Reykjavìk, Iceland - Things to do? Places to see?

[Sr. Mints]

I can't say where to go and what to see, but I'm insanely jealous. Have fun!

[flamesflames444]

Apologies for the bump here, but I took advantage of that crazy cheap Travelzoo deal a couple of weeks back that had direct flight from Edm + 3 nights hotel + a day long tour to the Golden Circle & Fontana for $1,338 CAD for 2 all in in April. I can't say Iceland was in my top places to see in the short term but I am always a sucker for a good deal. Anyhow, I had a few questions I guess which will mostly be directed towards Thor or anyone else that has visited:

- Weather - I assume weather can be somewhat volatile there, but how will it be in April?
- The package has us staying at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura which I understand is a little outside the centre of town. Should I bother renting a car? Apparently the hotel will give you a bus pass for free
- Any other places to see that haven't been mentioned previously given that this threat is three years old.

Thanks in advance

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by flamesflames444

Apologies for the bump here, but I took advantage of that crazy cheap Travelzoo deal a couple of weeks back that had direct flight from Edm + 3 nights hotel + a day long tour to the Golden Circle & Fontana for $1,338 CAD for 2 all in in April. I can't say Iceland was in my top places to see in the short term but I am always a sucker for a good deal. Anyhow, I had a few questions I guess which will mostly be directed towards Thor or anyone else that has visited:

- Weather - I assume weather can be somewhat volatile there, but how will it be in April?
- The package has us staying at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura which I understand is a little outside the centre of town. Should I bother renting a car? Apparently the hotel will give you a bus pass for free
- Any other places to see that haven't been mentioned previously given that this threat is three years old.

Thanks in advance

I just came back at the end of October and had a great time, did a bunch of excursions, and partied as much as possible. I would highly highly recommend the Blue Lagoon closer to the evening into closing time. It was just an awesome experience, and with a waterproof camera, would have been better. I would also recommend the golden circle tour. The volcano tour was a waste of time as was the monster truck tour to do it, considering it cost $200+ and most of it was covered on the golden circle anyway. Partying, B5 was pretty good, along with Austur, but the smaller predrink places were awesome too (Lebowski and the ones nearby). I had a great time and will definitely be heading back there in 2014.

As for your weather question, it was colder than Canada at the time, primarily because of the wind factor. The wind was crazy. What would normally be -1 or so ended up -15. I don't imagine April would be nearly that cold, but you may want to check The Weather Network's historical temperatures.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I would PM Thor; he lives there now and I'm sure he has a good sense of the current lay of the land.

The car rental thing depends on how ambitious you want to be, sight-seeing wise. There is plenty to see outside of Reykjavik, and although there are tour buses, they can be a pain. On the other hand, if all you have time for is the Golden Circle and a day of shopping partying downtown, you really don't need a car.

Bring clothes for all sorts of weather. You really can get anything-- (well, anything other than extreme heat or cold). It is usually very damp, so keep that in mind as well. Having some kind of footwear that is both warm and waterproof is well worth it.

Make sure you check out Baejarins Bestu Pylsur. Best street hot dogs in the world.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by cmyden

For any CPers out West, Seattle gets ridiculous prices to Reykjavic on IcelandAir. As low as $467 roundtrip after tax. Or about what it costs roundtrip to Toronto.

The logic of flight pricing is from bizarro world......

[Table 5]

Bump...

I have a small window in late March to take a vacation by myself (you have no idea how rare this is, so it needs to be done!) and I was thinking of going to Iceland and making it a nice solo photography vacation.

Ideally, Id like to do the whole Ring road thing, but I'd probably only have about 7-8 days in total to visit, which seems like it might be a bit tight, as I wouldn't mind spending a couple of days in Reykjavik (not sure how many days are enough, I'm a married guy so Im not really there to party or anything, ha).

So I guess I'm looking for some recommendations on "must see" places, and which sections of the island to focus on, especially from a natural beauty standpoint.

Would a self-guided trip like this be good?
https://guidetoiceland.is/book-holid...iers-volcanoes

They also have an 8 day one that does the whole Ring Road, that I may be able to squeeze in: https://guidetoiceland.is/book-holid...cle-of-iceland

Anyway, any thoughts are appreciated.

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Bump...

I have a small window in late March to take a vacation by myself (you have no idea how rare this is, so it needs to be done!) and I was thinking of going to Iceland and making it a nice solo photography vacation.

Ideally, Id like to do the whole Ring road thing, but I'd probably only have about 7-8 days in total to visit, which seems like it might be a bit tight, as I wouldn't mind spending a couple of days in Reykjavik (not sure how many days are enough, I'm a married guy so Im not really there to party or anything, ha).

So I guess I'm looking for some recommendations on "must see" places, and which sections of the island to focus on, especially from a natural beauty standpoint.

