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A tiny house, big vistas and endless daylight: Our week in Iceland
We just returned from a one-week trip to Iceland and wanted to share a little about our experience in case it is helpful to others. We took a lot of input from this board as we planned our trip – so thank you to all who have posted in the past and particularly to Melnq8, who sent us some maps and booklets she collected last year while traveling around the country.
Our last couple of trips have been city trips, so we were itching for a little fresh air and scenery. We had seven nights to play with, which isn’t a lot, but it’s what we can muster at the moment due to work, aging cat, aging parents and other matters. We tried hard to work that into a trip around the entire ring road. Ultimately, we decided we wouldn’t enjoy having to pack up and move accommodations every night, and renting a camper, while maybe fun for a night or two, would get old quickly. Instead, we settled on this plan: · 3 nights in the west · 3 nights on the south coast · 1 night in Reykjavik prior to our 11:55 am flight home Getting there We flew Chicago-Newark-Keflavik and reverse on United, which just began flying to Iceland in May. Newark is – how shall I say this politely – not our favorite airport. On the outbound portion of the trip, thunderstorms earlier in the day caused havoc and forced a lot of diversions, including the plane that was to take us to Iceland. On the return, the weather was great, and our flight arrived early. We breezed through Global Entry only to wait an hour for our checked bags (vs. <15 minutes at ORD later in the day). Accommodations We wanted at least some kitchen facilities in our accommodations so as not to have to eat all meals out. Accordingly, we looked for apartments rather than hotels and eventually booked everything through Airbnb. Two were rural, on farms. We were very happy with all of them. Near Búðardalur in the west (3 nights; $142/night plus fees): This is an actual and modern tiny house (just like the kind on HGTV) on a farm with a long history. It once was part of the property of Erik the Red, and the Eiríksstaðir homestead museum is just down the road. Written history indicates Erik gave the property to his slaves. In the 16th and 17th century, it became the site of an annual feast for common workers that was eventually banned due to “indecency.” The host provides breakfast in her kitchen each morning, and we enjoyed our visits with her. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/11178408 https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c4ba488518.jpg The tiny house Near Kirkjubæjarklaustur on the south coast (3 nights; $208/night plus fees): This is on a working sheep farm that extends up a large valley. We enjoyed a lovely hike up the valley to one of the waterfalls on the property – a rare opportunity to hike without other people around. The farm has been in the host’s family for four generations. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18946955 In Reykjavik (1 night; $145/night plus fees): This is a well-located and well-furnished apartment in an area that is convenient but quiet and mostly residential. As a bonus, we found parking right in front of the apartment. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19553562 All three of these are fairly popular properties. We booked the first two last fall, after we’d made flight reservations. We booked the Reykjavik apartment in January. |
Food and drink
Restaurants are expensive – think $25 for a bowl of soup on at least one occasion. Aside from our first day, when we just missed closing time at the grocery store, we limited our eating out to once per day. We didn’t even think about ordering wine in restaurants except for our last night in Reykjavik. Instead, we hit the duty-free store adjacent to baggage claim in the KEF arrivals area and bought some bottles of wine to consume in our apartments. This was somewhat less expensive that bottles sold in the state-run Vínbúðin stores, which have limited hours and selection. Money We got a small amount of cash at the beginning of the trip but barely used it. It was handy to have some coins for restrooms, on a few occasions. Virtually everywhere we went, we used credit cards, even for a few parking fees. Having a card with chip/PIN functionality (thank you, USAA) was especially helpful at gas stations. Weather Even in the height of summer, the weather in Iceland is notoriously fickle. We read that we should prepare for anything – and so we did, especially cold and wet weather. We ended up being quite lucky. Most of the rain we experienced was when we were driving – right after arrival, on our day spent getting from the west to the south, and on our return to Reykjavik. We had two dry and mostly sunny days in the west. We had two dry and partly sunny days in the south. Temps ranged between 9 and 13 Celsius according to our vehicle’s dashboard. It was, however, quite windy at times. And while it was chilly and windy, the rain mostly spared us for our afternoon and evening in Reykjavik (which, by the way, has experienced record rainfall over the past few months). While not really weather related, this seems a relevant place to note that in early July, it is light almost around the clock. At our far north point in