Iceland, the land of raw beauty!
Travel Tips:
Northern lights forecast: http://spaceweather.com
Detailed map: https://ja.is
Road condition: road.is
Going to Iceland needs some preparation because it could be an expensive trip. But if money is not an issue, have a blast because the food in Iceland is so amazing!
Our first trip to Iceland was in October. We picked October because we wanted to see the northern llghts. Yes it was cold plus the wind chill factor definitely penetrates through the clothes! Definitely bring long johns, ski jacket and ski pants plus thick beanies, wool scarf, and leather gloves. It is highly recommended to bring a real SLR camera in addition to your phone. Capturing the phenomenal effects of the northern lights, aka aurora borealis, in low light requires a decent SLR camera on a sturdy tripod. Try to use the widest aperture and play with different time exposure such as between 8 to 10 seconds. Our picture of the northern lights was shot with a Canon Rebel.
We wish we had a drone when we visited Iceland because getting a broad aerial view of Iceland is a completely different perspective to capture its raw beauty.
If you really want to see the northern lights, if the forecast said the probability is high at that very night, no matter how tired you are, go see it because it may not come back out again on the next night or for the rest of your trip.
GPS on your phone may not work everywhere especially away from the city. It is worth the extra money to add the GPS option to the car rental. The road condition in Iceland is not great. We rented a small Renault all wheel drive SUV with turbo charge diesel. Wind in Iceland is strong and roads get icy. Drive very carefully.
Eating out in Iceland is expensive but buying grocery is not too bad. If you need to pick up grocery, Bónus Supermarket is very reasonable. Plus it is fun to shop where the locals go.
However, the cost of a buffet at some hotel is not bad at all. After a long flight from US, we paid about $29 per person for all you can eat breakfast buffet at Radisson BLU Saga Hotel Hagatorg (opens from 6 am to 10:30 am), 107 Reykjavik. It is about 5 minutes drive from the Reykjavik International Airport. No reservation needed and also for non-hotel guests. A plate sized pizza in other restaurant in Iceland costs about $25 USD already. So the buffet at this Radisson Hotel is a great deal!
Use the ATM machine at the airport to get cash in local currency. Before the trip, checkout the exchange rate and cost of food, gas, souvenir, etc. That will give you an idea of how much Icelandic króna you will need to withdraw from the ATM.
There is no tipping in Iceland since VAT taxes are already included in the prices.
Fuel up all the time since petrol station is not available all the time. A word of advice is to pay your petrol/gas with Icelandic króna if possible since some machines don’t take foreign credit cards. We actually encountered a credit card fraud transaction from using our credit card at the Costco Gas station! Keep all your receipts.
Make sure to check in the hotel between their checkin time window. Some are not open 24 hours.
Stay in a place with a kitchenette if possible. This gives you an option to cook such as breakfast or late dinner than eating out every meal that could be costly and time consuming.
Near Reykjavik, there is Costco and IKEA! Of course, the cost at Costco in Iceland is more than in US but it is still a good bargain comparing to other local stores. Try the sashimi plate at Costco. Seafood in Iceland is very fresh.
MATUR OG DRYKKUR is very good and reasonably priced restaurant. It is next to the Saga Museum. There is a fish & chip restaurant across the street that is really good. The fish & chip food truck near the airport is also very good if you can find it. It would be a treat before flying back home instead of eating regular airport food.
You will see a lot of waterfalls! Go for the famous ones and plan to see other natural beauty in Iceland as well. Otherwise, you will be tired of seeing too many waterfalls.
Check sunrise and sunset time and plan the day trip accordingly.
Try Iceland yogurt and butter! So rich and yummy.
If you plan to bring any snacks or dried foods (no fresh food allowed), there is a limit of up to 3 kg (including candies) you can bring into the country. Check online for Iceland Custom rules and regulations.
Last but not least, drink the tap water in Iceland! The water in Iceland is so pure and tasty. You don’t need to buy any bottled water. Bring your own water thermo bottle from home that is good for both cold and hot drink.
Highlights:
Thingvellir National Park. The Continental Divide.
The beautiful Oxara river runs through the gorge, falling down as the Oxararfoss waterfall in Thingvellir.
Almannagja fault is impressive and marks the eastern boundary of the North American Plate.
Gullfoss Falls - a vast waterfall. It is a must to see!
Vik is a nice town and has a black sand beach (Reynisfjara) nearby and the majestic bird cliff Dyrhólaey.
Skaftafell is another famous waterfall.
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is a must to see where the ice flow out to the ocean.
Seljalandsfoss where you can walk behind the waterfall is an amazing experience. Next to Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrafoss is waterfall in a cave. It is very pretty.
Skogafoss waterfall is about 26 minutes south of Seljalandsfoss if you are not sick of visiting another waterfall.
Skógar has an excellent historical museum, well worth a visit.
Secret Lagoon Iceland geothermal pool is very nice. At the entrance, it looks very ordinary but once you soak in it, you will want to come back again.
If you are very lucky to see the northern lights, that is the most spectacular! If that is your first time seeing the northern lights, you will be dancing with joy!