This summer my daughters and I did an epic one week road trip to Iceland! This is a destination I had wanted to go to for a long time - and finally, the stars aligned, and we were able to make it happen!
As we only had one week in August, and travelling east from Vancouver meant losing a day, we decided to focus on the southwest area of Iceland so we could spend less time driving and more time sightseeing. Here is our itinerary!
Starting our Iceland Road trip Adventure!
Hallgeimskirkja Church in Reykjavik
The Rainbow Road in Reykjavik
The Gulfoss Waterfall in Iceland
Baking Bread on the Beach at Laugarvatan Fontana
Road trip to Seljalandsfoss Iceland
View of the famous Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland
The famous Dyrholaey Arch in Iceland
Reynisfjara (Black Sand Beach) Iceland
Fjaoragljufur Canyon Iceland
Black Crust Pizza in Vik, Iceland
The Giantess’s Cave in Keflavik, Iceland
Day One - Arrival and Reykjavik
We arrived at Keflavik International at 7am. We rented a car from the airport - you really can’t get around Iceland without one unless you do guided tours. Almo was at the airport but very busy. We upscaled our insurance to include ash/sand damage, even though we planned to stick to highways, there were a few areas that warranted it! We also opted for a wifi plug-in for an extra $50, which was well worth it because then we didn’t have to use our phone plan roaming fees.
Driving from the airport we could see the recently erupted volcano smouldering in the near distance with the orange glow of lava and thick, grey smoke. The Blue Lagoon was closed because of it so I was glad we didn’t book ahead. Lots of cars pulled over on the highway to get a better look at the volcano and sections of roads were closed, as was the area of Grindavik where the Blue Lagoon is.
We drove into Reykjavik and parked near
Church. Very impressive, just like photos I'm sure you’ve seen. It towers over a statue of Leif Ericsson, famous Norse explorer. Inside, the church was lovely- like an English cathedral. There is a large organ and many photographic vignettes, candles, and statues. Cushioned pews provide a place to sit and reflect amidst the crowd of tourists. You can take an elevator to the top of the church for about $14 but we didn’t do it. The gift shop contains cute and crafty souvenirs of the church.
From there, it was a short walk down the pedestrian friendly Rainbow Road. Lots of gift shops selling the same souvenirs - stuffed puffins, mugs, toques, and t-shirts. Of course we bought them all! A few specialty stores featured high-end, artisanal Icelandic wares - knitted clothing, scents, and home decor. A good book store with a coffee shop sold both English and Icelandic titles. Moka is an excellent coffee shop we went to -very quiet and had a jazzy vibe. There were hot drinks, pastries and the best hot chocolate I have ever had- the whip cream was divine!
Generally, in public places Icelanders seem quiet and polite. We didn’t hear people talking loudly or kids running around and shrieking. Maybe their good manners rubbed off on the tourists! Everyone speaks English but greets you with “Gooden daag”or “hello”. People are friendly and helpful but not overly warm.
Our first night we stayed at the Hotel Viking which was very kitschy, but true to the name. Nicely decorated rooms, small bathroom, and even smaller shower. Very comfortable beds! We had one Queen and a single bed to sleep the three of us. Bring plug adapters if you’re from North America.
The hot tub, fed by a natural hot spring, looks much bigger in the hotel’s website photos and had a lot of debris in it, but it was a nice toasty temperature. We showered afterwards. The water is very soft so your hair doesn’t feel that clean and it had a sulphuric smell, however, it was supposed to be very safe to drink from the tap, as is all the water in Iceland. There was a sauna too but we didn’t use it. We got robes which we really didn’t need for a $10 rental fee each.
The room we booked was right next to construction (sounded like a jack hammer on our walls) so we asked to be moved to other side of building which looked out on the harbour but was literally right off the main road so you did hear that traffic. Rooms were kept very warm, as seemed to be the custom in all places we stayed, and there was no way to adjust the heat.
We had dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Viking Village, across the lane. That’s the photos you see on the website. It was satisfyingly Viking themed from the decor, staff dressed up, and folk music playing. Food is expensive in Iceland ($28-42 per entrees- alcohol about 25$ a drink). None of the Icelandic meals appealed to me - lamb, sheep head, shark - if you were adventurous the Viking Meal would give you a sample. We split two really good sourdough pizzas and side salads between the three of us. The meal came to about $100. No tip culture meant there wasn’t even an option to tip on the machine. Again, it seemed to be about what I’d pay in Vancouver for a restaurant meal. The sun set around 10 pm and rose again around 5am, which I guess is normal for late August.
