Iceland had been at the top of my list of countries I want to visit for over 8 years. I asked my sister if she wanted to come with me and she said, “heck yeah!!”. My more than willing model and I traveled 1, 589 miles along Ring Road over the course of 11 days in the crisp fall month of September. I was amazed at Iceland’s natural beauty, and it is my favorite place I’ve explored thus far. Aside from the breathtaking scenery in Iceland, I was blown away by the number of waterfalls and sheep that we saw. We counted 572 waterfalls total (there were definitely more than that, but foggy conditions hid the others) and there are more than two sheep for every person in Iceland! This is an in-depth guide about our 11 day road trip along Ring Road. I hope that it gives you some insight and inspiration for planning your own Iceland adventure.

The Camera & Recipes

This trip is special to me because it is the first one that I’ve brought my camera on. Up until our trip to Iceland I had mainly been using my iPhone to capture my adventures, but I’d thought about buying a camera for several years. I finally decided that if I was going to Iceland, I wanted to capture the best images I could. So, I bought my Fujifilm X-T5 one month before we were supposed to leave so that I could learn how to use it and test different recipes. The main recipe that I used during our trip was Kodak Ultramax 400. This is one of my favorite versatile recipes to use and it did a fantastic job with Iceland’s moody weather, waterfalls, and greenery. Other recipes that I used were Kodak Ektachrome E100VS V2 for colorful buildings and roads, 1970s Summer on sunny days, and Pacific Blues for icy blue glacier tones. I am SO glad that I decided to buy a camera before this trip because it made capturing Iceland’s gorgeous scenery even more fun and special. I also brought my DJI Mini 3 Pro drone along so that I could capture parts of Iceland from above.

Lodging & Food

The hotels that we stayed at weren’t the most expensive, but they also weren’t the cheapest. Since we were splitting the cost and wanted to have a nicer trip, the cost of each hotel didn’t concern us too much. We also didn’t want to have to share a bathroom or bedroom with anyone else, so we were willing to pay more for privacy. There are cheaper options out there though, such as a camper van, hostels, and campgrounds. One perk to staying at a hotel that surprised us is free breakfast. Even if breakfast wasn’t listed as an option, most of the hotels we stayed at had a massive buffet with tons of delicious options. For snacks we stocked up at two of the cheapest local supermarkets, Bonus and Krónan. They had yummy yogurt drinks that I drank every single day. I was so obsessed with them that I ended up bringing a few home with me (shhhhhh). For lunch and dinner, we ate at restaurants and food stands because we wanted to try as much local cuisine as we could.

Transportation

If you are wanting to travel around Ring Road, then by car is the best way to do it. We rented our car through Lava Car Rental, but there are many different rental companies to choose from. While there are several tours that travel around sections of Ring Road, a rental car is best if you are wanting flexibly and control over every aspect of your trip. I recommend reserving your rental car ahead of time because a lot of companies offer early bird deals, and you will know for sure that you have transportation upon arrival. Navigating along Ring Road is fairly easy because it is a giant loop with a plethora of road signs. Cell service is spotty along some sections of the road, so I recommend downloading an offline map or carrying a physical map with you. We used an offline google map because I had every stop marked on it, so it was easy to keep track of where we were going.

The Interary

Before we left, I’d researched some of the best places to stop along Ring Road, mapped out how far they were from one another, and looked at hotels in between. Based on that information I created a list of stops we could potentially make each day and where we would be staying for the night. You can complete Ring Road in less than 11 days, but you won’t see nearly as much. I’d say you need at least 7 days minimum to see the main sights (not including travel days to and from Iceland). Even 11 days didn’t feel like enough. These are the stops that we ended up making, where we stayed each night, and a map with our total drive time each day:

Day 1

• Flew into Keflavík International Airport
• Picked up rental car
• Sky Lagoon & Reykjavík
• Stayed at Saga Studio (no breakfast)

Day 2 (Golden Circle)

Map of drive

• Öxarárfoss
• Brúarfoss
• Geysir Hot Springs
• Gullfoss Falls
• Faxafoss
• Skálholt Cathedral & Þorláksbúð
• Kerið Crater
• Explored more of Reykjavík
• One more night at Saga Studio

Day 3

Map of drive

• Checked on the protesters
• DC-3 Airplane wreck – Eyvindarholt
• Seljalandsfoss to Gljufrabui
• Rútshellir Caves
• Skógafoss
• Kvernufoss
• Sólheimajökull
• Dyrhólaey
• Stayed at Hótel Dyrhólaey

Day 4

Map of drive

• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
• Skool Beans Cafe
• Gígjagjá/Yoda Cave
• Fjaðrárgljúfur
• Stjórnarfoss
• Svartifoss
• Jökulsárlón Glacier & Diamond Beach
• Stayed at Fosshótel Vatnajökull

Day 5

Map of drive

• Viking Village Film Set & Stokksnes
• 3ish hour drive along eastern Ring Road
• Klifbrekku Waterfall
• Ate at Skálinn Diner (now permanently closed)
• Stayed at Hotel Valaskjalf

Day 6

Map of drive

• Seydisfjordur
• Stuðlagil Canyon
• Lake Mývatn area
• Dropped off laundry at Vogar tjaldsvæði campground across from Vogafjós Farm Resort
• Stayed at Sel-Hótel Mývatn

Day 7

Map of drive

• Picked up laundry
• Grjótagjá
• Hverir
• Dettifoss & Hafragilsfoss
• Explored Húsavík
• Stayed at Post-Plaza Guesthouse (no breakfast)

Day 8

Map of drive

• Whale watching with North Sailing in Húsavík
• Sjónarhorn Waterfall & Kolugljúfur Canyon
• Stayed at Blómasetrið Homestay (paid for breakfast at cafe)

Day 9 (Snæfellsnes Peninsula)