Would a self-guided trip like this be good?
https://guidetoiceland.is/book-holid...iers-volcanoes

They also have an 8 day one that does the whole Ring Road, that I may be able to squeeze in: https://guidetoiceland.is/book-holid...cle-of-iceland

Anyway, any thoughts are appreciated.

When I visited Iceland last year, it was for a 10 night / 11 day trip. I rented a vehicle, and circled the ring road, taking in most of the highlights.

I think I travel at a pretty decent pace, not rushed, but efficient, and 10 nights was just enough to give the highlights around the ring road their due, in my opinion. A week would probably mean sacrificing some of the worthwhile sights.

The Google map from this trip: http://tinyurl.com/krf43wj

There's essentially 3 sections of the ring road where most of the best sights are concentrated:
1. The NE section near Akureyri
2. The South coast (arguably the most beautiful stretch of the ring road)
3. The Golden Circle near Reykjavik

For my trip, Day 1 involved landing at Reykjavik and immediately driving to the NE section near Akureyri.

Nights 1, 2, 3 - NE section near Akureyri

Night 4 - A night in the East. If you find yourself there, look up 'Langahlid Seydisfirdi' cottage - If it's still priced the same, it was a great deal for Iceland. The small town around here is surrounded by some amazing natural beauty.

Nights 5, 6, 7 - The south coast

Nights 8, 9, 10 - Reykjavik & The Golden Circle

To cut it down a few nights, I would probably eliminate a night in Reykjavik, and the night in the East, focusing on the NE and the South areas.

If I had 2-3 more nights, I would have added the NW section of Iceland (off the ring road), which looked really interesting, but the roads in this section make for very slow going. The interior also has a few really cool looking places, but a vehicle with ground clearance is recommended.

Be aware that March may still be really cold, snowy, and access to some of the sights or hikes could be limited/impossible. It would also limit the number of daylight hours for driving. On the other hand, you might see the northern lights

[Table 5]

Thanks, really appreciate the insight. And that Google map is exactly what I was hoping for.

After doing a bit of reading, Ive decided to focus on the South/SW part of the country, as I just don't think a ring road would be worth it to rush through, especially when the conditions may not be great. If I really like the country, perhaps thats one of those things I could bring the family at some point and we can spend a solid 2 weeks or something, when the conditions are a bit warmer.

And yeah, March seems like its the tail of the Aurora Borealis season, so that could be interesting. As a photographer, that would be quite a nice bonus. It's probably not the month I'd typically pick, but I dont mind going to places in the off-season, and I'm not sure when I'd get another chance to do Iceland (may be years, who knows), so I had to take advantage.

[BigNumbers]

I agree - the SSW section is the best part to focus a shorter trip on. Jealous - enjoy!

[Table 5]

To try to keep it somewhat leisurely, I've decided to do a self-driving your in the southern part of the country only. Most likely through this self-drive tour:
https://iceland.nordicvisitor.com/tr...re-winter/861/

I have a couple of extra days (their tour is 7, I have 9), so I was thinking of extending my stay at some of the destinations. Is there a particular area that anyone thinks is particularly interesting to spend more time in? I was thinking an extra day in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur/Skaftafell area, as thats close to Vatnajökull National Park.

For my second day I was thinking of another day in Reyjkjavik (so there would be 2.5 full days). But is that a place that you can do in a 1.5, and Id be better of spending another day somewhere else on the south coast?

And on that note, besides the hot dogs, any particular recommendations for restaurants? I wouldn't mind trying some whale or something.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Table 5

For my second day I was thinking of another day in Reyjkjavik (so there would be 2.5 full days). But is that a place that you can do in a 1.5, and Id be better of spending another day somewhere else on the south coast?

And on that note, besides the hot dogs, any particular recommendations for restaurants? I wouldn't mind trying some whale or something.

I would say you can realistically do Reykjavik in a day and a half. Mind you I spent 7 days there and had a blast, but I was also living a pretty robust, social, hostel life.

The Lebowski Bar makes terrific White Russians, though they're pricey by Canadian standards.

[Baron von Kriterium]

My wife and I are travelling to Iceland on 8 Feb and staying for a week. We originally planned to go in the summer but it gets expensive. So, we tossed the notion aside but then my wife saw a deal through Icelandair for a winter getaway and we thought, "why not?" The package for the two of us is 1800.00 and that includes flights, hotel, breakfast, a northern lights excursion and spa day at one of the hot springs (NOT the Blue Lagoon).

I will rent a car for a few of the days but the first couple of days will be spent in Reykjavik. The lady through this link:
http://www.iheartreykjavik.net/
offers tours of Reykjavik. She writes a blog and it looks like she has some decent advice.

Can't wait!

[Slacker]

Originally Posted by Table 5

To try to keep it somewhat leisurely, I've decided to do a self-driving your in the southern part of the country only. Most likely through this self-drive tour:
https://iceland.nordicvisitor.com/tr...re-winter/861/

I have a couple of extra days (their tour is 7, I have 9), so I was thinking of extending my stay at some of the destinations. Is there a particular area that anyone thinks is particularly interesting to spend more time in? I was thinking an extra day in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur/Skaftafell area, as thats close to Vatnajökull National Park.

