wlke

forum i would love your input. here is our ring road breakdown.

1-reykjavik
2-vik
3-vik
4-hofn
5-seydifjordur
6-akureyri
7-dalvik
8-dalvik
9-stykkisholmur
10-budir
11-budir
12-reykjavik
13-reykjavik
14-depart

we are 3 50 year old men so day hiking and exploring , then a long meal to end our day is what we like , lot's of photography . and thoughts recommendation's on accommodation's would be great favorite food in each place?

thank you

bill

hawksbill

I've been to Iceland once, for eight days, and I didn't quite make it along the southern coast as far as Höfn. My age and activity preferences are similar to yours (hiking, exploring, photography, eating a good dinner at the end of the day). My trip was two years ago, but, as nobody else has responded yet, I'll at least give you some thoughts, to keep your post near the top of the list:

Restaurants I particularly liked:

Dill, in Reykjavík: http://dillrestaurant.is/en
Gamla fjósið, between Reykjavík and Vík: http://www.gamlafjosid.is/?lang=en
Lindin, in Laugarvatn: http://www.laugarvatn.is

You should also take a look at Þrir Frakkar, in Reykjavík: http://www.3frakkar.com. It's a popular restaurant where a lot of tourists go for traditional and unusual Icelandic cuisine, like puffin, whale, etc. I tried to go there twice, but didn't have a reservation, and didn't get in.

If you read reviews online, you might be tempted to try to fit in a meal at Hotel Rangá, in Hella, as they seem to imagine themselves to be sort of a high-end gourmet restaurant. I'd recommend against it -- my meal there was of poor quality, expensive, and time-consuming. I was staying in the hotel, and I had planned to dine there again, but I didn't go back.

I really liked the IcelandAir hotel in Vík. Simple but beautiful rooms, and a pretty good restaurant.

You'll be zipping along the southern coast at a rapid rate, but I'd say places to prioritize include Fjaðrárgljúfur, Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara, and most especially the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you should plan to linger for a long time. The light there was unbelievable in the Golden Hour.

Also, the Skaftafell Visitor Centre at Vatnajökull National Park was a great place for day hiking -- they can give you maps and tips for planning a hike that fits your needs.

historytraveler

hawksbill, where did you eat rather than at the Ranga? We'll be staying there for 3 nights and I'd appreciate some restaurant recommendations. No car so that may be a problem.

hawksbill

historytraveler - For what it's worth, I didn't much care for the Rangá as a hotel, either. I had originally planned to stay there both on the way out toward Höfn from Reykjavík, and on the way back too. But, based on my experience on the eastward journey, I canceled my stay for the return trip, and stayed in Vík instead. There was nothing terrible about the rooms at the Rangá, they were just overpriced for what they were, and I had picked the place partly because I looked forward to having good dinners there, but the restaurant turned out to be awful. Furthermore, Vík turned out to be a more conveniently located base of operations than Hella.

I ended up eating extra meals at Gamla Fjósið, the farm restaurant that I mentioned above, which was excellent, and at Fjörubordid, which is in the oceanside town of Stokkseyri ( http://www.fjorubordid.is ). I read about Fjörubordid in some guide book, as they're supposedly famous for their lobster chowder. The soup was quite good, though not as earth-shaking as their advertising might make it seem. And the place had a bit of a tourist-trap vibe. But I still enjoyed it.

I'm not sure how you'd get to either of these places without a car. But I'm not sure how you'd get anywhere along the Ring Road without a car!

historytraveler

All being taken care of through private guides. Close friend has a travel agency specializing in organizing such trips. This past spring she took a group of friends that tour together annually to Iceland. So, when husband decided to do this as birthday/ 50th anniversary present he had her organize it. I'm really very happy in not having to make any decisions. I always plan my own itineraries and just took the family on a 3 week trip through Europe this past June. I know nothing about Iceland and it would have been too much for me to organize a trip at least for this year.

lemongrass

In Hofn we had a fantastic meal at Pakkhus Restaurant which is right on the harbor. Very fresh fish and seafood.

http://www.pakkhus.is/

In Seydisfjordur we had excellent sushi at Nord Austur. If not into sushi, they have a Nordic restaurant downstairs that I expect would also be very good based on the quality of what we ate.

http://hotelaldan.is/nord-austur-sushi-bar

On the Snaefellesnes Peninsula we stayed in Grundafjordur and had an amazing meal at Bjargarsteinn Mathus. Also very fresh local fish and seafood.

http://bjargarsteinn.is/