Map of drive

• Búðakirkja
• Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge
• Arnarstapi
• Lóndrangar
• Malarrif Lighthouse
• Svöðufoss
• Kirkjufell
• One more night at Blómasetrið Homestay

Day 10

Map of drive

• Glymur
• Last look at downtown Reykjavík
• Blue Lagoon
• Stayed at Garður Apartments (no breakfast)

Day 11

• Returned rental car
• Flew home

flight

Day 1

The first day of our trip was spent traveling to Iceland and decompressing from the long flight. My sister and I met in Seattle, since she was coming from Alaska and I was coming from Washington. Our flight from Seattle was just under 8 hours. We left Seattle in the afternoon and landed in Iceland around 10am in the morning on the same day, so we went back in time. This was nice because we didn’t miss out on precious time the first day of our trip and it gave us plenty of time to settle in and relax (although we lost time traveling back to Seattle). After landing we headed straight to Lava Car Rental to pick up our rental car. They have a shuttle that picks you up right outside of the airport that transports you to and from their company.

sky

Sky Lagoon & Reykjavík

What better way to relax after a long flight than in a hot spring? While Blue Lagoon is the most popular hot spring in Iceland, we wanted to try out Sky Lagoon our first day and save Blue Lagoon for our last. Personally, I prefer Blue Lagoon over Sky Lagoon, but I’ll talk about Blue Lagoon later. Sky Lagoon has several experiences that you can choose from for both singles and doubles. I recommend reserving your time slot ahead of time because they are usually booked up if you wait last minute. My sister and I chose to do the “Pure for Two” experience which includes one free drink for each person, a charcuterie board, and optional participation in the seven step ritual. Upon arrival we snacked on our charcuterie board full of local meats, cheeses, and spreads and then headed into the lagoon.

Let me just say that when we made our reservation, we had no idea what the weather would be like when we got to Iceland that day. It was rainy and windy, which I should have known since we went in September. We had already paid for the reservation, so we decided to stick it out. We figured that the warm hot spring water would balance out the cool weather. While the water did help keep us warm when walking around in the lagoon, it was not very relaxing. We couldn’t help but squint at each other and laugh as we were pelted with rain and wind. After getting our free drink we went over to the seven step ritual to see what it entailed. The ritual encompasses a cold plunge, sauna room, steam room, and several scrubs for your face and body. I was not a huge fan of the ritual because I do not like saunas or steam rooms. If you like being in hot rooms where you can hardly breathe, then go for it! My sister appreciated it a lot more than I did. I also thought that each room was a little crowded, so it made the experience less relaxing than it could’ve been. Overall, I give Sky Lagoon a 6/10.

After Sky Lagoon, we still had quite a bit of time left in the day, so we checked into our hotel and headed to downtown Reykjavík. One of the most popular tourist spots downtown is the Rainbow Street located in front of Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral. Surrounding this area is a plethora of shops and restaurants. One of the most exhilarating and fastest ways to explore downtown is via one of the many electrical scooters that are scattered around. We rode them a lot while we were in Reykjavík. To conclude our first day we got some dinner, looked at a couple of shops, and then called it a day early to get extra rest before the real adventure began.

map 1

Day 2

The Golden Circle is sort of like a mini introduction to Iceland and the sights you will potentially see on Ring Road. If you are staying near Reykjavík, then the Golden Circle is a must see. It is the most famous scenic route in Iceland because of how close it is to the city and how easily accessible it is. The Golden Circle is around 190 miles total and only took us about half a day to complete with the stops that we made, including time for pictures and exploration at each stop. The entire drive was gorgeous and surrounded by small mountains, sheep, green foliage, lakes, rivers, and even some Icelandic horses.

Öxarárfoss

Öxarárfoss

Öxarárfoss waterfall is located in Þingvellir National Park. It is a very short walk from the parking lot and is easy to find if you follow the signs. The Þingvellir National Park area is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. There are so many trails located within this park and I wish we would have spent a little more time exploring this area.

Brúarfoss waterfall

Brúarfoss

Brúarfoss is a short walk from the parking lot. There will be a sign on the main road pointing towards the route that leads to the waterfall. Be aware that there is a small fee to park here. We found that fees were common in a lot of parking lots by popular sights and highly trafficked places. Once you arrive at the waterfall, there is a small bridge that crosses over the river offering fantastic views of Brúarfoss. I thought this was a stunning little waterfall and the short walk made the stop here worth it.

Geysir Hot Springs

Geysir Hot Springs

Geysir Hot Springs is an active geothermal field encompassing an area of just over one square mile. There are tons of geysers and hot springs to look at, but brace yourself for the STRONG sulfuric smell! You can walk to the very top of the hill by the geysers for views of whole area, but we decided to save our energy and stayed near the base by the main geyser, Strokkur. Strokkur shoots water up to 100 feet in the air and erupts every 4-10 minutes. Have your camera ready if you want to capture Strokkur in action because its eruptions are unpredictable. Out of all of the places we stopped along the Golden Circle this was probably the busiest because there is a restaurant and gift shop right across from the hot springs. Before leaving this area, we took advantage of the restaurant and had an early lunch.

Gullfoss Falls

Gullfoss Falls

Out of all of the waterfalls that we saw in Iceland, Gullfoss was my least favorite. It is definitely large and magnificent, but the crowds here ruined it (you can see some people in the mist on left in the picture above). There are a couple of trails that lead above the falls and down next to the falls, but they were packed with people. We decided to just look at the fall from the main parking lot. The drive there was pretty though, and we stopped along the canyon leading up to Gullfoss to walk around.

Faxafoss waterfall

Faxafoss

Faxafoss was my favorite waterfall along the Golden Circle. It is short, but mighty and beautiful! There are two parking lots at this waterfall, the upper one and the lower one. To get to the lower parking lot that is closer to Faxafoss, you just have to follow the road that leads down the hill from the end of the upper lot. When we got there, we were the only ones there surprisingly, so we had the entire falls to ourselves for a while (people showed up as we were getting ready to leave). It was fun exploring this waterfall because you can climb around it allowing you to get within touching distance of the falling water.