the trip, the sun set at 12:30 am and rose just two hours later. Getting around We rented a car from Lagoon Car Rental, which is an airport off-site provider. Communication was good, and prices seemed better than other agencies we checked. We splurged for a small, automatic AWD SUV that is rated for “F” roads. By the time we booked, we knew that two of our accommodations would require navigating some gravel roads and that our plans might call for a little rough driving in spots. Our original rental agreement was for a Kia Sportage, but we ended up with a bump to a Kia Sorento (in the photo above). It performed admirably throughout, and we ultimately deemed it MVP of the trip. We read in advance that it is prudent to fill up when you have the chance, as there can be long distances between gas stations. That is good advice. We had one close call. Overall, we found the roads fairly easy to drive and the only really “heavy” traffic around Reykjavik. This was, however, July, with long daylight hours (i.e., no chance of driving in the dark unless one is doing so around 1:30 am) and no ice and snow. Even the gravel roads, which went for many kilometers in some places, were fairly manageable. I’m not sure we ventured far on anything actually considered an “F” road. You do, of course, have to be constantly aware of oncoming traffic, which includes the occasional tour bus or large tractor, as well as people who have stopped along the road to gawk at the scenery, take photos and/or pet the ponies. Sheep in the road are also an occasional hazard. We had a decent map but found ourselves relying extensively on the iPhone GPS and Google Maps (thank goodness for AT&T Day Pass). We failed to record the number of kilometers covered during the week. Suffice it to say: many. For us, driving in Iceland was as much or more a part of the total experience as the destinations, themselves. Whether winding through the Westfjords, traversing miles of “mossy moonscape” (credit to a NYT writer for that one) punctuated by patches of purple Alaskan lupine, driving through a steep green valley with waterfalls on both sides, or going up and over a mountain on a gravel road, it is all happening in a 360-degree panorama. Photos just don’t do that justice. And on that note, more to come soon about our days in Iceland. |
This is so helpful!! Iceland in on our list, just not sure whether to take a (relatively) cheap winter flight on WOW airlines to try to see the northern lights or to go when you did. Thanks for posting!
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ms_go -
Waiting with bated breath! |
Day 1: Arrival
Originally, we were to land at about 8 am, and our accommodation would not be available until 6 pm. That’s a lot of time to fill when coming off an overnight flight. The mess at Newark “helped” fill that gap somewhat, truncating our available time by a few hours. After all of the formalities and a stop at the duty-free store, we didn’t end up driving out of the Lagoon parking lot until just after noon. After discussion, we decided to stick with our plan to see some of the Golden Circle attractions before heading north. These included the Kerið crater, Strokkur Geysir and Gullfoss (waterfall). Gullfoss was the highlight among those, regardless of how crowded it was. By this time, the sun was out and producing nice rainbows over the falls. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cd1b46bafe.jpg Kerið crater https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb19cb7325.jpg Gullfoss Honorable mention for the afternoon went to lunch at Friðheimar tomato farm, which is an interesting place – a restaurant in the greenhouse, surrounded by thousands of vines ($59 for the tomato soup and bread buffet, x2, and a couple of beers). By the time we were done at Gullfoss, it was nearly 6 pm, and we still hadn’t been to Þingvellir National Park. A quick check of the GPS showed that we still had three hours of driving – and we’d told our host we would be there at 6 pm. So much for the park; we set our GPS for the fastest route, which ended up including a gravel road that ran north and west the park with NO other cars on the road for the hour+ we were on it. Our host later told us that was “not a route that most people choose take.” We barely missed opening hours at the Búðardalur grocery. Our only alternative to a dinner of wine and Clif bars, therefore, was to stop in the only restaurant open in Búðardalur on that evening, Veidistadurinn (The Fishing Spot), which served a nice fresh fish sandwich and fish tacos ($54, including beer). Our route for the day looked something like this. Needless to say, we were a little tired! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...070e2a5aba.png |
I should add, it is going to take some time to go through all of our photos from two cameras and two phones. As we post this, therefore, I'll just include a few photos from the phone and occasionally, a relevant map.
dcd, tough call! I'd love to see the northern lights, but I'm not sure what the chances are when picking any random time in the winter. And I certainly wouldn't want to do all the driving that we did during the winter. |
I'm joining you too. Gullfoss looks beautiful. With all the marketing about Iceland and the many low-cost flights, was the island brimming with tourists at the major sights?
