Travel to Iceland – all you need to know

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Majestic waterfalls, breath-taking landscapes, therapeutic mud pools, natureโ€™s delight & some of earthโ€™s most astonishing gems โ€“ Iceland is out worldly. Traveling solo or a couple honeymooning, a first timer or a family vacationing โ€“ Drop that Europe map in front & head onto the most rewarding journey of your life.

Travel to Iceland - top view ring road
First view of Icelandic Ring road !!

Iceland was our long-time dream & one of the most exciting bucket list destination for us. With the onset of 2020, we finally decided to go live the dream. A 6-day , 5 nights trip of a lifetime to the land of Fire & Ice. Without further ado, lets head on to a complete travel guide detailing all the what, where, how and whys – when in Iceland! Are you ready to travel to Iceland with us?

Iceland in a map
  • Less Crowd – Eventhough tourism in Iceland is catching up speed now, Iceland is still not crowded. If you are looking for relaxing in the lap of nature without constant crowd nagging, Iceland is just the right place for you. It’s unlike other European countries. Beautiful & less crowded.
  • Geological Contrast โ€“ Iceland is technically located on both the European & the north American tectonic plates. One of the few places where the effects of two major plates drifting apart can be observed above sea level. These drifts showcase the crucial rifting of the earthโ€™s plates & volcanism. How exciting it is to stand on literally earthโ€™s moving geology.
  • Round the year travel โ€“ Iceland as the name suggest is NOT always covered in Ice. Iceland observes comparatively warmer temperatures between June โ€“ September & like any other destination, tourism thrives during these months. Starting October, the temperature falls & winter adorns. Both summers & winters have different things to offer & hence travel to Iceland is very much possible round the year.
  • Only in Iceland โ€“ The only place in the world where you can literally swim between two continents. The silfra fissure โ€“ A rift formed between the Eurasian & the north American tectonic plates. How often do you get to do that? Travel to Iceland to witness this unique side of nature.
  • Volcanoes & Glaciers โ€“ The entire island is a result of a volcanic eruption in the sea bed thousands of years ago. The polar temperatures and cooling of magma have created some breath-taking natural wonders. So many active volcanoes & huge glaciers, Iceland is any day a one in a lifetime experience.
Reykjavik walk- travel to Iceland
Near empty streets of Reykjavik
Travel to Iceland
Travel to Iceland - รพingvellir national park
Walk between tectonic plates
snorkeling in silfra
You dont get to snorkel between tectonic plates everyday !!

Know before you travel to Iceland:

Capital & Currency:

  • Reykjavik โ€“ Located on the south western coast of Iceland, Reykjavik is the largest & the capital city of Iceland. A cultural, economic & administrative capital, Reykjavik is a modern & chilled out town. It is around 40kms from Icelandโ€™s Keflavik International airport. If you have GPS & access to google maps, we found Reykjavik to be very much walkable.
  • Currency โ€“ Icelandic Krona is the official currency of Iceland
Travel to Iceland - Reykjavik
Rainbow street at Downtown Reykjavik
Travel to Iceland - Reykjavik
Graffiti wall art in the streets of Reykjavik
Travel to Iceland - Reykjavik
Reykjavik City from top
Travel to Iceland - Reykjavik
Downtown Reykjavik

People, Culture & Language :

  • Icelanders are one of the humblest people we have come across. They are helpful, very friendly and chilled out. The country is very progressive & modern and ranks very high in UNโ€™s human development index.
  • While Reykjavik is quite hip & happening with a decent night life, Icelandโ€™s Viking tradition is more evident in villages & small towns. Icelanders have embraced modernization along with keeping its rich heritage & traditions alive. Travel to Iceland to experience a perfect blend of both the cultures.
  • The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. However, 99% if Icelanders can speak English. Danish is also widely spoken.

Water & Weather

  • Water in Iceland is pure. Probably the purest form of water one can find in the planet. It is absolutely true that one can drink water in Iceland straight from the taps or for that matter from any stream, river system etc. Icelanders do not appreciate use of water bottles due to the fragility of their environment. The best thing you can do when travel to Iceland is to carry a bottle if so needed and keep refilling it from any water source you get. Thatโ€™s what we did.
  • Weather in Iceland keeps on changing. If you are travelling in winters, make sure to layer up. Sub zero temperatures feel more than actual due to the chilling high-speed wind that blows. During summers temperatures are warmer but still cold & rain might increase the chill. Hence layering up is the best option when in Iceland.
Geo-thermal springs
Geo-thermal springs

Money/ATMs/Shopping:

