Visitors to the Jokulsarlon (Glacier Lagoon)

All of the suggestions I make in this blog post are my own and based on my personal experiences. I do not receive any financial consideration for promoting any services or vendors.

Despite its small size and remote location, Iceland is one of the hottest tourist locations on the planet. In 2018 more than 2.3 million people visited the glaciers, waterfalls and majestic views dotting an island roughly the size of the state of Kentucky. The tourists, greatly dwarfing the local population of 350,000 people, at times tax the island infrastructure causing the local government to implement systems to protect the arctic environment from their sometimes-overzealous behavior. Despite all this, Iceland is still one of my most memorable places to visit, and I can’t recommend it enough.

In the late 1980’s I spent two years working at a small boarding school on the southwest coast of Iceland and fell in love with the people; their culture; and the mind-blowing landscapes. I was studying photography in college at the time and there was no better laboratory to practice in than Iceland. Over the years I have returned many times, often several times in a year, to experience the vast environments and vistas. You can visit the same location several times and see things you never noticed before, while the quickly changing weather always make each visit unique.

Getting There

Iceland is located in the North Atlantic, between the North American and European continents. Only a 5-6 hour flight from the east coast of the United States, and when flying over the arctic circle, a 7-8 hour flight from the west coast. Icelandair is the easiest way to get to Iceland, as they run flights year round, while most US airlines only run seasonal schedules, focusing on the late-spring to early-fall time period when the majority of tourists plan their visits to coincide with the long sunny days and warmer weather. Icelandair also provides the option for a free stopover in Iceland while on the way to the Europe. This is a great way to spend several days there while visiting Europe. If you choose this option, I would suggest you spend at least 4-5 days so you can make the most of your time. I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard people say, “I wish I had scheduled more time here!”.

Getting Around

Once you get to Iceland you can go two routes for your visit. You can book a package that includes airfare, hotel and tourist packages that will take you on a bus to visit the majority of the popular tourist spots. Most of these will be along the southern coast and a route called the Golden Circle which will include Þingvellir, a national park located where the North American and European Teutonic plates meet, and the location of the world‘s first ever parliament government; Gullfoss a power waterfall that is spectacular no matter what the season; and Geysir, which is just what it‘s name suggests, a geyser that goes off every 5 minutes or so making for some incredible photographic opportunities.

A second option would be to make your own travel arragnments which will give you more freedom, but will require more work in advance to plan out your itinerary. If you have the time, I would highly suggest you select this second option as it affords you the most important thing needed when visiting Icleand, flexibility. The key to making the most of your trip is to watch the weather and go where the weather is good. While one part of the island may be cold, wet or snowy, another may be dry and sunny. A seasoned planner will have a flexible list of places to visit and then adjust their schedule based on the weather forecast. Unlike the United States where weather forecasters tend to be as reliable as the odds in Las Vegas, the Icelandic weather forecast system is very accuate and you can safely plan your days activities on it‘s predictions.

One final tip is to learn to use the Icelandic road warning system that is available online and can give information on road closures and up to the minute weather conditions. This is espically important during the winter season which runs November – March.

A winding two lane road snakes through the Icelandic countryside, leading the traveler to scenery beyond description.

Transportation

Once you arrive in Iceland, you will need to figure out how to get from Keflavik where the international airport is located to Reykjavik the capital where most tourists base themselves. There are options to take a bus from the airport to downtown Reykjavik, which is a 45 minute trip. These busses have free wifi and can drop you at several locations which are close to the majority of the tourist hotels.

Another option is to rent a car at the airport and drive yourself to your hotel, or you may just choose to start exploring the island right away before you even get to your hotel. The Reykjanes Peninsula is close to the airport and offers locations where you can observe geothermal activity and stop at the world famous Blue Lagoon.

If you rent a car, you will find that besides the cost of the rental, there can be an extra expense for insurance. The local rental car companies will try to upsell you on their expensive insurance, so you will want to know in advance if your credit card provides secondary insurance coverage in Iceland. This can save you a lot of money on your rental, so doing your research in advance is important.

