Time to Visit Iceland is Now
The land of fire and ice offers and endless post-pandemic adventures, volcanoes, glaciers, thermal pools
If you like breathtaking waterfalls with rainbows, stunning glacier-capped mountains, soaking in thermal pools, walking pristine black sand beaches, and are looking for a safe post-pandemic vacation spot, book a trip Iceland while they are still welcoming tourists ahead of the next wave of Covid-19. My wife and I just returned from an epic eight-day vacation adventure and it was simply wonderful.
We chose Iceland because it is such a beautiful place to explore, a paradise for photographers and nature lovers, and it had been on my bucket list for years. Plus, they kept the coronavirus pandemic under control throughout the pandemic, with only 30 fatalities and recording no cases of domestic Covid-19 transmission for months, all while keeping dangerous new variants out without shutting the borders.
Iceland has just over 350k people and over 90% are vaccinated. Plus, they were testing at the airport upon entry, or requiring proof of vaccination, and with the current protocol it felt very safe. We only wore masks in the airport. It was so nice not having to mask up. (We are vaxxed). Additionally, it’s a small island with limited ways to enter.
Now just seemed like the right time to go.
So I booked our flights back in May, getting a jump-start on reservations on a car rental and hotels, which book quickly in the summer. I’m so glad I did as we heard several reports of limited availability now that travel there has started to ramp up again.
After making several posts on social media about the trip, many friends asked me for travel tips and about our itinerary, so this is for those who are thinking about a trip there. I also highly recommend joining Iceland — Tips for travelers Facebook Group, which I found to be very informative and useful in planning our trip.
General observations
Iceland is such a well-run, organized, clean, easy, and gorgeous place to visit, with very friendly people who ALL speak English. Loved the overall vibe ❤️🇮🇸.
The food was very good, but outside of Reykjavik the eating options were limited. The beer is excellent (Gull, Viking, plenty of IPA’s, loved them all) as is the coffee (free refills is customary). We hit up the grocery store a few times and the selection was excellent. I loved the Icelandic hot dogs, which are made with lamb, my wife did not. The skyr yogurt is excellent and easy to find, made from whole milk, it is rich. We had several variations of Icelandic fish soup, which was among our favs while there. Try it. We also enjoyed the rye-bread ice cream, as crazy as it sounds, it was delicious. The bread, croissants, and danishes everywhere were scrumptious.
Merchandise, hotels, food, and gas, in particular, are expensive. Everything here seems to cost more. We live in the NYC area, we are used to high prices, yet we found Iceland to be expensive. But at no point did I feel like we were being ripped off. Iceland equals quality. None of the sites charge an entrance fee, some charge a small amount for parking on the honor system. No tolls anywhere (unlike here in NJ 🤔)
You don’t need any money here. We paid with plastic for 100% of everything, and all transactions took a fraction of the time it takes here in the US. It was easy-peasy, and best of all, there’s no tipping. It is frowned upon here and this makes everything so much easier. I know in the U.S. many workers rely on tipping, I do not want to dismiss the importance of it, but I personally hate tipping.
The Midnight Sun in the summer months is such an awesome thing for travelers. None of the sites close and it never gets really dark (it’s like 7:30pm all night long). You can literally visit any place at any time (except for businesses of course) and people do it. This made it possible to see so much more, and the light for photography is great, and extended.
We rented a car months in advance, thankfully since we hear there is a shortage now. and driving was so easy. The roads are smooth, mostly flat and straight, and extremely easy to navigate. GPS worked everywhere. (We’re from New Jersey; driving in Iceland was a dream, if you feel me).
There aren’t many restrooms, use the WC whenever you can. However, every visitor’s center, gas station, and campground we visited had very clean restrooms. There are NO TREES in Iceland. (OK, very few). So therefore there are very few locations to find relief. Just saying…
The Fagradalsfjall volcano was an epic experience, something we will never forget, and made for great photos and video, but we had to work for it. Be prepared with hiking shoes, rain gear, and have a plan. When we first arrived in Iceland we hiked up to the lava field edge (15min walk), but with the low dark clouds and reports of little activity, we decided to return on the back-end of the trip rather than hike up the mountain in the rain and fog. A week later, we returned and set out after dinner around 9:45pm, parked in the grassy lot behind the food truck, and stayed on the trail that forks to the right and up the steep mountain on the right of the lava field. We almost turned back immediately due to severe crosswinds and blinding rain, but the weather here changes so quickly and often, we pressed on, and after about an hour hike including a long steep slippery incline, we made it to a spot where you can see the orange lava flow. Many people stayed at this spot and it was a good vantage point, but we hiked on for another 2+ hours, up and down a series of hills, inching closer after each burst of lava, which occurred roughly every 15–20minutes.
