I want to thank my friend, Brodie, for having shared with us the secrets tips on the exploration of Iceland. Below you will find five tips to better organize your trip in this magical place!
Are you heading off to Iceland soon? Congratulation and I’m extremely jealous as it is one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited. There are so many amazing things to visit ranging from the black sand of Vik beach to the magical experience of the Blue Lagoon.
Whenever you go on a trip, all you want is for it to run smoothly, for you to have a great time and being capable of relaxing without any stress, correct? Well, in my opinion, Iceland is a destination that requires just a small amount of pre-planning to ensure that this is possible.
Below I have listed five tips to think about and ultimately organize before you board your flight to Iceland. These simple but essential tips will make your trip so much better trust me…
1. Hire a car
The way to explore the wide-open areas of Iceland is done best by hiring a car. It will also be the cheapest option in my opinion as some of the tours that are simply must do and see trips while in the area can be expensive.
If you are not familiar with driving in snow, then be sure to take your time and leave plenty of time between each destination. It could be possible to see more in one day but why rush around when you have all day to explore at your own pace.
I hired my car through Europcar when I visited and personally found they had the best deal on at the time but if you want a great way to compare all prices from the leading car rental dealers just browse here. Once you have decided that is the way you want to travel then, you need to find out where to travel to right? Don’t worry I have that covered for you, just check out my blog on “Best day trips in Iceland”
If renting a car isn’t your thing or you don’t want the stress of driving on snow then, by all means, jump on the tours and have a great time. The destinations I think are the must-visit places I have included below. This is the same for if you have a car as well.
- Blue Lagoon
- Vik (black beach)
- Geysir
- Reynisdrangar stacks
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
2. Plan your trip
Now that you have the must-see destinations planned out, then start planning your trip accordingly. There are some destinations like Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls as well as the black sand beaches of Vik that you can all include in the same day.
You will, easily, have enough time to do this without rushing and it will save you plenty of money on fuel as some of these places are a few hours’ driving from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.
The way I tried to plan and combine my days was to check out the local tours offered in the area by companies. This way gives you a great idea of what you can and can’t manage to combine in the one trip. Viator was my source of inspiration.
3. Book a tour to find the Northern Lights
It is something I can’t stress enough… Book a tour to see the Northern Lights and be guided by the experts. I opted to try and hunt down the Northern Lights myself in my car every night, and it was an epic fail. It is still one of my biggest travel regrets so don’t let it be yours.
These guys have all the equipment and resources to know exactly where they are likely to turn up each night. They were miles ahead of my smartphone and google research so please don’t be as silly or stingy as I was. I learnt the hard way, so you don’t have to.
Some popular tours that I have heard positive things about are Cruise and Northern Lights Tour, Northern Lights hunt by ATV and the small group tour in a super jeep. Take your pick and please let me know about your experience. I plan to fix my error and return to watch them sooner rather than later, but it will cost me much more than if I had just booked the tour during my first trip.
4. Book Blue Lagoon in advance
So, you have just booked your tickets to Reykjavik? Awesome I’m super excited for you but instead of closing your browser for the evening and celebrating I would advise that you get on to booking those much-desired tickets to experience the Blue Lagoon.
Why so soon you might say… because it’s so damn popular and tickets are limited and often book out months in advance that’s why. It is one amazing and mystical place that you don’t want to miss tickets too, I can assure you of that.
This is something I even managed to get right on this trip. Get your tickets to avoid disappointment and if I can suggest also adding lunch at the restaurant to your ticket .Υou won’t hold it against me later, trust me.
If you want to combine your visit to the beautiful Blue Lagoon with other activities, then check out some of these options as well.
5. Organize your pick up or transport from the airport in advance
The Reykjavík airport to the capital city is a decent distance apart so organizing your transport is a must before you arrive. If you are going to take my earlier advice and hire a car then you are sorted. Just let the rental car company know the time of your flight and they will be waiting at the airport ready to transport you to their dealership and get you on your way. Easy.
If you are opting not to grab a car then I suggest you organize a ride by enquiring with your accommodation of choice. Many will offer rides as part of their hotel service either for a fee or complimentary depending on the style of accommodation you have booked.
The other option is to organise a bus transfer, private driver or group shuttle option. These are easy to do and because of the distance from Reykjavík to the airport, there are many services available to choose from.
I hope these simple hints will make your time in Reykjavík so much easier and more memorable. Iceland is an incredible country and one of my favorite places I have visited. Its pure individuality is hard to beat. Have a great trip and let me know how it goes.
If you are struggling for inspiration or want to know my “Top Day Trips from Reykjavík” then be sure to skip over to my blog at Aussieinwanderlust.
I want to see some pictures of the Northern Lights too, so I get enough inspiration and jealousy to go again soon. Also, let me know in the comments section below how your own trip goes.
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Happy Travels, Brodie