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I find your trip report intriguing and am signing on for more.
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I’m fascinated by your story of the drive to Búðardalur. I can imagine what you were seeing. I’m not sure I would enjoy that route with a regular sunset time but it sounds like it worked out well.
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I'm enjoying your trip report and looking forward to more.
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Thanks, everyone! We're working on it.
Hi tripplanner001! Gullfoss was beautiful, but there were others just as impressive - for example, we'll get to Dynjandi soon. I would say the major points on the Golden Circle and a few others on the south coast were "brimming" with tourists, but generally speaking I didn't find them unmanageable. We talked about this with one of our hosts, and she said the tourism growth curve is beginning to slow a little compared to last year. xcountry, it really wasn't a bad drive and somewhat scenic. It was partly paved and partly gravel, and I don't think any part of it was an F road. We were just surprised to see no one for about an hour and, thus, weren't sure what was ahead - but as you noted, it was well before sundown so not really an issue. |
Day 2: Snæfellsnes peninsula
The day began cloudy, but the sun was breaking through even before we reached our first stop – and it got even better from there. There are many options in this area. Our stops included: · The small seaside town of Stykkishólmur, which is especially pretty – be sure to climb the hill to the lighthouse · Kirkjufell waterfall – take the path all the way up and around for various vantage points · Saxholl Crater – yet another climb · Malarrifsviti lighthouse and Lóndrangar basalt cliffs · The 2.5 km cliff walk between Hellnar and Arnastapi and back, with interesting rock formations, bird colonies and such all along the coast It was during the latter stop that we witnessed our first extreme wedding photo shoot of the trip, with the bride in her full dress literally on her hands and knees trying to climb up the basalt rocks of the beach cave. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9c24f09538.jpg Somewhere along the road https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d1205f0ed5.jpg Stykkishólmur https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a898e9d2f.jpg Kirkjufell waterfall https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...afaf289d8b.jpg Cliff walk from Hellnar to Arnastapi Total driving time without stops was about 4.5 hours. A good part of the road is gravel but well maintained. We could have built even more stops into our day, but we were determined to get back to the grocery store before it closed so that we had something for dinner besides wine and Clif bars. Here is the map for today's drive: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...212ab85b56.png |
<<It was during the latter stop that we witnessed our first extreme wedding photo shoot of the trip, with the bride in her full dress literally on her hands and knees trying to climb up the basalt rocks of the beach cave.>>
Seriously? There was more than one? Good Lord. And what's wrong with wine and Clif bars? Dinner of champions! |
Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 16763944)
Seriously? There was more than one? Good Lord.
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We have been to Iceland once but only went south. I want to go back to go north. Thanks for the great information. Sounds like a wonderful trip!
