Iceland tour, first time - advice appreciated!
 

So - with some discussion with my DH, we have decided to concentrate on Iceland alone instead of the first plan, which included Norway and Denmark. I like this idea, as it gives me MUCH more freedom around a country that looks fantastic!

My initial itinerary is for late July:

Reykjavik - 3 nights (includes a day around town, a day around the Golden Circle, and a day down in Reykjane peninsula)

Þórsmörk National park, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss on the way to Vik.


Vik - 2 nights (includes hiking up near Sólheimajökull glacier, and perhals to Landmannalaugar mountains?)

Cape Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara on the way to Skaftafell.

Skaftafell - 2 nights (includes Skaftafell, Svartifoss and Vatnajökull National Park)

Jokulsarlon and Hengifoss on the way to Egilsstaðir.

Egilsstaðir - 1 night

Lake Mývatn - 3 nights (includes Diamond Circle one day; whale/puffin safari from Husavik another day)

Flugumyri, Ketubjorg and Kalfshamarsvik on the way to Osar


Osar - 1 night

Ísafjörður - 2 nights (Dynjandi Foss and the Western Fjords)

Reykholt and Borgarnes on the way to Reykjavik.

Reykjavik - 1 night


Questions:

Any reason not to go counter-clockwise? For some reason, it appealed to me better than clockwise.

4WD - would my itinerary necessitate such a thing, or will I be OK? There are some areas off the Ring Road, like in the Westfjords, and down near Lake Mývatn.

Rental cars - I know they're expensive. Any great places that will be less expensive? Perhaps a good fly-and-drive or self-guided tour sort of thing?

Any natives want to meet up for a drink while we're there?

Thanks!

Your itinerary looks ideal except for the last part. Isafjorður to reykjavik in a day? That is a LOT of driving and not really practical. Also Dynjandi is in the South part of the West fjords and a LONG way from Isafjordur. It might not look it on the map but travelling around the fjords takes ages, and the roads in that region are not good.

I personally think you are doing way too much to try and include Isafjordur. I see you´re missing out the Snæfelsness peninsula. That would be a shame as it is truly stunning. (Google Arnarstapi and you will see what I mean!).

I would give the Westfjords a miss and do Snæfelsness instead on your way back from Osar to reykjavik.

If you´re planning on going to Þorsmork then you will need a 4WD. Be aware that travelling to Þorsmork involves fording a lot of rivers - and if you lose the car your the insurance won´t cover it (so maybe take out extra travel insurance elsewhere?).
Everywhere else you have mentioned is accessible by a 2WD in summer, but then again there are lots of wonderful places that you haven´t mentioned (e.g Landmannalaugar) that are ONLY accessible with 4WD which you may not want to miss out on, I guess it depends if you´re prepared to pay extra for a 4WD.

As for car hire I recommend Cars Iceland as they seem to offer the best deals.

http://www.carsiceland.com

No difference in going counter clockwise - that is what I did!

mikeyred242, thank you! Exactly the sort of information I needed. I did wonder about that last bit, but everyone said not to miss the westfjords. Landmannalaugar is something I had on my list as something to do if I could. I'm willing to pay for 4WD if it gets me to some more amazing places :)

Thank you !

I am far from an expert. But we took a scheduled bus from Reykjavik to Porsmork and saw two SUVs that had not survived small river crossings. The drivers were outside their cars waiting for assistance. We couldn't tell the extent of the problems. Our guide said that was not normal but also not unheard of.

Definitely a 4WD then! Even those are chancy. I shall take out extra travel insurance :)

There are several details on my 'wishlist' that I simplified on the above. Here is the full list (I haven't yet changed it per your suggestions, but I plan to)

3 nights A Reykjavik (1 hour)
A Reykjavik (4 hours)
A Reykjavik (2.5 hours)
2 nights B Vik (3 hours)
B Vik
2 nights C Skaftafell (2 hours)
C Skaftafell
1 night D Egilsstaðir (4.5 hours)
3 nights E Lake Mývatn (2.5 hours)
E Lake Mývatn (3.5 hours)
E Lake Mývatn
1 night F Osar (6.5 hours)
1 night G Ísafjörður (5.5 hours)
Ísafjörður (2.5 hours)
1 night H Reykjavik (6 hours)


