My original plan was to go on a spring migration birding expedition with a NatGeo birder who, it turned out, books this particular trip two years in advance. I considered going “Bridesmaids” style and follow their published itinerary online – I even booked my trip on the same dates as the NatGeo tour and let them know I’d be there, conveniently, at the same exact time – just in case anyone bailed at the last minute. In the end, though, I just decided to go for it and plan an epic journey on my own. Then, I had the good fortune of my youngest daughter (21) – having a few weeks of free time before her summer internship started – asking me if she could join me on the trip. Hell yes! Not only was I thrilled to have the cherished 1:1 time with her knowing there are probably fewer of these opportunities to come, but it was now no longer a solo journey. Whee!

I have a few friends who’ve been to Iceland – including one who’s been there six times – so I tapped into their experiences, did a bunch of googling and settled on a deep dive on the southern part of the island (Iceland is considered a European island) instead of the Ring Road which runs the entire perimeter of the island. I did this for two reasons: first, I learned my lesson from our Portugal trip last year that trying to fit an entire country into a ten day vacation leaves little time to enjoy each stop. Second, I knew I would not see the northern lights in the spring so it was a good incentive to return another time of year so I can see the northern/eastern part of the island and, if I am lucky because they are still not guaranteed in winter, the lights!

Below is both an abridged and extended version of our itinerary with my hot takes and advice. I recognize that everyone is different when it comes to travel. So, take what you like from here and make your own adventure. If you do go, please share in the comments and let me know if these recommendations were helpful.

Abridged Itinerary

Days 1-2: Reykjavik – City stuff

Days 3-4: Blue Lagoon – Spa

Day 5: Headed east for Waterfalls, Ice Cave tour, Black Sand beach & natural hot springs

Days 6-7: Glacier Lagoon – Zodiac boat tour & Diamond Beach 

Days 8-9: Headed back west seeing Fjarðarárgljúfur (canyon) and did half of the Golden Circle

Day 10: HOME

Basic Travel Tips in Iceland

Driving is EASY. The Ring Road (Route 1) is flat and paved and other than learning how to wait your turn for single lane bridges and being mindful of speed traps (cameras catch you and email you a fine – got one and it was $120 for only 3km over the limit!). There are also round-a-bouts everywhere and not a lot of traffic lights. The F roads go up into the highlands and they are more challenging and many are closed until the summer thaw. Blue car rental was recommended to me and they were super easy to book online. Get all the insurance and add a WiFi device which is helpful for remote areas with zero connectivity. Get to know the road signs especially for construction/closures (few in the spring). This parking app is handy for several tourist sites where you have to pay to park, but there are kiosks in all the lots where you can just pay by credit card. Driving was an experience unto itself – the views and changes in landscapes are spectacular and you just can’t believe this place is real!

If you plan to go off the Ring Road, prepare for some gravel and ditches. Highly recommend renting an SUV. Every tourist here seems to have the same blue Kia Sportage or a white Duster 🙂 . Pay attention to your gas levels because some areas are very remote and it can be awhile before you can get a fill (same for WC stops!).

• NOTE: If you like to camp, we saw every possible type of option from huge campers to cute vans and tents. There were also a number of bicyclists who were toting camp gear all over the island – impressive!

Packing for a spring trip to Iceland means tons of layers. I brought a short light down coat, a waterproof rain jacket and a down vest. A few warm tops, t-shirts, several pairs of leggings, one pair of jeans, one pair of joggers, sweats, a flannel, PJs, and lots of socks and underwear. Also some workout clothes for hikes. Three pairs of shoes – my Blundstones, hiking sneakers and regular sneakers – were all worn regularly. Everything in Iceland is super casual. Even at the fine restaurants, people are wearing hiking clothes. No need to bring anything dressy even in Reykjavik. Definitely bring 1-2 bathing suits, flip flops and a quick dry towel for the hot springs. Also recommend a waterproof bag for your phone/camera and rain pants and waterproof gloves if you plan to do the cave hike or get on any boat. There are also a few waterfalls you can go “in” but only if you are in rain gear (or get soaked).

Language is not an issue – everyone speaks English and everyone is super nice – most of the tourist industry in Iceland is run by internationals so you’ll meet lots of cool people from all over the world. 

Cash: We never exchanged any USD for ISK. Everything is paid via credit card and tour guides do not accept tips. The exchange is weird though – currently 135ISK to 1USD so you spend “thousands” on everything, lol.