One rental car company I highly endorse is Lotus Car Rental, which is located right next to the airport in the rental car facility. They have very competitive rates and do not pressure you to buy their insurance upgrade options. They automatically include Collision Damage Waver coverage on your rental and if you choose their higher levels of coverage they will often throw in things like a free wifi hotspot for your car. I have used them several times in the past and been very happy with them. I usually rent a Dacia Duster, which is a no frills 4x4 that can go most places in Iceland including the F roads which can take you to places such as Landmanalaguar. One downside to the Duster is you need to be able to drive a manual transmission. But, driving a manual car can save you a lot of money on your rental, as they are very common in Europe and cost less to rent.

Something else to consider is how to pay for the gas for your rental car. You will either get a vehicle that runs on regular gasoline (Bensin) or diesel fuel. You will need to remember that the gasoline pumps have green handles and the diesel fuel has black handles; opposite of how it is in the United States, so choose your pump carefully when fueling up your car. Also, when paying for your fuel, the majority of the pumps are automated and require a credit card with a pin number, which isn’t common for most US based credit card companies. You may want to check with your bank in advance, or plan on using your Visa debit card to pay for fuel.

My trusty Dacia Duster at Landmannalaugar

Food

Eating out in Iceland can prove to be very expensive, in fact Iceland can be one of the most expensive places in Europe. One tip to save money on food costs is to visit a local store (there is even a Costco here) and stock up on food supplies. I usually try to plan on only eating out once a day and carrying a sack lunch with me while I’m out taking pictures. My favorite meal is a sandwich made of the local flat bread with Ostur, or cheese, with cucumbers. I take a couple of these, a bottle of water, and some Icelandic chocolate, and I’m set for the day. Speaking of cheese, did you know that the local yogurt called Skyr, is actually a cheese product? Either way you need to try it. The most popular local brand is Isey Skyr and my favorite flavor is pear. It’s really good!

Pear skyr at the Diamond Beach, what a great start to the day!

Let me mention something about water. Don’t buy bottled water in Iceland! Bring a water bottle and just fill it at the tap in your hotel or at a drinking fountain. Tourists spend lots of money on bottled spring water, when in fact is basically just bottled tap water. The water is Iceland is probably the purest water in the world, so enjoy it for free.

Finally, Icelanders consider themselves as foodies and they have some of the finest restaurants in the world. If you go to a pizza place be prepared to put red current jam on your cheese pizza. It’s actually very good. Also, the meat and produce in Iceland is very pure as it is illegal to use any hormones or antibiotics in the food. You will find that fish makes up a large part of the local diet, and it is all caught fresh each day. Lamb, beef and potatoes are also regular staples of the diet.

The “Say Cheese” pizza with red current jam on baked brie at Kaffi Krus in Selfoss. One of my favorite places to eat on the South Coast.

Places to Stay

Many tourists choose to stay at many of the hotels located throughout Iceland, but there are also options to stay at locations via Airbnb or other web services such as Booking.com. Many smaller boutique hotels and hostels are available via these sites, often times at very reasonable rates. Planning your trip ahead of time is important as rates tend to get higher as the facilites fill up, which can often times happen many months in advance. If you decide to stay at a locally run hotel chain, I can highly endorse the Foss Hotels which are located throughout the majority of the popular tourist routes on the island. I have stayed at several of locations along Highway 1 on the southern coast when I went to visit Jokulsarlon, the Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach.

Early morning view from my hotel room at the Vatnajokull Foss Hotel

Local Customs

You will find that most Icelanders are very warm and friendly. You may also be surprised to find the majority of the people working the tourist locations are not Icelanders, but from the European continent. This has happened because of the hugh increase in tourist the past several years and the demand for more workers to facilitate their needs. Most people you come in contact with, either Icelander or European will speak fluent English, making the majority of your interactions very easy. Despite the lack of a language barrier, there are several things to keep in mind when traveling in Iceland.