Skálholt Cathedral & Þorláksbúð

Skálholt Cathedral & Þorláksbúð

Skálholt Cathedral and its surrounding area are breathtaking. You have views of small mountains and the river and can walk along the garden near the cathedral. Skálholt Cathedral was built in 1963 and is still used today. The acoustics inside the cathedral are considered unique and concerts are regularly held there. 

My favorite thing about this area was the turf house located right next to the cathedral. We saw other turf houses during our trip, but this is the first and largest that we saw. I would have loved to live in a house like this back in the day. This style of architecture is so unique and cozy and reminds me of hobbit houses. You can go inside the house, but it is empty.

Kerid Crater

Kerið Crater

Kerið Crater is a large volcanic crater lake. Kerið is approximately three thousand years old, making it roughly half the age of most volcanic craters found in Iceland. The younger iron deposits in the crater give its slopes a red hue, rather than black. There is a trail that wraps around the top of the crater and one that leads directly to the lake at its base. You have to pay to get into this area and is a popular spot to stop along the Golden Circle, like Gullfoss Falls, so expect crowds.

explored-Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Since we still had a fair amount of time left in the day after our trip around the Golden Circle, we decided to head back to Reykjavík to explore. Upon parking our car downtown, we were met with an adorable surprise. There was a black cat sitting in the perfect loaf shape right outside someone’s house. My sister immediately ran over to attempt to give him some love, but it was not well received.

We found the nearest scooters and zipped over to Hallgrimskirkja, which could be seen at the end of Rainbow Street in my earlier pictures. Hallgrimskirkja is the largest church and national monument in Iceland. The tower is about 240 feet tall and provides a panoramic view of Reykjavík. Hallgrimskirkja can be seen throughout Reykjavík and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.

After a day full of activities, we’d worked up quite an appetite, so we sought out the “city’s best hotdog” at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. This hotdog stand was founded in 1937 and is one of the oldest family companies still running in central Reykjavík. They mix lamb into their hotdogs and toppings available include raw onions, crispy onions, ketchup, mustard, and remoulade. A popular local choice of toppings is eina með öllu or “one with everything”. This is exactly what my sister and I got, and they were DELICIOUS. We’d also heard from a local on TikTok that the hotdogs should be paired with a chocolate milk. Sounds gross, but the combination actually wasn’t too bad!

Reykjavík Harbour was close by, so we rode our scooters over there after demolishing our hotdogs. Gorgeous, colorful buildings are prominent in this area along with many restaurants and shops. There were a lot of flat open areas free of people, so we took the opportunity to have some fun and push our scooters to the limit.

Just as we were getting ready to leave the harbor and call it a day, we could hear loud music coming from the furthest dock. My sister wanted to go over and investigate the music to see if there was a party of some sort. Well, there definitely wasn’t a party, but there was some dancing. What we discovered was way more interesting…

Story Time (the whaling protestors)

The end of the harbor was surrounded in caution tape with a local police car blocking the road and a crowd playing music. My sister went over to ask what was going on and found out that there were two protestors, Anahita Babaei and Elissa Bijou, that had tied themselves to the crow’s nests of whaling ships earlier that morning. They did this to prevent the whaling ships from going out to sea following a recent government decision to lift a temporary whaling ban.

Shortly after Anahita and Elissa showed up that morning, police were called to the scene to stop the protest. One police officer tried to pull Anahita out of the crow’s nest unsuccessfully, but police were able to confiscate both of their backpacks containing food, water, and medical supplies. Police also stopped supporters from delivering basic equipment to the protesters. These supporters were on the harbor near the base of the ships blasting music and dancing to offer Anahita and Elissa moral support. They even had a microphone so that they could talk to Anahita and Elissa and check on them asking for a thumbs up or a wave every now and then.

protestors

Day 3

Before leaving Reykjavík the next morning, we went to check on Elissa and Anahita and see if they were still in the crow’s nests. We were shocked when we showed up and saw the supporters in the same spot and Elissas and Anahita still in the nests with lots of energy waiving their hands in the air. They had been up there for over 24 hours! After soaking in one final look at the protest, we continued on our journey. Throughout the day, my sister kept checking their channel for updates. She found out that a while after we had left an ambulance was called to the scene because one of them started to deteriorate. The protest had come to an end after almost two days of Elissa and Anahita being tied to the crow’s nests. We were still shocked that we had been able to randomly witness part of it.

map 3

airplane

DC-3 Airplane wreck in Eyvindarholt

Our first stop on Ring Road beyond Reykjavík was the DC-3 airplane wreck in Eyvindarholt. There is another plane wreck on a beach in Sólheimasandur close to the one in Eyvindarholt, but you have to either take a shuttle to it or walk about 3 miles. The wreck in Sólheimasandur is also more crowded, so we opted to see the plane wreck that was placed in Eyvindarholt. When we got to this plane, we had it all to ourselves! My sister took the opportunity to climb on top of it and carefully walk around its rusting roof.

We not only had the plane wreck to ourselves, but also the gorgeous surrounding scenery. We had views of hills, rivers, and flocks of sheep. Although this plane was placed here and didn’t technically wreck in this spot, I still though it was super cool to see.

Seljalandsfoss to Gljufrabui

Seljalandsfoss to Gljufrabui

Seljalandsfoss to Gljufrabui is a series of waterfalls right off Ring Road. You can see Seljalandsfoss from the highway! This area was extremely busy, and we even saw a wedding. It’s funny because this wasn’t the only wedding we saw near a waterfall this day. The walk from Seljalandsfoss to Gljufrabui takes about 20 minutes roundtrip and there are four waterfalls total in this area. We decided to walk to Gljufrabui first and work our way backwards to Seljalandsfoss.

