Iceland

We are anything but winter people and can barely manage to survive the Canadian cold so naturally the best time to go to Iceland for us was in the summer month of June. The average temperature during this time is between 12-17 degree celsius, and you have 20+ hrs of sunlight. Pretty awesome, right?

Iceland has a lot to offer and for adventure seekers is one of the most cost effective places to travel. Every corner of the relatively small country has a huge diversity of untouched landscapes consisting of countless waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, volcanoes and wildlife.  If you’ve ever wondered what would it be like to live in the wild before civilization dominated the globe, plan a trip to Iceland.

Many who visit Iceland for a short trip/long layover tend to complete the GOLDEN CIRCLE tour as it covers the most visited attractions of the country. It takes approximately 6-8 hours to complete the tour but to truly appreciate the raw natural beauty of Iceland we recommend staying 3-4 days to explore the island and be immersed in the scenery & landscape that surrounds you.

HOW TO GET AROUND

The best way to see Iceland is by renting a car. There are several different rental companies you can choose from that offer competitive prices. We suggest getting a bigger car like a crossover to be able to access the F class roads (slight off-road) if you decide to go exploring beyond the golden circle. We used SIXT rent a car. Highly recommend booking your car well in advance to get the car of your choice and to get good deals as everything in Iceland can be pretty pricey.

• All rental car companies will offer 3 types of additional insurance: Loss Damage Waiver, Gravel Protection, & Sand and Ash Protection. Read the fine print and see if your credit card provides coverage. We didn’t get any additional insurance.
• Carry your debit cards or buy pre-paid gas cards to fill up. Many gas stations do not accept credit cards at the pump.
• Fill up as often as you can. In some parts of Iceland gas stations might be pretty far apart so you should always make sure you have at least a half a tank of gas.
• You’ll likely find a bug massacre scene on the hood of your car after driving short distance. Many gas stations offer free manual wash station if you want to clean your windshield in between destinations.

TOP THINGS TO SEE

Apart from the golden circle, these are our top 5 picks for Iceland

• Skaftafell national Park (Vatnajökull National Park)
  This national park is located in the South of Iceland and is a paradise for hikers. There are plenty of trails around the park for any skill level but a popular destination is an approx. 2 km inclined hike up to Svartifoss waterfall which took us approximately an hour from the service centre. The basalt columns make it like something from an alien planet and it lives up to its title as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland.

• Jokulsarlon Lagoon
  Located southeast of the island, is the glacier lagoon and the views here are stunning. As always you have options on how to see the place. Make a quick pit-stop, get close to the glacial icebergs or choose to take the plunge with one of the tour companies where they take you through the lagoon and bring you right at the foot-steps of the unmelted massive glaciers. Again due to the lack of time we decided not to do the tour but the daredevils is us decided to grab the smaller icebergs nearer the shore. Photos simply do not do this place justice!

• Lupin fields
  If you are lucky enough to be in Iceland in June, you can also see them growing abundantly along the roadside. These fields of purple flowers are worth a visit and have an amazing aura to them.
• Krafla Lava Fields
  Located in the North of the Island in Mvyanth are the Krafla Lava fields which are home to steaming vents and craters. If you are up for the climb, you will get the best experience of this area and it is well worth a visit. This place reminded us of how humbling and powerful nature can be.

• Waterfalls
  When it comes to water, Iceland has an abundance of it and in all forms might we add. The waterfalls in Iceland are countless. While driving around the island, we came across numerous lakes and waterfalls which we cannot even remember names of. One might think all of them might be similar but each one amazed us, so we are just going to tell you to stop and see all of them that come by on your path.

OUR STAYS

Iceland has tons of accommodation options from sweet suites in the city to guest houses with either private or shared accommodations to even Icelandic farm stays! As we were travelling around the island we stayed at different places for the three nights we were there.

• Vogahraun Guesthouse
  Located near lake Myvatn, the guesthouse offers a variety of options including bed & breakfast, sleeping bag and a camping ground. We decided to do a shared accommodation to save some money and were not disappointed. The place was clean, cozy and had modern shared space.
• Nonni Guesthouse
  This place was located in the south of the island in Vik. This place is technically a home that is converted into a guesthouse. You get your own private room but shared living space which was kept clean. They offer you breakfast every morning which included homemade breads, waffles, fruits and cereals and much more.
• Airbnb at Reykjavik
  Our last stop was the golden circle and then Reykjavik. We decided to do a cozy private AirBnB on our last day to catch up on our sleep and to be close to the airport to leave the next morning. There are several options in Reykjavik as it is the most populated part of Iceland.

HAPPY BELLY

Vogafjos Cowshed Cafe: Located near Lake Myvatn, this was the first stop we made after our long flight and drive of 6 hrs in Iceland. Everything is homemade and most of the meat is grown on the farm itself. One of the best lamb we have had was here.

WHEN IN ICELAND

• DO dress appropriately & pack serious gear : While packing, we researched and invested in proper walking and hiking shoes. Because we went in the summer we also decided to take some lighter spring jackets for the day time hikes and more warmer jackets for the the colder temperatures at night.
• DO drink the tap water: No need to buy bottled water here. The tap water here is pure and wonderful.
• DO plan Ahead when visiting in Iceland. When touring, make sure you have your google maps downloaded (OFFLINE mode) to know where you are going.
• DO pack some snacks that are easy to eat on the go if you plan to drive around. There are very limited places for you to buy food. We decided to bring granola bars, protein bars, chips, packaged nuts and fruits while we were driving around. We also took a camel backpack to store our water in for our hikes.
• DO eat at some of the local farm restaurants as they have the freshest food. We has some of the best lamb chops and lamb stew at local restaurants.