To the Land of Fire and Ice - Iceland
Updated: May 9, 2023
Iceland Winter Road trip around Ring-Road - Planning, Itinerary, Travel Tips!
We got married in November last year, and when it came to deciding our honeymoon destination, it was a no-brainer for us! Iceland had been on our wish list for years, and we were sure we wanted to experience it on our first travel together as a married couple!
Nothing can adequately prepare you for being completely mesmerised by Iceland's endless roadways, snow-capped mountains, crystal clear water bodies, potent waterfalls, endless glaciers, black sand beaches, and other such wonders!
While all of this sounds amazing - the problem is that Iceland is extremely Overwhelming! We did not want to engage with a local tour operator and wanted to plan this by ourselves. And boy! Planning for Iceland Road trip is an adventure of its own! We spent almost 5 months planning for this trip and consumed a LOT of content for the same.
So we are compiling our experience, learnings, tips & tricks in one place - so that you don't have to browse through infinite websites! Yes, thank us later :)
Table of Contents
So this will be a series of blog posts where we will try to be as exhaustive as possible to help you plan the best trip of your life!!
BEST TIME TO VISIT?
While we took this trip towards the beginning of April (4-12) - visiting Iceland at any time of the year is an absolute delight. Deciding on what is the best time of the year to visit Iceland really depends on what you are looking for in exploring this diverse country.
Here is a quick overview :
Summers - June to September
Pros
Longer days with 24 hours of sunlight in June!
Warm, pleasant weather
Great driving conditions
Most of the attractions and remote parts of the country would be accessible
Great time to spot some puffins and whales!
Cons
Higher crowds due to peak tourist season
Relatively expensive accommodation
No Northern Lights :(
Winters : October to March
Pros
Gorgeous views of Icelandic Winters
Great time to experience glaciers and ice caves (which close down in the Summers)
Best time to spot Aurora/Northern Lights!
Relatively fewer tourists
Cons
Shorter days with limited hours of daylight
Brutal weather conditions and freezing temperature
Dangerous driving conditions
A large part of the country is rendered inaccessible due to road-closures
Spring : April-May
Pros
Milder weather conditions (0-10 degrees) with scattered showers
You may get lucky with Northern Lights
Great driving conditions around the ring road
14-16 Hours of Daylight - so great for exploring
Low-tourist season, so you might have a few places all to yourself!
Small group tours etc start
Cons
Some parts of the countries (accessible via F-roads) may still be closed
Milder weather can still mean strong gusts of winds up to 140 KmpH on some days!
The landscape will be transitioning, so you may not get lush green patches
We determined that April would be the best month for us to travel because we had little experience driving in the winter conditions and could still see the Northern Lights!
VISA REQUIREMENTS
Iceland is a Schengen state, and therefore travellers from non-exempt countries who wish to travel to Iceland must apply for a Schengen visa. You have the option of applying for the visa on your own or with the help of a visa agent who will guide you through the procedure. We decided to go with the former.
All information about the required documents can be found on the official Government of Iceland website.
For those applying visa from India, the process is relatively smooth for Schengen visas and we got our stamped passports within 5-7 Days of our appointment. The cost of the visa as well as other expenses have been described in-depth here.
From our experience, the slots for Iceland visas were pretty limited across VFS centres. In fact, both of us got our slots one month apart from each other. So, account for this time when you are planning for Iceland.
Also, based on your travel history, Embassy of Iceland may choose to call you and ask basic questions around purpose of travel, sources of funds, high level travel plan etc. In our case, Prakhar did get that call and got super nervous if his visa would be approved or not! Needless to say, when we got his passport via courier - we were super happy to see the visa stamped in there! :D
So don't get nervous if the call does come - its a routine formality :)
ITINERARY AND PLANNING
Iceland’s Ring Road, also known as Route 1., is the popular road trip amongst tourists. It stretches for nearly 2000 Km around the entire country, connecting all of its major cities and attractions. Based on the weather conditions and the duration of our trip, we decided to do a ~1700 KM circuit of the Ring road.