Food: Amazing – whether it’s a cafe or fine dining, it’s all good. The island is doing a lot with geothermal greenhouses so there’s more vegetables than expected too. The island is also very vegan friendly everywhere. The Icelandic glacier water from the tap is SO GOOD. I am sad to be without it now. The freshest, cleanest water I’ve ever had.

Weather and Daylight: In June and into July, it does not get dark at night – at ALL. Bring eye masks or your sleep can get really messed up. Some of our hotels had excellent room darkening curtains, but several did not or they didn’t close well, so don’t count on them. The temperature ranged from 10-16 Celsius (50-60 Fahrenheit) while we were there. We lucked out with only one rainy day and it was a travel/down day so none of our stops or tours were impacted by weather, but that’s unusual so keep track of the weather and look for alerts from tour companies. It was often overcast in the mornings with the sun coming out in the afternoons. We saw only 2 sorta-sunsets the whole nine nights we were there.

Finally, the only things I’d change if I did this trip again:

• Save the Blue Lagoon for the end. It would have been a nice way to cap off the trip after a lot of hiking and car travel. Also, closer to the airport. 
• Maybe do just one day in Reykjavik. Pretty city, but you can get a decent feel for it in a day.
• Book an AirBnB or two between hotels and do our own cooking. While yummy, constant restaurant eating was heavy on the digestion and expensive.

OK, now for the longer itinerary…

Days One & Two – Reykjavik

We arrived early in the morning from NYC as one does for most trips to Europe. Opted to taxi ($150) to Reykjavik vs. have a car in the city and pay for a rental and parking for 2 days. The city is very walkable. No car or even taxi needed once you’re in town. Stuff to see and do: 

• Spring only: Puffin boat tour right from the old harbor. Was an hour to go out to this little island where they nest and totally worth it because they are guaranteed to be there. Booked easily online the day we arrived the next morning. If you go, try to do first thing in the morning – they are most active and visible then!
• Tour the Opera House (inside and out – spectacular), photos on rainbow road, see the famous cathedral at the end of rainbow road (and take the elevator to the top for great views), shop, eat, go to the waterfront (opera house is there), check out tons of street art and explore! We also walked through a park on a lake to the Nordic House on the university campus – it’s an architectural gem and was a must see with my budding architect daughter.

We stayed at Hotel Borg which is a basic business hotel. Nothing special, but right in town and very convenient to everything. Also, if you like hot dogs, Bæjarins Beztu’s stand is right around the corner. While I am a pesce-vegan, I admit I tried one and it was pretty good!

Speaking of food, we loved Café Babalú (great crepes and an odd Flintstones decor – eat upstairs if you go there) and the Laundromat Cafe for breakfast. Braud & Co has amazing bread and treats. Tost is also good (and goes from a cafe to a bar at night).

For foodies, dinner at Dill is worth it. It was Iceland’s first Michelin star restaurant and has a 2-3 month waiting list (a spot opened for us a few days before we arrived). Fast before you go – each course is really like 3 mini courses – we counted 18 in total and the meal was 3 hours long. It was a LOT of food, not vegan or GF friendly and my belly paid for it, but it was worth it.

Days Three & Four – Blue Lagoon (BL)

We picked up our rental car right in Reykjavik and drove 45 minutes to the BL, stopping at a horse farm to consider riding, but decided against it (I was still not feeling it after our dinner at Dill). Had I known we’d see these beauties all over the island the rest of our trip, I would have skipped this stop. I definitely want to ride next time I am there though! We also stopped at the geothermal site of Grindavík, which was not as nice as others we visited so unless this is your only chance to see these types of sites, skip it. It was a good way to get our “car legs” though as it was a bit of off-roading to get there.  

We stayed at the all-inclusive Retreat Hotel at the BL. Definitely the most decadent part of the trip. Bougie, but money well spent and as noted above, if I did this trip again, I would have made this the last stop to recharge and soothe after a ton of activity. Even better, bookend BL on either side of the trip 😀

We did the public part of the BL upon arrival and took full advantage of the three-step mask ritual there. Bring your phone in a waterproof bag because it’s the most bizarre experience to capture – we laughed the whole time we were in there. The Retreat Hotel itself has a special ritual for all guests at the spa in a cave-like area before you get to the public lagoon. Just do it. It’s freaking amazing. Also, do their signature floating water massage – not so much a massage as it is an experience involving lying on floating mats and head rests, a salt scrub, oil rub and a massage.

Note: You can book a several-hour day pass at either the public side or retreat hotel side of the lagoon without having to stay there. From what I heard, these fill up so unless you go with a tour company, book these passes in advance.