A Blue Lagoon
A Hallgrímskirkja Church
A Penis Museum
A Þingvellir National Park - First Parliament (930)
A Almannagjá Canyon
A Peningagja (coin fissure)
A Hraunfossar and Barnafoss - lavafield waterfalls
A Öxarárfoss
A Gullfoss double waterfall
A Glymur Waterfall - tallest in Iceland
A Geysir - the original geyser, geothermal hot springs at Haukadalur (nearby Strokkur erupts every few minutes)
A Deildartunguhver - Most powerful hot spring in Europe
A Kerid Crater
A Reykjane - Seltun
A Reykjane - Gunnuhver
A-B Þórsmörk National park
A-B Seljalandsfoss - can walk behind
A-B Skógafoss - often rainbows
B Sólheimajökull glacier (1/2 hour drive from Vik)
B Landmannalaugar colorful mountains
B Katla Volcano - Hike? See in distance?
B Mout Eyjafjallajokull - Hike? See in distance?
B-C Cape Dyrhólaey - ocean cliffs (puffins!)
B-C Reynisfjara Black sand beach - basalt columns, caves
C Vatnajökull National Park
C Svartifoss - Black Waterfall - hexagons
C Stafafell - colored mountains
C-D Jokulsarlon - floating iceburg lake (40 minutes from Skaftafell)
C-D Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss (basaltic pillars) and Lagarfljótsormurinn
C-D Höfn - Glacier
E Lake Mývatn
E Dettifoss/Jokulsargljufur Canyon
E Holmatungur
E Asbyrgi Canyon
E Voladalstorfa (puffins)
E Godafoss
E GG2 Big Whale Safari & Puffins from Husavik
E-F Flugumyri
E-F Ketubjorg cliffs/waterfall
E-F Kalfshamarsvik basalt columns
F Osar - Seals and Hvitserkur monolith
G Dynjandi Foss Waterfall
G-H Reykholt - Snorrastofa - Snorri Sturluson's home and museum/folk park, medieval studies
G-H Borgarnes - Settlement Center/Borganes Museum

Yes, I have this all on a spreadsheet - color coded by day and planned. I rarely follow the plans any more than 75%, but I love doing the research and seeing all the possibilities!

But we took a scheduled bus from Reykjavik to Porsmork and saw two SUVs that had not survived small river crossings.>>

if you are in a hire car, you are not insured to cross any rivers nor to drive on any of the "F" roads. so there is really no advantage in paying the extra for a 4WD though we did, just for the extra space for the 4 of us.

if you are still keen to get to the western fjords [one of the highlights of our trip a few years ago] you could think about using the Baldur ferry which sails between the fjords and the snaefelnesses peninsular. it doesn't cut out all of the driving that getting to the bird cliffs at the westerly end of the fjords requires, but it certainly helps.

for a warts and all TR about Iceland, click on my screen name!

I've read your trip report, annhig, and greatly appreciated your candor :)

well, i hope that it didn't put you off, Green Dragon.

one of our problems was that we hadn't done enough research, which led us to make the mistake of not doing a round the island tour. you are already ahead of the game because you are not making that mistake. Also you seem to have identified more then enough things to do every day, which is a very good idea because inevitably, some won't happen.

IMO Iceland repays more than most places the amount of research that you do, so by the looks of it, you should have a whale of a time!

LOL - whale :)

Yes, I love doing the research. That's half the fun of the trip for me! I am a fan of planning 10 things to do, and getting to do at least 5 of them. That way I can play it sort of by ear once I get there. Rainy day? Choose the indoor places if you can. Feeling tired? Rest in the morning. Flat tire? Go walking.

So... I'm thinking... if I stay farther north on my third stop (like in Hofn), take away the stop in Egilsstaðir, that gives me an extra day. If I spend it in Olafsvik, could I take the car ferry across the bay and explore the Westfjords that way? Is that reasonable?

I would then have:
3 nights in Reykjavik
2 nights near Vik
2 nights in Hofn
4 nights in Myvatn area (yes, I know it will be a long drive from Hofn)
1 night in Hvammstangi
3 nights in Olafsvik
1 night back near Reykavik

Doable?

I've already started making refundable reservations, as the rooms are going fast!

If I spend it in Olafsvik, could I take the car ferry across the bay and explore the Westfjords that way? Is that reasonable?>>

probably not, GD. from memory the ferry takes 3 hours each way [plus loading time of approx 45 mins] and the drive to the fjords is long and arduous - I haven't read my TR recently but i doubt that you can do it in less than 3 hours as you have to drive round each of those fjords - I think we counted 6 [i'm not sure that the map on google is accurate to that respect - you'd need a much better map]. Even allowing for the long daylight hours, it would take some doing.