Doing this road-trip is possible in both clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. People tend to plan their route based on the possible weather conditions at the time of travel. We decided we wanted to go in anti-clockwise direction to be able to delay the winter-conditions as much as possible in the Northern part of the country.
Day 1: Renting out the car!
After reaching Reykjavik (Keflavik Airport ) via Finnair (with a layover at Helsinki), the first stop was to pick up our rental car from the airport. While there are other alternatives like buses, guided tours etc, renting a car gave us a lot more freedom to explore at our pace. You see, we had to stop at EVERY photo point to capture the marvellous beauty this place is!
If you are planning this trip for the first time, the sheer number of rental options can get a little overwhelming. Don't worry, we got you!! :) We had the best experience with our automatic 2WD Hatchback and the rental process was super smooth.
We have covered everything you need to know about driving in Iceland in our blog post. It talks about how to navigate safely through the rapidly changing weather conditions, various rental car & insurance options, and our recommendation for the same.
After getting familiarised with the controls of a Left-hand drive vehicle, we were off to our first hotel (201 Hotel) to sleep and recharge for the NEXT DAY!! *so excited*
Pro-Tip, we picked up some groceries and snacks from their discount supermarket, Bonus, on our way to the hotel. This is super essential if you are trying to be on a budget as the food in Iceland is extremely expensive! You can check out our blog on budgeting for the trip and tips on how we saved money!
Day 2: The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is a popular route in Iceland that takes travellers through some of the country’s most beautiful and iconic attractions.
We started off with a small hike at Kerid Crater, which was formed due to a volcanic eruption almost 3000 years ago. From our research, we knew we would see bright blue water filled in the crater cavity.
However, we were lucky to witness it completely frozen! We hiked around the 1.2 KM loop of the crater and cherished the astonishing views!
From there we headed towards the majestic Selijalandsfoss. It is possible to walk behind the falls and experience it in all its glory. However due to winter conditions in Iceland during April, the pathway behind the falls was closed to tourists 😣
Right next to Selijalandsfoss is a hidden gem - Gljufrafoss.
We arrived at Skogafoss in the course of our quest to explore Iceland one waterfall at a time. We were immediately enthralled as soon as we saw the falls. A double rainbow can be seen here on sunny days, but the weather was not cooperative with us and we missed viewing that 😣.
We STRONGLY advise everyone to walk along the Skogar Trail, which leads to the top of the waterfall after ~500 stairs (yes, that's a lot of stairs). We experienced the force of the waterfall from the top as well as breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape along the way. The hour-long walk is a terrific opportunity to experience the area.
Don't forget to carry a rain jacket and rain pants - or else you would be completely drenched! We have curated a list of must-haves that you need to carry on your trip to Iceland.
Finally, we had our Bollywood moment, when we reached the “Gerua” shooting spot of the Plane Wreck site. It's usually a 4 KM (45 Minute) hike one way, but because the sun was about to set and it had started pouring, we took the shuttle that runs every 20 minutes. It cost us about 20 Euros per person and took us to the crash site in just 8 minutes. I
t won't be an understatement to say that it felt like a different planet altogether. We were just blown away (literally and metaphorically) 😀. While at one end you fall short of words to describe this magnificent site, on the other you feel a little uneasy at the power of nature.
At the end of the day, we crashed at our Hotel Puffin Vik, had our dinner, drank some hot chocolate, and slept peacefully!
Day 3: Of Glaciers and Ice Caves
We had a packed itinerary for Day 3, so we hit the road a little earlier than usual. Right in front of our hotel, stood the Reyniskirkja Church in Vik against the prettiest backdrop of the Vik city and the Black Sand Beach. Picture perfect!
We thought the weather gods were happy and we got a small window to experiment with our drone at the black sand beach until the winds got way too strong for my Mavic Mini!
From there, we drove non-stop towards Jökulsárlón, which is one of the biggest and deepest glacial lagoons in Iceland. It has the bluest water and is filled with mesmerising icebergs of all shapes and sizes that glisten in the sunlight.
