Travel Diary - Iceland on the Road

Iceland is hard to describe with words.

Whether you’ve had the chance to visit this breathtaking country in person or just spent hours in front of some NatGeo’s documentary, you are probably already aware of what an unforgettable, and somehow overwhelming, life experience it is.

Iceland is power of nature, in all its shades and shadows, it’s wind, rain, sun and thunder, each at its extreme; planes that seem to blend with the water, craters and waterfalls arrogantly marking the way, landscapes that leave you with a sense of wonder, fear and utter astonishment.

Here’s the diary of our ten-days road trip and how to get the most of this magical country.

Stories by Camilla and Chiara

Day 1: Reykjavik

Any good trip must start with a good breakfast! We found the lovely Sandholt cafe on the high street; the inner courtyard is ideal to enjoy some of their home-made pastries in warmer seasons but the inside is also very cute and the typical Skyr (yogurt) with granola and jam is an absolute must.

Reykjavik’s city centre is fairly small, but the list of things to see is incredible, so we spent the morning between the stunning Lutheran Cathedral, Harp monument, the National gallery and a walk around the lake Tjornin.

For lunch we stopped at 101 Reykjavík, a simple but cute street food spot specialized in fish and chips and delicious fish soup, fair prices and attentive service made us leave satisfied and ready to explore more.

Don’t miss the Museum of Photography located on the sixth floor of the National Library, the permanent collection preserves more than six million photographs from professional- and amateur photographers whereas temporary exhibitions address various themes of both historical and contemporary photography.

From there you can easily walk towards the Vesturbaejarlaug pools, exploring the lovely area along the sea. There are magnificent villas and the promontory ending with a beacon is extremely suggestive. On the way back we found Kaffihus Vesturbaejar, a cute cafe where unmatched wooden tables and chairs, plants hanging everywhere and a full height window are the perfect background for a drink before dinner.

Dining at the old harbour is one of the must experiences when in Reykjavik, to discover the most typical Icelandic dishes head to Sægreifinn, a simple harbour shack that apparently serves the world’s best lobster soup.

Day 2: Reykjavik

The second day started with a walk from Harpa Concert Hall all the way to the commercial port. From the sea-side promenade one can spot the stunning fjords as well as the modern developments of the city and the Sun sculpture Voyager which is definitely worth a picture!

We spent the second part of the day visiting the Perlan museum; located on top of the hill this observatory offers incredible views over the city, various exhibitions and the first ever Northern lights planetarium.

I highly recommend popping by the top floor to enjoy a drink or coffee under Perlan’s glass dome.

Day 3: Golden Circle

We are finally ready to begin our road trip!

The Golden circle mainly consists of three stops and you can either decide to join a guided tour or explore with your own car; the road is smooth and the sites of interest all well marked!

Our first stop is where the tectonic plates meet in Pingvellir National Park, followed the geysers in Geysir and the iconic Gullfoss waterfalls to conclude.

Not far from there is the Secret Lagoon, a not-so-known spot featuring the oldest thermal-water pool in the country where visitors can enjoy a swim without being disturbed by overwhelming crowds.

We decided to spend the evening in Selfoss, a pretty ugly commercial town yet very convenient for those driving around. If you want to have a walk around you can visit SelfossKirkja, a lovely little church located just next to the river.

Day 4: Road to Vik

As the road towards Vik is possibly one of the most scenic of Iceland, we decided to leave as early as possible, planning to check out the two famous waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, and stopping in between at Seljavallalaug pool. As the weather was warm and pleasant we had a sandwich in the lawn next to the pool, really worth it considering the breathtaking view.

Once at Skogafoss there is a beautiful walk that leads straight to the top and, although the first meters are quite steep, you won’t regret any of the steps once reached the peak!

Back on the road towards Vik we couldn’t miss Reynisfjara, the black beach that became famous with the tv series Game of Thrones, possibly even more spectacular than what we expected.

Day 5: Vik to Höfn

Walking up in Vik, with an incomparable view from our hostel’s room, is one of the best memories of the whole trip.

Vik is a remote seafront village with a lovely beach and pontoon jetties going straight into the sea, a kind of fairy-tale gem where time seemed to have stopped long ago.

More than anywhere else, it’s along the road to Hofn that we were amazed by the landscape around us. The first stop we did was Skaftafell national park where, with the free guide of a local ranger, you can hike both towards the falls or up to the peak of the glacier.

