Iceland: Ring Road Journey

Dec 27

August 2022

The background: After spending much of COVID traveling locally or within the US, it was time to embark on a new adventure that had been on my bucket list for years. I avoided Iceland in prior years due to how popular it became, but always knew I would get over there some day. When my partner said he wanted to go, I knew it was time to check it out. Given how late we booked accommodations and excursions (3 weeks before? if that?) I was very happy with how the trip turned out, despite it being the high season and some accommodations not available. While you can definitely see Iceland in less time than we spent, we decided to rent a car and make a road trip of it around “Ring Road” which takes you around the entire island country. Many travelers do make Reykjavik their home base, and then go on excursions from there (which is very easy to do.) We chose summertime, but many go to see the northern lights in the autumn/winter months. However you choose to spend your time and energy in Iceland, one thing is very certain: you will not be disappointed. You are constantly surrounded by jaw dropping scenery out of a movie. What I capture below is a fraction of what you can do in Iceland, but I hope it is helpful and points you in the right direction!

Country Snapshot:

Time zone: GMT (same as England)
Population: 374,000 (source: World Population Review)
Language: Icelandic (English is widely spoken everywhere)
Currency: Icelandic Krona (ISK) as of this writing: 1 USD = 143.19 ISK
Credit cards widely accepted? YES - capitalized because the country is very sophisticated when it comes to credit cards and digital payments. Bring cash for tipping adventure guides and smaller purchases.

Length of trip: 9 days (including overnight flight time)

Getting there from the US: Direct flight via Icelandair from NYC (JFK airport.) The carrier services several major city hubs across the US directly to the country.

Important notes & to know before you plan:

You can drink the tap water! Bring a refillable bottle (or 2) so you can fill up as needed - everything, including water bottles is expensive if you have to keep purchasing. If you don’t see a fountain or tap to fill up, you can ask the employees at the cafe or gas station and there is a chance they will do it for you.

Everything you heard about Iceland being expensive is…. true. Although I live in Manhattan and used to live in Copenhagen, I was still skeptical when people told me eating and getting around Iceland would be expensive. Well, believe what everyone says- because it’s an island, everything for the most part is imported and therefore, you pay the price. If your accommodation includes breakfast, be sure to fill up and take advantage of this. There are no McDonald’s or Starbucks in the country or similar chains to “grab a bite” at. Bring snacks and refillable water bottles to satiate in between meals or adventures.

If you rent a car & quick note on gas stations: the law requires you to keep on your headlights at all times of day (I found this out too late… but keep this in mind.) If you are driving to the Fjords in the west, you will need to rent a 4W drive car made for those roads- it will be clear in your contract if this includes the Fjords or not (they will spell it out typically, but you should ask ahead of time, since if you take it there and aren’t supposed to, you will be fined.) On the itinerary I outline below, there was one toll road in the north as we entered Akureyri. There is no EZ Pass system or gate stopping you, but you will have to pay online within a few hours of your journey. You include your license plate number and the credit card for payment. I found it to be easy to use, but just remember to pay it after you get to your destination (it was 2AM and I almost forgot to!) The rental car company will also outline this for you one you tell them where you are going. You will need to pump your own gas in most situations - how they charge you is also slightly different. You may get billed for a “full tank” but if you only fill up half, you will be reimbursed for the other amount despite being charged for a full tank upfront. When in Iceland…

The WiFi situation: we paid extra for the WiFi portable unit from the rental car company, since we were only connecting to WiFi for the trip. This turned out to be a great idea and helped us navigate and research while in transit (since most hotels will have WiFi. And honestly, it was nice to be disconnected at times!)

A note for my friends who love wine and liquor: The country’s relationship with alcohol is complex (this was explained to us by our lovely Airbnb host in one location, I encourage you to read more about it separately.) That being said, while you can easily order drinks in a restaurant or bar in cities and towns, if you are looking to purchase alcohol bottles (minus beer, which you can find easily in grocery stores) you will have to visit a designated state-controlled location to do so. They are not as abundant as they are in the US and have limited operating hours. Additionally, not every small town has one, so you may have to plan accordingly or pick it up from the airport before leaving.

If you are making the drive around Ring Road: note that during key tourism moments (e.g. summer) accommodations will be far and few in certain towns, particularly as you leave the west and head to the south and the eastern parts of the country. I recommend booking far in advance or truly allowing a full day to drive if you don’t want to drive in the dark (you will see what happened to me below!)

What to pack for summer: we had the most perfect weather during our travels in August - I think it only rained once. However, you do need to be prepared for a variety of conditions. Temperatures dropped to 32 degrees Fahrenheit some evenings, but during the day, it was sunny and in the 60’s. Pack layers, including warm socks, rain gear, a hat, gloves and sturdy footwear/hiking boots for excursions or boat tours. Don’t forget a swimsuit for the lagoons and pools!

Itinerary Summary (with links included)

[photos below]

Day 1 - Time to go: Headed to JFK airport around 4PM: overnight direct flight on Icelandair from JFK (NYC) to Keflavik Airport (the only int’l airport in Iceland.) Note they do not serve complimentary meals onboard (available for purchase) so be sure to grab some dinner ahead of time. Flying time less than 5 hours.

Day 2- Blue Lagoon & Reyjkavik: Landed at Keflavik airport by 6AM. Straight-forward customs processing, stopped for quick breakfast and coffee at Joe and the Juice (yes, it’s the same one stateside!) Took pre-reserved bus to Blue Lagoon through Destination Blue Lagoon at 7:30AM for the first entry time of 8AM. Explored the Lagoon, then ate lunch (grab-and-go section there, did not check out the sit-down restaurant) and hopped on reserved bus to Reykjavik (same company from the airport transfer), where we then walked to our accommodation, Hotel Fron. Afternoon/evening nap, then late dinner at Meze down the block and a glance at Hallgrimskirkja (the famous Lutheran church.) Wandered around to different bars to stay awake!

Day 3 - Reykjavik: Ate breakfast downstairs at the hotel (included in stay) Checked out the Perlan museum by foot, then wandered back to the city to eat lunch at Laundromat Cafe. Afternoon meandering around the harbor.

Evening eats: Stopped by for a hot dog at the famous hot dog stand Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. Dinner at 101 Reykjavik Street Food. Ended our city day by watching a movie and drinking a cocktail at the Big Lebowski.

Day 4 - Thingvellir & Vik: Took taxi to Reykjavik airport (nearby regional airport about 10 min. away - not international one we flew into) to pick-up the rental car at Budget. Drove through Thingvellir National Park, then headed south to Vik. Stayed 1 night at Hotel Kria.

Day 5 - Katla Ice Cave & Driving Day: Packed up and ate breakfast at hotel (included in stay) and ~2-min. drive down the road to meet the crew for our Ice Cave Tour.

Spent nearly 9 hours driving (yep!) to the north - stopped at Hotel Framtid for dinner (impromptu and not planned!)

Day 6 - Akureyri: Spent the day “resting” after a long day and night of driving. Wandered around town on foot. Link to Airbnb here (2 nights.)

Day 7- Akureyri, Dalvik, & Driving Day: Breakfast in town, then got back on the road to Dalvik for a whale watching boat tour. Kept driving until Hofsos. Stayed at Airbnb Dalasatur in the valley (2 nights.)

Day 8- Hofsos: Explored the tiny seaside town and went horseback riding at Syðra Skörðugil.

Day 9 - Hofsos, Driving Day & Return to US: Packed up, said farewell to the heavenly, peaceful, valley, and started the 4-hour and 40-minute drive to Keflavik airport, to drop off the car and catch our flight back to NYC.