The next day, we enjoyed a free continental traditional Iceland breakfast in the hotel. I loved the heavy, rye Icelandic bread and skyre (Icelandic yogurt) but didn’t like the salty hard boiled eggs and pickled herring. The best expresso I’ve ever had out of a self serve machine!
The Hotel Viking in Reykjavik
Day 2 - Beginning the Golden Circle
After checking out of the hotel, we had a nice drive to Thingvellir National Park, about an hour away on a mostly two lane road. Here you begin to see the sort of scenery Iceland is famous for- rolling green, craggy hills and expansive swaths of empty land. The park is free with paid parking for $10. We took an easy and scenic 1.5 hour hike round trip up through the unusual and dramatic rock formations to the small Oxfararfoss Waterfall. On the way back you can check out the 150 year old Pingvallakirkja Church which sits on a 1000 year old religious site. By the parking lot there is a gift store as well as a coffee bar where you can purchase food.
Walking through Thingvellir National Park
We then drove about another hour to the Geysir Geothermal Area. This was free as was parking! It is quite the tourist destination with a large gift shop, a couple of restaurants and a hotel across the street. The geyser blows every 15 min so we got to see it - very cool. There are other smaller ones bubbling around on your short walk. You can also take an easy hike up to a look out.
A ten minute further drive takes you to the famous Gulfoss waterfall. From the road you wouldn’t know it was there as you have to hike down to see it. There is a large, free parking lot with a gift store and restaurants. As you walk down a path you see it in stages. The waterfall is very large and majestic.
That night and the following, we stayed at Miniborg Cottages in Borg. Our cottage was small, but had a kitchen, bunk beds, and a small bathroom. We had dinner at the on-site, family-friendly restaurant - very good hamburgers for around $40 each. There were several, very clean, shared jacuzzis with pumped in hot springs.
Day 3 - Exploring from Borg to Selfoss
We had breakfast at the resort, which wasn’t free. However, I didn’t realize this until I skipped out and checked the website later 😳 (I did go back to pay!)
We went to the hot springs spa Laugarvatn Fontana. This sophisticated outdoor spa is famous for the bread baking they do in the hot sands of the beach. You need to book online for a time - it worked out to about $50 each for two hours. Unfortunately, all the bread making tours were booked for the day. At the reception we were given magnetic wrist bands to get in and out as well as access our lockers. The very attractive twenty-something reception guy gave us instructions, insisting that we had to take a “naked shower” first before entering the pools. In the locker room we couldn’t get past our Canadian shyness so we waited for a private cubicle. It looked like other women though were showering in various stages on undress (but we are rule followers:)
At our 11 am time slot, the spa was not crowded. There were a couple of other families and a tour group of teenagers. Fontana has four hot pools ranging from 36-40C degrees, plus steam rooms and a sauna. Since it is located on a lake, there are just a few steps to take a cold plunge in between hot soaks. If that’s too cold for you, there are lukewarm showers. All the pools and facilities were clean and upscale.
We were disappointed we couldn’t get tickets to the bread baking demo - it’s where they dig a hole and put the dough in a pan, covering it up with sand, and then letting the hot springs bake it underneath (so hot water gurgles at the top!) Instead, we went to the cafe on site where you can buy the fresh, baked bread for $5 and had coffee too. We overheard one receptionist tell someone that if you couldn’t get into the tour you could just walk down to the beach and see if for yourself. We did that and were lucky enough to catch a tour in progress. We stood discreetly aside and listened. So, that’s a cheaper way to do the tour.
As we drove back to our cottage we stopped at the Kerid Crater. Admission was about $6 each. It was pretty cool. This attraction formed around 6500 years ago as a result of a cone shaped volcano that collapsed into an empty magma chamber after eruption. Beautiful blue-green mineral enriched groundwater filled the base creating a lake. There are two short trail loops you can walk - an upper and lower, taking about a hour altogether. The lower one has stairs going down which means a tiring steep climb going back up. I thought it was a cheap, nice little excursion.