Gljufrabui is the furthest waterfall to the left of Seljalandsfoss. It is tucked back in a canyon, so it is not visible from the road or the walking path. We had to wait our turn to get into the canyon because there was a long line leading back to the waterfall. Be aware that you will get wet. This day we got drenched multiple times (my sister more than me). All of the waterfalls that we saw were huge and powerful, so they put off a lot of water. My sister was more than willing to get close to each waterfall right in the path of the spray. Meanwhile, I was hiding my camera under the protection of my rain jacket and using my phone instead. Keep your rain gear handy if you plan to see any of the waterfalls I have listed for this day.

After our morning shower at Gljufrabui, we made our way back to Seljalandsfoss to walk the trail that wraps around it. It was surreal being able to walk behind this massive waterfall and see all of its angels. Although there were a lot of people at this series of waterfalls, it didn’t bother me as much as it did at other places because there was enough room spaced out between the waterfalls to where crowds didn’t build up too much.

Rútshellir

Rútshellir Caves

Rútshellir Caves wasn’t originally on our list of places to see, but it was a pleasant surprise. We came across this gorgeous area on our way to Skógafoss. Finding a spot like this is one example of why you shouldn’t follow a strict itinerary when you travel and should be curious about exploring your surroundings. You never know what gems you’ll find on the way to your main destination (especially on a road trip and ESPECIALLY in Iceland). Rútshellir is definitely a gem and was one of my favorite random stops along Ring Road. Right before Rútshellirf was a rundown cobblestone building with a bunch of sheep inside and surrounding it. The sheep were spread out all the way up into the hills (I even got a funny picture of one of them).

After stopping to admire the sheep and fly my drone, we drove around the corner and spotted Rútshellir, the largest man-made cave in Iceland. I am obsessed with the architecture of this hut and the way it is seamlessly built into the rock. This is my favorite “building” that we saw and one of my favorite pictures I captured is below. You can walk inside the cave, but there isn’t much to see inside it.

Skógafoss

Skógafoss

Skógafoss is the first waterfall in a series of about 25 waterfalls within a 5-mile stretch. If you have time to do the 10-mile roundtrip hike, I highly recommend doing so! I have seen gorgeous pictures of waterfalls beyond Skógafoss and the trail has a small elevation gain of 500 feet, so it is fairly easy. For the sake of time, we only saw Skógafoss, but it was still quite the experience. Skógafoss is massive and yet another waterfall that puts off a lot of water. Once again, my sister walked right up next to it and embraced the falling mist.

Kvernufoss

Kvernufoss

Kvernufoss is less than 10 minutes away from Skógafoss. On the way, we stopped at a cute fish and chip food truck called Mia’s Country Van to get a snack and looked at the turf homes at Skógar Museum. Kvernufoss lies just beyond the museum and is an easy 30ish minute walk round trip. If you’re lucky, you will pass by sheep along the river!

We saw more weddings at Kvernufoss. There was one happening right when we got there, and another wedding party walked by during it. We thought it was hilarious that there were two weddings occurring at this waterfall at the same time. Kvernufoss is one of my favorite waterfalls that we saw because of the weddings and because the canyon surrounding the waterfall is gorgeous. Also, the way the water criss crosses in on itself at the top is something that I’ve never seen a waterfall do before. You are safe from the mist of this waterfall, unless you walk beside and behind it like we did.

Sólheimajökull

Sólheimajökull

Sólheimajökull is the fourth largest glacier in Iceland and one of the most accessible ones. The easy walk to Sólheimajökull takes about 15 minutes. We stopped at the viewpoint for Sólheimajökull, but you can continue past it onto the beach. There are also different tours you can take that allow you to explore the glacier even further.

Dyrhólaey Lighthouse

Dyrhólaey

Dyrhólaey is a peninsula that overlooks Black Sand Beach (more on this on day 4) and the surrounding landscape. You can walk around the tip of the peninsula for unobstructed views of the ocean and its beaches. Be careful along the cliffside though, there are signs warning you not to get too close to the edge. It is a long and painful drop down. The peninsula is also home to one of the most unique lighthouses I’ve ever seen, Dyrhólaey Lighthouse. This castle-like lighthouse is short, stout, and sturdy enough to withstand being exposed to Iceland’s harshest elements.

day 4 map

Day 4

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach is one of the most well-known beaches in Iceland. Its black sands were formed by boiling hot lava floating across the beach, then cooling and solidifying after mixing with icy ocean water. While this beach is breathtaking, it can be dangerous. The waves at this beach are extremely powerful and unpredictable. Right next to the entrance to the beach there are warning lights that indicate the current danger level. Make sure you pay attention to these lights before entering the beach. Even if the lights aren’t currently lit (indicating that the beach is safe), I’d still keep an eye on the waves and not get too close to them. This beach is known to have “sneaker waves” that can appear quickly and suddenly, even on calm days. You have to pay to park here and there is a visitor center right by the parking lot.

Skool Beans Cafe

Skool Beans Cafe

Skool Beans Cafe is one of the most unique cafes I’ve ever been to. We heard about it on TikTok and wanted to check it out since my sister is a coffee lover. I love that the cafe was in a school bus and thought it was super cute. They had many types of snacks and treats to choose from in addition to plenty of coffee and hot chocolate choices.

As you are probably noticing by now there are quite a few pride flags and streets in Iceland. Iceland is very LGBTQ friendly, and some places will even indicate that they are LGBTQ friendly on their website. This didn’t bother us at all, but I know it rubs some people the wrong way. I’m only bringing this up because I’ve gotten a lot of negative comments on a couple of my TikTok posts where I was sharing the colorful rainbow streets throughout Iceland. So, for those of you who are LGBTQ, just know that you should feel very safe in Iceland! And for those of you who are against it, well you’re just going to have to accept the fact that you will see the occasional rainbow and keep an open mind.

