Since Michael and I exchanged our vows over 5 years ago, we have been privileged to travel parts of the world to visit family, friends, solo trips, work trips and impromptu weekend getaways. As we reminiscent on our adventures from South East Asia to India to Europe to Central America, we’ve also regretfully neglected to take time for each other out of the norm, let alone go on a honeymoon.
Well life finally slowed down and with us celebrating 5 year of marriage we sought the opportunity to explore destinations and travel deals on Google Flights. We were open to going anywhere in the world as long as it didn’t break the bank. This past May, American Airlines announced that they would be offering direct flights to Iceland for $400 per person that we’re available for the dates we had in mind, so naturally we jumped on the deal.
With months of planning and making reservations, spreadsheets and the constantly updating our POI map, we were on our way to conquer Iceland’s Ring Road!
We began our 12 day excursion in Reykjavik then made our way around the Ring Road heading east. Every day was a new adventure and a new place of stay. We hiked, took pictures, hiked again, ate, and we relaxed. There were sites that we missed along the road trip, but our plan worked best for us without exhausting ourselves.
Prior to taking off to Iceland, there are a couple of apps that are recommended for your travel.
Aurora Forecast for notifications on visibility of the Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis
112 Iceland - The app to use for safety and emergencies
WAPP - Off the beaten path hiking trail guide
A couple of notes.
Car rental- We rented from SixT. They offered amazing protection, upgraded our vehicle without additional costs. SixT also offers wifi dongles for $10 a day up to 7 days, or $70 total for any length passed 7 days.
Iceland is expensive. Michael and I had one beer each and shared an entree which would run around $60. Pack snacks such as protein bars, dried fruit, trail mix etc to get through the long drives and hikes. Our goal was to eat out once a day and to find places that offered free breakfast.
Parking in Reykjavik can be confusing. There are zone designations that allow you to park for 24 hours. If you park in zone 2, you are able to park in any zone 2 for the rest of the day.
We planned our trip based on daylight hours. We didn’t want to be driving when the sun was not out for precautionary reasons. This also gave us time to rest before taking on the next day.
Here is a day by day break down of how we did Iceland!
Day 1
Blue Lagoon
Destination City: Reykjavik
Things we did: Blue Lagoon | Walked around Reykjavik - Hallgrimskirkja to Harpa Concert Hall.
Place of Stay: Hotel Ódinsvé
Where we ate: Café Loki - Icelandic Comfort food.
Day 2
Þingvellir National Park
City: Reykjavik
Things we did: Hallgrimskirkja Tower Overlook | Þingvellir National Park | Explored more of Reykjavik
Place of Stay: Hotel Ódinsvé
Where we ate: Café Babalú
Tip: Check in at the Visitor Center. The staff is very helpful in guiding what would be the best fit for timing and fitness level.
Day 3
Gullfoss
Enroute Destination: Hella
Things we did: Kerid Crater | Geysir | Gullfoss | Seljalandsfoss | Gljúfrabúi
Place of Stay: Hotel Hella
Where we ate: Restaurant Kanslarinn
Tip: There are a handful of places to stay, our experience at Hotel Hella was not the best.
Day 4
Skogafoss
Enroute Destination: Núpar
Things we did: Skógafoss | Dyrhólaey | Solheimasandur Plane Wreck | Reynisfjara Beach
Place of Stay: Fosshotel Núpar
Where we ate: Fosshotel Núpar
Tip: This was the most exhausting leg of the trip in terms of things we did and the weather. The plane wreck is a trek. It took us about 3 hours round trip on foot. Be sure to pack extra socks, and wear multiple water proof gear. Stay in Vik to avoid back tracking.
Day 5
Enroute Destination City: Höfn
Things we did: Fjaðrárgljúfur | Skaftafell Glacier Hike | Jökulsárlón | Diamond Beach
Place of Stay: Hotel Lilja
Where we ate: Hotel Lilja
Tip: We started our day before sunrise to back track to the Canyon. We missed out on the actual falls of Skatafell, because I wanted to budget ample time for picture taking at lagoon, which could have been significantly reduced.
Day 6
Enroute Destination City: Egilsstadir
Things we did: Drive | Búlandstindur | Drive | Seydisfjordur
Place of Stay: Hotel Airbnb
Where we ate: Breakfast at the hotel and snacked all throughout the day.
Tip: Take your time- this was one of the most scenic drives yet. If you manage to get on the road early make a stop to Vestrahorn right outside of Hofn.
Day 7
Enroute Destination City: Myvatn
Things we did: Dettifoss | Krafla and Leirhnjúkur (Hike) | Grjótagjá cave (GOT) | Myvatn Nature Baths
Place of Stay: Hotel Laxa
Where we ate: Hotel Laxa
Tip: Be careful. We are not used to driving in snow while climbing through the mountains. Since the roads are less traveled you may experience driving on some ice.
Side note: The hotel offered a wake up call for the northern lights!
Day 8
Enroute Destination City: Skagafjordur
Things we did: Dimmuborgir | Goðafoss Waterfall | Akureyri | Byggðasafn Skagfirðinga Glaumbær
Place of Stay: Puffin Palace
Where we ate: Lunch: Pylsuvagninn á Akureyri | Dinner: Kaffi Krókur
Tip: This leg of the trip was not very planned. We wanted opportunities to explore whatever we could along the way. We stayed somewhere off the beaten path so we stayed in Skagafjordur, which sits in the mouth of the fjord of the Arctic Ocean. There are a few small villages along the way to our place of stay which make for great photos.
If you are wanting to make headway, I would recommend pushing the drive to Bordeyri or Borgarnes. This is where we missed out on a few hikes and landmarks of West Iceland such as Bruarfoss.
If you stay in Bordeyri, take the opportunity to drive through the West Fjords on your way to West Iceland.
Day 9
Enroute Destination City: Stykkishólmur
Things we did: Búðakirkja | Kirkjufellsfoss
Place of Stay: AirBnB
Where we ate: Narfeyrarstofa
Tip: We skipped Hvitserkur to check off a few things from the next day with so much to see.
Day 10
Enroute Destination City: Reykjavik- Our Anniversary day!
Things we did: Ólafsvíkurkirkja | Saxholl | Dritvik Djúpalónssandur | Londrangar | Arnarstapi | Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge
Place of Stay: Hilton Noridca
Where we ate: Lunch: Geirabakari Kaffihus | Dinner: Vox
Tip: If we weren’t in such a hurry to make it back to Reykjavik to enjoy our anniversary and make our dinner reservation, we would have explored Borgarnes. However, at this point in our trip we wanted to just sit.
Day 11
Destination: Reykjavik
Things we did: Walked around Reykjavik | Perlan for sunset
Place of Stay: Hilton Nordica
Where we ate: Lunch: Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur | Snack: Brauð & Co. | Dinner: Ramen Momo
Day 12
Hello Greenland!
Back to DFW!
FINAL THOUGHTS
We are fortunate to have been able to take a trip like this to celebrate us. It’s easy to get caught up with life and everything that consumes time, money, and energy.
We learned a lot about ourselves and each other and look forward to the many more adventures to share.
If you have any questions about our trip, reach out!
-Cheers,
Sonya