We usually plan our biggest trips around Chad’s very limited time off work and try to escape to somewhere warm or cross off a location from our Bucket List. This year, we decided we wanted to layer on the clothing and head to Iceland to see if we could find the Northern Lights (an item on all our Bucket Lists).
We originally planned on exploring Iceland in a winterized Campervan so that we could be a bit more flexible in our activities and timing and could create a home base that moved around with us (I hate packing and unpacking multiple times on vacations). We started planning everything, and as we got digging deeper into research found out that Motorhome would not be the best plan. Although the Motorhome was winterized, there would be nights potentially without heat, running water and we were warned by Iceland natives that no one usually rents Motorhomes in the winter because of the road conditions, high wind, closed roads, etc. So, we canceled, lost our deposit, and decided to just rent a vehicle and start booking hotels for our trip.
Day 1: Travel Day
It was the most cost-efficient for us to leave our home in Vicenza around midnight to drive to Milan (around 2.5 hrs) for our 6 am flight. We purchased 2 checked bags (but could have done it with 1 after all). At the time of our travel – December 2021 – we had to preregister with Iceland, anyone over 12 needed to be fully vaccinated, and we had to have negative rapid tests.
We grabbed our suitcases once we arrived and then picked up our rental car. We found the best deal through Firefly Rental and it ended up being the Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid with studded tires, excellent heating & plenty of space for us and all our winter clothes. As soon as we landed and got packed up, we decided we would go fill up on groceries to save some money. Food in Iceland is notorious for being one of the most expensive aspects of a vacation there, and we are NOT foodies so we planned some quick and easy meals we could cook in our AirBnb/Hotels. After a super long day, we checked into our Airbnb (***** +5 stars) and crashed pretty quickly….but not before SEEING THE NORTHER LIGHTS from our patio and sitting in the natural hot springs hot tub included in our Airbnb.
Day 2: Snaefellness Peninsula
No time to waste! We only gave ourselves one day to do the Peninsula, but we should have given ourselves two. This area was absolutely incredible and we didn’t make it to everything we had originally pinned to see. If we had the chance to do a repeat trip, I believe I could spend 4-5 days just exploring everything on the Peninsula.
Just the drive to the Peninsula was absolutely gorgeous! We even saw our first Icelandic Horses and stopped to say HI to them – they are so beautiful and so used to having people around because they run right up to you! Our first stop was Bjarnarfoss. There wasn’t a soul in sight so we wandered around, flew the drone, and then went on to our next stop.
Next up with visiting the Dritvik Cove beach. Walking here was like stepping into a Lord of the Rings film, it was completely out of this world. The beach had lots of iron remains of a British trawler, the Epine GY 7 which wrecked on the night of March 13th, 1948. Only 5 of the 19 crew members were saved, beyond that was the black beach and it was absolutely beautiful to walk up and down. Tour busses stopped here and let guests walk around for a bit, but we still managed to wander, fly the drone and experience the beauty between the small frequent crowds of people.
Next up was a stop I was super excited for & maybe my favorite of the entire Peninsula. The little town of Arnastapi has gorgeous views everywhere you turn. Waterfalls falling off the cliffs, cliffs leading into the ocean, gorgeous snow tipped mountains and this amazing natural bridge you can walk out on. Make sure you tell your vertigo to calm down, you’ve got about 2 meters of space, but it definitely feels a lot smaller when your up there! I wouldn’t recommend this area with small kids as the cliffs just pop up in the middle of nowhere and you could definitely fall to your death.
Our last stop on the Peninsula was to visit the most famous photo spot in Iceland, Kirkjufell! We managed to make it right as the sun was setting and the parking lot had cleared out. This spot was used in Game of Thrones and is probably one of the most recognized photos of Iceland. Parking is only a few bucks, and you can wander around, grab your photos, or even hike a bit if you’d like. We headed back to our cute little cabin and sat in the natural hot tub and watched the Northern Lights as the popped up right on our way to bed.
Day 3: Reykjavik
After exploring the Peninsula, we headed back to a few hours drive to Reykjavic to explore for a bit before heading more to the Southern Coast. We made it back and checked into the most incredible place Reykjavik Domes for a night, wandered around town, went to the top of Hallgrimskirkja, did some grocery shopping and then went on a Northern Lights Tour (we even saw them from our Dome before we went out on an organized tour). We totally didn’t need to go as we had seen them already, but wanted to see if they could show us anything different.
Day 4: The Blue Lagoon
We stayed in the town of Reykjavik again on Day 4 so that we could visit the famous Blue Lagoon. This is definitely on the top of everyone’s list, so it’s advised to purchase your reservation time slot far in advance. Children under the age of 9 have to wear the provided floaties, and even the most basic entrance package gets you a face mask and a free drink. I 100% think it is worth every single penny.
