Our family had an incredible time on our 10 day Iceland trip last summer, but no trip is ever perfect. Things went smoothly overall but there are a few changes I would make now with the wisdom of hindsight.
If you’re planning your own upcoming Iceland trip, be sure to learn from our Iceland “mistakes” before you finalize your itinerary.
These are in no particular order, and I’ll keep adding as I think of more Iceland travel advice to share! And don’t miss 10 quirky things you might encounter while you’re there.
1. Drive the entire Ring Road
Iceland may look small on a map, but it’s packed with so many cool things to do, see and experience!
With basically 11 days on the ground, we were advised by other families that the Ring Road’s 820 miles would be too ambitious or rushed of a journey. Some people suggested limiting ourselves to Reykjavik, the Golden Circle and the south coast before – essentially an “out and back” itinerary. If you’re visiting with Iceland with toddlers or babies or have a shorter time, that might be your best option.
Since our kids are older and we didn’t want to miss eastern and northern Iceland, we drove about 3/4 of the Ring Road, counter-clockwise from the airport in Keflavik all the way around to Akureyri. We then hopped a quick flight from Akureyri to the Reykjavik city airport.
Overall it was fine to do it that way but there are a few reasons I wish we’d just driven. First, we obviously missed all of the scenery between Akureyri and Reykjavik. That includes the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, which has some special places. I think we’ll try to get there on a future fall break trip to see the northern lights!
Second, driving would have saved us at least a few hundred dollars. While we would have spent money on another two days of car rental and some gas, we would not have spent money on the rental car one-way drop fee, the flight (for four people) to Reykjavik, several taxis within the city and then the pricey transportation back to Keflavik.
In reality flying from Akureyri to Reykjavik only saved us about three hours once we included airport time on both ends, but it added quite a few logistical inconveniences. If you’re weighing the same decision, I’d personally lean toward making the drive if you feel up to it.
2. Go to the Blue Lagoon
I know, I know, how did we go to Iceland without visiting the Blue Lagoon?
We visited a wide range of thermal baths in Iceland, everything from bougie ones and public pools. We were hesitant to add on another – even more expensive – one to an already expensive trip.
But in the end, our indecision made the decision for us! In case you didn’t know, the Blue Lagoon and several other luxury thermal baths in Iceland have timed entry with limited spots available. I had been periodically checking availability for the day we’d need and it looked good.
The day before our departure, once we realized that we had crammed everything into one day in Reykjavik, we hopped online to book four spots for the following morning on our way to the airport. Unfortunately the transportation add-on wasn’t available anymore!
Since we didn’t have our rental car at that point (see #1) I reached out to a driver we were connected with to see if he’d be able to drive us and hang around for a few hours with our bags. Sadly in the 30 minutes I awaited his reply, all of the time slots that would have worked for us became full (or at least had fewer than four slots).
So my lesson was learned the hard way. Just as many other experiences in Iceland book up in advance, the Blue Lagoon requires some advance planning. From all of my friends that have visited it sounds like it’ll be worth enjoying on our next trip to Iceland!
If you don’t get to the Blue Lagoon, the same team is responsible for GeoSea in Húsavík (pictured here), Forest Lagoon in Akureyri and Guðlaug Baths just north of Reykjavik – that last one is actually free!
3. Bring less food*
Food in Iceland is expensive, it’s sometimes inconvenient and if you have kids they may find that what’s available is unfamiliar enough that they don’t like it.
With all that in mind, we packed a wide variety of snacks. Granola bars, protein bars, oatmeal packets, a jar of peanut butter, some turkey pepperoni (which it turns out was probably illegal), crackers, popcorn and other snacks. In all, the food probably took up half of a suitcase. We are usually team carry-on so it was a shockingly large amount of food!
Yes, we did eat some of it… maybe a third? The peanut butter and illicit pepperoni were really helpful for car lunches as we made our way between one activity and another, and it’s always good to throw a protein bar in on your hikes.
But the reality is that we just didn’t need nearly as much food as we brought. With prudent timing we were able to hit up a few grocery stores along the way. Sure the food was a bit more expensive, but not so much that it was worth schlepping a ton of groceries with us from the US.