There were a lot of folks all along the trail, and it was easy to maneuver. We stopped to make pictures at 4–5 different locations, each was good, closer was not always better but offered a different view.
The weather seemed to change about every 10 minutes, and some eruptions were not visible at all while others were remarkably clear. We stayed on the mountain for about 4 hours, surviving blinding rain and hail, and made it back to the car around 2:15am, exhausted but exhilarated. FYI, the live cams are helpful but don’t rely solely on them. We drove there expecting low clouds like the webcams showed, but it turned out the weather changed often and rapidly. So glad we took a chance.
Check out the wind and hail in this video.
Itinerary
(Day1) Arrival> Volcano> Waterfalls> Drive to Vik
After we picked up a rental car at the airport, we found a great breakfast spot near the airport, Kökulist bakery, and drove to Grindavik, used the campground WC before heading to the Fagradalsfjall volcano to fill up water bottles. We then hiked to the edge of the lava field (15mins easy hike). It was raining hard, clouds were low, we could not see much, so we left and vowed to return another day.
We continued on our way to Vik on the southeast coast. Stopped at Seljalandsfoss (stunning waterfall, be sure to hike the path that takes you behind the falls) and Gljufrabui (even more stunning hidden waterfall inside a cave). Then onto the Skógafoss (ginormous single waterfall, with steps adjacent to the falls to climb up high). Good campground here. Be sure to wear rain gear and protect your phone or camera when visiting waterfalls, you will get wet from the spray.
We stayed in Vik at the Black Beach Suites, it was an Icelandic version of a motel. Outstanding lodging, clean and modern, with kitchenette, sliding glass doors and a patio, friendly bar/cafe, and stunning views of Reynisfjara Beach and Dyrhólaey and the ocean.
(Day2) Glacier hike> Jökulsárlón Glacier (Glacier Lagoon)
We booked the Katlatrack Fast Track Glacier Hike (3 hrs, begins in Vik). This tour is good for those who do not want a strenuous hike or a lengthy one. While it was very good, in retrospect I would have preferred a more robust trek. This one was mostly a drive in a vamped 4 wheel drive vehicle, with only a short hike across the lava field. While it was fun and picturesque, and we did see two ice caves, I wanted a little bit more adventure and more dramatic caves. My friend Ron Soliman recommended Glacier & Volcano tours, but they were booked. Next time, I would consider booking with them.
In Vik, right next to the Katlatrack office, there is a nice strip mall with a grocery store, gas station (good Hot Dogs), Icewear shop (great place to buy gear, gifts, clothes, etc,) and a bakery. Behind the shops is Black Beach, a pretty beach with stunning formations off-shore. Very pretty spot, with a great view of the Vik Myrdal Church.
After the glacier tour, we drove east to Glacier Lagoon. Be advised this was a pretty but long 2.45 hrs drive with very few places to stop along the way, be prepared. Glacier Lagoon was the only place we encountered that felt touristy and crowded. While it is very stunning to see all the ice chunks floating with majestic mountains in the background, saw some seals too, it wasn’t so great to be surrounded by tour buses and lots of noisy folks. In retrospect, if we could have visited this location in the evening when it was less crowded it would have been better. And from a photographer’s point of view, if you visit in the afternoon you’re shooting into the light, less than ideal.
We walked under the bridge to Diamond Beach, while we did not see many icebergs, I did dip my toes in the ocean. Mercy was it was COLD, but it was nice to walk barefoot in the fine black sand, even though chunks of ice washed up in the surf .
We then drove back to the other lagoon, Fjallsárlón which also had icebergs in the water. This smaller lagoon was significantly quieter, more serene, and equally pretty. It made for nice photographs as well.
We had a really nice light dinner at the Foss Hotel, about 20mins east of Glacier Lagoon, on their outdoor balcony before we then drove back to Vik. We did not lodge here, but the Foss Hotel looked very nice. Once back in Vik, we walked the Reynisfjara Beach, Hálsanefshellir Cave, and the stone columns. Saw a gorgeous sunset sky here. Great spot for photos and exploration.