  • ATMs in Iceland are conveniently available throughout the island. Technically you wouldnโ€™t need to withdraw currency unless using public transport where you have to pay cash. However, for travellers, using public transport is rare as mostly people self-drive or take guided tours.
  • You donโ€™t need cash in Iceland doesnโ€™t mean you shouldnโ€™t carry at all!!! While all purchases can be done through debit cards/credit cards, there may be times you might need cash. Public washrooms, hot springs, public transport are few places wherein a swipe might not be an option. Hence it is advisable to carry some cash. The best place to withdraw cash would be at the airport. Airport exchange outlets provide better rates compared to Hotels & exchange outlets in the city. Iceland is costly hence you absolutely need to be look for the best exchange rate deal.
  • For every ATM withdrawal, there would be a small fee levied by your local bank hence it is always advisable to withdraw a calculated lumpsum instead of petty transactions.
  • Save your purchase receipts!!! Yep! You heard it right! Iceland offers Tax free shopping for travellers for all shopping done for more than 6000 ISK on one receipt. Which means, you get a refund of the VAT (value added tax) amount levied on your bill. Just make sure to ask for the Tax refund form at the store along with your bill. This Tax refund form along with the purchase receipt has to be submitted in the Tax refund counter at the airport. The refund gets credited within a month or two to the exact mode of purchase.
Travel to Iceland - a cute ATM machine
A cute ATM machine !!

Connectivity:

  • All hotels, hostels, cafes, restaurants, gas stations have Internet connectivity in Iceland. Some provide for free, few at some additional cost, majority included in your stay.
  • All guided tour buses have free Wi-Fi. However, Wi-Fi in cars for self-driving may depend on the package.

Visa:

  • Iceland is a Schengen country hence one needs a Schengen Visa for entry into Iceland
  • Earlier all Visas to Iceland were processed through Embassy of Denmark but starting February 2020, you now have to route your visa application through embassy of Iceland. Schengen Visa application fees has also increased from 60 Euros to 80 Euros with effect from Feb 02, 2020.
  • Its pretty straight forward to get your visa done if all the instructions are precisely followed and all relevant documents are provided. We applied through VFS Global and had our Visa approved within 20 days.
  • VFS Global is an authentic visa outsourcing third party that helps you with your Visa application. The steps for applying are clearly mentioned in their website. On a higher level, we can break down your visa application process into the following steps
Iceland Visa Application

We applied through VFS by ourselves without the help of any agent. The process was quite simple as we followed the detailed process listed out on their website. For any questions we had, we directly called their call centres and had our doubts cleared right away. Since this was our first time getting a Schengen โ€“ we visited the application centre and our process was complete in 1 hour. Their application procedure is extremely streamlined and unless any uncertainties come up, you wouldnโ€™t have to wait for long

#TEE Tip: Keep extra copies of your documents handy always. This is cause for any reason if you need extra copies, VFS charges for xeroxes are quite high. They charge somewhere around 10rs per page per side. Also make sure to carry nothing other than your documents cause your are not allowed to take anything inside other than that folder of yours. Not even your handbags or laptop bags. The application centres do have safety deposits but then again they charge around Rs 100 per hour for the service.

Travellerโ€™s safety Index :

  • Iceland is hands down safe for everyone. In fact, we loved how helpful & friendly people were. It is one of the safest countries in the world with crime almost non-existent. One doesnโ€™t need to think about being robbed there instead need to think about being blown away by a storm. On a serious note, Iceland is very safe!

Getting to Iceland:

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The best way to travel to Iceland is by Air. Daily flights operate from different parts of the world. Most of the flights land at Icelandโ€™s Keflavik International airport that is around 40kms from the capital city of Reykjavik. There are busses, shuttle taxis, private cabs for hire right at the airport to take you to the city. Just get yourself a visa and decide on which flight you want to hop on depending upon the route you want to take, place where you are travelling from, number of layovers etc.

How did we reach Iceland ?

  • There are no direct flights from Bengaluru, India to Iceland. Also, we had to take a dayโ€™s layover at Copenhagen to meet one of our friends. So, we flew from Bengaluru to Copenhagen via Paris and then from Copenhagen to Iceland.

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  • Bengaluru – Paris – Copenhagen – Iceland – We had a 10.5 hours flight from Bengaluru to Paris, 4 hours halt in Paris, another 2 hours flight from Paris to Copenhagen where we stayed at a friendโ€™s house for the night and 3-hour flight from Copenhagen to Iceland the next day.
  • Many a times, multiple layover flights cost lesser than one stop or direct flights. In our case we any way wanted to take a layover at Copenhagen and mostly all flights to Iceland had a layover at Copenhagen, hence we cracked a deal at our own comfort.
Our route - India to Iceland
Our route - India to Iceland

Reaching Iceland by Sea

You can also take a ferry from Denmark that sails 2 days in the north Atlantic ocean through Torshavn & Faroe Islands before reaching Seyรฐisfjรถrรฐur on the east coast of Iceland. But thatโ€™s a different vacation all together !!