Gígjagjá/Yoda Cave

Gígjagjá/Yoda Cave

Gígjagjá is nicknamed Yoda Cave because it looks nearly identical to Yoda. If you are a Star Wars lover like me, then this cave is a must see. You can drive right up to the cave, so no hike is required. You might have to wait your turn to get a picture of the cave if it is busy. We waited our turn with another family and sprinted into the cave together when the coast was clear. Be courteous of people waiting behind you and try to not take longer than necessary.

Fjaðrárgljúfur

Fjaðrárgljúfur

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon leads to a waterfall and is a 1.8ish mile hike roundtrip. The hike itself is fairly easy and flat most of the way. Once we got to the canyon, we decided not to hike out to the waterfall since we still had a lot of driving left to do this day (and we’d already seen a fair number of waterfalls up to this point). Instead, we parked in the parking lot and walked down the bridge that offers a view into the canyon. I flew my drone around to explore the area from a bird’s eye view.

Stjórnarfoss

Stjórnarfoss

Stjórnarfoss was my favorite waterfall that we saw this day. It is nestled in a lush canyon and the surrounding scenery is breathtaking. The pool that Stjórnarfoss flows into is a gorgeous deep blue color. The front tier of Stjórnarfoss may seem short due to its dome shape, but it is an impressive 49 feet tall. Stjórnarfoss has even more tiers that flow down from the canyon above, but these aren’t visible when you are at the base of the fall. Stjórnarfoss is directly across from the parking lot and can be seen from the road. If you want to get up close and personal with the waterfall, it is just a short walk away.

Svartifoss

Svartifoss

On the way to Svartifoss we passed by a few more waterfalls right off of Ring Road (above) and had views of Vatnajökull glacier (which breaks off into smaller glaciers). Svartifoss is located within Vatnajökull National Park and is fed by Svinafellsjokull glacier. This area has many hikes to choose from for all skill levels ranging from short day hikes to longer backpacking excursions. You could potentially spend multiple days here exploring the trails and I wish that we had had more time to spend in this area. For this day our only destination was Svartifoss. It is easy to find the trailhead from the large main parking lot. There are many signs around that will point you in the right direction. The trail for Svartifoss is about 2 miles roundtrip. Be prepared to break a sweat at the beginning of the trail because it leads directly up a hill for a good 3/4 of a mile. While the waterfall itself was beautiful, I also liked this trail because the surrounding area was gorgeous.

Jökulsárlón Glacier & Diamond Beach

Jökulsárlón Glacier & Diamond Beach

Jökulsárlón Glacier is home to Iceland’s most visited glacier lagoon. You can walk along the lagoon’s edge or cruise around on a boat tour in the lagoon to get up close and personal with the icebergs. The icebergs in this lagoon are unique to others in Iceland because they are HUGE and have a beautiful blueish tone to them with streaks of black volcanic ash. If you are lucky, you might even spot a seal or two swimming around between the icebergs. As the icebergs break down to a smaller size, the slowly drift out of the lagoon onto Diamond Beach.

Diamond Beach is another well-known beach in Iceland. The beach is located right across the road from the lagoon. The “diamonds” are created from broken down icebergs. There are iceberg chunks on either side of the lagoon’s mouth, but we chose to explore the eastern side of the beach. The iceberg chunks are gorgeous, and some are nearly see-through.

day 5 map

Day 5

Viking Village Film Set & Stokksnes

Viking Village Film Set & Stokksnes

The Viking Village Film Set was something I was really excited to see in Iceland (even though it isn’t an actual Viking village). This place is a replica of a Viking village built as a film set for a movie that was never shot. I’m a huge sucker for Norse mythology, Greek mythology, fantasy, ect. so, the village was right up my alley. The fact that this day was shrouded in rain and fog just added to the Viking-like ambiance and made the village more magical. One downside to the fog was that we were not able to see Stokksnes, a mountain along the beach next to the village. I still thought that visiting the village was well worth it without views of the mountain. To get to the village and Stokknes, you have to pay for tickets to access the gate at the cafe/visitor center.

From the parking lot, you will see the village in the distance with a Viking boat floating in the water just beyond it. We entered the village from the side gate right behind the boat after climbing inside of it. One of the first things we saw upon entering the village was a three-story building. We immediately walked over to this building to see if we could go inside. There was an entrance on the backside of the building, so we climbed up to the third floor. This vantage point offered the perfect views of the village and an ideal spot for me to fly my drone.

After soaking in views of the village from above, we exited the building to explore the rest of the village but were greeted by unexpected guests. Directly to the side of the building there were two black horses! I think that these horses were technically wild, but they seemed to be very friendly and docile. We were able to get super close to them and they even let us pet them. Their appearance further attributed to the Viking vibe.

After spending some time with our new friends (who I got WAY too many pictures of) we walked around the rest of the village to explore the other buildings. We spent about an hour and a half here, but you could definitely see the whole village in less time because it is not very large.

3ish hour drive along eastern ring road

3 Hour Drive

The drive from the Viking village to Klifbrekku takes a little over three hours. I knew that this day would be more of drive and “stop when we see something interesting” type day (we had a couple more days like this because of how spread out Iceland is). This section of Ring Road takes you up the eastern side of Iceland into the northeastern side of the country. There are a few towns scattered a way off of Ring Road, but our main goal this day was to get to the northern side of Iceland. Plus, the drive to some of the towns can be up to an hour-long detour. You can either follow Ring Road along the coast or shave off about 30 minutes from your travel time and cut inland along Road 939, Axarvegur. We decided to cut inland instead of driving along the coast to save time.

While it was foggy most of the day, we still saw a fair amount of breathtaking scenery. We passed by multiple waterfalls, rivers, mountains, and sprawling landscapes. We had a feeling that there were even more waterfalls hidden in the fog and were sad because we couldn’t add them to our waterfall count. All in all, the drive was gorgeous despite the weather. We stopped multiple times so that I could fly my drone.