(Day3) Dyrhólaey> DC plane crash> Selfoss> Geysir
Dyrhólaey is a beautiful small mountain formation with a lighthouse, picturesque views of the black sand beaches below, a large arch of volcanic rock in the sea, and a cliff where we saw puffins landing and taking off at very close range. Do not miss this! Be prepared for crazy wind here.
We then drove north about 20mins to the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck, the wreckage of a 1970s U.S. DC-3 military plane crash on the black beach. Be advised, this was a windy 45min (one way) hike from the parking lot. It was harder and longer than expected, especially with strong cross-wind, but the setting is surreal and cinematic. I loved it, and recommend it if you are able and have the time. I hear there are all-terrain shuttles, but we did not see any.
We then continued to drive north, and after some steady rain came the sun and blue skies, so we stopped again at Seljalandsfoss and saw a magnificent 180°rainbow. The falls looked entirely different from before when it was gray and raining. Breathtaking. We then drove up to the town of Selfoss and had a nice dinner and beer at Kaffi Krús, a cafe in the downtown area. They have a nice lunch/dinner menu with tasty-looking pizza and sandwiches. Had great burgers and salad. A few doors down is Tryggvaskáli, a really nice restaurant a friend recommended but was booked.
We then drove up to Geysir and lodged at the Hotel Geysir located conveniently across the road from the geothermal area and the Strokkur Geysir. Actually, we booked a room at the more modest Litli Geysir Hotel next door but were “upgraded” to the larger and more modern hotel, which appears to be inspired by Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn. It was nice but a little over the top for Iceland.
(Day4) Gullfoss> Golden Circle (partial)> Snæfellsnes Peninsula
We rose early and made the 20 min drive from the hotel up to Gullfoss, the iconic waterfall and canyon, where we saw a spectacular double rainbow. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed the blue skies and warm sun. Iceland has a seemingly endless number of waterfalls, one more spectacular than the next, this one roared.
We then took our time driving across the northern loop of the Golden Circle making our way to Búðir on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, a nearly 4-hour drive. The weather turned bad so we did not make too many stops. Búðir is a small scenic hamlet on the western part of the Snaefellsnes peninsula before you reach the National Park, with only 2–3 structures including its iconic black wooden church, and the Hotel Búðir, a wonderful boutique hotel that was recommended to us by my friend Merrill Brown.
Hotel Búðir was a great splurge, with fine dining and a cool bar area with a gorgeous view of the surrounding grassy fields. It’s lush setting, with orange sandy beaches, was great for bird watching. We had a great dinner and buffet breakfast, both open to non-guests, and one of the few places to eat in the area (this is fine-dinning). Book ahead, this place is small, and hard to get a reservation. We were lucky to book one night. We loved it.
(Day5) Snaefellsnes Peninsula> Kirkjufell> Arnarstapi
Arnarstapi is a small fishing village on the south-eastern tip of Snæfellsnes, a 10-minute drive east of Budir. We hiked 45 mins in the rain from the Arnarstapi Hotel, past the Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss Statue (phallic statue) along a narrow path to the neighboring village of Hellnar, where we arrived (quite wet) at the tiny but exquisite Fjöruhúsið café. This precious little spot has outdoor seating that overlooks a pretty little cove, and the setting is worth the trip alone. Get the waffles and cream, but everything looked delish. This was one of our favorite spots we visited in all of Iceland. You can also drive there, but the hike was scenic and moderate.
We then drove into the National Park, it’s free, and drove over to the Gestastofa Visitor Center, saw the Malarrif Lighthouse and settlement. Since it was raining so hard we decided to go to the Vatnshellir Cave, an underground lava tube. It was interesting but in retrospect, if it was not raining so steadily we would have taken a pass and not spent the money. Our guides were mildly engaging and unenthusiastic.
For an early dinner, we ate at Gilbakki Kaffihús, a very quaint cafe in Hellissandur at the other end of the National Park, with a small kitchen and a delicious menu. Get the fish soup and the homemade bread, it was great. One of the best dishes we had in Iceland. The desserts also looked fab. Gilbakki Kaffihús was a great stop, I highly recommend it.
We then drove further west to the much-celebrated Kirkjufell, the unique cylindrical-shaped mountain and waterfalls better known as the Game of Thrones mountain (never seen GOT lol). After waiting for the rain to clear, we got a brief clearing for some photos.