Best time for tavel to Iceland:

Travel to Iceland - Summer
Krikjufell in Summers

There is no straight answer to this question. The best time to travel to Iceland totally depends upon the experience that you want. Iceland is a year-round destination that offers different things during different seasons. Your decision to visit Iceland should broadly depend upon the following :

  • Best Time to go sightseeing & adventure activities & whale watching (Mid-June โ€“ August)

The peak of summer is the most visited season in Iceland. Starting Mid-June till August the country blooms with flora & fauna. Beautiful landscapes at your display at its full glory. Temperature is pleasant around 13 โ€“ 15-degree Celsius, longer days with midnight sun, shops are open for long hours, adventure activities such as hiking, horse riding, volcano visits and other outdoor adventures. This is also the best time to see the numerous waterfalls around Iceland & also whale watching. However, you miss out on Northern lights, glacier hiking, snow caves etc for obvious reasons. This is also the most crowded time to be in Iceland as most of the travellers travel to Iceland in summers. Prices are high, hotels and hostels need pre-booking and even the flights are booked in advance.

  • Beginning of the Northern lights season ( September โ€“ November )

As summers bid goodbye, and autumn sets in, a lot of travellers visit Iceland during this time to relax and enjoy the beauty around. The temperature starts falling, its less crowded, you can still go for outdoor adventure activities with a bonus of chasing the Lady aurora herself. The season of hunting the northern lights begin and if youโ€™re lucky you might be in for a treat.

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  • Winter activities & northern lights ( December โ€“ April)

Iceland in winters is Narnia . As far as your eyesight goes itโ€™s all white โ€“ Snow and snow all around. Itโ€™s absolutely another kind of beautiful. We did Iceland during winters in February and we absolutely loved it. The island has very few travellers during this time hence almost no crowd, small group tours, winter activities like snow caving, glacier hiking, skiing and the best of all northern lights, visiting Iceland in winter was not a bad decision at all. However, snow storms, heavy winds, road closure are part of the winter deal. A lot of remote places in Iceland are inaccessible during winters due to extreme weather conditions. Self-driving also becomes difficult. We wanted a budget trip with lady aurora and were okay with white winterland โ€“ hence we decided to go to Iceland in winters.

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  • Spring & early summer (May โ€“ Mid June)

The time when the snow melts. A few showers as well. This is the time when Iceland prepares for its busy summer season when travellers visit from all over the world. With days going longer and melting snow bring your waterproof boots and lot of layers to face the unpredictable weather in Iceland.

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Travelling to Iceland therefore totally depends upon your choice of travel.

Self drive vs Guided tours:

Now this depends on certain things,

  1. Are you travelling in a group?
  2. Are you a confident driver? (and obviously have a driving license)
  3. If travelling in a group, are there people who know driving with whom you can switch positions?
  4. Do you have experience driving in snow/difficult weather conditions/rain/fog etc?
  5. Are you travelling solo?
  6. Do you prefer meeting new people and other travellers?
  7. Do you want to travel around at your own pace?

Self drive:

Travel to Iceland- self drive

Any self-drive tour means flexibility. You can stop wherever you want, as long as you want, take a break whenever you want and is always easier on your pocket. However, rent a car in Iceland only if you are a confident driver & preferably travelling with someone, cause weather in Iceland is unpredictable and experience in driving is a must.

There are a lot of agencies from where you can either just rent a car or book self-drive packages when you travel to Iceland. The difference between two is that renting a car means โ€“ you rent out the car and plan your entire trip on your own. Places to visit, accommodation, insurance everything. While, when you book a self-drive package, the company provides you with a rental car, pre booked accommodation, insurance & a recommended itinerary. Choose as per your budget & preferences.

Itโ€™s always advisable to rent a bigger car as somewhere around the ring road you might want to go off road on gravel paths to explore offbeat hidden places. Thatโ€™s the beauty of road trips, isnโ€™t it? During winters bigger cars are a must as roads are covered in snow and snowstorms are frequent.

We did not take self-drive tour hence do not have an on ground experience with the above companies however, we did our little research while planning Iceland and found these to be highly recommended by many travellers.

Guided Tours:

For folks who do not know driving , prefer travelling in groups & meeting new people from different parts of the world, this is the best option youโ€™ve got.

