Iceland….the place where every photo looks like a postcard. There is SO much to do in Iceland, I couldn’t possibly fit it all of the Iceland travel information into one post. This post will focus on the areas in the southern part of Iceland along the coast. I’ll give you as much Iceland travel information as I possibly can so you don’t have to look for hours and hours to figure out what to do! For my top 10 list of things to do right in and around Reykjavik, read my other post!

TRAVELING TO ICELAND

We traveled Icelandair, and we flew from Newark to Keflavik. The flight was 5 hours, maybe less, and Icelandair was great! The crew was great, the plane was nice and comfy – leg room seemed slightly better than usual. Even better, they put on a Northern Lights Show for us while we were flying!! We definitely wanted to see the real northern lights, but we appreciated the effort they made! Round trip, it was about $500 per person in early March of 2017. I highly recommend Icelandair if you plan on traveling to Iceland. Flying into Keflavik was easy – the airport is on the smaller side, but it also was nice and clean, and everyone there is quite friendly.

ICELAND ACCOMMODATIONS

As I was researching before we left for Iceland, I was trying to find hotels in Reykjavik, or an Airbnb, and then we were going to rent a car so we could travel around. Since we wanted to travel around the country on our own and not take tours, that also would have meant planning a bunch of hotels or hostels in advance (or just chancing it once we got in the area), which can get kind of difficult to organize. While I was researching, a bunch of ads for campervans popped up, so I figured I would check it out. It never even occurred to me that we could rent something that we could sleep in AND drive around in. We had never stayed in a campervan before and it just wasn’t on my radar at all.

Logistically, it was very easy. We were picked up from the airport and brought to the office – it was about 30 minutes from the airport. We signed some papers, were given the van, and took off on our own within about 30 minutes from arriving at the office. At the end of our stay, we dropped the van off at the airport, which was super convenient. In total, we paid about $1500 for 8 nights. Then there’s gas, but it wasn’t too bad. I would estimate that we paid around $300 for gas, and we drove somewhere around 3000 miles.

Iceland is beautiful – no matter where you stay or what you do, it will be amazing. However….renting this campervan is what seriously made this trip phenomenal. I can’t stress it enough. If you want to travel around the country and have a car, but you don’t want to plan everything out months in advance, GET A CAMPERVAN! There are tons of companies that rent out campervans in Iceland – we used Kukucamper, but more on that later.

We rented the most basic, smallest van we could find, and it was perfect for us. There was plenty of storage, it was warm, the heater was amazing, and honestly, the mattress we slept on wasn’t too bad. We also had sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets. Also, don’t worry, the heat works even when the car is off – the battery charges as you drive, so as long as you drive a couple hours each day, you’ll be fine at night for at least 8 or 9 hours (probably more). It worked so well that even though it was below freezing outside at night, I was almost too hot in the van! Everything we needed was provided (for a cost, of course) – pots and pans to cook with, cups, plasticware, a burner, plates/bowls, and also cleaning supplies for the plasticware.

Everything about the campervan was great. There are campsites all over the country where you can park your campervan and use the facilities – bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, etc – for a pretty reasonable price. The most expensive one we visited was right in Reykjavik, where everything is a bit more expensive, and I that was $20 per person, per night. That one definitely could get expensive, but when comparing it to hotel or airbnb prices, it seems pretty fair.

One of the hostels a little bit farther out of town (in Laugarvatn) lets you park in their parking lot and pay $10 per night to use all of their facilities, and they were clean and incredibly well kept. Seriously…if you can’t tell, I highly recommend booking a campervan for your trip to Iceland! There are bigger campervans available if you are traveling with family or more people.

There’s so much more that I could say and so many tips I can give about a campervan vacation, but I will have to save that for a separate post. All you really need to know is you should rent a campervan!

You can travel where you want whenever you want, you can cook in your van, you can boil water and make coffee in your van, you can sleep in your van, you can do whatever you want if you have a campervan! The convenience is unparalleled, and it made our Iceland trip feel like quite the adventure!

If you don’t want to stay in a van (I get it, not everyone does), there are plenty of hostels and hotels in and around Reykjavik. There’s also more Aribnb listings than you will ever need, so you have plenty of options. If you do stay in a hotel or an Airbnb, I recommend renting a car. Yes, you can pay for tours where a bus will come pick you up and drive you to all of the attractions, but I find that to be inconvenient and way less fun than traveling on my own. Honestly, you will probably spend as much on tours as you would renting a car and then doing some of the stuff on your own. Another thing to note – there is no Uber or Lyft in Iceland, only taxis.

