Iceland
Introduction – A whirlwind trek across Southern Iceland
Sculpted from ice and fire, Iceland is one of the most naturally stunning places that I have ever visited. Whether you prefer to hike the colourful mountains or go behind waterfalls, gingerly trace steps along a glacier, or simply luxuriate in a thermal hot spring, it has everything for all levels of adventurers. The following itinerary will suit first-time visitors or those with a limited time, while still covering the key highlights of the country.
Day 1 – Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the capital city of Iceland. The city itself is not a city of skyscrapers, but rather of low grey buildings. The city overlooks a beautiful harbour that gives you a glimpse of snowcapped mountains in the wilderness beyond. You can spend half a day or a day exploring Reykjavik. This is what I visited:
- Laugavegur Street — this is the main street, and is filled with little shops. Sandholt Bakery at the start of this street makes for a great pit-stop for coffee/tea and pastry.
- Hallgrímskirkja Church — from Laugavegur Street, walk up the rainbow-painted street that leads to this iconic church.
- Lunch stop at Cafe Loki — overlooking the church, order the lamb soup and unique rye bread ice cream.
- Walk towards and along the harbour front — look out for the Sólfar Sculpture (a steel skeleton of a Viking boat), take a peek into the crystalline honeycomb structure of the Harpa Concert Hall, and stop by Grandi Matholl for a snack.
Pro tip: Time your return stroll back to the main city area to reach the Solfar Sculpture around sunset. The sun glints off the sculpture in the most beautiful way, and the mountains and sea are similarly illuminated.
Day 2 – Golden Circle
Every travel guide that you read will tell you to take a Golden Circle tour while in Iceland. The easiest way to see the sights that make up the Golden Circle is by a bus daytrip. The tour bus will typically pick up around 9am, and return around 5.30pm-6pm. It will typically visit the following places:
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- Geysir / Strokkur
- Thingvellir National Park
- Kerið Crater
Tour operator that I booked with: Bus Travel Iceland (approx USD $70 pp). If you don’t want to see the Kerio Crater, the tour operator also offers tours that end the day with a soak in the hot springs at the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon.
Stop 1: Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss Waterfall was the first stop of the daytrip bus tour, and it was my favourite highlight sight of the day. The waterfall itself is truly majestic. Note that the walk from the parking lot to the waterfall is long, and very windy even in the warmer months.
Stop 2: Geysir / Strokkur
This water spout blows up every ten or so minutes. It wasn’t particularly fascinating to me, probably because I have seen geysers elsewhere.
Pro tip: What was more memorable was the short hike up the hill behind the geyser area itself. The views of the Icelandic countryside from this vantage point are 360 degrees, and truly spectacular. And the best part is that very few tourists seem to venture here.
Stop 3: Thingvellir National Park
Thingvellir is the site of the first Icelandic parliament. Geologically, there’s a certain novelty of walking between the Eurasian and North American continental plates.
Stop 4: Kerið Crater
The colours of this dormant volcanic crater are stunning. You can walk the full rim of it, and also trek down to the base where the water collects. Part of it is rocky and a little steep – I only walked about 75% of the rim due to my fear of heights.
Day 3 – South Coast – Waterfalls and black sand Beach
Given that I was only in Iceland for a few days, I wanted to see the entire South Coast as much as possible. There are a lot of South Coast day trips on offer, but you either only see a few waterfalls, or spend up to 14-16 hours in a bus. So, instead, I decided to book a 2-day trip to the South Coast, staying overnight in the Icelandic countryside. I highly recommend this option. On the first day, we visited the following:
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- Gljufrabui Waterfall
- Skógafoss Waterfall
- Reynisfjara black sand beach
- Sólheimajökull Glacier
Pro tip: Wear waterproof gear when visiting the waterfalls (including for your camera), or at a minimum, bring a change of clothes.
Tour operator that I booked with: Nice Travel (approx USD $550 pp for 2-days including accommodation). It’s a small group tour with no more than 16 passengers; there were just 8 on my trip.
Stop 1: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
This is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world. I wasn’t able to walk behind it though, as during the 20-30 minutes or so that we stopped there, the line was completely jammed up by Instagrammers taking fashion pics. 🙁
Pro tip: I would recommend visiting around sunset time to catch the light as it flitters through the water, and hopefully, there are less tourists then too.
Stop 2: Gljufrabui Waterfall
About 5-10 minutes away from Seljalandsfoss is another waterfall. It is hidden inside a cavern, and to reach it, you have to step on mossy rocks across a rushing stream. On the rainy day I visited, the water level was above ankle height, but my hiking boots were high enough to keep the water out. Once inside, if you look carefully, you can see the face of a man in the rock behind the waterfall
Stop 3: Skógafoss Waterfall
You can walk right up to the waterfall if you dare, but you will be soaked. Another path is a set of stairs adjacent to it. I decided to take lunch instead, but if I was to return, I would definitely scale those stairs.