Guided tours are nothing but a group of people going around fixed places as per the package tour that you chose along with a guide. Sounds rigid but trust us it was really fun. We wanted to self-drive around Iceland but that wasnโ€™t an option as neither of us knew driving then.

Hence, we opted for guided tours. There are several companies that provide various combinations of guided tour packages that you can choose as per the places you want to visit. All you need to do is research on the things you want to see or places you want to visit and look for the tour that covers all of them. Fix a pickup & drop off point and then youโ€™re given a time. The tour guide arrives and Hola the journey starts. Usually the group is around 10 โ€“ 20 people at max, the guide explains everything on the go. You meet new people, make new friends and the journey becomes a lifelong memory.

Guided tours can be either a day tour or multi day tours like two โ€“ day, three โ€“ day, goes up to 9 โ€“ day full ring road tours covering everything around Iceland. We took multiple day tours to maximize the number of things to see. The only draw back we felt for such a model was โ€œtimeโ€. You are given a fixed time at each spot and you need to come back to the group at the end of the given time. We know a major drawback as sometimes we do want to spend more time at certain places. None the less, guided tours are quite comfortable.

Guided tours - Travel to Iceland
Infront of our Arctic Adventure Mini Bus

We booked all our tours with Extreme Iceland and had the best experience ever. They are very polite & professional and help you with all your curious questions round the clock. Very convenient booking & responsive customer care. All major hotels & hostels have direct connect/ tie ups as well with Extreme Iceland. Also to those of you who donโ€™t know, Extreme Iceland & Arctic Adventures are the same company, just that they maintain separate websites, bookings etc.

#TEE Tip: If asked to choose between guided tours & self-drive, even though we couldnโ€™t do it, we would choose self-driving around Iceland as the most important thing that you need while visiting Iceland is “TIME”..ย There is so much to see and so many places to visit that having a car to yourself is so convenient. Also the landscape around can be best enjoyed if you have the liberty to stop and gaze.

Having said that if you travel to Iceland in winters and don’t have much driving experience in snowy conditions, you should opt for Guided Tours as weather can change dramatically in no time.

Places to be in Iceland:

Travel to Iceland
Image Courtesy: Guide to Iceland

Lets divide Iceland into four coasts –

  1. North Iceland
  2. South Iceland
  3. West Iceland
  4. East Iceland

North Iceland:

A perfect mix of urban culture & traditional heritage, North Iceland is comparatively less touristy than the south & west coast. Which means less crowd and more space

  • Hvitserkur :The Drinking Dragon– A 15m high basalt stack offshore in eastern peninsula. The shape of the rock is that of a dragon drinking sea water
  • Godafoss – Iceland & waterfalls are synonyms. There are majestic waterfalls in the entire country, Godafoss being one of them. It falls from around a height of 12 meters & is 30 meters wide.
  • Akureyri – Known as the capital of north, Akureyri is the largest town outside Reykjavik. A perfect blend of urban culture & traditional vibe.
  • Whale watching- Husavik โ€“ Sea conditions & a number of species, north Iceland is one of the best places to spot different species of whales along with other rare animal & bird species. Husavik is often known as the whale watching capital. The humpback whales are the most common species seen in this area.
  • Mรฝvatn Nature Baths โ€“ Soak yourself in the geothermal waters with much less crowd than the blue lagoon.
  • Dimmuborgir โ€“ For the adventure seekers out there, for once who love to explore trails, Dimmuborgir is a massive lava landscape formed 2000 years ago.
Godafoss
Godafoss
Mรฝvatn Nature Baths
Mรฝvatn Nature Baths
Akureyri
Akureyri
Hvitserkur
Hvitserkur

South Iceland:

Dramatic cliffs, stunning landscapes, large glaciers, volcanoes, pretty much a bit of everything. South Iceland ย houses most tourist famous attractions in Iceland.

  • Seljalandsfoss โ€“ One of the most sort after waterfalls in Iceland. Ever heard of walking right behind a waterfall? Visit Seljalandsfoss in summers & get the best view from behind the waterfall.
  • Skogafoss โ€“ Another majestic waterfalls. Falling from an impressive height of 60meters, Skogafoss is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. Stop for a while to spot rainbows.
  • Sรณlheimajรถkull glaciers โ€“ A winter trip to Iceland is incomplete without glacier hike. Get your hiking boots on and take the walk of your life.
  • Plane wreck โ€“ The abandoned US Navy plane that sits on the black sand desert. A dreamy photography location.
  • Reynisfjara โ€“ This one is easily our favourite. Long stretch of dark black sand, dramatic rock formations close to the shore, impressive basalt columns, the black sand beach at Reynisfjara was a dream come true.
  • Jรถkulsรกrlรณn Glacier lagoon โ€“ The largest glacier in the country, Jokulsarlon is a glacier lagoon located at the southern end of the vatnajokull glacier. Icebergs float on the lagoon giving it an out worldly feel.
  • Diamond Beach โ€“ Not very far from Jokulsarlon, Diamond beach is a must visit when travelling south. Chunks of glacier ice washed to the shore like crystals gives it the name โ€“ Diamond.
Solheimajokull Glacier Hike
Solheimajokull Glacier Hike
Reynisfjara - Black Sand Beach
Reynisfjara - Black Sand Beach
Jรถkulsรกrlรณn Glacier lagoon
Jรถkulsรกrlรณn Glacier lagoon
Skogafoss
Skogafoss

