones at Pylsuvagninn in the town of Selfloss (easy to get to).
Spend a whole day wandering around Reykjavik! It's a beautiful city and SUPER walkable!! A really cool feature of the city is that since there aren't forests in Iceland from which to harvest logs most of the buildings (almost all) are made of cement or, more interestingly, corrugated metal! It's really cool to see mansions built of corrugated metal!

Since you're on this site, I also recommend to stop by a jewelry store named Orr. She makes really really fun and cool designs that are really inexpensive https://www.instagram.com/orrbykjartan/

I didn't personally find Iceland to be as expensive as I was expecting. It's going to be the same prices as any area that relies on tourism.

Thank you so much for all the tips!

 

[Polished]

My mother came from Iceland. I love the place. You have been given good advice on places to visit. Myvatn is beautiful - a lake with wonderful bird life, a natural lagoon and with geothermal springs near by.

Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Iceland. Gullfoss is arguably more beautiful.

You don't go to Iceland for the trees, I can't remember any! But a place full of beautiful, dramatic scenery.

They have a type of yoghurt called skir. And I love their dried fish - halfiskur. They have a distinct wool industry made from the Icelandic sheep. Everyone seems to know how to knit. There is a shop in Reykjavik called The Hand-knitting Association where you can buy jumpers with beautiful patterns and other knitted goods. They're the warmest jumpers I've ever worn. Only for the depths of winter.

Some of the other towns are more interesting than Reykjavik. My mother came from a place called Aukureyri a beautiful town to the north of Iceland.

Hope you enjoy your trip there.

 

[m-cubed]

You are the second person to mention being careful. Definitely some thing to keep in mind! The other person said there aren’t that many caution signs, etc. and that you have to be vigilant. Any specific recommendations on the geothermal pools? I’ve read about blue lagoon, but that seems to be the main touristy one and if there’s a quieter one, I would be all ears.

The south seems to be the most popular route. Is there any place in particular that would be a good base or do you think staying in Reykjavík would be best?

They are not as many caution signs or fences as in the US, by a wide margin, so if there is a sign of any sort, take it very seriously. The weather is absolutely wild at times, so basically just be cautious and don’t do anything stupid and you’ll be fine.

Blue Lagoon is worth visiting at least once. If you stay at the Retreat or Silica hotel, you have access to a more private lagoon. Sky Lagoon near Reykjavik and the new Forest Lagoon up north are getting good reviews. I visited Krauma (cozy and lots of locals) and Geosea - both were nice. I would generally say not to say in Reykjavik the whole time because you’ll be driving back and forth like mad.

Decide how long you will spend, then decide how far you will go /what areas you will visit. If you can swing two weeks + to circumnavigate the island, it’s worth it. If you go for five days, I can guarantee you will think it was far too short.

 

[CSpan]

We have been many times and you have gotten great recommendations. The Golden circle is fantastic. Go north and you are in the artic circle.

Friends of ours own a museum called the Settlement Center. It tells the viking sagas, really the history of Iceland and puts the geography into perspective (this rock was a princess, that waterfall a norse god etc). It is in Borjanes which has a nice community center- every neighborhood does and they all have hot tubs and saunas and cold dips (Borganes' happens to be a fjord)
Much cheaper than the blue lagoon.

 

[kenny]

When in Reykjavik ...

... if you'd like to see em, here's the museum ...

Icelandic Phallological Museum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Eli22]

We spent 10 days in Iceland, and it was not nearly enough time! We stayed in Reykjavik a couple of nights, then went north to Snæfellsjökull National Park and then south, then east all the way to Höfn. We rented a Suzuki Vitara 4x4, which allowed us to access all the amazing places off the main roads. We booked hotels along the route, which allowed us to explore around the area and not backtrack so much. Here was our general route:


There is so much to see, the landscapes are so varied, it’s mind-boggling. We plan to go back, flying into Akureyri to explore the northern “half” of Iceland someday.

The food was incredible, and not as expensive as we expected (think San Francisco/New York/London pricing). We had meals ranging from from Michelin star to roadside fish-n-chips and it was all fantastic! Here is a skyr dessert that I could have had seconds (or thirds) of:


We did a Zodiac tour to see the glaciers up close. Our hotels also had wake-up calls for the Aurora Borealis (we caught them on 3 nights), which was an experience! The Golden Circle is not to be missed, but you’ll find that a lot of less-travelled areas are just as gorgeous. We drove around and found so much to marvel at.




We planned out one attraction per day, but we ended up seeing way more since we were free to pull over to explore anything that caught our fancy. I would recommend keeping the itinerary loose, so that you can choose to explore more or rest as needed with your kiddo.

Some goodies we brought home - sheepskin rugs, wool blankets, gloves, licorice & chocolate.

If it’s not obvious, we are in love with the place! Whatever you choose to do, it’ll be a magical trip for your family!