For my second day I was thinking of another day in Reyjkjavik (so there would be 2.5 full days). But is that a place that you can do in a 1.5, and Id be better of spending another day somewhere else on the south coast?

And on that note, besides the hot dogs, any particular recommendations for restaurants? I wouldn't mind trying some whale or something.

I'm heading to Iceland in early March for 12 days, 5 of them on a tour (Northern lights and Glaciers Lagoons from On the Go tours) and 7 days alone. Other than Blue Lagoon, I will wait until after the tour to decide what to do next.

Other than that, I look forward for people's recommendations

Edit: What are the cost of a SIM Card with a data plan over there?

[heep223]

Go for dinner at Forrettabarrinn. Was the best meal we had there.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Slacker

I'm heading to Iceland in early March for 12 days, 5 of them on a tour (Northern lights and Glaciers Lagoons from On the Go tours) and 7 days alone. Other than Blue Lagoon, I will wait until after the tour to decide what to do next.

Other than that, I look forward for people's recommendations

Edit: What are the cost of a SIM Card with a data plan over there?

Best coverage on the Island is these guys, pronounced Semen (teehee) https://www.siminn.is/prepaid/

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Table 5

To try to keep it somewhat leisurely, I've decided to do a self-driving your in the southern part of the country only. Most likely through this self-drive tour:
https://iceland.nordicvisitor.com/tr...re-winter/861/

I have a couple of extra days (their tour is 7, I have 9), so I was thinking of extending my stay at some of the destinations. Is there a particular area that anyone thinks is particularly interesting to spend more time in? I was thinking an extra day in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur/Skaftafell area, as thats close to Vatnajökull National Park.

For my second day I was thinking of another day in Reyjkjavik (so there would be 2.5 full days). But is that a place that you can do in a 1.5, and Id be better of spending another day somewhere else on the south coast?

And on that note, besides the hot dogs, any particular recommendations for restaurants? I wouldn't mind trying some whale or something.

With the south coast, there isn't a ton to do if you take an extra day unless the weather is nice, March it will be dicey That trip looks good, you will cover the best spots in the south, take that extra day looking at something a local has suggested or something you want to see again, this happens all too often to me when travelling the country.

For seafood, most definitely: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...al_Region.html

I know the blue lagoon is always popular, its mostly tourists now, very few locals, if you like the outdoor pool, hot tub life which is popular in Iceland drop by Laugardalslaug in Reykjavik.

http://grapevine.is/travel/travel-fe...ik-area-rated/

Also for ideas, travel guides, recommendations for pubs, eateries, etc.. The Grapevine is the best, http://grapevine.is/travel/

Do check out the time you are here to see if there are any interesting concerts, might luck out and see something cool.

[White Out 403]

If I travel to Iceland am I guaranteed to see a gorgeous blonde lady's bare bum at least once?

[ernie]

Summer of 2014 we had a 11 day or so trip to Iceland. We went up to the NW fjord area for half the trip which was fantastic and then came back down to the southern part (both east and west) and Westman Islands.

I hesitate to give advice as everyone vacations differently. For us we like to have a base for 2-3 days where we do day trips. We also aren't that formal, so other than diving at the continental divide, a hike through a lava tube and half our hotels/B&B we didn't have a lot of set plans. We preferred to simply drive and if something grabbed our attention, as it did every km or so, we'd get out and hike etc. We were actually the second last hike to go through the lava tube as they were shutting it down to preserve some of the feature which were scientifically pretty unique.

Personally I love waterfalls and my wife loves bird watching...hard to imagine a better place in the world for those two things together.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by cmyden

Night 4 - A night in the East. If you find yourself there, look up 'Langahlid Seydisfirdi' cottage - If it's still priced the same, it was a great deal for Iceland. The small town around here is surrounded by some amazing natural beauty.

Funnily enough, I modified my trip again, to do the entire Circle this time, and now i realize that it looks very similar to what you did (ie book it to Akureyri on the first day, then spend most of the trip around those 3 areas).

One question for you. Is this Seyðisfjörður worth staying at over Egilsstadir (ie the main town on Route 1 in that area)? I have my hotel booked there instead at the moment, but can cancel it for free if need be. The place you recommend is sold out, but there are a few others around there.

[Thor]

My Mother's side of the family is from Seyðisfjörður, I love it there, driving down in to this little town surrounded by mountains and at the end of scenic peninsula is quite something.

Egilstaðir is nice, bigger and more to do, but I'm very biased, please do visit my Great grandparents home on the end of the penninsula!

http://www.visitseydisfjordur.com/pr...ountain-lodge/

My Great Grandparents home, btw you don't have to book, or stay there, you can hike there or get a ride in and walk around, there are some stunning views off the cliffs nearby.



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