Klifbrekku Waterfall

Klifbrekku Waterfall

Klifbrekku was hands down our favorite waterfall in Iceland. It is massive and has seven tiers total that pour down the cliffside. Not only is the waterfall gorgeous, but the surrounding scenery is some of the most breathtaking that we saw in all of Iceland. The waterfall is tucked into a valley parallelling the main road that winds down the hillside to the sea. Not only was this my favorite waterfall, but the mountain range to the south was also my favorite that we saw in Iceland. The most prominent peak juts upward majestically above the rest of the range. I think that the reason we loved this area so much (besides the fact that it is gorgeous) is that we honestly didn’t know what to expect. This is one stop that I didn’t have too much information on other than the waterfall was “large”. Let’s just say that we were pleasantly surprised. My sister spent some time climbing up to a few of the waterfall’s tiers while I flew my drone around. The main road winds down past the falls to the oceanside below, but Klifbrekku was our only destination in this area.

Skálinn Diner

Skálinn Diner

On our way to the hotel, we passed by Skálinn Diner. When I googled the restaurant, it was listed as a 50’s style American Diner, which I thought would be interesting to see. I thought it was funny that there was an old-style American Diner in a random Icelandic town. While I was walking around the inside taking pictures one of the employees came over and asked if they would be able to look at my pictures when I was done. I was ecstatic that someone wanted to see my pictures, so I excitedly showed him after we were done eating. It was so fun to watch him, and his coworkers react to my pictures, and it made me feel like I was getting the hang of my new camera. This interaction that I had with the staff there is one I will forever cherish on my photography journey. Unfortunately, when I googled this restaurant recently it says that it is permanently closed, but I still wanted to share these pictures with you.

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Day 6

Seydisfjordur

Seydisfjordur

Seydisfjordur is an adorable small town nestled in the Eastern Region of Iceland. I really wanted us to stay here the previous night instead of at Hotel Valaskjalf, but it didn’t work out. Luckily Seydisfjordur was a very close drive from the hotel, so we stopped here before continuing along the northern section of Ring Road. The main point of interest in this town is Seyðisfjarðarkirkja church and the small rainbow road that lies before it. While this church and rainbow road isn’t as grand as the one in Reykjavík, I liked it more because the surrounding area was calmer and cozier compared to the bustling downtown of Reykjavík.

Stuðlagil Canyon

Stuðlagil Canyon

Stuðlagil Canyon has the largest number of basalt rock columns in Iceland. You can view the canyon from either the west or east side, BUT you can only climb down into the canyon from the eastern side. The canyon is accessible from the east via an easy 2ish hour roundtrip hike. To find the east trail look up “Parking Klaustrusel – Stuðlagil” parking lot on google maps located right next to Stuðlafoss Waterfall. This road is fairly bumpy, so take your time driving down it. We made it just fine in our small rental car, but a 4×4 vehicle is recommended. If you don’t feel comfortable driving down this road you can park near the bridge and walk to the trailhead, but this adds on about 30 minutes of walking time one way. One of the first things you’ll see along the trail is Stuðlafoss Waterfall. You will parallel the canyon the rest of the hike until you reach Stuðlagil. If you are not wanting to hike and just want to look down into the canyon then google “Stuðlagil Canyon Main Access”. This will take you straight to the viewing platform on the western side of the canyon.

The hike itself isn’t very strenuous. There are a couple of hills, but they are manageable. Once you reach Stuðlagil, it is very easy to find the access point into the canyon, just look in the area across from the western side viewing platform. There will most likely be other people climbing into the canyon that you can follow. Depending on the time of year, the water level may be higher or lower exposing more or less of the basalt columns. I was surprised that the water level was so high in September. The water also had a brownish hue instead of clear blue like I’ve seen in pictures online.

After our visit I had read that the best time to experience blue waters and low water levels is typically in early summer, before the glacial melt increases river flow. If you go in late summer or fall, then an increases water flow mixes sediment around in the river making it browner. We still enjoyed our time at the canyon despite this and my sister was able to climb down into the top of the canyon. We spent a good amount of time here climbing around (trying not to fall in) and exploring the canyon.

Lake Mývatn

Lake Mývatn

Lake Mývatn is one of my favorite areas in Iceland. The lake is HUGE, and the surrounding area is full of breathtaking natural features such as craters, caves, and geothermal spots. This is another area that I wish we had had more time to explore. We left most of our exploration of Lake Mývatn for the next morning because our first priority upon arrival was laundry.

Our hotel had laundry listed as an ammenity on their website, but during check in we discovered that it wasn’t the self-serve style that is typical in the U.S. They offered “laundry pickup” once a morning and guests could expect their laundry back the next day. By the time we arrived we had already missed the pickup window. But we did find out that Vogar tjaldsvæði campground down the road offered laundry services as well. As long as you drop off your laundry before the main office closes, you are able to have your clothes washed and available for pick up the next day. It is fairly expensive through. I think we paid around $30 each. Laundry options are scarce along Ring Road though, so we didn’t hesitate to hand our clothes over.

After dropping our laundry off we made a reservation for dinner at Vogafjós Farm Resort right across the street. This restaurant serves delicious fresh food. So fresh, in fact, that their cows are on site and visible from the dining room (this was really sad, and I felt guilty for getting a burger, but it was delicious).

Right across from our hotel was Skútustaðagígar, a series of craters formed by lava flow. It was fun being right across the street from these craters. Even though we didn’t walk around them, I didn’t hesitate to fly my drone over to check them out from above. I was surprised at how many sheep there were surrounding the craters (they are the little white dots scattered around).

Map of drive

Day 7

Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá is a small lava cave that contains a warm geothermal hot spring in its depths. Grjótagjá is fairly famous and was even featured in Game of Thrones! There are a few different access points into the cave. The easiest way to get in is via one of the two openings near the parking lot. You have to scale down the rocks to get into the cave, but it is fairly easy to climb down. Be careful about getting too close to the hot spring though because the rocks can get slippery. Someone partially fell in while we were there. Luckily, I was standing right next to them, so I was able to help prevent them from completely falling in the spring. If you walk around the top side of Grjótagjá you will be able to see the large fissure in the ground that houses the cave beneath.