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Day 3: Westfjords
This was an even longer day of driving, but it was all about the journey. We drove north on road 61, which crosses the Steingrimsfjörðurheiði pass and then winds through the fjords all the way north to Isafjordur. The entire road is paved, and while there are a few bridges across fjords, most of the road traces the water’s edge – with views that change often from waterfalls, to solitary churches or red-roofed farm houses, to glimpses of the Drangajökull glacier across the water on the Hornstrandir peninsula. We had the benefit of clear skies and full sun – a gorgeous drive with relatively little traffic. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4669b8c9a8.jpg Road 61 along the fjords Our first primary stop was at Isafjordur, where we had the best meal of the trip at Tjöruhúsið. There is no menu. The restaurant serves a fish soup, fresh catch of the day (3 varieties the day we visited) and some side salads set out in a serve-yourself, all-you-can-eat manner ($84 for two, including a couple of few beers). It is not a fancy place. You sit at long communal tables, inside or out. Fortunately, I had called the day before and found that the lunch service ends at 2 pm. Otherwise, we probably would have missed it. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e0efd0459f.jpg Isafjordur Isafjordur is a pretty town with some historic buildings and a dramatic setting in a narrow fjord – making the large cruise ships that were in port all the more noticeable against the green hills. After lunch, we drove west through the tunnel, which is one lane for the most part with a passing protocol that we had to learn on the fly. Once out of the tunnel, we were on road 60 heading west and then south. This road is gravel for long stretches and more mountainous, crossing some passes with somewhat steep climbs and descents. The scenery is different but just as dramatic. This link is to a short video. Pardon the bugs on the windshield – you’re seeing it just as we did. Be sure to have the audio on at :50 to hear mr_go share his thoughts what will happen if we run off the road! Zenfolio onelittleworld West Video 10 Our second primary stop was at the sensational waterfall, Dynjandi, where there are various paths to the vantage points. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...27b0dfcd2b.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd30aa4901.jpg Dynjandi Then, more of the same on road 60 for a couple of hours. All in all, this was about 7 hours of driving and a 10-hour journey. Completely worth it! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd7d2fa7f3.png |
<<A quick check of the GPS showed that we still had three hours of driving – and we’d told our host we would be there at 6 pm. So much for the park; we set our GPS for the fastest route, which ended up including a gravel road that ran north and west the park with NO other cars on the road for the hour+ we were on it. Our host later told us that was “not a route that most people choose take.”>>
Looking at your map I think that's a road we took too and barely saw another soul for miles. Ditto on the gravel road to the end of the western fjords which whilst it may not have been officially an F road that was certainly what I was calling it. You certainly packed in some miles but somehow most trips to Iceland end up like that I think. But as you say worth it in the end. |
Althom has a trip report from Patagonia with pictures that are incredibly vibrant. I find pictures of Iceland are a little more muted with the greens and greys, but still so wonderful to look at. Of course you know how to take pictures (I use your pictures of the Inca Trail to show people our trip).
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Day 4: Moving from west to south
We bid adieu to the tiny house and our host and followed the ring road south. Since the weather was more “traditional” (rain), we pushed on past Reykjavik and didn’t stop until lunch time. Lunch was notable for the chance to try Iceland’s traditional fish stew, plokkfiskur (Skyregerdin in Hveragerdi; $57 for lunch for two, with dessert plus beer – pretty good food and not an exorbitant amount for the quantity and quality). Once we passed Selfoss, around 3 pm, the rain started to let up, so we stopped to see several of the "big attraction" waterfalls, including Seljalandsfoss, which you can walk behind; Gljúfrabúi, which is in a cave just down the path from Seljalandsfoss; and Skógafoss, which has a long stairway to a viewing point at the top. All are located around the base of Eyjafjallajökull, which is the volcano that erupted in 2010 and caused havoc for travelers on both sides of the Atlantic. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b1925f1626.jpg Seljalandsfoss and its neighbors https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a73ac5d7af.jpg Skógafoss Over previous two days, we encountered an occasionally busy parking lot with maybe 20 or so cars, but now we were back into what I'd characterize as more of a crowd with many dozens of cars coming and going. The lot at Seljanlandsfoss requires a parking fee. We also stopped to see the black sand beach and interesting basalt columns at Reynisfjarabeach. Wouldn't you know it? The same wedding couple was there getting ready for more photos. We wondered how high she would climb on the basalt columns. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...803d7fb5ec.jpg Basalt columns at Reynisfjara beach Our last stop for the day was the grocery store in Vik, as we would now be preparing our own breakfasts. As we headed out across the fields of lava and Alaskan lupine towards Kirkjubæjarklaustur, the sun came out. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...423842755e.jpg Lava and lupine fields near Vik A welcoming committee of sheep greeted us at our next accommodation and “led” us up the gravel road into the valley. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ff5bbf1bd0.jpg Welcoming committee https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4e82a72b58.jpg Golden hour on the farm Our route today: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...85e64312f1.png |
Originally Posted by xcountry
(Post 16764424)
Althom has a trip report from Patagonia with pictures that are incredibly vibrant. I find pictures of Iceland are a little more muted with the greens and greys, but still so wonderful to look at. Of course you know how to take pictures (I use your pictures of the Inca Trail to show people our trip).
