3 days in Iceland--no Rekayvik included
Mar 17th, 2007, 03:49 PM
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3 days in Iceland--no Rekayvik included
Hi all--
We've been to Iceland once before but just for one day on IcelandAir's take a break program. That trip we spent exclusively in Rekayvik. Now we're contemplating do the stopover at the beginning of June but for 3 days. This would be at the end of our trip on the way back to the US.
We're outdoorsy, middle-aged, hate tours, adventuresome, cheap, into national parks and hiking etc., do-it-yourselfers as far as travel, and enjoy off-the-beaten path routes when it is a worthwhile destination. We'd even be fine with camping for the 3 days as long as the gear would be provided. We don't want to go to the Blue Lagoon. What would you suggest as far as an interesting itinerary? Thanks much.
We've been to Iceland once before but just for one day on IcelandAir's take a break program. That trip we spent exclusively in Rekayvik. Now we're contemplating do the stopover at the beginning of June but for 3 days. This would be at the end of our trip on the way back to the US.
We're outdoorsy, middle-aged, hate tours, adventuresome, cheap, into national parks and hiking etc., do-it-yourselfers as far as travel, and enjoy off-the-beaten path routes when it is a worthwhile destination. We'd even be fine with camping for the 3 days as long as the gear would be provided. We don't want to go to the Blue Lagoon. What would you suggest as far as an interesting itinerary? Thanks much.
Mar 17th, 2007, 05:15 PM
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For only three days I'd recommend Thorvald (Thor's Woods); you'd have to check on accessibility, though, as I'm not sure about June--prime season there is July and August.
There are horse treks as well but they might be too "guided" for you, albeit from what I understand they're definitely not for the pampered.
Thingvellir (site of the Viking Parliament/tectonic plate fissures) is also nice; look for the "pregnant P" and then -ingvellir in Icelandic; it's pronounced roughly as a "th" sound.
Happy trails!
There are horse treks as well but they might be too "guided" for you, albeit from what I understand they're definitely not for the pampered.
Thingvellir (site of the Viking Parliament/tectonic plate fissures) is also nice; look for the "pregnant P" and then -ingvellir in Icelandic; it's pronounced roughly as a "th" sound.
Happy trails!
Mar 19th, 2007, 01:29 AM
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I'd definitely visit Lake Myvatn
The lake itself is beautiful and full of interesting birds, but there are also wonderful volcanic formations called the "Black castles".
It's not far from Akureyri.
You might find these pictures interesting
http://tinyurl.com/2nxtdl
The lake itself is beautiful and full of interesting birds, but there are also wonderful volcanic formations called the "Black castles".
It's not far from Akureyri.
You might find these pictures interesting
http://tinyurl.com/2nxtdl
Mar 19th, 2007, 10:41 AM
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Hello,
Your description of you and your husband sounds just like me and my husband, so I had to reply! We spent 11 days driving around Icleand last July, doing some camping (we brought our own equipment) and staying in hotels. One hike we did was in Skaftafell National Park, which was absolutely beautiful. It may be too far of a drive for just 3 days, however. We also did a beautiful hike along the Skogar waterfall. We camped right there, and the next morning walked up the steep steps to the top of the falls, and kept hiking for several hours. It was raining when we did this, so we didn't keep going for what we hoped would be an overnight hike. But the hike along the river was amazing, with too many waterfalls to count! I believe there is a hotel in this town you could stay in, but you would need to rent a car or take a bus for either destination. I'm not sure about the weather in the beginning of June for either hike, but both areas were just beautiful.
Thingvellir was also a beautiful area to explore. As I said earlier, we don't like group tours either, so I would recommend renting a car for the day. We stayed at the hotel Geysir our first night and visited the waterfall that is close by that night, and Thingvellir the next day. It is an easy do it yourself drive, and a great way to view the dramatic differences of Iceland's geography!
Good Luck!
Your description of you and your husband sounds just like me and my husband, so I had to reply! We spent 11 days driving around Icleand last July, doing some camping (we brought our own equipment) and staying in hotels. One hike we did was in Skaftafell National Park, which was absolutely beautiful. It may be too far of a drive for just 3 days, however. We also did a beautiful hike along the Skogar waterfall. We camped right there, and the next morning walked up the steep steps to the top of the falls, and kept hiking for several hours. It was raining when we did this, so we didn't keep going for what we hoped would be an overnight hike. But the hike along the river was amazing, with too many waterfalls to count! I believe there is a hotel in this town you could stay in, but you would need to rent a car or take a bus for either destination. I'm not sure about the weather in the beginning of June for either hike, but both areas were just beautiful.
Thingvellir was also a beautiful area to explore. As I said earlier, we don't like group tours either, so I would recommend renting a car for the day. We stayed at the hotel Geysir our first night and visited the waterfall that is close by that night, and Thingvellir the next day. It is an easy do it yourself drive, and a great way to view the dramatic differences of Iceland's geography!
Good Luck!