East Iceland:

The offbeat trail on the ring road, east Iceland is not much explored yet. In a way its good, less commercialization. But for travellers who want peaceful harmony with nature, east is the place to be. Those who fly to Iceland, arrive at Keflavik International airport at west Iceland while those who choose the sea route, arrive at a small fishing town of Seyรฐisfjรถrรฐur.

  • Skaftafell National Park โ€“ Heaven for hikers. A number of trails to beautiful waterfalls, glaciers, mountain peaks. Camp there to get the best experience.
  • Seydisfjordur – Colourful wooden houses, snow capped mountains, waterfalls around โ€“ One of the most beautiful towns in the Eastfjords, it is famous amidst musicians & artists.
  • Hengifoss Waterfall โ€“ You can never be done with waterfalls in Iceland. Each beautiful in its own charming way. For those who love some easy adventure, an hour walk takes you to this 120 meters high waterfall. Surrounded by red basaltic layers, this waterfall has a rustic charm.
  • Hallormsstaรฐur National Forest โ€“ Icelandโ€™s largest forest can be an awesome camping spot. The forest has numerous marked trails, picnic spots, camp sites & a hotel.
  • Studlagil Canyon โ€“ Easily one of the most interesting & beautiful basalt columns in the country. The cliff like formations over turquoise blue river gives you an out worldly feeling.
Hengifoss Waterfall
Hengifoss Waterfall
Seydisfjordur
Seydisfjordur

West Iceland:

Not very far from Reykjavik, west Iceland is bundle of surprises. The best of the surprises being lava caves, volcanic craters, quiet fishing towns, horse farms & hidden geothermal springs.

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  • Langjรถkull Glacier โ€“ The Ice Cave โ€“ Any winter Iceland trip is incomplete without an Ice cave visit. Langjรถkull is Europeโ€™s second largest glacier that houses beautiful Ice caves during winters. The thrill of looking at the glacier from inside is beyond words.
  • Kirkjufellโ€“ Remember the arrowhead mountain from the Game of thrones? Yes, my dear friends, thatโ€™s Kirkjufell. Often sited as one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland.
  • Barnafoss โ€“ The bluest waterfall we saw in Iceland. Barnafoss was the definition of turquoise for us.
  • Vatnshellir Lava Cave โ€“ Your very own journey to the centre of the earth. The lava cave goes down 35 metre below the surface in the 8000year old Vatnshellir Cave. Spiral staircases and gravel path take you deep inside. A unique experience for sure.
  • Budir Church โ€“ An isolated picturesque black church in the snaefelsness peninsula. An awesome photography location.
Our Iceland expense for two
Travel to Iceland
Kirkjufel, travel to Iceland
Black Church

There is a lot, and we repeatย  A LOT to see in Iceland. It’s impossible to cover all of Iceland in a weekโ€™s time. If you want to cover all the four coasts, two week is a bare minimum. ย With all its natural wonders & various activities, this country has so much to offer.

We just mentioned a few spots we thought are interesting for your travel to Iceland, However, a detailed research is a must before going to Iceland depending upon the season you want to go in and the places you want to see.ย 

For example,

If whale watching is your thing, North Iceland is a must.

If most scenic mountains & Waterfalls is what you want, plan extensive South Iceland,

Adventure seekers would want to spend more time in West Iceland and so on & so forth.

We traveled to Iceland during winter & covered the West & Southern peninsula. We would definitely want to go back in summers for a longer duration.

Our Itinerary:

Our Iceland tour was a short one. 5 days in total. Not at all enough to cover the best of Iceland. However, for numerous reasons we could plan only a 5-day tour in which we tried to squeeze in the best of the South & West Iceland.

We researched a lot of places & things to see in Iceland & jotted down a list of places we absolutely did not want to miss. Reading the final list of such places made us realize that itโ€™s the south & the west coast that we need to cover. We therefore booked guided tours that covered all our preferred places.