Iceland is maybe a little more muted, but there were definitely some vibrant moments. Thanks for the compliment, and I'm glad you enjoyed our Inca Trail photos. That was such a great trip. I would love to go back and see more of Peru. |
Great photos!
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A lot of driving but seems like you saw a lot of beautiful places. The pictures are great. I especially love the sheep one. (-:
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WOw, that sounds like awesome trip and the photos are great!
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Day 5: Areas to the east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur
After a couple of long days in the car, we were ready to stretch our legs. It would be the first of three days averaging around 20,000 steps, according to the Fitbit. We headed east from the farm. Our first destination was Vatnajökull National Park, where we did two different hikes of approximately 1.5 hours each from the Skaftafell visitor center – one up to the waterfall and one to the face of the glacier. Both are labeled “easy” hikes, but some level of fitness and stamina is required – also sturdy shoes for walking on the uneven terrain and rocks. The glacier, by the way, is one part of Vatnajökull, which covers about eight percent of Iceland and is Europe’s largest glacier. You can see other parts of it all along the drive we took today – and even farther to the east than we went. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...36d65374d6.jpg Hike to the waterfall https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...54145b378b.jpg Skaftafell https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1af1a82e88.jpg Glacier walk The visitor center is a busy place (parking fee required, with a pretty slick system for paying), with many cars and people coming and going. There is also a large adjacent campground. The abundance of trails, however, disperses people fairly quickly, so we never really felt like we were “marching in a line.” There are many other hiking options, but we wanted to push on to see Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, which is fascinating to watch. The colors of the ice range from dull gray to brilliant turquoise, and the icebergs range from huge to tiny little formations near the water’s edge. There is a “channel” where you can watch them float out towards the sea, although I think most melt by the time they get there. We did not opt for a boat ride – we were able to see it just fine from various vantage points. Try to get away from the main parking lot, where most people tend to cluster. And yes, there were many people here, including one couple in wedding attire posing (mostly her) for photos. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0fd3517e9d.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...671274b337.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9b84fff63a.jpg Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon On the way back, we made an impromptu stop at the other, smaller glacial lagoon, Fjallsárlón, which we liked even better because of the closer proximity of the glacier. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8ae5a8d196.jpg Fjallsárlón glacial lagoon We were pretty hungry after all the walking. On the drive back, we researched restaurants in and around Kirkjubæjarklaustur and picked Systrakaffi, which turned out to be very popular. By 6:30 pm, there was quite a line of people waiting to be seated. The notable thing about our dinner was the pizza named “Exorcist,” which was actually pretty good. We had enough left over for dinner the next night ($64 for the pizza, a very substantial chicken salad and beer). https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a168da7bf.jpeg Today's map: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...934fd7230d.png |
Wow, what an awesome trip report, complete with maps! Thanks for sharing!
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Nice trip report. I am going next month but not as brave as you. I am basing in Reykjavik and taking guided tours out. This is a "let's check it out" trip because if we like it, we will go back as I decided not to do a full week.
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Love the lagoon photos.