 

[LilAlex]

we always do a two week trip once the work assignment is complete. We were thinking of a few days in Iceland

Good way to do it, imo. We did a few days en route to Paris in late summer which was a bargain on Icelandic Air (IIRC). That may be a thing of the past. I'd love to see the aurora but not psyched to go in the cold. It was interesting with lots of natural beauty. The best is pretty far off the beaten track -- like real backcountry that takes days to get to. The food is outrageous and not very good. The Blue Lagoon is weird -- we went there straight from the airport and it was so disorienting. And everybody does a head-to-toe surgical scrub before getting in -- not one of those gym class rinse-offs. And it's not "geothermal" -- it's like industrial waste-heat. But I did manage a few cool photos.

Oh, and we loved their bedding -- the individual duvet with no top sheet. (It's a fresh duvet cover that is basically a cotton sheet.) We still do that at home in the warmer months.

 

[Mreader]

We spent 10 days in Iceland, and it was not nearly enough time! We stayed in Reykjavik a couple of nights, then went north to Snæfellsjökull National Park and then south, then east all the way to Höfn. We rented a Suzuki Vitara 4x4, which allowed us to access all the amazing places off the main roads. We booked hotels along the route, which allowed us to explore around the area and not backtrack so much. Here was our general route:


There is so much to see, the landscapes are so varied, it’s mind-boggling. We plan to go back, flying into Akureyri to explore the northern “half” of Iceland someday.

The food was incredible, and not as expensive as we expected (think San Francisco/New York/London pricing). We had meals ranging from from Michelin star to roadside fish-n-chips and it was all fantastic! Here is a skyr dessert that I could have had seconds (or thirds) of:


We did a Zodiac tour to see the glaciers up close. Our hotels also had wake-up calls for the Aurora Borealis (we caught them on 3 nights), which was an experience! The Golden Circle is not to be missed, but you’ll find that a lot of less-travelled areas are just as gorgeous. We drove around and found so much to marvel at.




We planned out one attraction per day, but we ended up seeing way more since we were free to pull over to explore anything that caught our fancy. I would recommend keeping the itinerary loose, so that you can choose to explore more or rest as needed with your kiddo.

Some goodies we brought home - sheepskin rugs, wool blankets, gloves, licorice & chocolate.

If it’s not obvious, we are in love with the place! Whatever you choose to do, it’ll be a magical trip for your family!

In doing some research your route matches what I’ve been interested in (the glacier lagoon looks incredible) but what time of year did you go? In Looking for lodging in some of those places I’m seeing no availability!

 

[Eli22]

In doing some research your route matches what I’ve been interested in (the glacier lagoon looks incredible) but what time of year did you go? In Looking for lodging in some of those places I’m seeing no availability!

We went during the Fall, so definitely not as busy as the time you're going (which I believe is peak season). If it helps, here are the hotels we stayed at in order of our stay:
Reykjavik Edition
Hotel Budir
Hotel Geysir
Hotel Kria
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Hotel Duus (this was close to airport for early flight out)

You may want to look at the self-drive tour operators (I used them for my research) - they take care of the itinerary/lodging/car reservations:

Self Drive Tours in Iceland | Arctic Adventures

Get behind the wheel and explore the land of fire and ice with one of our self drive tour packages in Iceland. View our selection today.

adventures.is

Check out all Available Iceland Self Drive Tours

Iceland self drive tours - all available road trips! Enjoy your individual round trip without missing full service of our professional travel agency.

www.icelandroadtrip.com

 

[Mreader]

We went during the Fall, so definitely not as busy as the time you're going (which I believe is peak season). If it helps, here are the hotels we stayed at in order of our stay:
Reykjavik Edition
Hotel Budir
Hotel Geysir
Hotel Kria
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon
Hotel Duus (this was close to airport for early flight out)

You may want to look at the self-drive tour operators (I used them for my research) - they take care of the itinerary/lodging/car reservations:

Self Drive Tours in Iceland | Arctic Adventures

Get behind the wheel and explore the land of fire and ice with one of our self drive tour packages in Iceland. View our selection today.

adventures.is

Check out all Available Iceland Self Drive Tours

Iceland self drive tours - all available road trips! Enjoy your individual round trip without missing full service of our professional travel agency.

www.icelandroadtrip.com

Thanks for this! So helpful. And yes I’m looking into the self drive tours - don’t love the idea bc I prefer to make my own plans but there seems to be nothing in July rn (I’m late in planning I know) so I wonder if some of these come have booked everything.

 

[AprilBaby]

First, it’s super expensive! Find a hotel that includes breakfast. The Golden circle tour was amazing and worth the money. The Icelandic horses are stunning and friendly. Stop and get a photo with one! Again, heed the signs! Totally worth the trip!

 

[Eli22]

Thanks for this! So helpful. And yes I’m looking into the self drive tours - don’t love the idea bc I prefer to make my own plans but there seems to be nothing in July rn (I’m late in planning I know) so I wonder if some of these come have booked everything.

I hear you - I prefer planning everything as well, but closer to the date, a tour may work better. To give you an idea, I started planning/booking about 7 months out

The tour operators may also have relationships with smaller, family-run b&bs that are not listed on the main sites! We were also considering camper vans as a way to explore and have accommodations anywhere…but not sure our backs/joints would survive. Plus my husband requires a comfy bed and a hot shower in his hotel room