Travel Tips & 5 Day Itinerary

Sometimes it feels like Instagram is just the country of Iceland’s private add real.  Everyone is just obsessed with Iceland!  For a while, I resisted the hype.  How would I survive on a vacation to a country that enjoys eating shark and has 0 Four Seasons Hotels? 

Luckily for me, my better half enjoys a more adventurous vacation and occasionally forces me out of my 1,000 thread count comfort zone.  So in exchange for a few days of luxury and a swanky New Years’ Eve in London, I agreed to spend the remainder of our winter holiday in the land of ice and fire.  As per usual, boyfriend was right – Iceland was fantastic. 

See below for our 5 day itinerary and everything you need to know about visiting Iceland in the winter. 

Winter in Iceland: Pros

1. Ice Caves: Certain activities are only available in winter – ice-caves, diamond beach, dog sledding, glacier trekking, etc.
2. Northern Lights: The northern lights are only visible during the winter months on clear nights. So going in winter does not guaranty a view! Unfortunately, during our trip, conditions were not clear enough to have a true nNorthern Light Experience.
3. Less Expensive: Accommodations are less expensive as Summer is the more popular season

Winter in Iceland: Cons

1. Shorter days: Sunlight ranged from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM each day and sometimes it felt like a race against time to pack all we wanted to do into such a short period of time
2. Northern Lights: Weather conditions will need to be very clear for a Northern Lights sighting so it may not be possible to see them in a week-long trip

Top Travel Tips

1. Plan ahead. I hate having a “schedule” on vacation, but for Iceland in the winter months, it’s important to know where you want to go and how long it takes to get there on any given day.  Sunlight hours are limited.  Pick 1-3 things in close proximity to each other.  GPS in advance the drive time and bake in a big time cushion.  There is so much beauty in Iceland- you’ll plan on seeing 1 waterfall and find 10 more things to explore once you get there. 
2. Book accommodations early. Availability will decrease, and prices will increase the closer you get to your trip date.
3. Get out of Reykjavik. Rent a car and explore the golden circle and ring road.  We only spent 1 day in the city and it was plenty of time.  There are plenty of tours you can buy to take you to popular tourist spots; however, you can 100% do it yourself.  Why spend any time in a tour bus when you can rent a car and have the freedom to go anywhere?   
4. Get the car insurance.  This is worth spending a little extra on as the terrain in Iceland poses a high probability of wear and tear to your car.  It’s nice to know that your car can literally fall off a cliff and you won’t have to pay for any repairs.
5. Blue Lagoon. If you plan on going to the Blue Lagoon, book ahead and plan to visit immediately after you land or before you depart.  The Blue Lagoon is closest to the airport
6. Airport Rental Car Pick-up Takes Forever.  Going through customs in Reykjavik is a quick process; however, picking up the rental car is not.  Plan for an extra hour at the airport after you land.  There were only 2 couples in front of us in line and it still took an hour.   
7. Credit Cards Only. You will not need Icelandic currency – credit card were accepted everywhere we went.
8. The weather is erratic.  We landed in a hale storm, had rain pouring down on our walk to the DC plane, enjoyed surprisingly dry winter drives, and got pummeled with snow on the last day of the trip.  You simply do not know what you’re going to get.  Bring a great pair of winter boots and waterproof clothing from head to toe.
9. Snack up.  If you’re doing a road trip, stop at a supermarket in Reykjavik to stock up on snacks for the road

Itinerary

Over the course of 5 days we drove from iceland east towards Diamond Beach and back. We spent each night in a different hotel along the way.

Day 1

• Arrive in Reykjavik & pick up the rental car
• Blue Lagoon: Purchase your tickets online in advance.  The Blue Lagoon offers 3 packages at varying price points.  The first 2 options are both < $100 USD per person and are pretty no-frills.  The slightly more premium option gives you a drink and a bathrobe.  The 3^rd option is the Retreat Spa experience and it is significantly more expensive (apx. $400 USD per person).  However, it is a more luxury experience that includes a private changing room and entrance to the spa and the more private retreat lagoon.   
• Explore Reykjavik
• Have a cinnamon bun from Baud & Company
• Dinner in Reykjavik at the Lebowski Bar
• Northern lights tour: Many companies offer a guided “tour” with a driver that takes you out of the city to a location with high lights activity.  Some hotels may also offer this service.  Make sure to book a tour that will refund or rebook you upon cancelation if the conditions are not good for the lights

Hotel

105 – A Townhouse Hotel: 1 Háteigsvegur, Reykjavík, 105, Iceland

**This hotel was fantastic and economical!  Our room was spacious and well equipped with a miniature kitchen great for cooking at home.  It was definitely more of a VRBO feel than a true hotel.  We only spent the one night but I would highly recommend it if you anticipate spending a longer period of time in Reykjavik.

