Itinerary:
- Day 1: Reykjavik. Dinner at Loki Restaurant, checked out the cathedral, and walked around town.
- Day 2: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gulfoss! Every moment was beautiful.
- Day 3: We went behind Seljalandfoss, up to the base and above Skogafoss, into Vik, checked out the black sand beaches, and saw puffins at Dyrhólaey
- Day 4: Blue Lagoon for a morning soak and delicious lunch at the Lava Restaurant; then we took a nap before heading out for an evening fishing trip where we caught a ton of cod that they cleaned and cooked for us right on the boat. Super fun!
- Day 5: Perlan Museum for breakfast and a few hours of really immersive exhibits before our afternoon flight.
Pro tips:
- Restaurants are expensive, but groceries aren’t bad. We shopped at Kronan for most of our meals.
- Bring or buy bug nets for your face. The midges don’t bite, but they’re annoying.
- Bring full body rain gear and a change of clothes. I just had regular pants and hiking boots, and they got soaked. Probably would’ve been fine if I hadn’t basically gone inside Skogafoss, but it was worth it. I did have a change of clothes, but not shoes (I had to buy some in Vik). Also just lots of warm layers in general.
- The crowds honestly weren’t too bad, but I was glad we picked a morning slot for Blue Lagoon. It was a lot more peaceful before lunch than after.
- Personally we found it worthwhile to rent a car instead of taking tour busses.
- Everyone will speak English, but if you have any food allergies or other important concerns, learn how to say it in Icelandic. I also learned “thank you” (takk) just to be polite.
- They don’t sell any medicine in their grocery stores, so you have to go to the pharmacy for it. I just needed Naproxen. No prescription required, and it wasn’t expensive. Better to bring it with you, but I ran out after hurting my neck by attempting to sleep on the plane.
- You can try the fermented shark for the adventure if you want, but I will agree with Anthony Bourdain and say that it must be the most disgusting food on the planet. It tasted like cat pee smells (probably because sharks don’t urinate and it all goes into their body instead) 🤢
Overall, 10/10 trip. We will be returning to do the full Ring Road next summer and possibly a winter trip to see the northern lights too!