The Kerid Crater in Iceland
After that, we drove into the town of Selfoss. This pretty town borders a picturesque river. We went to a shopping complex called Old Dairy, but being Sunday, all the stores were closed. There was an outdoor church service in the shopping square going on, so we joined the congregation sitting on steps to listen to the choir singing. Thankfully, all the restaurants were open. We looked around but didn’t find anything that appealed to us-an international choice in a food fair style setting . Downstairs was the Skyrland Museum. I love the famous Icelandic yogurt but the tours were $20 a piece so we decided just to buy açai bowls that included skyr instead. The choices were written on a board in Icelandic so we took awhile to decipher. Then the cashier told us they actually had an English menu… 🙄 You can also find the famous Icelandic hot dog drive-thru in Selfoss, but since we don’t really eat hot dogs we passed. We then drove back to our cottage and had another over priced meal - but it was really good salmon and a huge portion.
Day 4 - Chasing Waterfalls
Breakfast again at the cottages before we checked out. We needed fortification for our chasing waterfalls day! We started with Seljalandsfoss. It was quite busy, I would suggest going early morning. There is a narrow trail which takes you actually behind the fall. Very cool and we didn’t get that wet but I would suggest a raincoat and sturdy footwear. From there, we walked down the trail a bit to another waterfall called Glijufrabui. There was quite a long line up for this as you have to pick your way through jaggedly rocks and water to go inside a cave. Once inside though it was otherworldly but you will definitely get wet! It is quite precarious to navigate the rocks without falling in the shallow stream (which I did).
From there we drove to Skogafoss which is a very wide waterfall (62 meters high and 25 meters wide), totally different from the previous one. (Fun fact that "foss" in Icelandic means waterfall!) There was lots of parking and it looked like some tent camping. I believe there is a trail you can go up to a view spot up top but the view from the bottom is what you actually want.
We had a snack at Frieda’s Cafe in the museum nearby. The apple crisp was delicious and there were pies, cookies and hot drinks. After this we walked behind the museum for a short hike to the under advertised Kvernufoss waterfall. This was well worth the effort as it looked like a set of a fairy movie - very pretty and uncrowded. Before we left we bought some souvenirs at the Skogar Museum gift store. We had decided not to go in museum because tickets were $20 each, but the cashier took pity on us and let us go in for free! “I won’t tell anyone...” :)
From there we drove to the Hotel Dyrholaey near Vik which was about 30km away. We were impressed by the steep, winding driveway that took us to the hotel that overlooked beaches, hills and valleys. You could not get a better view. The only thing missing from this place were pools or a hot tub:( There was an overpriced, heavy dinner again in the hotel restaurant but it was very good. The hotel vibe overall is Scandinavian. The room was a little old but had 3 comfy beds and the best shower of our trip - large, hot and good pressure!
Day 5 - Exploring Vik
We indulged in a free continental breakfast the next morning at the hotel (more rye bread and skyre!) Exploring around Vik was our plan for the day. We drove up very winding roads to the lighthouse at Dyrholaey. It was so windy our car doors flung open and we could hardly stand! But we did see cute little puffins nestled into the cliffs and walked around a bit to see the famous arch. If it had been better weather we would have walked further.
So we drove back down the steep, windy road (a little bit scary!) and went to the Reynisfjara beach (famous for its black sand and the sneaker waves that could pull you down and out to sea). Parking was $10 as everywhere. To be honest, it was a little underwhelming but maybe because I had seen many online videos of people being swept out to sea by the waves! The sand was very black due to volcanic activity. Although there were many signs warning of the dangers of getting too close to the strong waves, tourists tempted fate. Because we are rule followers (as I said before) we kept a safe distance and explored the cool basalt columns that encased the cliffs beside the beach.
We drove into Vik and to Icewear Vik Wool Vikurprjon which was a tourist mecca of Icelandic souvenirs that also had a coffee shop and grocery store. I bought an Icelandic sweater and was very tempted to get a reindeer rug but I knew it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase.
After some deliberation, we decided to drive 1 hour east to the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. The landscape we passed on the way was very strange, almost like driving on Mars because we were driving through an old lava field from a volcano that erupted in 1700’s which caused famine throughout Europe.