My daughter and I both have psoriasis and we experienced the healing powers of the lagoon water first hand. Even just a few soaks helped our skin clear up and it felt so smooth and healthy! Also worth noting, while great for your skin, the water is brutal on your hair and makes it stick to your head/unable to comb. Try to coat it with conditioner before going in and keep it out of the water. If you do the floating massage, they’ll give you conditioner to slather on your head. Even with that, it took two washings before our hair felt somewhat normal again.

The best thing about the Retreat Hotel is it has its own private lagoon that weaves around the resort and you can have a peaceful soak without the crowds. There’s also a pool bar where you can sip champagne or fresh pressed juice while you soak. We ate at both of their restaurants, Moss (also Michelin star) and Lava. I would not recommend Lava – food was ok, but service was bad, it was crowded with tourists and you basically watch people partying in the public part of the lagoon while you eat, but Moss was excellent (reserve in advance!) and very vegan friendly. The spa restaurant which is just open for snacks and lunch is excellent and the hotel’s breakfast in the lobby (included) was quite good. Also, the hotel has a nice gym and yoga class every morning (basic, but a nice stretch).

Days Four & Five

After two relaxing days at BL, we began our countryside adventure! We started at Seltun (geothermal area) first which was cool, but no geysers and very sulfuric air. A short distance from there is Krýsuvíkurkirkja which is a lovely spot to take pretty pictures of landscapes, a tiny church and the first of what turned out to be zillions of sheep all over the island (there are more sheep than people in Iceland!).

Our first Icelandic waterfall was Gluggafoss which is off the beaten path and hardly had any tourists. Worth it! Eliza climbed up the steep path to see the view above which included another small waterfall.  From there, we stopped at three more waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi which are right next to each other (the latter is a wet walk-in if you’re game, we were not dressed for it so passed) and then the famous Skógafoss (where Jon and Daenerys kiss in GoT) that has a rainbow on sunny days (it was overcast when we were there).  We had two more waterfalls on the agenda that day, but decided to bail in favor of a hike out to the Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool which involves off-roading to a random parking lot, then a gentle ½ mile hike through a valley and lupine fields to this hot spring pool in the middle of nowhere. I did not swim, but Eliza went in and reported the changing rooms are basically caves, the water is warm and deep and where she could touch, it was slimy bottomed, but generally pleasant and a very local spot with few tourists. I would swim there if we go back. Flip flops and a quick-dry towel are key here!

      
Umi hotel is close to the pool and we booked it for one night as a stopover on our way east instead of driving another two hours that day. The map for all these stops including the two waterfalls we skipped is here.

The next day, we set out for the Vik and the Ice Cave tour. Terrifying, but SO FUN. The crew there does a great job preparing you and they give you helmets and strap-on cleats for your shoes. We drove 45 minutes in a super jeep to get to the glacier where you then put on your cleats and do a short hike out to the cave entrance. The cave has a series of planks with ropes to skirt your way through – ice cold streams flow rapidly below you. Until I got comfortable using the cleats, I was terrified I’d fall in, but I got past it pretty fast and was only terrified again when they told us we had to return the way we came (it was not a loop!). The second time through was much easier though. You will get wet on this hike because the glacier is melting. Rain pants and waterproof gloves to steady yourself on the ice are key and use the ropes as you go. I did not take out my good camera even though I had a waterproof cover for it because I was so afraid I’d drop it on the ice. Also, it was around 50 degrees that day so even though we were IN a glacier, we were not cold.

After the tour, we had lunch at Suður-Vík cafe near the pretty church on the hill. The lupine flowers are in full bloom this time of year and blanket the whole island with purple. After lunch we did coffee at Skool Beans – it’s a cafe in an actual school bus. Amazing mushroom tea, mochas and matcha. Prepare for a 10-15 minute wait for your coffee, it’s a tiny and very busy place! 

From there, we visited Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara (the Black Sand beach which is a Game of Thrones film site). Dyrhólaey has stunning views of cliffs and the sea. We parked at the top and walked part way down, but decided to drive to Reynisfjara to see the crazy rock formations. Dyrhólaey is also a destination for Puffins, but it’s hard to access that beach in the early morning when they are most active. 

By chance though, we lucked out and saw a puffin there who landed right in front of us while we were taking in the views – it was an even better look at this gorgeous bird than we had in Reykjavik. Both of these sites were very crowded with tourists but worth it. 