Day 5: The Golden Circle
We had originally hoped to do the entire Ring Road around Iceland, but due to visiting in December, we weren’t able to. If you are short on time or the weather doesn’t allow it, doing the Golden Circle is perfect for tourists who want to get a taste of all of Iceland’s greatest. The Golden Circle includes Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gulfoss Waterfall. Of course, even just the area surrounding the top 3 spots on the Golden Circle is covered in amazing stops that could make the half-day excursion, easily turn into a 2-day+ adventure. Here is what we managed to fit in during our Golden Circle Day: Porufoss, Thingvellir National Park where we stepped over the tectonic plates, and visited Oxararfoss, onto Bruarfoss, The Geysir, and then to see the giant Gulfoss Waterfall. While this may not seem like a ton, we were working with only about 4 hours of sunlight so I was pretty thrilled we were able to see so much before heading to our next little “Bungalow” at Gethus Camping for the next several nights in Selfoss. While a bit outdated, this place worked perfectly and had a private tiny kitchen, washer/dryer available on site, a hot tub, chickens, and free parking. Selfoss is a great place for watching the Northern Lights!
Day 6: Haifoss & Urridafoss
Today’s adventure was visiting the massive Haifoss waterfall which ended up being my hands down the favorite waterfall. The magnitude of it cannot even be captured in photos or videos, it is absolutely huge. In the spring and summer, I would 100% spend the entire day hiking down to the base of the falls. Next, we headed to the Commonwealth Farm, I knew they wouldn’t be open, but still wanted to peek around. Some Game of Thrones filming took place here, but it is also a great place to tour and learn more about the culture and heritage of this area. Next, we stopped at Urridafoss, another giant waterfall that was a great location to fly the drone and watch the massive ice blocks float down the river.
Day 7: Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui, Skogafoss
Another day full of waterfalls! At this point, Presley would say every morning, “More waterfalls today? Gah!” she was over it! Waterfalls are one of my favorite things, and Iceland is full of them – so I guess this trip ended up being a big win for me. Our first stop was Seljalandsfoss falls, parking is just a few dollars and there’s a gift shop and several food courts. In the summer, you can walk behind this waterfall – we were so bummed it was closed off for winter but found out really quickly why. The path continuously gets coated in mist, then freezes the pathway is just a block of ice. A little bit down the road is the Gljufrabui waterfall – another top favorite of our trip. This waterfall requires you to get super wet while ankle-deep in water but takes you to this hidden little cove at the base of the waterfall. Totally worth getting drenched for! After that, we stopped to see Skogafoss. Probably the largest waterfall that requires a long uphill trek up some 500 steps but rewards you with the most incredible views. Another great waterfall that you can get up to the base of, as long as you have waterproof clothing!
Day 8: Ice Cave Tour with Troll Expedition & Diamond Beach
This was hands down our longest day, due to limited and extremely overpriced accomodations – in order to do our Ice Cave/Glacier tour, we had a 2.5 hour drive each way to the Tour meeting point. It was worth it though! The drive was gorgeous, we got to spend some time on Diamond Beach (not nearly enough time!), saw wild reindeer, hiked over a glacier and spent at least an hour in an ice cave. It was definitely one of those – once in a lifetime moments – that we got to experience.
Day 9: Yoda Cave, Black Beach, Reynisfara Beach & Dyrholaey Lookout
We were pretty wiped after our long day yesterday, but still managed to fit in a bunch during our couple hours of daylight today! First up was a quick photo stop visit to Yoda Cave, then we spent a few hours on Reynisfjara Beach before watching the sunset from Dyrholaey Viewpoint.
Day 10: Lazy Reykjavik
Our last full day in Iceland! It’s been a busy week, but of course there was still more to see! We grabbed famous hot dogs from Baejarins Betzu Pylsur, found a few Geocaches, went Ice Skating and I almost barfed during our Fly Over Iceland experience. We took our free Rapid Tests to get back to Italy (worst ones yet, OUCH!) Then, it was time to pack up, and get some rest before our long travel day home!
Some additional tips & tricks:
Helpful ICELAND Facebook pages: Iceland-Tips for Travelers and Travel Iceland
Winter hours: Sun starts rising about 1030am, stays low but there is light until from around 1130-330pm and then it’s dark again – literally the wildest thing!
Gas stations only accept bank cards that have a PIN.
The currency is the ISK – Islandic Krona – everywhere takes credit card, so we never needed cash
APPS to download: (all are free)
Visit Iceland – Explore top places, places to eat, activities, events, helpful information
Aurora – Help track the Aurora and up your chances of seeing them without a guide
Iceland Offline Maps – Offline maps which will be great if your phone stops working. Check out the app BEFORE you lose service.
Iceland – Things to do, popular, nearby, maps, news, events, and deals all in one spot!
Bensin – Map of gas stations. This is great when you get low on gas and it doesn’t look like there’s much around
Parka – Add your credit card and clock in and out of parking so you don’t have to worry about paying at the meters
I shared so many more pictures and videos on Instagram, they are all saved to two Highlight Reels labeled Iceland 1 & 2!
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