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Below is a summary of our 5-day Iceland Itinerary โ€“

Day

Places/Activities

One

ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Arrive at the Reykjavik, Iceland in the afternoon

ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Northern Lights Tour in the night

Two

ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Golden Circle Full Day Tour

Three

&

Four

ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย  2-day Snaefellsnes Peninsulaย Tour including Lava Cave and horse farm; (Stay and day 2 breakfast included)

Five

ยทย ย ย ย ย ย ย  South Coast Full Day Tour

We had originally booked a 2-day Tour of the south coast & One full day tour of the west coast. However due to heavy storm the night before our tour date, our 2-day south coast tour was cancelled. To compensate we were offered either a full refund or instead of 2 -day south, a 2-day west coast tour. Since we had time constraint, we opted for the 2-day west coast & later instead of a full day west coast tour as per our original plan, we went for a full day south coast tour.

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Read our blog Our All Inclusive Iceland Expense for two to know how much we spent on our Iceland trip.

All our tours were booked through Extreme Iceland. One of the best companies to book your Iceland experience with.

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#TEE Tip: If possible, keep an extra day in hand if you have time when travelling in winters. Weather in Iceland is absolutely unpredictable and hence if you miss out on anything due to bad weather, having an extra day in hand helps.

Travel to Iceland -Barnafoss
Barnafoss
Sun Voyager, Reykjavik
Sun Voyager, Reykjavik
Hallgrimskirkja
Hallgrimskirkja

What to pack when travelling to Iceland:

Clothes & Footwear

During summers โ€“

Even during summers Iceland is not hot. Its pleasantly cold, windy & rainy. Make sure to carry the following in case you plan to travel to Iceland during summers :

  • A travel Hoodie or a jacket โ€“ For Colder nights & windy mornings.ย We have bought this and it was just perfect
  • Waterproof jacket/ rain poncho โ€“ Its aint a surprise that warmer months in Iceland witness good rain showers, do not forget to carry a waterproof jacket or a raincoat.ย This one is our favourite
  • Swim wear โ€“ Iceland & its geothermal hot springs are a no brainer. If you want to indulge in these heavenly goodness, get yourself a swimsuit.
  • Waterproof hiking shoes โ€“ Summer means there will be a lot of hiking and trekking around. Make sure to get appropriate hiking shoes preferably waterproof as trails can be rocky & wet. Here is the one we used and lovedย Here is the one we used and loved

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During Winters โ€“

Winters in Iceland is crazy. Sub Zero temperatures, snow fall, snowstorms are the usual. Therefore, appropriate packing is an important task. Make sure to bring with you the following while travelling to Iceland during winters.

  • Wind & waterproof winter jackets โ€“ Either buy a light shell jacket to combat wind & snow & then layer up with thermals, fleece & pullovers OR get a heavy wind & waterproof winter jacket and layer up with thermals. Whatever you buy, layering up is important. We had three layers on from top to bottom and still were feeling cold. The reason being the wind speed. Iceland in winters is very windy which makes the sub-zero temperatures even more challenging to bear.ย This one from Quecha is must.ย ย You should also have this set of thermals
  • Gloves โ€“ Normal gloves wouldnโ€™t work in Iceland. The windchill makes your palm numb if not wearing gloves. And even if wearing gloves, make sure to get yourself proper winter gloves to combat the Icelandic winters.
  • Scarf โ€“ Has to be woollen to wrap around your neck. If youโ€™re wearing a high neck and your jacket has a hoodie, a scarf might not be required then. However, if you are not wearing a high neck you need a scarf to cover up. The basic point is that the wind is so chilling that any part of your body exposed can make the chill run down your spine. Hence the thumb rule is to keep your self-covered as much as possible.ย This one should be enough
  • Waterproof Shoes or Boots โ€“ Its likely that it will be snowing every now & then, it is therefore advisable to wear waterproof shoe that has a good grip or boots. Here is the one we used and loved
  • Swimming Clothes โ€“ Yes you read it right, probably the only item to be packed for both winters & summers for the same reason โ€“ The geothermal pools. The temperature in such pools are controlled hence a swimming suit is a must if you plan to visit such pools.
Travel to Iceland
Winter layering

Miscellaneous

Irrespective of when youโ€™re travelling to Iceland, the below list of items will help you be prepared for a better Iceland experience.