Our kids were basically ok with Icelandic bread (some very particular kids may not be) and my daughter really enjoyed the cheese. My husband and I loved trying different yogurts for breakfast each morning while there. Plus visiting a local grocery store is always a fun travel experience!
So bring a little food when you go, but don’t go overboard.
*Shortly after our trip to Iceland, our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. If we were traveling with her now, we would probably bring some of her favorite gluten-free snacks. Even in the US it’s really hard to find good gluten-free products and they’re sometimes outrageously expensive. Thankfully all but the smallest grocery stores in Iceland seem to have a gluten-free section so we wouldn’t need to bring food for the entire trip, just an “emergency supply”. If you’ll shop in Reykjavik or other places with a full-sizes grocery store, you can easily find Schar products.
4. Use waterproofing spray on my shoes
I feel like a real idiot for this one. I wore my waterproof Columbia hiking shoes on this trip, and they’re great shoes. I like them so much that I convinced my husband to get a pair for himself, and he really loves them too. Since I purchased mine when I was packing for Alaska the first time, they’re already a few years old and have seen some great use.
The only problem is that my shoes have been worn and broken in enough that apparently the waterproofing is no longer in tip-top shape. What I didn’t realize is that it’s totally expected!
Apparently if you’re using your hiking shoes or boots with any regularity, you should plan to reapply the waterproofing once every few months. The good news is that if you already have beloved hiking shoes like I do, you can keep them in great shape for a real bargain. Grab a bottle of Nikwax and just follow the instructions – we have other waterproofing sprays at home, but Nikwax specializes in outdoor gear and the harsh conditions it has to endure.
While I’ve worn my hikers in wet or muddy conditions, there was really nothing like the amount of wetness we encountered in Iceland. We hiked in a downpour, stood next to crashing waterfalls and more.
Btw if your rain jacket or pants need some extra waterproofing (which I wish I’d done as well), grab this kit to properly wash and waterproof everything. Just follow the directions closely!
5. Skip a few waterfalls
I absolutely love a good waterfall. In fact, I really love a good dozen waterfalls! And Iceland has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the best places to see waterfalls.
But if you need it, consider this your permission to skip one here and there. Iceland’s feelings won’t be hurt, and you’ll be able to check out a wider variety of experiences in the Land of Fire & Ice (& Waterfalls). Also if you’re traveling with people who aren’t so enthusiastic, they’ll appreciate your holding back a little bit.
There are plenty of waterfalls that are really easy to access or so unique that they’re worth going out of your way. For example, if you’re in eastern Iceland you absolutely have to check out Vestdalsfossar just outside of Seyðisfjörður – you’ll probably see several dozen on that one hike alone. Likewise walking behind Seljalandsfoss is incredibly memorable, and it’s right off the Ring Road.
But overall it’s ok to skip even some of the “big name” waterfalls.
If you’re keen to take great waterfall photos, whether for personal pleasure or your social media accounts, remember that they probably aren’t going to look quite so Insta-worthy on a gloomy day. Even though we visited in mid-July, we only had one day out of ten that we saw a waterfall under a blue sky. You’ll want bright colored rain gear as a hedge, because that will make your photos pop!
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Want more helpful Iceland travel tips? Be sure to read these articles!
“Skip a few waterfalls” really stood out to me, I’ve been to Iceland a few times and while the waterfalls are breathtaking, I’ve found that the coastal routes can be just as stunning, especially when the surf’s up. One thing I’d add to the list is to pack a waterproof backpack, it’s been a lifesaver on those rainy days when you’re hiking or surfing. The parallel between Iceland’s rugged coastline and some of the other beaches I’ve surfed around the world is something I have been thinking about because of the unique combination of black sand and glacial water, it’s like nothing I’ve seen before. I wonder, do you think the Blue Lagoon experience would be different if you visited some of the more secluded coastal areas first, would it change your perspective on the whole trip?
Hi Arjun,
Thanks for stopping by! We didn’t make it to the Blue Lagoon so I can’t comment on that. We traveled with this backpack, which is water resistant and comes with a rain cover in the bottom pouch – it definitely came in handy.
Safe travels,
Melissa