The first is that Icelanders are very environmentally conscious and you will be expected to pick up all trash you may create and their is no option not to recycle your waste. Second is forming a proper line or cue, when waiting for services. It is rude to cut in line or push your way ahead of those already waiting. Finally there is no tipping when eating at restaurants and the price on the bill is what you are expected to pay. You may add a tip if you feel the service is exceptional (which it probably will be), but your server may state there is no need to tip for their services.

Currency

The local currency is the Krona, which currently exchanges at a rate of 125 ISK to 1 USD. If you plan on using cash as your method of payment, I would suggest you withdraw cash from an ATM at the airport upon arrival. There are currency exchange booths at the airport, but you will get a better rate from the ATM. Also, there are plenty of ATM‘s throughout the island in case you run short of cash. You will find though, that the vast majority of transactions in Iceland take place via electronic payment. I haven‘t found a place yet that can‘t take a credit card or bank card. If you have a credit card that doesn‘t charge foreign exchange fees, than that would be the best method of payment. If fact you can probably use Apple Pay or Google Pay on your smartphone to cover all of your transactions. This makes traveling very easy as you don‘t need to carry around a bunch of cash or a wallet. The portfolio case on my iPhone holds my drivers license, one bank and one credit card, and that‘s all I need to get around. For being such a small country, Iceland is well ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. I still am having a hard time finding places that take Apple Pay on the east coast of the US.

Places to Visit

My daughter filming the sunset along the South Coast of Iceland

The list I present here is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to traveling around Iceland. You can spend weeks researching places to visit, as there is a never ending list of waterfalls, glaciers, mountain hikes and vistas you can visit:

Seljalandsfoss - one of my most favorite places to visit. You can walk behind this waterfall and get some incredible photographs. Time your visit so you are there at sunset.

Skogafoss - a powerful waterfall that you can walk right up to, but plan on getting wet! You can also hike to the top of the falls. It is also possible to camp near the falls, but you must reserve your camping spot in advance.

Solheimajokull - only 2 hours from Reykjavik, it is possible to schedule a walk onto the glacier. I have also been able to fly my drone over the glacier and it’s lagoon, which is not possible many other places in Iceland.

Vik - home to the incredibly beautiful, but very dangerous black sand beaches. Plan on taking some time and scheduling a horse ride on the beach.

Landmannalaugar - probably the most beautiful and impressive place in Iceland. Parts of it look like the surface of another planet. You will need a 4x4 to travel on the F roads that take you here. What an adventure!

Stokksnes - a private piece of property in the Southeastern part of Iceland, about a 30 minute drive past Hofn. Well worth the 900 ISK price you pay to enter the property.

Hofn - small fishing village past Jokulsarlon and home to Ishusið Pizza, probably some of the best pizza I have ever eaten!

Jokulsarlon (Glacier Lagoon) - a 5 hour drive outside of Reykjavik, but well worth the drive. I suggest getting up very early and being here at sunrise. Also plan on visiting the Diamond Beach, across the road from the Lagoon.

Westman Islands - you can take a short 30 minute ferry ride from the South Coast of Iceland to get to these islands, which are home to the site of a volcano that erupted in the early 1970’s.

Snaefellsnes - this glacier and mountain are where Jules Vernes had his adventurers start their journey to the center of the earth in his famous novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Kirkjufell - located on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, it is one of the most photographed locations in Iceland. The best spot of photograph it is from behind the small falls that are across the road. Be prepared for lots of tourists here.

Gullfoss - the large waterfall located in the Golden Circle. Very popular with the tourists.

Geysir - home to a series of geysers, one of which goes off every 5 minutes.

Þingvellir - a national park located on the junction of the North American and European Tectonic Plates, also home to the first parliament in the world, formed around 1000 A.D.

Tourists on the black sand beaches of Vik, Iceland

One final resource I highly recommend is the website Iceland Monitor where you can find updated news, travel tips and stories on Icelandic culture and traditions.

I hope that you plan on visiting Iceland in the near future, and hopefully the information I have provided can make your trip smoother and enjoyable

Travel Tips and Advice

Making the most of your visit to Iceland