Which is partly I think why we ended up not doing a round trip as we really wanted to see the western fjords. sorry not to be more encouraging!

I found some rental car agencies allow driving on F roads:

http://www.bluecarrental.is/useful-information/f-roads/

GD - I'm very surprised. I know that when we went, none of them seemed to allow this, and having seen some of the F roads, i was very glad to have an excuse not to drive on them.

good for you if you do this - I'll be interested in your experiences. but I would advise taking the most comprehensive insurance available -that way you may be able to sleep nights!

Having seen one F road I am pretty sure I would have turned back at the first "river". But I'm a chicken.

I may do the same - but I am also obsessed with seeing the most beautiful sites of the country, and some of those are... less accessible.

In some places you could park the car and take a mountain bus to your destination, as suggested here:

http://www.volcanohuts.com/how-to-ge...e-volcano-huts

I was figuring on hiking or doing day trips on some things, yes. That's perfect :D

Just to clarify you CAN drive on F-roads in a hire car - ALL car rental companies allow it but it HAS to be a 4WD. I think you ARE insured on the F-Roads IF you have a 4WD (check with the rental company but am fairly sure you are). If you drive on the F-Roads with a 2WD then you are definitely NOT insured.

I know for a fact that driving to Þörsmork does involve lots of tricky river crossings - the main reason people get stuck is they try to cross where the river is at its most narrow, unaware that that is where the river is also at its deepest. Cross where it is at its widest, NEVER press the clutch and stay in first gear. The other thing to do of course is to just wait for someone else to cross in front of you and follow them. You wouldn´t have to wait long in summer.

Glad to have been of help - I see your updated itineray..it is a long drive from Höfn to Myvatn but easily doable. I did it and it took about 5 -6 hours with stops. The drive from Egilsstadir to Myvatn is incredible. The road diverts through icelands interior and the landscape is unbelievable!

I went through and found out the items on my itinerary that require F roads. There are enough that I'm certainly willing to pay for 4WD to see them. Mikeyred, that's what I was able to read. Fording rivers, though, even in a 4WD, is probably NOT covered by insurance. One site did recommend waiting to ford until another person showed up, in case one of you needs help getting a car unstuck. I hadn't thought about the narrow/deeper issue, good advice!

I've made my reservations (all refundable, none charged until I go) at the following. Input/critiques welcome!

Blue House B&B in Reykjavik
Hotel Lambafell
Skyrhusid Guest House
Langavatn & Klambrasel Guesthouse Farm
Hotel Borgarvirki
Hotel Olafsvik
Guesthouse Grindavik

My requirements were breakfast included, since food is so expensive (except Skyrhusid, where the King size bed made up for that), refundable, and relatively inexpensive. The most expensive was Hotel Lambafell, but it looked gorgeous, and is our largest splurge.

The 4WD rental - the best prices I can find for my two weeks in late July looks to be about $1900. I knew it was going to be expensive, but that hurts - Ireland for the same time is $400! Some sites don't mention if a vehicle is 4WD; very frustrating. Any other suggestions for that?

GD - a good place to look for reasonably priced food is the petrol stations - most have a snack bar at least and some have proper pizza restaurants and cafes. Also another tip is that l everywhere, you will get a free refill [or 6] of coffee. Indeed in one pub we stopped at, the coffee was free!

it's a good idea to stay places where breakfast is included - some places do dinner as well, which can help to reduce costs. and car rental IS very expensive - it was when we went. too I think that if a car isn't described as being 4WD, you can take it that it isn't.

I don't drink coffee, but I definitely appreciate the petrol station tip. I got that from your trip report and several others.

Some of the cars are described as SUVs, but none on that rental agency website mention 4WD.

OK, updated itinerary with Lodging:

3 nights Reykjavik (Blue House B&B)
2 nights Skogar (Skogar Guesthouse)
2 nights Jokulsarlon (Skyrhusid Guest House)
3 nights Langavatn (Langavatn & Klambrasel Guesthouse Farm)
1 night Hvammstangi (Hotel Borgarvirki)
3 nights Ólafsvík (Hotel Ólafsvík)
1 night Reykjanesbaer (Guesthouse Grindavik)

Any thoughts on the lodgings? Each place (except Skyrhusid) includes breakfast. I've booked all, no cancellation fees.

it looks like the only times I'm looking at F roads are to visit Þórsmörk National park and Landmannalaugar. Are these soemthing I could do in day trips, and therefore not need to rent a four wheel drive?