The second, and probably most remarkable, stop we made was Jokulsarlon lagoon (the Iceberg’s Bay), where we were lucky enough to spot white seals in their natural environment.

After arriving in Hofn and settling in the hostel we tried Pakkhus, one of the few restaurants in the village that caught our attention with its lovely position on the harbour and that nice touch of Nordic-style design, definitely a spot to try! Delicious food and caring service made us - almost- forget the final bill (which is anyway aligned with the average prices of the island).

Day 6: Hofn to Seyoisfjorour

Off towards Seyoisfjorour! Driving along the coastal road is the best way to admire the fjords, even if a little longer the scenic route is ideal to take beautiful pictures and enjoy the landscape rather than rush from one place to another. About halfway down the way we stopped for lunch in Djúpivogur, a fishing village featuring a rather famous installation called Eggs or Merry Bay: 34 huge granite eggs which represent the eggs of each of the nesting birds in this area. Not far from there you can find a lovely cafe that makes delicious pastries and coffee, ideal for a break during such a long journey.

After checking in at another beautiful hostel in Seydisfjordur, we spent some time strolling and discovered this town blooming in creativity and reach history! Surrounded by seven stunning waterfalls Seyoisfjorour is definitely unique in its style and locals offer tourists the opportunity to hike the peaks with their guide!

Day 7: Seydisfjordur to Akureyri

The first stop on the map of the day is Petrol Egilsstadir, I was definitely not expecting to enter a gas station with an authentic feel of American Diner! Skalinn diner (that’s how it’s called) is real fun; although is probably the least characteristic thing of the holiday I would suggest to pop by and check it out yourselves.

Once fueled up we drove to Skutustaoahreppur Volcano, stopping on the road to admire the fumaroles (you can see the parking lot from the road and stop on the way). The hike to the peak is very nice, smooth at the beginning and quite steep towards the top, but the best surprise are surely the thermal pools that offer a stunning view of Lake Myvatn.

Another worth-stopping spot on the way to Akureyri is Godafoss, one of the most iconic waterfalls in Iceland and the fourth largest of the country.

When driving towards Akureyri remember that the tunnel’s ticket can be paid online, alternatively drivers take the coastal road, free of charge but much slower.

Day 8: Akureyri

Since Akureyri is considered the northern capital, we decided to spend a whole day visiting this town.

Although I must admit that in less that half day we covered the city about 4 times, the town has definitely much more offer than the places we visited in the previous days, with the streets populated by vibrant bars and restaurants.

Not far from Akureyri you can visit the tiny fishing village of Siglufjorour, a gem on the coast where tourists can stop for coffee at the cute harbour cafe and enjoy a coastal road drive characterised by overhanging cliffs waterfalls that fall directly into the sea.

Day 9: Akureyri- Stykkisholmur- Reykjavik

This was by far the longest drive and we found almost nowhere to stop in between so be prepared and consider packing few extra sandwiches and water for the trip!

As we arrived to Stykkishólmur we went straight to the lighthouse and spent some time walking around the village, that we found especially beautiful when approached from the coast. Enjoy a refreshing beer at the harbour before checking in at the lovely Harbor Hostel, where the two managers will welcome you in the kindest way. The Hostel’s bar offers delicious pastries and breakfast in the morning so make sure you fuel up before driving back to Reykjavik and catching your flight back to reality...

Our favourite hostels:

Reykjavik: Loft HI Hostel

Vík: The Barn

Seydisfjordur: Hafaldan HI Hostel

Akureyri: Backpackers Akureyri

Stykkisholmur: Harbour Hostel

Our tips:

1. The best way to visit is surely to rent a car at the airport and drive the iconic Ring Road; covering the whole country might take several days so make sure you plan stops and accommodation before.

2. Dining and sleeping in Iceland can be very expensive, be prepared for that! Hostels are a good alternative to pricey hotels, usually very well designed and equipped with sharing kitchen where guests can enjoy their dinner and meet other explorers on the way.

3. My must-try dish was definitely the lobster soup, and I’m still dreaming of it!

4. Pack accordingly! It doesn’t matter what season you decide to visit, the weather in Iceland changes unexpectedly and the temperature range is very high so don’t forget some winter essentials also in the warmest months.

5. Consider skipping the Blue Lagoon, not only it gets horrendously packed with tourists (with its look being far from any sexy image you might have seen) but I also found it was lacking that charm of most other spots.

View from our hostel in Vík - The Barn