Travel Report - 12 days itinerary trip in Iceland from Sarah

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12 days trip around Iceland

Hi there,

We were a family of 4 - 2 adulsts and 2 kids (13 and 11) on our 12 day holiday to Iceland (from July 28th to August 9th).

I started planning the trip back in April / May.

- Flights: WOW airlines, no complaints, nice staff, on time, no comments on 2 checked in (under 20kgs) or 4 hand luggage (each under 10kgs). We had each one piece of hand luggage and the kids some handbags (although they did ask to see them when we checked in),

- Car: Rented with Reykjavík Cars (www.reykjavikcars.com), again no probs. Booked a estate car with a large boot for the luggage, originally a Suzuki Grand Vitara but got a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4. Around 4,000 km on the clock and we did another 4,000. Had our own insurance (we book one year insurance to cover all of our rentals for the year).

Good service, had to call the first day as there was a leak in the car, they arranged for us to visit a mechanic on the village we were in and fortunately it was nothing. When we returned the car, they inspected it thoroughly and everything was fine.... so very good experience!

- Accommodation: We booked through YHA and stayed in Youth Hostels except for 2 places where they were already sold out in May (Isafjordur and Akureyri). I booked in Gamla Guest House in Isafjourdur (very nice, with a superb breakfast) and Solgardar guesthouse in Akureyri which was also nice and clean (without breakfast). This was the cheapest option. We brought our own sheets (we slept in duvet covers) and towels.

- Clothing: Forget about summer clothes, it is cold and we were wearing a few layers of clothes every day (the adults were on their thermals pretty much the whole trip)

- Pre-booking trips: I prebooked a few trips but other than the ferry cross, I think that you can book everything on the spot allowing you to plan your day as you wish and deciding depending on the weather or your mood which is exactly what we did in the second part of our trip (the galcier walk, the ice lagoon, the visit to the cape) without having to do something because you have already paid for it.

The trip was as follows:

- July 28th: London Gatwick to Reykjavík, pick up the car and drive to Grundafjordur. Stayed at the YH (a small house that was fine) and had dinner at Kaffi 59. Dinner was so so, burguers (kitchen too busy for pizza) and I had some meat that was not that great

- July 29th: Breakfast at the bakery in Stykkisholmur (very nice) and took the Unique Adventure Tour which was very nice (prebooked directly with Icelandic Excursions). Quite amazing the part when they brought the scalops and sea urchins on board and we all ate them...

Then we travel around Snaefellsnels and did all the sights. Dritvik, Djupalon, tried to go up to Snjofell but decided not to as we were worried about the leak in the car (which was nothing), Breidavik, Budavik... had dinner in a N1 grill which ticked the box. Slept at Grundarfjörður. There is a huge lava cave outside Dritvik which we could not visit because we arrived late but looked like an interesting place to visit.

- July 30th: Ferry from Stykki to Brjanslaekur (prebooked with Seatours) and drove to Látrabjarg. While it was nice, please be warned that this is a long drive and we had the opportunity to see bird cliffs with puffins in other parts of Iceland. This ended up being a long day as we had to drive to Isafjordur where we were staying at Gamla Guesthouse. Had dinner in Isafjordur at the fish restaurant in the port.

Dinner was sublime, it is fixed menu with a very nice fish soup, "all you can eat" of freshly cooked fish and you have different types of fish to choose from and side dishes, a heavenly rubarb desert with cream, tea and coffee.... So nice and what a change from the grills!!!! Kids were free so only the adults had to pay 5000ISK (or £30) which was good value for money

- July 31st: We drove to our next destiatination in Broddanes stopping on the way to see the seals in Súðavík, had a swing in Reykjanes geothermal pool and visited the witchcraft museum in Holmavík (which is NOT worthy the visit). The YH at Broddanes is isolated, nice and modern but in the middle of no where. It was good that we had bought some food at Holmavík and cooked dinner.

- August 1st: We had to drive to Akureyri with 2 activities on the way that I had prebooked thought Saga Travel - seal watching at Hvammstangi and rafting in Skagafjordur. Unfortunately we missed the seal tour (long story but took the wrong turn when we left the YH so we were late for the boat trip) but managed to get it moved to the following day (you can book directly at www.sealwatching.is).

We drove to the rafting place enjoying the scenary and had a good laugh with Artic Rafting. While I booked this with Saga Travel you can book it directly with them. They are a good bunch of young lads that clearly enjoy what they do!!!! Continued our trip to Akureyri, checked in at the guesthouse Solgardar (very nice) and went for dinner to Greifinn. Good hearthy dinner with a 15% discount .....

- August 2nd: We had planned Lake Myvatn for the day but had to drive back to do the seal tour in the morning (the day was gorgeous and the boat trip very pleasant, the crew offered binoculars and hot chocolate with pastries and we even saw humpback whales in the distance) and in the afternoon we went to Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn and did the treks in the South and East of the Lake (including Dimmuborgir). Back to Ajureyri for dinner by the port. Long day!!!