  • Chargers โ€“ The Plugs in Iceland are Type F. Buy a universal adapter for your phones.ย You can buy this one.
  • Reusable water bottles โ€“ One of the most interesting facts about Iceland is that water in Iceland is in abundance and pure. So pure that the tap water is drinkable. Icelanders promote eco travel and always recommend travellers not to buy water bottles instead refill using water flowing from any resource. Even flowing streams are pure enough.
  • Spare batteries โ€“ If youโ€™re traveling to Iceland in winters, make sure to bring spare batteries for your camera if any. The extreme cold makes the batteries die out soon. Hence extras are important. Also, do not take out your battery from your camera while not in use. It drains out faster if kept outside.
  • Day Pack โ€“ Get yourself a small day pack to keep all your usual carry on stuff like phone, glasses, wallet etc. There is a lot of walking, hiking, climbing involved hence a compact day pack can be a good idea.ย This one can be a good option
  • Sunscreen โ€“ When the sun is bright, a sunscreen is a must in Iceland. Since there is no pollution in the atmosphere, the sun rays can be more dangerous than it seems.ย This one from Neutrogena is our favourite

What to eat:

Okay!! So, before we dig onto what to eat in Iceland, know that Iceland is expensive, and Food is no exception. Since we were on a backpacking trip, we had stocked grocery items from a supermarket and cooked our own simple food in our hostel. Came a lot cheaper on our pockets. However, we did explore the local street food outside, ate few and researched others.

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Here are few Icelandic food items that you should give a try :

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  • Hot Dogs โ€“ If youโ€™re in Reykjavik, close your eyes and visit Bรฆjarins Beztu Pylsur for an authentic street style Icelandic hot dog. Its right in the middle of downtown Reykjavik.The best hot dogs in town for sure.
The famous hot dog joint
The famous hot dog joint
  • Skyr โ€“ An authentic Icelandic Dairy product. Tastes like a cheesy yogurt.
  • Lamb โ€“ An Icelandic platter is incomplete without Lamb. Lamb is served in various ways in Iceland. Try Lamb stew if you like your lamb tender & creamy.
  • Ice Cream โ€“ Visit Valdis โ€“ An Ice cream store that serves amazing flavours of Ice cream. Try the black lava Ice cream.
Travel to Iceland- Valdis icecream
  • Fermented Shark โ€“ A century old Icelandic cuisine. Sharks fermented using vinegar and coated with various ingredients. Might not be your favourite but worth a try.
  • Rye Bread & Butter โ€“ This was our go to delicacy. An Icelandic Staple, the bread is buried in underground pots next to bubbling geyser and is cooked using the steam. It tastes more like a cake and is served with a variety of things. Our favourite was the simple Bread & butter combination.
  • Fish & Chips โ€“ This deserves a special mentioned as we loved the fish & chips that we had outside the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church in downtown Reykjavik. Just beside the church a small outlet serves the yummiest of the fish & Chips.
Fish & chips store
Fish & chips store
Rye Bread & Butter
Rye Bread & Butter

Where to stay in Iceland:

There are numerous options to stay in and around Iceland. Your choice of stay will depend upon the kind of experience you want and the how much you want to spend. There are up scale hotels, Air Bnbs, Hostels, camping sites, service apartments and hotels all available at different prices.

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Since ours was a backpacking trip and we were very tight on budget, we opted for a Hostel and booked two beds in a dormitory. We any way love staying in hostels. Not only they are super pocket friendly but also is an opportunity to meet new people from different parts of the world.

Throughout our stay in Iceland we stayed at the Hlemmur Square Hostel. One of the best hostels in downtown Reykjavik. The hostel is super clean, dorms are spacious, is right in the heart of the city and everything is at a walkable distance from the hostel. All our tour pick ups were just outside the hostel which made it all the more convenient. There was one supermarket right outside the hostel and a couple of others within a Km, so we had brought groceries and cooked our own food in the Hostel kitchen. All in one the stay in Iceland itself was a memorable experience.

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However, if youโ€™re on a self-drive tour around Iceland, you might need to check on your staying option in places you decide to stop. There are a lot of options available on the internet and a basic research should get you a decent stay for a decent price.

Hlemmur Square, Iceland
Hlemmur Square, Iceland
Hlemmur Square, Iceland
Hlemmur Square, Iceland

Things everyone should know before travelling to Iceland:

There are few miscellaneous things that we thought we should share to make your Iceland experience more comfortable & memorable & most importantly make the planning more convenient.

