A PERFECT WEEK (PLUS SOME ADD-ONS) IN ICELAND

This itinerary can flipped in different directions.  I suggest starting with the Golden Circle because everything after that will so much more spectacular it will feel underwhelming to experience it at the end.  I also suggest going to the Blue Lagoon at dawn after your redeye lands but you could also book the hotel in Reykjavik the night before so you are guaranteed to be able to go lay down and sleep for a few hours when you get there.  If you do that then I think you only need one day in Reykjavik and then I would suggest visiting the Blue Lagoon on your way home either for a few hours or if you feel like splurging staying over at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon for one night.  The Blue Lagoon is very close to the Keflavik international airport.

Day 1: Arrive Reykjavik

Most flights to Iceland are redeye’s arriving early in the morning.  Head straight to the Blue Lagoon to beat the crowds before you’re allowed to check into your hotel.  You can store your suitcases there as well.

Blue Lagoon

The Blue lagoon is one of the most popular destinations in Iceland and it’s a perfect start or end cap to your trip because it is close to the airport.  The Lagoon is a geothermal plant that warms the mineral-filled water surrounding it.  If you arrive to Reykjavik on a redeye you can go straight to the Blue Lagoon to be there when it opens before it gets really crowded.  There is also a new exclusive hotel called The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon that is special but a splurge.  It can be a nice way to end your trip here with one night before you depart and dinner at Moss which is only available to guests of the hotel.  Though a bit fancy and fussy it also really delicious and one of the few restaurants in Iceland that warrants dressing up for.  When you stay at the hotel you get access to saunas, steam rooms and private area of the lagoon away from the general admission pool.  You can also there do the Blue Lagoon Ritual where you cover your body with the treatments: Silica, Algae and Minerals.  Pro Tip: You can skip the expensive night at the hotel and just book the Ritual or a massage and get to experience the spa.

Local tip: You are expect to shower before entering any hot springs or pools in Iceland

Check in and stay: Sand Hotel

Rooms in Iceland are not huge so if you can try to get a superior room or higher.  The Sand hotel has an amazing bakery connected called Sandholt with great pastries, coffee, and picnic items.  The breakfast included in your stay is an amazing buffet featuring pastries from Sandholt bakery and more, like chia pudding and smoothies.

Day 2: Sleep in, have breakfast, visit some sights around Reykjavik and get your rental car delivered to leave early the next morning.  Some sights to see around Reykjavik which is charming but very small and walkable:

-       Harpa concert hall with a beautiful glass façade.  Make sure to go inside for photos.

-       Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheranchurch whose design is inspired the basalt columns found around Iceland

-       A few restaurants to consider making dinner reservations at: Snaps, Fish Company, Dill, Krons, Flatey

 If you feel like you’ve already seen Reykjavik within a half day and you have your car you could drive to Gunnuhver or Seltun,  geothermal areas on the southwest corner of Iceland about an hour from the capital.

Day 3: The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle consists of the three places below creating a big loop not far from Reykjaivk.  Some people base themselves out of Reykjavik and just do this but if you have more than a weekend I really recommend only spending a night in Reykjavik and then move every day or two.  All of this is touristy with big tour buses pulling up so you may decide to spend just a quick stop.

o   Thingvellir National Park: A huge part of Iceland‘s history since the first Althingi in 930. It is also a geological phenomenon, standing on two tectonic plates that are gradually moving away from each other. Thingvellir is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also was used as a filming location for Game of Thrones.  While cool feels very crowded and touristy.

o   Geysir area: Home to a number of hot spouting geysers. The most famous one is Great Geysir itself, but the  most energetic one is Strokkur; it spouts every few minutes up to a height of 40 meters.

o   Gullfoss waterfall: Iceland‘s most famous waterfall, plummeting down 32 meters in two stages directly to the canyon below. The water in Gullfoss comes from the second biggest glacier in Iceland, Langjokull glacier.  This is also touristy but the waterfall takes your breath away.

Stay over at Hotel Ranga (3 nights)

Lodging is limited and this is one of the few full service hotels out here.  Make sure you don’t’ miss the cut off for dinner at night because there is really nowhere else to eat.  They have a taxidermy polar bear in the lobby which I found depressing (starving polar bears anyone?).  The hotel can help arrange super jeep tours which are the best way (except maybe a helicopter) to get off the beaten path and explore the Icelandic Highlands.  We loved our driver Trigby who starts every morning with a shot of cod liver oil and really truly believes in trolls.  We got very lucky and were able to see the Northern Lights there.  They will call and wake you up and have you put on these hilarious warm jumpsuits to go outside and witness the phenomenon.  Photo tip below on how to capture this though there is a lot of trial and error.

Day 4: Thórsmörk Super Jeep Tour

An unbelievable valley of green mountains with narrow canyons leading to waterfalls.  Only accessible in a 4WD vehicle and while you could attempt to get here on your own we saw a minivan get washed away in a river so better to leave it to the experts.

Day 5: Landmannalaugar Super-Jeep Tour

The highlight of Iceland for me and one of the highlights of all my travels anywhere.  A short but uphill hike leads you to the most breathtaking mineral dusted mountains giving them gorgeous hues that are from another planet. There’s also lots of other cool spot to stop along the way as well as hot springs.

