Saturday- Day 1 – Thingvillir National Park & Braufafoss Waterfall
We landed in Reykjavik and couldn’t wait to get our trip started! We took a late flight out and landed at 7AM Saturday morning. After getting our rental car and stopping at Te & Kaffi for coffee and ham and cheese croissants we headed to Thingvillir National Park and it did not disappoint. You should defiantly dress in layers, it is completely true that in one day you experience all 4 seasons, it was pouring rain but refreshing and woke me up after hardly sleeping on the plane! We drove over to Bruarfoss waterfall which the pictures just don’t do justice and yes, it is actually that beautiful baby blue! I accidently thought I was a local and went on a different path which ended with us being soaked and in the middle of field. Not that it mattered, it was a fun little detour. Be sure to pay attention to the signs they will tell you exactly where to walk! I was borderline hangrey so we went to Strokkur Geysir which has a cafeteria style restaurant onsite. They also have paths to follow along each geyser I will warn you now…it smells like sulfer so brace yourself. Take the path to the top, is it worth the view! Exhausted and wanting a hot shower we headed towards our hotel, we stayed in Hafnarfjordur at Hótel Víking which was perfect! It is viking themed and has a sauna and hot tub to help you relax.
Sunday- Day 2 – Reykjanes Peninsula and Waterfall’s
We woke up Sunday and went straight towards the Reykjanes Peninsula which is farmland and small villages every so often. We stayed in Hella which is small town but our room was huge! We were running a bit ahead of my planned out schedule so we drove to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, about 20 minutes away and it was later in the day it wasn’t busy. First of all I think all waterfalls are beautiful but this one you can actually walk behind it and not get wet! It is located right next to Gljufrabui so we were able to see two waterfalls at once! Be prepared to get wet if you want to see Gljufrabui because you walk through a small cave, about ankle deep water but you can balance on the rocks and not get too wet. These waterproof Hiking Boots were my saving grace the entire trip and kept my feet completely dry. Once inside it fully opens up for you to see the entire waterfall. We stayed at Hotel Kanslarinn and ate at the restaurant attached. This town is much smaller with limited options, we made the right choice. I had fried fish, let me tell you nothing about this was what I thought fried fish would be. It was more of a baked fish covered in a cream and cheese sauce with a side of mashed potatoes and a small salad. For as vague as the menu was it was worth the gamble of not knowing!
My Packing List & Tips
Waterproof/wind proof/light weight jacket: North Face Triclimate Jacket
Waterproof hiking boots: Hiking Boots
Microfiber towel: Travel Towel
Mini Backpack: Mini Backpack
Plug adapter: International Power Plug Adapter
◦ Rent your car from Hertz. Sign up for the gold membership beforehand it is free and you skip the long lines.
◦ Pack snacks and water, when driving there are not very many stores between towns.
◦ Everywhere has a water machine, bring a reusable bottle everywhere with you.
◦ Use your credit card, the currency is mostly coins and heavy
◦ Get the international phone plan, you have to pay for parking ($15) at most locations and it is done with a QR code and license plate
◦ Book everything through one site to keep cities/hotel names straight
Monday- Day 3 – Skogafoss & Vik
Waking up Monday was a breeze we were completely adjusted to the time change and ready to tackle the day early. We drove to Skogafoss. I think I have said this about everything on this trip but it really was unbelievable. You will need to take the steps to the top but that isn’t the best part, there is trail at the top that goes on for what seemed like forever. Plan to spend about 4 hours here you will want to pack some sandwiches and water to be able to spend a good amount of time just relaxing and enjoying it. We used a Mini Backpack which held two sandwiches, bananas and a bottle of water perfectly! After leaving we headed to Vik where we went horseback riding along the black sand beaches. Icelandic horses are friendly and able to hold up to 220 pounds. The ride was about an hour and you had the option to walk or trot. I stuck with walking so I had extra time to soak in the beauty okay not going to lie, I didn’t want to be sore. The ride went along the beach where you stop and get your picture taken in front of Dyrholaey Arch and are able to see Vík i Myrdal Church from a lower view. The entire coastline is black fine sand. We walked back down after dinner to see how far the tide comes in, it was a peaceful relaxing view to end the day! If you’ve seen Star Wars you will get to see where it was shot in real life! We stayed at Hotel Vik which was walking distance to the beach and town. It was a beautiful hotel with a perfect lounge to grab a drink and look out the floor to ceiling windows.
Tuesday-Day 4 – Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
We woke up with so much anticipation of what the day held. Since I am a planner I just knew this was going to great! We drove to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, we tried to stop at Skatefell National Park however there were 50 mph winds and I couldn’t hardly walk! The glacier lagoon is massive and you can walk all the way around this so plan to spend most of the day here, this is also where you see the Diamond Beach! Thankfully the wind let up a bit and we were able to see both. The lagoon was so pretty and it’s interesting to see how fast the glacier’s move out to sea. Once you are on the diamond beach you can touch these pieces and walk all around them. They are all different sizes. We spent most of the day walking up and down the beach and around the lagoon before heading to Lilja Guesthouse for the night. Thankfully we left Vik when we did early that morning, Route 1 was closed due to the high winds and we might not have made it to our next hotel!
Wednesday- Day 5 – Blue Lagoon & Northern Lights
We woke up praying we were able to get back to Reykjavik and sad we still haven’t seen the northern lights but knew there was still time left. We were tracking the aura through the app but there was just too much overcast all week. Thankfully the road opened back up and it was shocking to see the campers and cars that were literally on their side along the highway. We took the same route down highway 1 stopping at Kleifarvatn Lake, there weren’t any tourist there when we were so it was peaceful. We then drove to the Blue Lagoon! It is worth the hype, not exactly what I was expecting driving up to it. This is more of an industrial park but once in the lagoon, beautiful! I know why it’s one of the 25 wonders of the world! After leaving the Blue Lagoon it was finally dark out, we drove back to Thingvillir National Park and finally saw the northern lights! This day was an absolute dream come true. Reminding me that this planet gives us so much natural beauty, take a step back relax and enjoy it. We then drove to Hotel Von which was in downtown Reykjavik to get some much needed sleep.
Thursday – Day 6 – Reykjavík & Sky Lagoon
Waking up after seeing the northern lights was easy, we could hear the city coming alive and were excited to explore. It was a long day in the car yesterday so we spent our last day exploring Reykjavik. It’s a walking friendly city and very easy to get around. We started at Hallgrimskkirkja because I could see the top and wanted to try to attend mass. We weren’t able to however it was a good starting location for our day of exploring. From here we kept walking straight down to Rainbow street. The entire road is painted which instantly made me so happy. There are lots of little shops you can pop into. At the end we were close to Ingolfur Arnarson statue and almost to the ocean. We then saw the Harpa which is a concert hall and is made of glass. Last on our list before lunch was Pufa which is a small hill with little wooden steps to the top. It was a different view of the city. Again, borderline hangry because I for some reason didn’t pack snacks decided I needed an Icelandic Hot Dog immediately. I will rave about this one because it was that good, I have no idea what I ordered just a regular hot dog and a Coke and it hit the spot. We then walked back towards our hotel to get ready, we had reservations at Sky Lagoon for the 7 step healing ritual, the absolute perfect way to end an unbelievable trip. 10/10 highly recommend everything about Iceland, to date it is by far the best trip I have ever been on! Good Luck 😊