There are some places where the only way to visit is with a tour, so obviously that’s a different situation. The other thing I would highly suggest is rent an Airbnb or a hotel with a kitchen. Restaurants in Iceland are EXPENSIVE. If your plan is to go out to eat everyday, you will spend so. much. money. Make sure you have somewhere that you can cook at least some of your own meals to try to save a little bit of money. Before we went to Iceland, we were told that everything was very expensive. This was not an exaggeration. I was surprised how expensive everything was, so having a place where we could make our own food ended up being very important for us.

THINGS TO DO IN ICELAND

THE BLUE LAGOON

The Blue Lagoon is an absolute must. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa, and it is absolutely amazing. When I was researching Iceland travel information before our trip, I read a lot about the Blue Lagoon and if it was worth the money. I will tell you right now – it is worth the money. The Blue Lagoon is one of the most beautiful, unique places I’ve ever been, and it’s just magical. There are other geothermal spas around Iceland that are cheaper, and there are free geothermal springs that you can bathe in, but the experience at Blue Lagoon is something that should not be missed.

Everything about it is just beautiful. The water is amazing. The area around the water is amazing. The locker rooms and the shampoo and conditioner and face cream is amazing. Basically….I think the Blue Lagoon is amazing, in case you couldn’t tell.

When you arrive, you will go to the locker room area, where you will need to shower – without a bathing suit – before you can enter the spa. Yes, the showers are open – there are no stalls – but trust me when I say that no one there cares about you. Everyone is there to experience The Blue Lagoon, and no one is concerned with how you look naked. I promise!

THE BLUE LAGOON - PHOTO TAKEN BY DANIELE - @TRAVELING_ONMYOWN — THE BLUE LAGOON – PHOTO TAKEN BY DANIELE – @TRAVELING_ONMYOWN

Quick Tip: Leave conditioner in your hair after the shower when you enter the Blue Lagoon – the water in the lagoon dried my hair out and made it feel like straw for a day or two – leaving in conditioner definitely helps (I tried it at the next geothermal spa).

At the Blue Lagoon, you can do a number of things. You can get an in-water massage, enjoy the sauna and steam room, swim up to the mask bar, or enjoy a drink at the swim-up bar (first drink was free!)

There’s also an actual resort you can stay at as well as a restaurant – we didn’t do either of those things because the prices were way out of our price range.

The price of entering the Blue Lagoon changes depending on what time of day you go and which package you choose, but it’s anywhere from $69 to $129. Book tickets in advance – time slots sell out, so if you wait until the last minute, you may not be able to go. You book for a certain time, and then once you get there, you can stay until it closes.

If you’re planning a trip to Iceland and you’re wondering if the Blue Lagoon is worth the money – IT IS. The other geothermal spas are really cool also, but the experience at the lagoon is unlike any of the other spas – you’ll see what I mean when you go. I still recommend going to the other ones (keep reading), but if you have to pick one, pick the Blue Lagoon.

Also – yes, it is cold when you enter and get out of the water, so go quickly!

I could say SO much more about the Blue Lagoon, but I’ll do that in another post…if there’s one thing you take away from reading this, it should be – GO TO THE BLUE LAGOON. I recommend going right as you’re arriving in Iceland – it’s close to the airport, so it’s convenient to go from there.

THE OTHER GEOTHERMAL SPAS AND MORE ICELAND TRAVEL INFORMATION

THE SECRET LAGOON

The Secret Lagoon is another geothermal spa where you can enjoy a drink and stay warm in the cold land of Iceland! While I have no complaints about the Secret Lagoon, it doesn’t even compare to my experience at The Blue Lagoon. Experiencing the Blue Lagoon was like staying at a 5 star resort, and going to the Secret Lagoon was like staying at a nice, clean 2 and a half star hotel.

The Secret Lagoon is located in Fludir, about an hour and 25 minutes outside of Reykjavik, and about 25 minutes from Geysir. A visit to the Secret Lagoon would be a pretty good way to end your Golden Circle day.

The Secret Lagoon is similar to the Blue Lagoon in theory, but the Secret Lagoon doesn’t quite have the luxurious feel that the Blue Lagoon has. That being said, The Secret Lagoon also doesn’t have the luxurious price-tag that the Blue Lagoon has.