We plan on keeping plenty of picnic style foods from stores in the car, so we only have to plan on the evening meal. That will save both time and cost.

Do all day trip tours start in Reykjavik? I'm looking into doing Þórsmörk National park and Landmannalaugar as day trips (separate ones, unless I could find one with both!) but they are closer to my second stop at Lambafell. I don't want to waste time going back and forth if I don't have to. Thoughts?

If you click on the schedule inside the link I provided above you will see you can take a bus from the main highway up to Porsmork. This might be easier as a day trip from Skogar. I would not want to do it as a day trip from Rekyavik.

I am typing this without a map in front of me.

Prefect, Cold, thank you! I was looking for a map of pickups, but I see Seljalandsfoss listed, which works fine.

GreenDragon I feel a need to say this so I don't feel guilty later. We hiked between Porsmork and Skogar between the two glaciers. That was a two day hike. It was perhaps the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. But when you first get off the bus at one of the Porsmork huts you may wonder "okay what now?" There will be a hut and perhaps a tent and an outhouse. The rest will look like the moon with some small trees and some meandering creeks (or rivers).

I hope you have some hiking shoes on so that you can hike at least a few hundred meters away from the cabin, and preferably a bit uphill. Otherwise you may wonder if the trip was worth it.

We can do a couple hours' worth of hiking before my husband implodes, no worries! Thanks for the warning - I actually saw it elsewhere, as well. If we take the bus from Seljalandsfoss (while staying in Lambafell) that gives us plenty of time to explore.

It looks like the bus trip from Reykjavik to Landmannalaugar is about the same distance as one from Seljalandsfoss would be, so I think we'll do that one, since we have more nights in Reykjavik, and that gives us more time out and about, not driving ourselves.

Did you check out my suggestion for car hire?

www.carsiceland.com

There car list is pretty clear as to which is a 4x4 and which isn´t. They also do slightly older 4x4 models at a cheaper rate if thats of any interest.

Your itinerary looks pretty good. Long drive between Jokulsarlon and Langavatn but do-able. I´m guessing you are staying at Grindavik because you need to stay somewhere near to the airport for an early flight? Can´t think of any other reason to stay in Grindavik!

Yes, I looked at it - it's on my list. There's another I found with older cars called carrenters.is. Have you any thoughts on that one?

Grindavik - I wanted to explore the Reykjanes peninsula a bit and yes, be close at hand to the airport for a flight out on Sunday.

if you want a different experience, GD, try this place:

http://fjorukrain.is/en/fjorugardurinn/

it's in Hafnafjordur on the way to the airport from Reykjavik and would be good either for an overnight or lunch time stop, which is what we did. The pics on the website don't do it justice - the entrance is in the style of a troll's cave and the inside of the restaurant is full stuffed birds, viking artefacts [whether real or not i can't say] and other atmospheric oddities. really worth the trip!

A walk around the village is quite interesting too - there is also a garden which we enjoyed.

Oh, that's already well on the list. Husband is a huge fan of anythign Viking! I tried to get lodgings at their Fisherman's Village, but it is already sold out :(

well done GD. We just came across the place and stood back amazed. One whole wall in the restaurant is set out like one of the western fjord bird cliffs - extraordinary. There was barely anyone else in there with us during the lunch we had which meant that we could wander around and gawp to our hearts' content.

Love all this planning GD, I am hoping to get back to Iceland but probably not until 2016 so will follow this thread.
Oh, on our trip in late June a few years ago.. 2010? A bridge was washed away just before we arrived, the road counter clockwise was impassable and so we didn't make it to Jokulsarlon. Just one reason for the return trip.

I look forward to your trip report!

On our hike last year one end of a walking bridge had been washed away. It was jump and splash and freeze. You can have some amazing experiences in Iceland.

It looks like the weather averages about 55-60 degrees in July - that's actually warmer than I thought it would be. Lows around 45. No worries there. I had a delightful time late November in Ireland last year, and it was 45-50 degrees every day.

Here's a rental car place for used cars. The name of this car means I must rent it.

https://carrenters.is/index.php/cars/detail/24

LOL, oh GreenDragon, I'm going to be shoving you out of the way to rent THAT car.

HEHEHE - it is an epic name, is it not??