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  1. Flybus โ€“ The best way to reach Reykjavik, if you are not opting for self-driving around Iceland and hence do not have a car, is to book yourself with Flybus. The most frequent bus service connecting airport & the capital city of Reykjavik. The buses ply at night as well hence making the commute very easy.
  2. BSI Bus terminal โ€“ To all the travellers planning to visit Iceland, BSI Bus terminal is the main bus station in Iceland. All buses arrive/depart at this station. Flybus also drops you here if you chose your drop of point as BSI. If you have chosen your drop off point as your respective hotel/hostel, a second bus will pick you up from BSI and drop you off at your desired location.
  3. Supermarkets โ€“ 10/11, Bonus, Kronan & Netto are the major supermarket chains in Iceland. Out of the four, Bonus is the cheapest of all. You can find a bonus store every corner of Iceland.
  4. Stocking up food โ€“ if you plan to travel to Iceland with backpacks like us, the best advise that we can give you would be to stock up food. Buy grocery items from Bonus & cook your own food. Trust is we lived in a hostel and cooked our own food in the hostel kitchen. It costed us way less than the meals outside.
  5. Shopping โ€“ You will find a number of souvenir stores in every corner of Iceland. Every gas station, every tourist spot will have a souvenir store. However, we bought our souvenirs from Iceland Everywhere and found the price there comparatively less. Make sure to collect a bill always in order to avail the tax refund. As mentioned in the beginning of this blog, Iceland offers Tax free shopping for travellers for all shopping done for more than 6000 ISK on one receipt. Which means, you get a refund of the VAT (value added tax) amount levied on your bill. Just make sure to ask for the Tax refund form at the store along with your bill. This Tax refund form along with the purchase receipt has to be submitted in the Tax refund counter at the airport. The refund gets credited within a month or two to the exact mode of purchase.
  6. Timing โ€“ This is during winters โ€“ Almost every shop closes by 6pm during winters. Supermarkets such as Bonus closes at 5pm. Only shops like 10-11 remain open but the prices here are way too much. Therefore, plan your purchases accordingly.
Travel to Iceland - memories
Souvenirs from Iceland

Finally,

Iceland was our dream trip. One of our most treasured bucket list destinations. To be able to tick it off was our best travel memory. Even though we couldnโ€™t spend more time, we loved every bit of our time from the land of fire & ice. Right from landing at Keflavik International airport till bidding goodbye, our travel to Iceland was in one word โ€“ Mesmerizing !!

Want us to help you plan Iceland? We would love to!!!

Read here how we can help you get the best planning done !!

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The Exploring Eyes

To him it is his oxygen, to her it is the way of living. Travelling has helped us evolve so much as a person, giving us an entirely different perspective to see the world!

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[…] our blogย Ultimate Guide to Iceland ย to know everything about planning a trip of […]

Sanjay Sharma
4 years ago

I have gone through many blog but never came across a blog with so much details. Whenever gonna travel to Iceland will surly refer this blog form hotel to tour guide to etc. You people are doing a great job. Keep Traveling and Keep Inspiring.

Rajni & Yogesh
4 years ago

Wow, such a detailed post. We’ve bookmarked this article. Definitely going to check once we plan our visit to this beautiful post. Kudos for coming up with such an informative post ๐Ÿ™‚

Arnav Mathur
4 years ago

This is quite the blog on Iceland. Full marks, for penning down all possible pieces of information related to travelling to Iceland. From what i’ve read, it’s recommended to spend a minimum of 1 week in Iceland. Did you feel that you left out some Must Do’s because you had just 5 days on hand?

Diving between both the continent places has been on my bucket list for ages literally. Hoping to tick it off soon.

The Exploring Eyes
4 years ago
Reply to  Arnav Mathur

right Arnav, it is important to have buffer days as our trip to Ice cave and Glacier lagoon got cancelled due to bad weather.
Diving between two continents can be great fun, however we didn’t have the courage to do it in peak winter ๐Ÿ˜€

Zenia Dabreo
4 years ago

Iceland is my dream too! Reading this extensive and detailed blog made me travel virtually for now. This is going to be my only go-to whenever I plan Iceland! Thank you guys, the info here is precious ๐Ÿ˜‡

The Exploring Eyes
4 years ago
Reply to  Zenia Dabreo

thanks a lot Zenia, glad that you found it helpful

Avantika Chaturvedi
4 years ago

Such a well written and detailed article! Seemd to be truly all you need to know about visiting this paradisiacal country! I hope it comes handy for me sometime soon ๐Ÿ™‚

The Exploring Eyes
4 years ago

thanks Avantika and we also hope this guide will help you plan Iceland soon ๐Ÿ˜€

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[…] – Iceland. While we were completely occupied with planning the perfect Iceland trip Travel to Iceland โ€“ all you need to know, little did we know the best surprise was waiting for us at Copenhagen which was our 2-day stopover […]

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[…] Planning a trip to the land of fire and ice? Here is the ultimate guideย  All you need to know to plan a trip to Iceland […]

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[…] was undoubtedly the best decision we made in 2022. We knew we will love it specially after our time in Iceland, just before the pandemic. After we spent three unforgettable nights in arctic wonderland of […]

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