The canyon was used in a Justin Bieber video and a few movies. It definitely has a medieval/viking vibe. It is the oldest Icelandic canyon at 9000 years old! It was very picturesque with many waterfalls running through it. There are well maintained paths to walk above it, with railings to keep you from falling off the cliffs or into sensitive areas (apparently Bieber ignored these signs!) Again, parking was $10.
We could have journeyed farther east but decided to head back to Vik because I was tired of driving! We had dinner at Black Crust Pizza which I would highly recommend. You could get artisanal pizzas in thin crust sourdough or black crust made with activated charcoal. We had both! Who knew Iceland would have such great pizza! After dinner, we went back to the hotel for another shower and relaxed. Since the hotel provided Netflix, we caught up on Emily in Paris:)
Day 6 - Driving Back to Keflavik
Before we headed back to the airport we decided to do another hot springs - the Secret Lagoon which was 1.5 hours away from Vik. This is Iceland’s oldest public hot springs. There is a nice, modern reception area with indoor change rooms as well as a place you can eat and buy snacks. The hot springs are one pool entirely outside and very natural. You are walking on gravel under feet. There are cute little elf houses on the grass around the pool and a foot bridge with a strict warning not to touch the hot springs on the other side or you will boil to death (or something like that). The cost is $30 per person. It was an interesting experience and much different to the Fontana springs but we preferred the latter.
Elf Houses at the Secret Lagoon, Iceland
On the drive back to Keflavik we stopped at the American School Bus Cafe in Hella for coffee. It was a coffee shop literally in a school bus on a cement pad by a gas station. The owner was very talkative and engaging and the coffee was amazing. From there we drove another 1.5 hours to KeflavÃk where the airport is, stopping part way to have lunch - fish and chips - in the food court of the Greenhouse Hotel. The vibe was cool but served the same sort of food we’d eaten through out Iceland.
KeflavÃk was a very nice surprise! Originally, we had booked our last night in Rekyavik but changed to be closer to the airport for our early morning flight. It looked like the Hotel KeflavÃk was going to be in a dumpy, industrial area but it was a gorgeous art deco hotel. Our room was tiny, the shower too, but we had a view of the water which was Mediterranean blue and sparkled in the sunlight. We walked along the sea wall that featured artwork on walls and statues to the famous giantess cave which is very kitschy but free! Along the way we saw a cat basking on the rocks in the sun and we all decided we would like to be reincarnated as this Icelandic cat!
After returning to the hotel we went to the bar to have drinks and the best desserts I have ever - skyr mousse, tiramisu and chocolate cake with açai.
This was an epic ending to our epic one week Icelandic road trip which I highly recommend!
Important Driving Tips!
- -Gas stations are few and far between so fill up when you see one. -Use the green handle for unleaded gas! It cost about $75 Canadian to fill up the tank which is pretty comparable to Vancouver prices for us.
- -You can’t turn right on a red light here!
- -In round-a-bouts (there are lots!) the inside driver has right of way (which doesn’t make sense).
- -Car lights need to stay on at all times because of variable weather.
- -Pay parking is everywhere. Make sure to pay at the kiosk. For 3 hours in town it came to 500 k - 5 dollars which I thought was reasonable. At most attractions the parking is around $10. You can use credit cards and also download an app.
- Currency Information
They use Icelandic krona. I was startled every time I paid because of all the zeros! But we figured out that if the price is 5000 k (which converts to about 50 dollars Canadian ) you basically move the decimal 2 to the left. Iceland is said to be very expensive but since we live in Vancouver, which is a very expensive city, we found things pretty comparable. You really can use cards to pay for everything. I took out about $200 cash for emergencies (there is a machine at the airport where you arrive) but I didn’t really need it.
Clothing Tips
My biggest tip for your Iceland trip is to dress for weather! Seriously, I didn’t believe it would be that cold in August! Wind gusts and chill had it feeling like -3C. Bring a toque (although lots of super
cute ones for sale about $35) gloves, and fleece pullovers - the locals had cool, colourful ones. Other must haves are a rain coat, boots (like Blundstones are fine) and warm socks. You won’t need sandals and pretty dresses, trust me.
Have you been to Iceland? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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