Hverir

Hverir

Hverir is one of those places in Iceland that will make you feel like you are on another planet. After being surrounded by greenery, the colors of Hverir offer a stark contrast in the landscape. Hverir is one of the largest geothermal areas in Iceland full of steam vents, bubbling mud pots, and vibrant mineral deposits (and of course the lovely smell of sulfur). We didn’t walk around the geothermal field, but I did get some fantastic shots of the area with my drone.

Dettifoss & Hafragilsfoss

Dettifoss & Hafragilsfoss

Dettifoss and Hafragilsfoss are located less than 10 minutes from each other and flow along the same river, which is why I included both of them in the same section. Detifoss is accessible from both sides of the river, but we drove along the eastern side because the viewpoint for Hafragilsfoss is on the east side. From the east side the hike to the viewpoint of Dettifoss takes about 15 minutes, but you can hike further down to get even closer to the waterfall. It was EXTREMELY windy and rainy by the time we reached these waterfalls. Because of the weather we didn’t walk around at Dettifoss and I didn’t get any pictures there. But I did get some at Hafragilsfoss. The walk around the top of Hafragilsfoss seemed more manageable, so we braved the cold weather and walked around for about 15 minutes before sprinting back to the car.

Húsavík

Húsavík

If you have ever seen the movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix, then you have heard of Húsavík. As soon as we started to plan our Iceland trip, we knew that we had to make a detour to this small town. When we got close to Húsavík we started to play the movie’s soundtrack to set the tone. Our first stop in the town was Húsavík Harbor.

We then headed over to the Eurovision Museum to learn more about the history of the European Eurovision Song Contest and see props from the Netflix movie. This was an adorable little museum with all kinds of stuff inside it. They even had a small theatre with a short documentary about Eurovision and the movie. The bar inside had unique drink names based on themes from the movie.

The downtown area had lots of restaurants, breweries, and shops. We walked around a little more before deciding to call it a night. Húsavík was one of my favorite towns that we saw in Iceland. Even if you have never seen the Netflix movie or aren’t a huge fan of it, Húsavík is still worth a stop, especially if you love whales (I’ll explain why on day 8).

Map of drive

Day 8

Whale watching

Whale Watching

Húsavík is known as “the whaling capital of Iceland” because of its ideal whale watching conditions. The town is located right next to Skjálfandi Bay, a feeding ground for whales. The bay is home to many species including humpback, minke, sperm, and blue whales, as well as dolphins and porpoises. Before leaving Húsavík, we went whale watching with North Sailing. I chose this company because they are the original whale watching tour company in Húsavík. The tour took about 3 hours and was less than $100 per person.

I’m going to warn you that if you get seasick, I’d seriously consider not going on a whale watching tour. My sister and I both get motion sickness, but I wanted to go on the tour because we were in the whaling capital, so how could we not?? It quickly backfired because I threw up seven times and was miserable the entire tour. My sister managed to not throw up by continuously pacing around the boat and blocking out everything. I will say that if you do decide to go on a tour the best place to sit is on the bottom level of the boat near the back. This is one of the most stable spots in the boat (and also slightly more private for getting sick). Did we still see several whales? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. This was just based on our experience though. If you don’t get seasick then I highly recommend taking a tour!

Kolugljúfur Canyon

Sjónarhorn Waterfall & Kolugljúfur Canyon

After being sick for 3 hours on a whaling boat, the last thing we wanted to do was explore. Unfortunately, we still had our longest stretch of driving yet left to do this day. We’d had a few stops planned along the way but decided to not do any of them except the last one on the list, Sjónarhorn and Kolugljúfur. We did stop a couple of times to stretch our legs though. The drive may have been long, but there was no lack of views along the way.

Sjónarhorn and Kolugljúfur are directly across the road from each other. Lucky for us in our unmotivated state, there was no hiking required to get to either. You can crawl down onto the rocks though for better views of both, which is what we did. There are also several viewpoints off of the road if you don’t feel like scrambling around.

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Day 9 – Snæfellsnes Peninsula

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is often called “Iceland in a nutshell” because it has dramatic landscapes and examples of some of the natural wonders found in Iceland. The peninsula is also home to one of the most famous mountains in Iceland, Kirkjufell. It is easy to spend a whole day exploring the peninsula because there is a lot to see. Luckily, most of these sights don’t require a long hike and are easily accessible. I got more drone shots this day than any other day in Iceland because we were exhausted, so I chose to view most of the peninsula through my drone from the comfort of our rental car. At one point we stopped at Saxhóll Crater and my sister said, “You should fly your drone above it to see if there is a lake inside, so we know if it’s worth it or not to hike up there.” Disclaimer: there was no lake, and we did not hike to the top of it.

Búðakirkja

Búðakirkja

Búðakirkja is a tiny wooden church dating back to 1703. I have never seen a black church before, so we definitely had to stop here to see it in person. This church is apparently one of three black ones in Iceland. This church was painted black with pitch to protect it from harsh weather.

Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge

Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge

Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge is a narrow gap in Botnsfjall Mountain. You can walk into the gorge but are unable to walk back too far without the proper gear. You can reach a small waterfall after climbing over a few rocks. To climb back further you will need to be reasonably fit, equipped with waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes, and be willing to get pretty wet. One thing that I loved about this gorge was the plethora of birds flying around its mouth. It was surreal to watch.

Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi is a small fishing village that lies at the base of Mt. Stapafell. There are a bunch of walking paths that lead along the shoreline offering views of stone arches, rocky cliffs, and small coastal waterfalls.

Lóndrangar

Lóndrangar

Lóndrangar is a pair of rock pinnacles made up of volcanic basalt that have been hewn out from softer surrounding rock by erosion. This rock formation looks like a large castle by the sea. You can either view Lóndrangar from the viewpoint or take a longer trek and walk out directly to it.

