Visiting Iceland is like exploring a different planet

We’ve wanted to go to Iceland for a long time, expectations were high, and it blew us away!

When were we there
10 days, August 2 – August 11

Where did we go
✈️ Flight from Berlin to Reykjavik
It’s easy to do a stop in Iceland if you are going from the US to Europe!
🏨 27 Soley Apartments
🚗 Drove the Golden Circle
The most common drive people do if they are only in Iceland for 2-3 days.
🚗 Drove to Hvolsvollur
🏡 Airbnb in Hvolsvollur
🚗 Drove to Vik
🏨 Iceland Air Hotel Vik
Incredible hotel. Very modern, beautiful, great views
🚗 Drove to Egilsstadir
🏡 Airbnb in Egilsstadir
🚗 Drove to Akureyri
🏨 Lava Apartments in Akureyri
🚗 Drove to Keflavik
🏨 Hotel Keflavik by the Airport

Highlights

Really, really great food everywhere
Drinking lots of Viking Beer (Einstock white ale)
Blue Lagoon
Amazing restaurants and bars in Reykjavik
Thingvellir National Park
Lunch at Fridheimar vegetable farm, fresh tomatoes!
Gullfoss Waterfall
Geyser
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, cool waterfall you can walk behind
Lunch at Gamla Fjosid Cow Farm, freshest burger ever
Skogafoss Waterfall
Sólheimasandur airplane wreckage!! Must do.
Black sand beaches in Vik
Basalt sea stacks
Eldhraun Lava Fields
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
Small town of Seydisfjordur, church with a rainbow path
Pizza at Bistro Skaftfell
Dettifoss Waterfall (visit it from both sides)
Selfoss waterfall
Krafla power plant, walking around a lava field
Námafjall mud pools
Godafoss Waterfall
Pub crawl in Akureyri
Horseback riding

Seeing Iceland is pretty easy: you rent a car, drive around the country on the one main road (the ring road), and you see as much as you can along the way. There are volcanos, waterfalls, glaciers, and a ton of other amazing things to explore.

If you go for 2-3 days, you can stay in Reykjavik and do the Golden Circle, a one day driving tour. If you have 10 days or more, you can take the ring road around the entire country. Do this. The further away you get from Reykjavik, the fewer tourists you see.

We did 10 days in Iceland, staying in 5 different cities in the country. Every single day was a new, jaw dropping adventure. Some random notes:

The main ring road is great. Paved and easy to drive. Once you leave this road, it gets pretty rough. The scariest part about driving in Iceland is not dangerous roads but that there’s nothing around in case you have a flat or other issue. Get gas frequently so you don’t run out!
In the summer there’s almost no nighttime. It was darkish for maybe a couple hours per day, that’s it.
There are very few hotels in the country. We did some hotels and some airbnbs. Recommendation: book early!
Food is excellent but expensive! We thought Iceland food would be bland fish. Not at all! It was incredible fresh meats and vegetables. Best fish and chips we’ve ever had. But it costs a lot. A burger and fries will be $25. A fish entree will be $50. It’s because the tourism season is short, and they have to grow vegetables in greenhouses.