Day 2

• 

• 

• Golden Circle & Thingvillur Park: There are many beautiful attractions here that are easy to navigate independently without paying for a guided tour.
• Gullfoss: Iceland does not have a shortage of waterfalls, but this one is easily the most stunning. 
• Kerid Crater: There’s a modest admission fee but it’s definitely worth it for such a beautiful spot!
• Seljalandfoss: This is a beautiful waterfall where you are able to walk behind the falls for a very unique view.
• Skógafoss Waterfall
• Drive south to Vik
• Dinner at Sudur Vik: Iceland is know for great seafood, but unfortunately, I’d rather find Nemo than eat him. So we were always on the hunt for non-fishy foods. This place is right in the heart of Vik and has something for everyone (from cheeseburgers to panang curry…). We definitely ate here more than once!

Hotel

Icelandair Hotel Vik: Klettsvegi 1-3, Vík, 870, Iceland

This hotel was clean, modern and well located along ring road. We slept here on Day 4 as well as we made our way back to Reykjavik. They offered a northern lights wake up call – where they literally call you in the middle of the night if the lights appear.

Hotel Tip: Eat breakfast. With the exception of night 1, all of our hotels included breakfast. We were so busy during sunlight hours we never had time for lunch, so we were grateful to start the day with a big breakfast.

Day 3

• Sólheimasandur: Abandoned DC Plane – This plane crashed in 1973 (luckily, everyone survived) and has since become one of the most Instagramed locations in Iceland.  There is about a 2 mile walk (flat terrain) out to the plane.  We recommend getting here as early as possible as it can get quite crowded!
• Reynisfjara: Vik’s black sand beach
• Drive east towards Diamond beach

Hotel

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon: Hnappavellir, Hnappavellir, 785, Iceland

Day 4

• Diamond Beach: Aka Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Park your car and look to the left. You’ll see the glacier lagoon with giant icebergs floating in crystal blue water. Look to the right and you’ll see a black sand beach covered in diamond-like chunks of those glaciers. Two very different experiences in one stop and both are not to be missed! In the summer, you can book a boat tour of the lagoon.
• Ice Cave Tour: This was the highlight of the trip and the #1 reason we chose to visit Iceland for the first time in the winter. Our tour was through Arctic Adventures and included a light/easy glacier hike and tour through a blue ice cave and a black ice cave.  It was a small group setting (less than 10 people) and the guide was wonderful. The tour company also offered photography tours, more strenuous glacier hikes, and other adventures.  The tour departs from a meeting spot in front of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, so arrive an hour before your tour starts to enjoy the glaciers.
• Drive back west to Vik

Hotel

Icelandair Hotel Vik (again)

Day 5

• Drive to Ion Adventure Hotel
• We used the drive back from Vik to the Ion Adventure hotel to explore more of the Golden Circle and other stops we missed along the way. We also met these funny Icelandic horses!
• Ideally, we would have loved 1 more day at the Ion to throw in a snowmobile or dog sledding excursion. Next time!

Hotel

Ion Adventure Hotel: This is a beautiful property close to the Golden Circle that we highly recommend.  If you have the time, spend a couple of nights here as the amenities are top notch for Iceland.  Due to their remote location, the hotel offers a “northern lights wake-up call” if the lights are above the hotel. 

** NOTE that route 435 is closed during the winter from October to May –  beware, it will still pop up in your GPS. Use Road 36 from Mosfellsbaer and turn right towards Nesjavellir on Road 360.

** We arrived at the Ion Hotel after nightfall and were greeted with two glasses of champagne and the first (and only) snow of our trip.  It was the perfect end to a perfect vacation.

Subscribe to Receive New Post Notifications

Save us on Pinterest!

• 

• 

• 

•