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Day 6: To the west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon is on some lists of “hidden gems,” but we didn’t find it to be all that hidden anymore. In fact, there was a tour bus in the parking lot, and the impact of tourism has restricted sightseeing at the canyon to a well-defined path and recently constructed viewing platforms. Fences prevent people from going out to the very edges (as was previously possible based on paths in the grass) or into the base of the canyon itself. Nevertheless, it is still a very pretty canyon with a large waterfall – and it is particularly scenic in the sunlight, as we had on this morning. For us, it was less than 10 minutes from our farm, so a natural start to our day and a nice walk to get us going for what was to come (little did we know…). https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8f771b0260.jpg Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon An hour later, we parked and started the walk out to the remains of the Navy plane at Sólheimasandur beach, located about 20 minutes west of Vik. It had been a while since I read up on this. I remembered the number 2.5, thinking that was kilometers from the parking lot to the beach. No, it is actually about 2.5 miles – big difference, and about 40 minutes of walking. Nevertheless, hundreds of people do it every day. We hoped it would be worth it – and it was primarily because of the very elaborate wedding photo shoot in process, with three photographers and several handlers. Soon after we got there, an ATV tour of about a dozen people showed up, all in orange jumpsuits and helmets. Once they all started milling around the plane, it looked like the rescue crew had arrived. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f76592ff1f.jpg Sólheimasandur beach We also checked out some of the coastal vantage points at Dyrhólaey, including the “arch” and other rock formations. It was fairly crowded here, but it was the wind, however, that drove us away and back east toward our farm. At this point, we had driven past the Hjörleifshöfði Promontory several times, so we decided to detour down the dirt road towards it. It was sunny out and the promontory is surrounded by fields of Alaskan lupine, so it made for some nice photos. There is a black sand beach with a cave at the far end, by the ocean. Finally, we’d found a place with no people around. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68656916cc.jpg Dyrhólaey https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...80185ba8c4.jpg Hjörleifshöfði Promontory We ended our sightseeing with the two waterfalls around Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Systrafoss and Stjornarfoss, which also offered the advantage of few, or in one case, no, visitors. The former has a fairly steep pathway to the top where there is a big lake that feeds the waterfall. This was the one time where I would have liked to have had the hiking poles for the walk down – alas, they were in the car. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cf50d19a35.jpg Stjornarfoss Today’s meal out was lunch at a relatively new brewery/burger place in Vik called Smidjan, which we rather liked ($54 for a very good burger and fries, plus 3 beers). Dinner, of course, was the remains of the Exorcist. And today's map: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...03ebb371fa.png |
I commend you on your ability to spell the places you went to. I have never seen such long, unpronounceable names as we saw in Iceland. You are really making me want to go back!
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Thanks, all. I'm glad you're enjoying the report.
sassy27, enjoy! |
Originally Posted by Sberg
(Post 16765025)
I commend you on your ability to spell the places you went to. I have never seen such long, unpronounceable names as we saw in Iceland. You are really making me want to go back!
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Nine of us spent three days and two nights with our Icelandic hiking guide. None of us could pronounce his name despite asking him to say it very slowly many times. It was Gajun somethingorother. He kept saying “call me John”.
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What a great report. Thank you so much.
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Originally Posted by ms_go
(Post 16763510)
We just returned from a one-week trip to Iceland and wanted to share a little about our experience in case it is helpful to others. We took a lot of input from this board as we planned our trip – so thank you to all who have posted in the past and particularly to Melnq8, who sent us some maps and booklets she collected last year while traveling around the country.
Our last couple of trips have been city trips, so we were itching for a little fresh air and scenery. We had seven nights to play with, which isn’t a lot, but it’s what we can muster at the moment due to work, aging cat, aging parents and other matters. We tried hard to work that into a trip around the entire ring road. Ultimately, we decided we wouldn’t enjoy having to pack up and move accommodations every night, and renting a camper, while maybe fun for a night or two, would get old quickly. Instead, we settled on this plan: · 3 nights in the west · 3 nights on the south coast · 1 night in Reykjavik prior to our 11:55 am flight home Getting there We flew Chicago-Newark-Keflavik and reverse on United, which just began flying to Iceland in May. Newark is – how shall I say this politely – not our favorite airport. On the outbound portion of the trip, thunderstorms earlier in the day caused havoc and forced a lot of diversions, including the plane that was to take us to Iceland. On the return, the weather was great, and our flight arrived early. We breezed through Global Entry only to wait an hour for our checked bags (vs. <15 minutes at ORD later in the day). Accommodations We wanted at least some kitchen facilities in our accommodations so as not to have to eat all meals out. Accordingly, we looked for apartments rather than hotels and eventually booked everything through Airbnb. Two were rural, on farms. We were very happy with all of them. Near Búðardalur in the west (3 nights; $142/night plus fees): This is an actual and modern tiny house (just like the kind on HGTV) on a farm with a long history. It once was part of the property of Erik the Red, and the Eiríksstaðir homestead museum is just down the road. Written history indicates Erik gave the property to his slaves. In the 16th and 17th century, it became the site of an annual feast for common workers that was eventually banned due to “indecency.” The host provides breakfast in her kitchen each morning, and we enjoyed our visits with her. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/11178408 https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c4ba488518.jpg The tiny house Near Kirkjubæjarklaustur on the south coast (3 nights; $208/night plus fees): This is on a working sheep farm that extends up a large valley. We enjoyed a lovely hike up the valley to one of the waterfalls on the property – a rare opportunity to hike without other people around. The farm has been in the host’s family for four generations. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18946955 In Reykjavik (1 night; $145/night plus fees): This is a well-located and well-furnished apartment in an area that is convenient but quiet and mostly residential. As a bonus, we found parking right in front of the apartment. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19553562 All three of these are fairly popular properties. We booked the first two last fall, after we’d made flight reservations. We booked the Reykjavik apartment in January. |
I wish I could admit to good spelling. Instead, I've become good at copy and paste! I cannot, however, pronounce any of it - and we really tried.>>
During the lunch break in a recent cricket match to which i was listening, there was an interview with a Brit who is involved with the Icelandic cricket team, talking about the Icelandic language which he clearly spoke very well. He said that the written language of the Icelandic Sagas bears no relation to the way it's pronounced and seemed to be saying that that applies to present day Icelandic too, though i seem to remember being able to make some sort of sense of it at the time. Anyway there's something to look forward to next time you visit Iceland - going to a cricket match. |
Day 7: Back to Reykjavik
After packing up, we took a very nice 90-minute hike up the valley of the farm on which we were staying, past a fairly substantial waterfall (one that would probably attract some cars if it was along the ring road) and up to some turf houses where the farmers keep some of their sheep. It was a lovely hike by any measure, made all the much better because we had it all to ourselves. We could have kept going, as the farm extends much further into the valley, but we wanted to have some time in Reykjavik later in the day. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...577422543f.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...553551a11b.jpg Hiking on the farm Once on the road to Reykjavik, we were retracing our steps. Since the weather became progressively worse as we headed back west, we just buckled in and didn’t stop until we reached the street of our Airbnb apartment in the city. Fortunately, the rain slowed once we were in town, so we were able to spend a few hours meandering around the city center, while also keeping tabs on the World Cup. We didn’t have an agenda per se – for example, no museums. We did stop in the Hallgrimskirkja church. We found the city center compact, relaxed, colorful in spots. We would have love to spend a little more time outside and along the waterfront, but the wind kind of wore us down. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f7a39bcee3.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e0a39913a0.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cf7015e906.jpg Reykjavik We figured being in the city was a good opportunity for one splurge meal, for which we chose Restó (at about $175 for two appetizers, two mains and a bottle of wine – not too far off what we would have paid in Chicago with taxes and tip). Oh, and Reykjavik was one place name on our itinerary that we did not have too much difficulty pronouncing. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a8e7d64d95.png |
Day 8: Back home
I mapped the route to the airport over dinner the night before and was surprised when it said the drive would be 70+ miles and nearly two hours. What I didn’t note was that wasn’t the shortest route. It actually took us only about 45 minutes along the coast road, and we were in the airport well before the United Airlines check-in counter even opened. Not much to report from there, other than that the Icelandair Saga lounge is pretty nice and puts out a nice spread of food. And we got one last chance to enjoy the brisk weather while boarding the plane. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...734297abae.jpg Oh, and we had a great view of Greenland on the way home. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f242d4f92a.jpg Greenland We’ll be back later with some final thoughts and, eventually, a more photos. |
Quite an adventure !
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Thank you again. I enjoyed coming along.
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I have to admit ms_go this isn't the first trip report of yours that I read right before going to the same place. You give me comfort when not knowing what to expect. The details are exactly what I am looking and the pictures are getting me excited.
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