- August 3rd: We had booked the whale watching trip in Husavik in the RIB boat again with Scandivian Travel but you can book directly with Visit Askja. It was by far the worst day of all of our holidays (cold, rainning, bumpy sea....) and although we were given the option for a refund, we decided to take a chance. We saw a few humpback whales and also puffins in one of the islands and despite one of us getting sea sick it was worth the trip.

Then we continue to Asbyrgi and then took 864 down to Lake Myvatn stopping at the various spots. Unfortunately it rained all day and we were wet from the boat trip so we did short stops to see the waterfalls and the canyon. It was gorgeous despite the weather and I cannot imagine how nice it would all had been if the weather had been nicer!!!! Back in Akureyri we had dinner at Bautinn, very nice, hearthy and yummy dinner (main courses are inclusive of unlimited soup, bread and salad !!!!)

- August 4th: Spent the day in Lake Myvatn on our way to Seydisfjorður. Enjoyed all the walks in the area and the kids really liked Hverir. We continued to Egilsstaðir, drove over Route 93, stop by the waterfall Litlanefoss (Hengifoos was too far away and it was far too windy to go all the way up) and continued to Seydisfjordur where we were staying at the YH. Big house, ample rooms (not sure why we got booked in double rooms when they had 4 bedrooms free). Had dinner at the Cultural Center, very nice home made meal and the kdis enjoyed the pizza

- August 5th: Drove towards Hvoll where we were staying. Long drive but beautiful scenery along the Eastfjords. Had breakfast at the bakery in Hofn and did the tour of Jokulsarlon (we booked the zodiac as it takes you well inside the lake towards the glacier and really worth the extra money compared to the amphibious alternative), stopped at the various places along the coast and Skaftafell (nice walk to Svatifoss). The hostel at Hvoll is isolated, in the middle of nowhere but nice!!!! We went for dinner to the closest place 25km away - Systrakaffy. It was ok but it was extremely busy and had to wait an hour for our food

- August 6th: We did a glacier walk in the morning that we booked directly in Skaftafell and then we went to Ingolsfshold. The visit to the cape was one of the highlights of the trip, A - M - A - Z - I- N - G, really enjoyed it, the puffins in the cliffs, the skuas (terrifying), the skeletons of whales beached on the beach.... really great. We drove to Skogar where we were staying at the YH (this one was borderline in terms of cleanliness) and had dinner at Edda hotel as it was the only option. Very nice buffet dinner

- August 7th: We visited Pakgil (very nice and worth the 14km gravel road), Vík, Reynisdragur, Skógafoss and then made our way to Laugarvatn stopping at Gulfoss and Geysir. We detour taking route 32 and 26 and felt it was a bit long although the views of the volcano and the landscape was nice. The YH was nice and we were put in a room with ensuite bathroom which was good.

Went for dinner to Lundin and felt that it was a joke of a place, best to be avoided. We ordered the cod and I doubt we got more than 100 grams of fish without any sides!!! and we tried what the pretentiously called "the world famous chocolate mousse" which was disappointing, at least for us, the mix of watermelon and chocolate mousse does not in our opinion marry well and not worth the £10. All in all scarce and expensive.

If I had known it, we would have gone to the Pizza Factory that looked much more fun and better value for money.....

- August 8th: The end of the trip approaching. Went to Pingvellir and explored the area albeit it was rainning and windy so not the best day for the visit. Made our way to Reykiavik stopping at various places including the crater in Kerid and the lava tube in Raufarholshellir.

We we were staying at the YH Reykjavik City. Huge place. We had booked a room with ensuite bathroom and ticked the box. Visited the city, cathedral, port, bought some souvenirs,.... and went for dinner to the fish restaurant accross the street from the YH - Lauga as. Superb!!!!

- August 9th: Last day, before we got to the Blue Lagoon, we drove past the Reykjanes peninsula - bridge between two continents (not that easy to find) - spent a couple of hours at the Blue Lagoon and made our way to the airport. I was dreading the return of the car based on all the stories I had heard but it all went very smoothly.

Checked in, filled in the paperwork to get the tax refund, bought some sweets for the office and spent the last ISK and back to London by 8PM

So that was our trip to Iceland.... now planning next year's trip.

---

Thank you very much Sarah!
Peter, Iceland24
May 2015

Iceland for Kids: A user's guide (Travel in Iceland)

Eleven-year-old Ástráður Leo (pronounced OWst-row-ther) plays football, swims a lot, and wants to be a baker (“not a cook, a baker”) when he grows up. He’s freckled, precocious, and charming and as one of Iceland’s exuberant youngest generation, he knows better than many what makes his homeland unique.

How would you describe Iceland to someone who has never visited before?

