Iceland

Day 1: Evening flight (mine departed at 7:30pm)

Day 2: Arrival Day (my flight landed at 6am)

  • Grab drinks from Duty Free!
  • Pickup Rental Car
  • Explore Reykjavik
  • Hallgrímskirkja church
    • opens at 10am, good place to go first to get oriented (next to Fishmarket for food if hungry)
  • Penis museum/National Museum
  • Eats and drinks of note:
    • Coffee: Laundromat café
    • Bars:
      • Kaffitar
      • Den Danske Kro (try Brennivin)
      • Lebowski Bar
      • Vegamot
      • Baejarins
    • Food:
      • Fishmarket (recommend reservation)
      • Loki Café (next to church)
      • Hamborgarbúllan: fast food in a pimped-out fisherman’s hut
      • Sægreifinn:(the Sea Baron) next door does a delicious line in fish kebabs served with lobster bisque and beer
      • Foretta: on the other side of the street for happy hour cocktails and local-brew beers & seafood dishes are trendy and modern with wine
      • Micro Bar: all-local tap list
      • Food to try: Icelandic fish, Kjotsupa (meat soup), skyr, Icelandic hot dog)
      • Grocery store: Bonus

STAY: Reykjavik Hostel Village

Day 3: -Golden Circle self-drive tour!

  • Tpingvellier Park
    • Snorkeling between Euroasian and North American tectonic plates
  • Geysir
  • Gullfoss waterfall
  • Kerid Crater
  • RUNTUR Pub Crawl

STAY: Reyk Hostel Village

Day 4: Excursion from Reykjavik

STAY: Reyk Hostel Village

Day 5: South Coast (2 hour drive with potential stops in order of location)

  • Raufarholsehllir (lava tube cave)
    • Drive to Reykjanesbraut/Route 41 in Hafnarfjörður
  • Selijalandsfoss waterfalls (featured on amazing race)
    • The turnoff leading to Seljalandsfoss is on Road 249 immediately north of its junction with the Ring Road (Route 1).
  • Skogafoss waterfall/Skogar folk museum
    • Look for this easy-to-spot waterfall along the Ring Road about 105km east of Selfoss (the town)
  • Reynisfjara Beach/Vik (black sand beach & town)
  • Cape Dyrholaey (visible from ring road – cliffs by sea with a lighthouse)
    • Follow the signs to the Dyrolaney pennisular and start by going to the car park at the end of the tarmaced road (approximately 6km). From there you get great views across the black sandy beach from the top of the cliff. Retrace your route slightly and turn left up the non tarmaced road to go up to the lighthouse.
  • Seljavallalaug Pool (underneath Eyjafjallajokull glacier)
    • When you are driving in the direction from Reykjavík you turn of the ring road (No.1) into road 242 marked Raufarfell. It’s just past Þorvaldseyri (The Iceland Erupts exhibition). You drive until you see a sign that says Seljavellir but if you follow that road you get to a new pool that was built later where you can park. From the car park you walk for 15-20 minutes towards the bottom of the valley and in the end you will see the pool peaking behind a corner. You can’t see it until you get to it so if you think you’re going the wrong way you probably aren’t. You will have to jump over a little stream and the way is a bit uneven but it’s an easy walk and everyone should be able to do it.
  • Solheimajokull glacier (Hiking)
    • From the East (Vík): 3 km after you pass road 222, you turn right (just before the bridge) onto road 221 (gravel road) and then follow road 221 for about 5 km to the Sólheimajökull Café parking area. (Expected 20 – 30 min. for this part).
  • Eyjafjallajokull (volcano)
    • Follow highway no. 1 until you get to the town Hvolsvöllur. Right before you exit the town you turn left onto road 261 and follow it to Fljótshlí_, the road ends in sort of a parking lot where you can carefully cross the small river IF you have a 4×4 drive and water levels are low, otherwise you still get a good view from behind the river.
  • Maelifell (volcano)

STAY: Hotel Katla-Hofdabrekka (free breakfast and park, private room with bathroom, outdoor geothermal hot tub)

Day 6:  Vatnajokull Region

  • Jokulsarlon – popular film location, glacier
  • Skaftafell nature reserve
    • Hikes: can do a circle of all 3
      • Svartifoss waterfall
      • Skaftafellsjökull Glacier
      • Kristínartindar
  • Recommended to drive to Kirkjubaejarklaustur for dinner

STAY: Fosshotel Nupar (free breakfast and park, private room with bathroom) 

Day 7: Departure day + Blue Lagoon

  • Drive back to Reyk Area
  • Blue lagoon