And guess what! We went hiking on this glacier to spot ice caves! 😀We have shared our detailed experience at the glacier hike and all other activities we booked in Iceland here! Go check it out for more information on what to expect, a review of our vendors, cost, etc!
After seeing the glacier and captivating ice caves up so close, we drove a couple of minutes across the road from Jökulsárlón to reach Diamond Beach. The waves bring pieces of icebergs to the shore, creating a magical display of diamonds against the black sand. Unfortunately, as we got closer to the beach, the weather drastically changed, and it started to pour heavily! We braved the rain and visited the beach in our rain gear because Diamond Beach was too iconic to miss!
We drove through the Icelandic countryside and slept in the Jökulsárlón area at the gorgeous Fosshotel Vatnajökull. This hotel will always be close to our hearts as this is the place we spotted the Northern lights for the first time in life! We have given a detailed account of our Aurora spotting experience and how to capture the Northern Lights in our blog post here.
Day 4: The Mighteous Waterfalls
One of the most forceful waterfalls in Europe is Dettifoss. According to many reports, Dettifoss is Europe's most potent waterfall. Dettifoss is awe-inspiring. The ground physically trembles under your feet as you approach it. It is tremendous, deafening, and stupefying.
Then the twin waterfall of Selfoss was next on our list. The waterfall is fed by the mighty Jökulsá River and cascades over the rocky cliffs, creating a spectacular display of power and beauty. The views from the top of the waterfall are simply breathtaking, and it is an incredible sight to behold. Visiting Selfoss is an unforgettable experience, and it is an absolute must-see for anyone who visits Iceland.
While we had a little more planned for us, however, even in Mid-April, there was a lot of snow in the Northern parts of the country and we decided to tread a little cautiously as we had a smaller car which was not allowed on some of the F-Roads there.
We retired a little early at our Guesthouse Storu Laguar. As the drive next day from North to Western Iceland was going to be a long one, we planned to leave earlier than usual the next morning.
Day 5: The Most Photographed Mountain of Iceland
We hit the road to reach the Western part of the country - the Snæfellsnes peninsula. No, don't even try to pronounce it correctly 😀 It is known as "Mini Iceland" because to the sheer variety of its spectacular scenery, which includes mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, lava fields, and dramatic coastline cliffs.
Simply driving roads number 54 and 56 will provide you with stunning vistas in every direction, but you'll probably want to make a few stops to go out and explore as well. It was hard to keep our course as there were just too many beautiful detours on the way. One of such was the Bjarnafoss! We saw people hiking on a very rough terrain towards the top of the waterfall!
Pretty jealous of the view they must have gotten, but we were happy being clicked in a cozy little spot near the waterfall :D
The winds can get REALLY strong here! At one point in time, we could feel the gusts of wind slapping against our humble Hyundai and it was a slight challenge to keep the car stable.
You would undoubtedly find numerous images of Kirkjufell Mountain if you searched for "Iceland" online. After being described as "a mountain shaped like an arrowhead" in Game of Thrones, it has virtually become a national icon. The "Most Photographed Mountain" in Iceland, Kirkjufell, is situated in a tranquil setting.
We checked into the wonderful Kirkjufell Guesthouse and Apartments after a long and somewhat exhausting day of sightseeing! That day, we really wanted to go aurora hunting, but the chance was destroyed by dense cloud cover :(
Tip : Watch out for this road sign along your road-trip route to capture some of the stunning landscape pictures!
Day 6: Snorkelling between the Continents
From Western Iceland, we proceeded towards the Golden Circle again (You can never have too much time to explore this country!). One of the things we wanted to spend enough time on was the Thingvellir National Park - which is the home to a rift between two continental tectonic plates! DAYUM ICELAND!
And when we learned that we could Snorkel in crystal clear water of the Silfra fissure - we knew we could not have missed it! We booked a guided snorkeling tour with the local vendor - Troll Expedition.
This was the BEST experience of our lives. Being able to snorkel in one of the clearest waters in the world with visibility up to 100m is an experience of a lifetime! We were so nervous about the freezing water but we were given proper wet suits which took care of it!