After a very full day, we drove just under two hours to the Fosshotel at Glacier Lagoon, had dinner there. Dinner at the hotel was lovely. They require reservations even though most of the diners are hotel guests. You also need a reservation to use the hot tubs and sauna although no one was checking us in when I went to use the sauna that night after dinner.

Days Six & Seven

Fosshotel is super cool with stunning architecture and views on the side of a small mountain. It also has two hot tubs and a sauna. It’s in the middle of nowhere too (like everything out east!).

First thing in the morning, we went to the Glacier Lagoon for the 9am zodiac boat tour. Definitely a highlight of the trip and we almost missed it because there are a half a dozen different tours in that area so make sure you know where you’re going if you do it! The tour company suits you up in a water tight jump suit and life jacket before taking a five minute bus ride to the lagoon. The boat holds about ten of you so it’s a nice small group and the guide was very knowledgeable about the lagoon, glacier, the ice structures and many seals lounging on the floating ice. The whole place is mind blowing and I took close to 600 photos that day! Because the boat was super small, we got very close to everything. I definitely recommend this over the crowded duck boat tours. You can also do a kayak tour. Make sure your phone and camera are in waterproofed housing. The boat goes fast sometimes to cover a lot of the lagoon in 90 minutes so you do get wet. The suits were also warm and between those and the layers we already had on, we were not cold at all.

After the lagoon, Diamond Beach is right across the street where chunks of ice lay all over the black sand. Go to the right side of the river (map sends you to the left) for the best ice pictures. Look for seals in the river too. They swim in and out of the lagoon from there. 

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We were pretty burnt out by this point in the trip so after Diamond beach we went back to the hotel to relax, catch up on emails and had lunch at their bar. Dinner was also there again as there’s really nothing else food-wise in the area.

The next morning, we drove west again. First, we stopped at Skaftafell national park for a 4 mile hike that included another Game of Thrones film site – a crazy looking waterfall. The hike was moderately challenging with a sharp incline at the start. We went to the first summit and then downhill was pretty easy from there. After Skaftafell, we stopped at Fjardarargljufur for epic views of the canyon. Recommend driving off-road or hiking to the top for the best views. Off-road isn’t too challenging, just  narrow at some points. Pictures don’t do this spot justice. It’s a must-see in person! After the canyon, we drove about two hours to Hotel Ranga, stopping in Vik on the way for lunch at one of the tourist cafes and then another coffee at Skool Beans (because, so good!).

Days Eight and Nine

The popular Hotel Ranga is not too far from Umi where we had stayed a few nights before. The hotel has a ski lodge vibe and was surprisingly one of our favorites other than the Retreat at BL. They have three hot tubs (and they are HOT) aside a river that looks out to several snow-capped mountains. Tons of birds on the property (!), yummy food and rooms were cozy and comfortable

After a good night’s rest, we made our way inland a bit to the famous Golden Circle. With such a packed trip at this point, we decided just to hit two key spots on the circle – Gullfoss and Geysir – I hope to return one day and hike Þingvellir (Thingvellir) which is a UNESCO national park. Gullfoss is breathtaking and nothing like the other waterfalls we had seen thus far. Definitely worth walking to the top to get all views. Geysir was also cool with an eruption every 3-4 minutes. Nice hike to the top of the hill too for cool vista views and to see the eruptions from above.

A spontaneous stop to the Fridheimar Restaurant was our final destination. This is a geo-thermal powered farm that grows spectacular tomatoes, basil and sunflowers in a greenhouse that also serves as a restaurant and bar. Everything is tomato themed including the cocktails and lattes. While a bit silly, it was actually pretty yummy and I had one of the healthiest salads of the all meals we had in Iceland. They also have a crazy good bread bar and the tomato apple crisp served in clay pots was excellent.

We also stopped along the road several times this day to take photos of the many, many Icelandic horses that are all over the island.

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Day Ten

We slept in, had a lazy breakfast on our last day and then made the two hour drive to the airport to return the car and fly out that afternoon. We could have probably snuck in one more geothermal bath or hike this day, but after nine days, we were ready to get home. Of course, now that I have slept in my bed for the night, showered and checked on my plant babies, I could seriously turn around and do it again tomorrow. My water bottle is almost empty of that fresh clean water and my body is craving a good hot soak. It was an epic journey and such a special time with my youngest who was an amazing copilot and showed such good humor and support when I needed it (especially in that ice cave!).

Until the next time, Iceland!!

All photographs in this post are the creations and property of Julia B Austin 2023 (c)