We then drove up across the mountain ridge back to Arnarstapi where we lodged at the Arnarstapi Hotel, a simple self-service hotel with no services. There are very few places for lodging and meals on the western part of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, we overpaid for this motel but had very few options. Book your hotels early.
(Day6) Snæfellsnes Peninsula> Reykjavik
In the morning, we walked around Arnarstapi before driving to Reykjavik, about 2:15hrs, where we got our Covid tests for our return to the U.S. after a little bit of confusion as to where to get the test, it was actually very simple and orderly, and only took about 20 minutes.
We got tested at the Heilsugæsla Primary Care located on Suðurlandsbraut 34,108, Reykjavík, just a few mins drive from our Hotel in downtown Reyk. Booked an appointment online, cost about $55. We then checked into the Alda Hotel right on Laugavegur St. in downtown.
We parked the car on the street at a meter. The garage on the same block was closed midnight to 7am and we knew we’d be out at the volcano at that time, so we opted for street parking, which ended up costing us more but was more convenient (and not overly expensive by NYC standards anyway).
Everything in Iceland seems easier. Reyk is a nice easy city to walk around, ultra-safe, clean, pretty, and easy to navigate. Lots of bars and restaurants. There’s a nice funkiness to it and shops to check out, but I don’t think I would allocate more than 1–2 days here.
There are many great places to eat in Reykjavik. If you like seafood, try Messinn. We had a great dinner at Messinn at the urging of my friend Marty Halo, we ordered one of their signature fish pans; a chosen filet served in a skillet with vegetables, potatoes, and broth. I ordered the Arctic Char. My wife had the Plaice. Both were excellent and memorable.
Braud & Co. in Reykjavik is a must. Phenomenal old school bakery. In fact, on Frakkastígur St. alone we found three outstanding eateries; Braud & Co for breakfast food, Reykjavik Roasters for outstanding coffee and a chill vibe for relaxing, and Valdís ice cream/gelato (try the rye bread flavor, for real!) all within a few doors of one another.
My wife bought an Icelandic sweater from the Handknitting Association of Iceland, located just a few blocks down from the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, a great shop for authentic hand knit traditional Icelandic wool sweaters, blankets, and other stuff. (Not cheap, but supports Icelanders). There are also kiosks that sell less expensive but authentic sweaters down near the Art Museum. After dinner, we geared up and did the volcano, as the rain let up and we decided this would be our last chance to see the lava flow. It was a 45 min drive to the parking lot, we started our hike around 9:45pm and returned to our hotel, exhilarated but fully exhausted around 2:45am. See notes above.
(Day7) Reykjavik
We slept in. Hung out in the cafes, visited the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, the Sun Voyager, walked around the Parliament building, and did some shopping. Drove to Keflavik, checked into the Microtel Hotel near the airport. Tiny self-service hotel, convenient for a final night. Nothing notable to say except the room was tiny; thus the Micro.
(Day8) Blue Lagoon> Keflavic Airport> Return home
We spent the final day soaking in the Blue Lagoon, and we enjoyed every minute of it. We got the premium pack, with slippers and robe, it wasn’t really necessary. I know it’s touristy and overpriced, but we found it just right. It was a great way to cap off a wonderful vacation in a relaxing way. It was a little crowded early on but thinned out by mid-morning and to be honest, we really enjoyed it.
Like most everything else in Iceland, it was extremely easy and well-run. Be sure to make a reservation in advance, you cannot just walk in. They also have shuttles form the airport, which is 20-minutes away. While I would have liked to have visited some of the other lagoons and thermal swimming holes, our itinerary just did not permit it. So I’m glad we did this, I recommend it for the experience. It was very classy.
Check-out at the airport was pretty straightforward, although it seems like there was an extra round of security and customs to get through. But if you’re used to the mayhem of U.S. airports, this was not like that, it was smooth and quick.
We flew Icelandair and it was a very good experience. Primarily because both are flights we’re under-booked and we were able to spread out a bit. The airline is well run, has a good website, and they responded very quickly after our departing flight from Newark was canceled. I would definitely recommend Icelandair.
There’s nothing quite like a great trip to take you outside your comfort zone and recharge. This was undoubtedly one of the best trips we’ve taken. I cannot wait to return to Iceland to discover new adventures. Hope your trip is as exciting and rewarding as ours. Feel free to message me with any questions.