In addition to all the other activities we booked in Iceland, we have published our comprehensive snorkeling experience here! Visit it for more details on what to anticipate, a review of our vendors, pricing, etc.
Next up, is the Geysir hot-spring area of Iceland. The surrounding area is full of colourful hot springs, mud pools, and bubbling mud pots.Make sure you wait for Strokkur, the highest Geysir in the area, to erupt while you are there. It erupts every 8-10 minutes, sending hot water and steam up to 30 meters in the air!
We decided to book our accommodation for the night very close to this area and were put up in this cutest little place overlooking Strokkur called Geysir Hestar. This place had such a homely vibe to it and it was by far our favorite place to stay!
Bonus - we spotted a beautiful rainbow just outside our room in the morning 😀
Day 7: The Capital City
Now, it was head back to the place where it all started - the capital city of Reykjavik! We had already started missing the zen we experienced while driving around the empty roads of Route 1, but somehow it felt better to see civilization all around!
After checking into our studio room at Hotel Fron for a couple of days, we started exploring the city on foot. A quick walking circuit around the city center covered the Sun Voyager, Harpa Concert Hall, Hallgrimskirkja church, and Rainbow Street!
Then we strolled around the market which was bustling with locals and tourists and tried some amazing waffles and Hot chocolate. After re-fueling our tummies, we explored around the market for some souvenirs.
ALERT - We always knew Iceland is expensive, but we realized it so much more once we started shopping 😀
For a rough idea, Iceland has these beautiful sweaters made of special Icelandic wool and signature weaving - they were about INR 35,000!
We decided we were happy with the sweaters we had back home (:P) and purchased some special Icelandic Licorice candy, Chocolates, A variety of Lava Salt, etc. among other things.
We have to say, souvenir shopping in Iceland is a little overwhelming because there are just SO many options that you can never get enough of! But do pick some good stuff as these will be the memories you will cherish forever :)
Day 8: Unwinding in the Geothermal Pool - Blue Lagoon
On our last day in Iceland, we wanted to unwind and relax. Iceland is extremely famous for its pool culture and locals love a dip in geothermally heated pools every now and then.
One of the more popular destinations is Blue Lagoon, which was once listed as a Wonder of the World! The Blue Lagoon is filled with mineral-rich, geothermal seawater and is known for its healing properties. We spent about 2.5 hours and also tried on the special Silica Mask and Seaweed Mask which can be purchased there.
We cannot stress enough how relaxing this entire experience was and it felt like the tiredness and fatigue from being on the road for 8 days just drained out of our bodies. Cannot recommend it strongly enough! Must visit :)
The only thing we regret is not carrying a water-proof phone case, as a result of which we could not capture our Blue Lagoon experience first hand. Just so that you don't miss anything out, we have compiled a list of must-carry things for a trip to Iceland. Do check it out!
After having a satisfying meal, we went to the car rental’s city office to drop off our car and prepare ourselves for the journey back home. The car rental experience was extremely smooth and we faced no issues whatsoever. We have explained everything you need to know about driving in Iceland in our blog post.
Day 9: Back Home
This was the hardest part of the trip - bidding goodbye :(
While most tourists opt for dropping off their rental vehicles at the airport itself, we decided to take a bus from our hotel to Keflavik Airport (KEF). We had booked the seats a day in advance on FlyBus’ website and it was around 35 Euros per person.
The bus took around 40-60 minutes to reach the airport and it was a smooth journey, early in the morning. Our flight back home was with Finnair, with a short layover at Helsinki.
As we got on the plane, we reflected back on what an incredible experience Iceland was. It was everything we had hoped for and much much more! And even while we are overjoyed with all the pictures and videos we were able to collect, we are also aware that Iceland's beauty cannot be adequately captured by a camera.
We can't wait to return there in summers again. There is something about Iceland that changes you from the inside out.
For the benefit of anyone who is considering a road trip to Iceland, we have attempted to be as thorough as possible in our documentation of our journey. All of the blogs from our Iceland series are available here.
We would be happy to answer any questions in the comments! :)
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