Stop 4: Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Reynisfjara was especially ghostly on the cloudy day that I visited. When visiting, be very careful and do not walk along the shoreline as you might when visiting other beaches. Tourists have been swept out by “sneaker waves” here, and there are truly horrifying movies about this. If you look carefully, you may see puffins nesting on the mossy basalt rocks above the beach.
Stop 5: Sólheimajökull Glacier
Nothing really prepares you for the sight of this immense glacier. It looks like a giant highway of ice even from afar.
Day 4 – South Coast – Glaciers and ice
The second day of the two-day South Coast trip was the most memorable day. We visited the following sights, and I would not have been able to see these had I just joined a daytrip:
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Diamond Beach
- Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Stop 1: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
You can walk part of the lagoon, but I highly recommend taking the 45-minute amphibious boat tour (it’s a boat with wheels!). The boat will allow you to drift between icebergs that glow neon blue and teal green in the early morning light. Some of the icebergs are striped with volcanic ash from centuries ago, and we also saw a seal and birds too.
Stop 2: Diamond Beach
About a 15-minute walk away from Jökulsárlón lies another black sand beach. It is called Diamond Beach because of the chunks and shards of ice that have broken away from the icebergs in Jökulsárlón, but strangely, have not yet melted enroute to the sea.
Stop 3: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
If there is one sight that I will always remember Iceland for, it will be Fjaðrárgljúfur. We visited during a complete downpour (thank goodness for the rain jacket!), but devoid of any tourists, it was as though we had stepped into the pages of Lord of the Rings. The way the mist rose from the rushing water and floated into a seemingly infinite canyon, the way the rain saturated and highlighted autumnal yellows in the mossy green — it was just ethereal. Be sure to walk its entire length.
Planning logistics
Getting there
I flew Icelandair Air from NYC. It is one of the few airlines that offer a great stopover program where the difference in airfare is either zero or minimal. I used Iceland as a stopover enroute to Copenhagen, Denmark (where I would go on to visit the Faroe Islands). Iceland Air flies to many other destinations in Europe, so you can easily pair a stopover to Iceland with your next trip to Europe.
To get from Keflavik International Airport (KEF) to Reykjavik, book Flybus for an easy bus shuttle to the city, including with hotel dropoff. It costs around USD $30 pp and takes just over an hour. The bus departs regularly, but it will wait for a substantial number of people on the bus before departing.
To return to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) from Reykjavik, book Airport Direct. It costs around USD $45 pp, takes about no more than 6-8 passengers (there was just 4 on my trip), and will get to the airport faster than Flybus. It’s worth the little extra $$ to alleviate the pre-flight anxiety.
I usually have no problems taking a taxi to get to/from the airport. However, a taxi would have cost close to USD $200 one way.
Hotel recommendation
I stayed at Storm Hotel in Reykjavik, and used it as base for my short time in Iceland. It is a 4 star hotel. Breakfast is included each morning, and is plentiful but average in range. (I’m also slightly biased, because I feel that hotels in Asia are unparalleled for their extravagant buffet breakfasts). Storm Hotel is very convenient: a 5-10 minute walk from the main shopping/dining area (Laugavegur Street), and almost all the tour companies pick up from the bus stop that is right outside the hotel.
As part of the two-day South Coast tour that included accommodation, that overnight hotel was Hotel Smyrlabjörg. It was quaint — one part Austro-German rustic vibe, another part American Adirondacks style.
Safety and mobility
On this trip, I travelled solo. I encountered no weirdness or moments of anxiety. I would rate Iceland similar to Japan in terms of safety.
You need a light-moderate level of fitness to visit Iceland using the above itinerary. Note however, that the walks to/from the parking lot and the waterfalls on the South Coast were longer than expected, and in colder seasons, may be difficult if there is ice and snow. I’m not sure that my elderly parents would have comfortably managed that.
Best time to visit
I typically prefer to travel in the shoulder season, to avoid crowds and extreme temperature differences. The above itinerary is based on a visit in late August/September which is the early autumn season in Iceland. The weather was mild, hovering at the 15 degrees (Celsius) / 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) mark. It was foggy and rainy some days, but I personally prefer that for more atmospheric photography where the colours of the natural landscape are saturated by the rain.
If you want clearer or sunnier days, visit in the summer months of June-July, and look out for lupines. During the winter months of November-February, there’s the possibility of seeing Northern Lights.
Dreams for the next trip
This was just a taster trip, but I would absolutely love to return for two main things:
- Float in a natural hot spring – if your flight arrives in Iceland at a time aligned with a Blue Lagoon airport transfer, I would highly recommend stopping over there before making your way over to Reykjavik. My flight sadly didn’t quite align, and I didn’t want to waste a few hours waiting. Another hot springs alternative near Reykjavik with a shuttle service, and one which is less densely crowded with tourists, is the Sky Lagoon.
- Circumnavigate the Ring Road – I would especially love to visit the western and northern regions, including Snaefellsnes and the more remote Westfjords. This will require renting a car, and more time (about 10 days).