Malarrif Lighthouse

Malarrif Lighthouse

Malarrif Lighthouse is right next to Lóndrangar. You could see the Malarrif in the distance in my drone shots of Lóndrangar and you could also see Lóndrangar from the road leading to the lighthouse. Another thing that we saw along the road was some type of Icelandic fox. It was adorable *cries happy tears*. Malarrif was built in 1917 and rebuilt in 1947. 

Svöðufoss

Svöðufoss

Svöðufoss waterfall is tucked away from the road, so you wouldn’t know it was there unless you were seeking it out. The walk to the waterfall from the parking lot is very short. The waterfall is only 32 feet tall, but majestic Snæfellsjökull Glacier lies in the landscape behind it making up for its short height.

Kirkjufell

Kirkjufell

Kirkjufell, also known as Church Mountain, is probably the most photographed mountain in Iceland. This mountain is the main reason why I wanted to go to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the first place. Kirkjufell is also another place in Iceland that was featured in Game of Thrones! 

There is short a walking path across from Kirkjufell that leads to its neighboring waterfall, Kirkjufellsfoss. There are also trails around the base of Kirkjufell, but it is not recommended to climb to the mountain top because it is extremely steep. 

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Day 10

Glymur

Glymur

Glymur is Iceland’s second-tallest waterfall, and the tallest one that is easily accessible by foot. This hike is about 4.3 miles roundtrip (or less depending on how far you climb above the waterfall) and has an elevation gain of roughly 1394 feet. While this isn’t the hardest hike I’ve ever done, this was definitely the hardest one that we did in Iceland. We were huffing and puffing by the time we reached the waterfall. One of my favorite things about this hike was the river crossing. About one mile into the trail, you will come to the river and see a rope connected to either side. You have to slowly make your way across the rocks and a log to where the trail continues on the other side. My sister got some pictures of me crossing the river.

The hike will start to go uphill after the river crossing. The trail is steep, but there are some ropes along the way to help you out. The higher you climb the better the views surrounding you will be. You will be able to see the river below and the valley surrounding you.

After climbing uphill for a while you will finally reach the first viewpoint of Glymur. This is where we decided to stop our hike. You can continue further though for closer views of Glymur. By the time we got there the lighting conditions were less than ideal. The upper half of the waterfall was overexposed while the bottom half in the canyon was underexposed due to where the sun was positioned. I flew my drone around to try to get some shots, but they didn’t turn out as good as they could have. Despite this, Glymur was my favorite hike in Iceland and is truly magnificent. We stayed at the viewpoint for about an hour watching the waterfall pour down the cliffside and birds soar around it.

Reykjavík

Reykjavík

We had finally made it full circle on our trip and one of our last stops was in the same place where it all began, Reykjavík. While waiting for our Blue Lagoon reservation that night, we decided to head back downtown to kill some time. We got some more delicious hot dogs, zipped around on the scooters, explored more of the streets and shops, and even found a stray cat.

One thing that we kept seeing around Iceland was a colorful in ground trampoline. Every time we saw one we wanted to try it out, but said, “Oh, well see another one let’s just wait.” The time had finally come to jump on one our last day. The one that we went to was at a park near downtown. It was funny because we were the only adults bouncing around and were surrounded by children. I thought that it was exhausting to jump on and definitely think actual trampolines are easier. My sister spent more time on it than I did so that I could capture some of her graceful moments.

Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon

Our evening at Blue Lagoon was definitely a relaxing one after our multi-day road trip. Blue Lagoon is a gorgeous hot spring with a beautiful light blue color. I do think that Blue Lagoon is overhyped, but I liked it way more than Sky Lagoon. If you only have time to visit one hot spring then Blue Lagoon should be at the top of your list. You will want to reserve a time slot ahead of time because they fill up even quicker than slots at Sky Lagoon. As you drive to Blue Lagoon you will see geothermal smoke in the distance floating above the lava rock. All of the pictures in this section were taken by my sister (I only got one picture of the lagoon).

After parking in the HUGE parking lot, you will head to the front desk where the check in process is very straightforward. Once you are changed and ready to head in, be careful about entering the lagoon. The ramp leading to the door is very slippery and I saw at least two people fall.

We’d heard that you shouldn’t get your hair wet at the lagoon unless you have conditioner in. This is because the lagoon’s geothermal seawater has a high mineral content that can make hair feel dry, stiff, and tangled. We decided to not risk it and completely put our hair up. We bobbed around and looked at everything in the lagoon including the facial mask station. The mask felt so good, and you will see multiple people walking around with masks on their face. While I rated Sky Lagoon a 6/10, I give Blue Lagoon an 8/10. Visiting Blue Lagoon during better weather definitely helped our experience. I also liked how secluded Blue Lagoon felt, how beautiful the blue waters and surrounding lava rock were, and the large size of the lagoon.

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Day 11

Our only plan this day was to return our rental car and head home. After traveling around Iceland for over a week we couldn’t believe that our trip had come to an end. Near our last hotel were a couple of lighthouses, so we drove over to soak in our last views of Iceland. We also stopped at one of the local grocery stores to stock up on snacks for the flight (and I stocked up on my favorite yogurt drink to put into my checked bag). Returning the rental car was a painless process and they gave us a ride back to the airport.

After 8 years, Iceland had finally been crossed off my list. I am grateful that my sister was able to go with me. We saw so many unbelievably breathtaking sights. I still often look back at the pictures I took and reminisce about our trip. Now that my Fujifilm X-T5 had been on its first trip, I was excited to take it on future adventures. Since then, I have learned so much about my camera and photography and am excited to continue to share my experiences with you!

Note for the reader: I share these locations so that others can see beautiful places and enjoy nature as much as I do. Please be respectful of the outdoors and what condition it is in when you visit. Don’t go off trail, leave no trace, and pack out what you came in with.