Day 6: Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón is a huge lagoon with floating icebergs which is sadly disappearing due to climate change.  Suit up in thermal life vests and take a boat trip to get close to the icebergs and spot harp seals.

Stay over Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

Day 7: Black Sand Beaches

Your first stop is a bit of a hike with a big reward.  Svartifoss is a waterfall in Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park with water dramatically dropping down around black basalt columns.

The black sand beach of Reynisdrangar looks like a beautiful version of hell with black basalt columns heading into the ocean surrounded by black sand and frigid bright blue water.  I wish I had to come to visit this at multiple times of day because I think sunrise and sunset would be amazing here and less crowded.

Vik is a cute little town and good spot to grab a bite to eat.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall: The water in Seljalandsfoss flows from the famous glacier/volcano Eyjafjallajokull. It’s a 60 meter high waterfall with a footpath behind it so, if you‘re not afraid to get a little wet, you can walk behind it.  You’ve seen this in millions of photos, good luck getting a shot without a bunch of tourists.

Secret Lagoon Iceland (aka Gamla Laugin)

This is a sweet off the beaten path hot spring that feels like a much more local version of the Blue Lagoon.  You could also go here after the Golden Circle on your way east.

Stay at Hotel Grimsborgir, Cottage like accommodations with a big buffet breakfast or power your way back to Reykjavik.

Day 8:  Fly home

THE ADD-ONS

1)    Snaefellsnes Peninsula and Hotel Budir

A little over 3 hours north along a beautiful coastal drive is the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the super charming Hotel Budir next to the very photographed small black church, usually with sheep roaming by.  There are not many hip boutique hotels in Iceland (most are either simple and stark or over the top expensive) so Hotel Budir is a total gem.  It’s a cozy retreat with really good local food that is a perfect add on to either a longer trip or in conjunction with a stay in Reykjavik.  Horseback riding is amazing here and the horses are smaller and are incredibly photogenic.  There’s also great coastal hiking.

https://hotelbudir.is/

There are numerous sites to see in this area including Hellnar and Kirkjufell.

OR

2)    Mt. Kerlingarfjöll & Lake Mývatn

 10,000-year-old mountain range that is a part of volcanic system. It’s famous for its picturesque rhyolite mountains topped with small glaciers where the snow and ice meet rising towers, similar to Landmannalaugar.  The minerals color the earth red, yellow and green while the volcanic system creates pillars of steam all around.  Your hiking shoes will get crazy muddy so best to bring waterproof ones like these Danner boots.

You need a 4WD vehicle to drive here and get a lesson in how to change a tire with the car you are given.  We got a flat tire and had no idea how to release the spare from under our Landcruiser and had no cell service.  Makes for a good story at the time but in the rain and wind it was less than fun at the time.  About 3 hours from Reykjavik or 4 hours from Akureyri airport.

Stay: Kerlingarfjöll Resort

When I visited it was rather basic accommodations in the main hotel or A-frame cabins with communal dining at the lodge but only about 15 minutes from the mountain range along a beautiful river.  There are also hot springs you can hike to but we ran out of time because we wanted to go back and hike more.  Closed for renovations and reopening in 2023 with outdoor hot spring baths.

From Kerlingarfjöll drive north to Akueyri or Husavik to stay overnight and go whale watching in the morning.  Best restaurant in Akureyri is Strikið

And you need a reservation for dinner.

Next day drive to Lake Mývatn (stop at Goðafoss waterfall on the way) which is a volcanic lake in northern Iceland and home to many species of birds.

Stay at Laxá Hótel and request an upper level room as the hotel is built into the mountain side the lower level rooms feel a bit claustrophobic.  The restaurant here was solid.  From here you can visit a smaller version of the Blue Lagoon called the Mývatn baths that are said to have healing properties. 

Other places not to miss in the area:

1)    Skútustaðagígar

The pseudocraters of Lake Mývatn are formed by steam explosions as hot, flowing lava crosses over the wet surface.

2)    Hofdi

Nature preserve with peaceful gardens and birds, just watch out for the bugs at dusk

3)    Hverir

Geothermal spot with bubbling pools of sulphuric mud

4)    Krafla Lava Fields

Great moon-like hiking through lava fields

5)    Dettifoss, the second most powerful waterfall in Europe, literally takes your breath away.  A 30 minute hike away is Selfoss, another beautiful waterfall that looks great as a long exposure.

I ran out of time but wish I made it to Aldeyjarfoss, Ásbyrgi, and Geosea.

How I Got That Shot x 2

Lens Compression

Canon 5D Mark III and a 24-70mm lens

ISO 160 f/5.0 1/320th focal length 70mm

The idea behind lens compression is utilizing a telephoto lens zoomed in from a distance to “flatten” the foreground with the background or make different planes appear to be on the same plane. Here I used my 24-70mm lens zoomed all the way in at a low depth of field aperture to make these people seem as if they are all in the same row when they were actually more spaced out. The fog is also helping with this illusion here. This is a technique you will see fashion photographers use a lot when they want a blurred background on a model but they want everything on the model tack sharp with no fall off.

ALSO!

Northern Lights

Canon 5D Mark III 24-70mm lens

ISO 320 f/3.5 2 min exposure focal length 24mm

So this is very similar to “Night Shots” so please check out that page.