Iceland…whose been?

The thing we wished we had done, was to move locations and stay at different places around the island

Renting a car and getting around is easy. Our next trip we will do exactly what you are thinking if that helps

Went in November first time, next time will probably be April


Hotels, getting around, getting there I found pretty cheap. It’s the food and drinks that get you while you are there, very expensive

Was just there the first week of September. Really enjoyed it!

From another thread...

We stayed in the Hotel Borg.

It was the city’s first luxury hotel. A beautiful Art Deco Hotel in a quiet side street. Ideally placed for the bus stops you need if attending booked tours, the shops, bars, restaurants and Museums. Not cheap, but it's Iceland.

There are a number of great restaurants in this area. We dined once at Hresso. This place was recommended by our hotel. Easy to walk to and provided local hearty Icelandic fare! The fish and chips were particularly good.

We took the all day Golden Circle with Kerid Volcanic Crater Day Trip from Reykjavik tour. HIGHLIGHT of our week in Iceland. Well worth it. They pick you up and drop you off at multiple bus stations around the city.

Tour company that does other tours was Nice Travel Iceland. You can book your options if you want through Viator or Trip Advisor.

Do's!

Do LAYER UP! By March, Iceland is still in late winter: cold, windy, and often snowy. It gets rainy and cold in a moment's notice. Take WATERPROOF not WATER-RESISTANT coats. I did a waterfall hike one day in Seydisfjordur where it poured. SO glad I had my rain pants. Might not happen to you, but if it does, you're prepared.

Most of the waterfall trails are either paved or gravel paths. You don't always have to hike to the very top. BUT, if you want to, like the aforenoted one, you MUST have hiking shoes or boots with lugs on the outsole tread. I took my Salomon Ultraglide 2 GTX. Gortex. Good grip. Note: I took a pair of Allbirds for "walking around". Hiking boot/shoes get kind of clunky in urban settings.

BTW: I took my collapsable hiking sticks. Used them twice and damn glad I had them lest I die on some of those rocky trails.

Try the less "touristy" Sky Lagoon over the Blue Lagoon. Sky Lagoon is often preferred over the Blue Lagoon because it’s less touristy, closer to Reykjavík, and offers a dramatic oceanfront setting with a 7-step Icelandic bathing ritual. The Blue Lagoon is iconic and convenient near the airport, but it’s busier, pricier, and more commercialized.

You'll really want to try the local Gins and Vodkas. Nothing like it. Pro Tip: Buy your fill at the duty-free store at the airport on the way home!

Don'ts!

Money: Don't exchange large amounts of cash at the airport may result in less favorable rates. Carrying significant amounts of cash is unnecessary and could attract unwanted attention. Not all cards are accepted everywhere; Visa and Mastercard are generally accepted, while American Express may not always be.

Don't worry about the language. You'll never figure it out and everyone speaks English!

Don't worry about tipping. Not expected in Iceland. Service charges are included, and locals don’t tip. If you round up a bill, it’s appreciated but not required.

Don't sweat how damn expensive everything is there. You made the choice, so just roll with it. Find a reasonably priced hotel if you need to that offers breakfast included. Snack at lunch. Enjoy your main meal at night. Or make your main meal lunch and snack at night. Saves some money if you go to the local grocery stores.

It is an amazing country.

Selected Photos

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Should we rent a car/suv

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You can drive around the whole country in one day if you wanted no need to rent a car, most of the places you will want to see can be done by a tour.

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Also have been reading that summer is best time to go for milder weather and longer amounts of daylight, however wife really wants to see the Northern Light

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Iceland really deserves two trip one in winter and one in summer, the NL are really hit or miss there.

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I’m thinking it’s about an $8 to $10k trip

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You are fine I spent about 4K for my week trip solo.

Went this past spring (late march). Weather was great for our trip, tail end of winter so ice caves were still around as well, wasn't too cold either except for the northern part of the island. Usually was just fine in normal long underwear, pants/shirt, and normal jacket. Some days in was in the upper 40's and mid 50's all day. It was a fantastic trip. We did one of the tour bus trips around the ring road. I think it was a 7 day trip in total. Absolutely loved it. Our group ended up being really good, punctual, and everyone got along so that really helped. Stayed at a new city or town every night and made it around the whole island. There was a lot of driving, but we got to see a ton of stuff. Never felt rushed for the cool things but also didn't waste a lot of time at places either. Adventure Life was who we booked it through (I think the actual tour group in Iceland was called Arctic Adventures).

They made everything super easy. Could obviously do something similar yourself a rent a car, but some of those roads, I would not want to be driving on, I'll leave that to someone who lives there

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This is how we did it. Besides the major attractions, my wife scanned google maps while I drove and we pulled over everytime she found something interesting. We were able to see so many things that most people drive right past.

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I would rent a car. Reykjavik Itself is big enough to need a car at times. But agreed, one of the best things was just stopping and looking at things. We saw a glacier and just drove up to it and I climbed up it. We went to secret lagoon and took our time around the ring road. That’s something you can’t do with a tour.

We went in July. The sun never really set. It was 2:00 am and the sun kind of went below the horizon, but it was back up by 3:30 am or so.

I’d suggest a food tour in town. It was interesting to hear the history and eat the foods. But our favorite things were just driving around and looking at waterfalls and volcanos and thing.

Have fun!!!

I went in March, btw those boots kept my feet dry as a bone.

Here it is in July several years ago.

You’ll most likely do the Golden Circle, which is the most popular drive for tourists. Easily done in one day while staying in Reykjavik. The most important part of that drive is to make a lunch reservation several days in advance at this tomato vineyard. It is extremely popular and you won’t be able to walk-in and enjoy the full menu. Walk-ins are allowed a limited menu at the bar.

Friðheimar

Ultimately it is your Journey not ours.

Travel is about research and what you want in your heart.