Don’t get me wrong – I loved the Secret Lagoon, and I recommend going there. It’s simpler, more laid-back, and was a really nice way to relax. The water is warm and a very nice color, it didn’t feel crowded, and they even had the floating noodles you could use!

Instead of a swim-up bar, you purchase your drink inside and just bring it out with you. Practically speaking, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. Also keep in mind that the price to enter the Secret Lagoon is substantially less – it is $28 per person.

Same deal at all the spas – you must shower before you can enter the lagoon. Again, there aren’t separate shower stalls, but I promise no one cares. Everyone is there to enjoy the Secret Lagoon, not look at you!

You should book ahead here as well if possible, but I don’t think you need to book as far ahead as you do for the Blue Lagoon. When we went, it was kind of last minute, and we had no problem just walking up and buying tickets.

The area around the actual lagoon is pretty awesome – there’s boiling mud pits and little geysirs everywhere!

LAUGARVATN FONTANA

Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Bath was also awesome. As you sit in the nice, warm water, you look out over the lake and can watch an amazing sunset. Laugarvatn Fontana is a little more than an hour outside Reykjavik and 25 minutes from Geysir.

When it’s warmer out, people often go back and forth from the thermal bath to the cold lake! There were multiple smaller pools/hot tubs here, as oppose to just one large pool like at the Secret Lagoon. It also didn’t feel crowded even though it isn’t that large.

You should try to book ahead, especially in the busy season. We went in early March, which is right before the tourist season takes off, so we didn’t have a problem getting tickets last minute. I imagine that it may be more crowded once April starts to roll around.

Less expensive than the Blue Lagoon, but more expensive than the Secret Lagoon, the entrance fee is $38 per person (adults); children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.

I would say that this geothermal spa is more like a 3 and a half star hotel, maybe 4 – felt more luxurious than The Secret Lagoon, but again, not quite up to par with the Blue Lagoon.

Final tip on geothermal spas: If you can only pick one, GO TO THE BLUE LAGOON if you can afford it. If you don’t have the money for Blue Lagoon, Secret Lagoon or Laugarvatn Fontana are both solid choices and will be wonderful experiences.

Our time at all of the geothermal spas was well spent – there was nothing wrong with any of them, they were just different. No matter what, you’re outside, swimming in naturally heated water in the middle of Iceland, and it’s pretty darn awesome. This would be another good spot to end your Golden Circle day.

SO. MANY. WATERFALLS. (AND MORE ICELAND TRAVEL INFORMATION)

OXARAFOSS

One of the smaller waterfalls in Iceland that is definitely worth seeing – this was my favorite of the ones we were able to see. I think part of why it looked so cool was because it was frozen, though I’m sure it’s beautiful regardless…it just felt magical to me, in a different way than Gulfoss and the other waterfalls.

Oxarafoss is located in Þingvellir National Park, so this is another good sight to see on your Golden Circle day. Once you park, it’s about a 15 minute walk to the waterfall. You do have to pay for parking, but there is no entrance fee to see the park and the waterfall. If you go in the winter months like we did (apparently March is still winter in Iceland), dress warm and wear good shoes! The trail can get very slippery.

SKOGAFOSS

I saw more waterfalls in Iceland than I’ve seen in my entire life! Skogafoss is another great waterfall – we saw an amazing rainbow the entire time we were there! From all the reading I’ve done, it sounds like you can almost always see the rainbow if a little bit of sun is out! Skogafoss is along the ring road, so it’s very easy to get to – it’s about 2 hours outside of Reykjavik. Once you park, it’s about a 45 second walk to the actual waterfall, so it’s easy for most people to get to.

When the weather is better, you can walk up the stairs (there’s a lot of them) and see the waterfall from the top. From there, you can also walk along the river and see other smaller waterfalls. As you can see by the picture of the frozen stairs, that wasn’t really an option for us!

SELJALANDSFOSS

Another waterfall you should go see! Seljalandsfoss. This is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland, and you’ll see why once you get there. The waterfall is amazing to see from the front, but you can take a path behind the waterfall, which I hear is absolutely amazing (unfortunately this path closes in the winter when it’s too icy and slippery, so we didn’t get a chance to see it!). Make sure you bring a raincoat and/or a change of clothes, because you will definitely get wet if you go see the waterfall from behind. You can reach this waterfall from the ring road, so it’s easy to get to.

Seljalandsfoss is about an hour and a half drive from Reykjavik, so it’s definitely possible to do a day trip and see a bunch of the sights surrounding Reykjavik.

Seljalandsfoss – Photo taken by eric @euphoric_penguin

SELJAVALLALAUG

When I was researching Iceland travel information, this wasn’t the most popular thing, so we figured we would get there if we had time. But let me say – this was one of the coolest places we saw in Iceland! It’s maybe the oldest swimming pool in Iceland…It’s man-made basically into the side of a mountain, and has warm water flowing into it. When we went, it was quite cold, so we couldn’t bring ourselves to get changed and get in – the water wasn’t quite warm enough for that, in my opinion. That didn’t stop people from swimming, though!

It’s a bit of a hike once you park – it took us at least 30 minutes to walk there, and we had to walk across quite a few rocks and unpaved paths, as well as cross a small river – it wasn’t difficult, but could be harder for young children or older adults. It was definitely worth the walk, even though we didn’t actually swim.

The changing rooms weren’t the cleanest, but they would do the job if you actually wanted to change and go swimming.

SOLHEIMASANDUR PLANE CRASH

This. Was. Awesome. You have to make the trek to see the plane crash. I admit, I have a weird fascination with plane crashes. I’m terrified of planes, but going to see this plane crashed on a black sand beach in Iceland was at the top of my list. The US Navy DC-3 crash landed here in 1973. It was never cleaned up or moved in an way, so since 1973, the plane has been sitting there. Given the weather and elements in Iceland, and the fact that it crash landed, it’s in surprisingly good condition

It has unsurprisingly become quite the tourist attraction. The plane crash is located in Vik, which is a little more than 2 hours outside of Reykjavik.

Try to go when the weather is nice – it was at least a 45 minute walk each way. Also just keep in mind that the weather seriously does change every 5 or 10 minutes in Iceland – it can be sunny with no wind at all, and 5 minutes later, there could be a wind or a snow storm. Just make sure you’re safe when you take the trip. Bring your cellphone, bring some water, and bring snacks. Make sure you’re ewaring good walking shoes!

On our way back, it was SO WINDY I honestly didn’t think I could make it back. My legs hurt and I was so exhausted – and I’m in decent shape. Seriously. It was hard!

DYRHOLAEY

Dyrholaey is an amazing black sand beach that you should definitely go see while in Iceland. It is located very close to Vik, which is a little more than 2 hours outside of Reykjavik. You’ll see some very cool rock formations – the famous arch with the hole in it.

Dyrholaey is also known for its population of puffins! Unfortunately, the Puffins hadn’t come to Dyrholaey in early March, so we didn’t get to see any. But in the summer, many thousands of of Puffins show up at Dyrholaey!

You can reach Dyrholaey from the Ring Road, so it’s easy to get to.

Dyrholaey – Photo taken by eric @euphoric_penguin

VATNAJOKULL

Vatnajokull Glacier is the largest glacier in Europe – it covers 8% of Iceland’s land mass! Also along the ring road, Vatnajokull is easily accessible. It was pretty amazing.

There are so many things you can do at Vatnajokull – depending on the weather. You can explore an ice cave, you can go glacier hiking, or even take a boat ride through the glacial waters.

VATNAJOKULL – Photo taken by eric @euphoric_penguin

While I generally try to avoid taking tours, the activities listed above can only be done with through a tour. These activities also can only take place is the weather permits, so it’s also about being lucky and having the weather cooperate with you while you’re visiting!

JOKULSARLON GLACIER

Similar to Vatnajokull, there’s a lot to do at Jokulsarlon. Even if you don’t plan on doing any tours, it’s definitely worth seeing. The beautiful blue of the water and the icebergs is absolutely awesome.

You can take a tour through an ice cave, take a boat ride through the glacial waters, hike across the glacier, or go there later at night and try to catch the northern lights over the glacier!

Again, the tours are all going to be weather dependent, and if they can’t be operated safely, they will be cancelled. We were unable to do any of the tours at Jokulsarlon because the weather wasn’t great when we were there, but it’s absolutely beautiful to see and I highly recommend checking it out.

There is so much Iceland travel information (and we didn’t even get to see the entire country) that it doesn’t even fit in one post! See my other post for my top 10 list of things to do right in and around Reykjavik.

See the interactive map below for some of the main attractions in Iceland – some of them we visited and I talked about in this post and my other post – some of them we didn’t get a chance to visit, but they are very popular and we would have gone if we had time/had the weather permitted!