We’re so small, sometimes Iceland isn’t even marked on maps. But we’re bigger than Denmark, although of course not many people live here. Mostly, though, I’d tell people how good it is to live here.

Why is that?

Because of the water.

The water?

It’s the best in the world. You just turn on the tap and drink it and it’s great. The Family Park & Zoo is good too.

Where would you like to go in Iceland that you’ve never visited?

Egilsstaðir, because it’s far away and it’s fun to drive. It’s nice to have the family together in the car.

What do you think foreigners think of Iceland?

They think that it’s strange. They probably believe that even if they’ve been here before, because when they come in summer we’re in shorts and T-shirts biking everywhere and they think it’s still really cold. They might think that’s a little weird.

What would you recommend to people coming to Iceland?

They should go to the Family Park & Zoo, and to a pool, just any one that has a good slide. And Jökulsárlón, because it’s totally awesome and I know that tourists like taking pictures of it.

Any secret places not many people know about?

There is a museum near Akureyri where you can go and see the polar bears that they shot here a couple of years ago. I’d like to go and see that.

And the food? What’s good to eat?

It’s very funny to see visitors taste the pickled ram’s testicles for the first time. They must think we’re so ridiculous — although I quite like them [the ram’s testicles. He draws no conclusions on the tourists.] The milk here is also different, because our cows are different.

Does Iceland have any other unique features?

The schools are different here. Some girls I know went abroad and they saw schools with huge fences and the kids weren’t allowed to leave at all. I saw their photos of it on Facebook. Also, there are different shops here than you might be used to.

There is no H&M in Iceland and there is no Hagkaup in Norway, for example. Also the rest of the world has cooler animals than we do here. They have crocodiles and stuff. And at Christmas, we open presents in the evening, not in the morning.

Foreigners get up and open presents in their pyjamas, but we’re already in dressy clothes when we open the presents.

Everyone now knows there’s a severe recession in Iceland. Is your life any different since the recession started?

Yes. We used to get Cocoa Puffs all the time and now we have stopped buying them and just have Cheerios and buttermilk for breakfast. Except at Easter; we’ll have Cocoa Puffs then.

Ástráður was interviewed on Thursday 18 February 
Iceland24 

Visiting Iceland with children

Iceland is a superb family holiday destination because all the things that make it merely unique and special to you will make it an amazing world of adventure for your kids.

Most of the Iceland holiday highlights mentioned elsewhere on this website are very much suitable for children of all ages; the main exception to that rule being the kicking Reykjavík nightlife scene.

As you can see in our article on childhood in Iceland, kids pretty much rule the country and enjoy an amazing level of freedom. But living somewhere and visiting there on holiday are two very different things; so here is a random, unscientifically compiled selection of our highlights for children visiting Iceland:

1. Head up to Perlan in Reykjavík, with its spaceship-like dome and incredible water fountain inside. The kids will especially enjoy the manmade geyser outside and they will be chuffed to discover the obstacle course hidden in the forest.

It is more of a collection of old wooden exercise equipment for adults than it is a specially-designed children’s playground. But that doesn’t stop it being a fun diversion. You can walk from Perlan, through the forest and down to Nauthólsvík:

2. Nauthólsvík is Reykjavík’s geothermal beach and it is the perfect place to take kids on a nice day. The water is toasty warm and the sands are golden. There is also an ice cream shop, showers and changing rooms. And talking of beaches, we would highly recommend some beach combing around many of Iceland’s beaches. Children love finding unusual stones, sea glass and odd creatures and plants!

3. Skemmtigarðurinn is the name of a company running two ‘theme parks’ near Reykjavík. One is indoors and the other outdoors. This being Iceland, they don’t have any rollercoasters so to speak; but they are both geared up to keeping families entertained. Read more about them here.

4. Most towns and villages across the country have children’s playgrounds for residents and visitors alike. But two that particularly stand out for mention here are the hand-built Bjössaróló park in Borgarnes and the high adrenaline family garden, Raggagarður in the Westfjords village of Súðavík.

5. As above, most towns and villages also have swimming pools which are an unrivalled place to relax, play and exercise for people of all ages and eternally popular with families. A few of our favourites for those travelling with children include the biggest pool in Reykjavík at Laugardalur, and the suburban haven with commanding views of the city over in Árbær. Away from the city, your children will love the pools in Akureyri and Neskaupstaður. All of the above have fun things like water slides and toys. For the record, lots of other pools not mentioned here also have excellent slides.

6. While at Laugardalur, be sure to explore the park itself. Here you’ll find not only adventurous play opportunities, but also Iceland’s only zoo. Well, we call it a zoo – but you’ll probably consider it more of a farm park than anything else. There are no giraffes or lions; but there are reindeer and seals. It tends to be a real hit with everyone – especially if you get to feed the animals.

7. Horse riding is clearly not suitable for young children. However, Iceland’s strong, small and steady breed of horse makes it an ideal place for that first-time equestrian adventure a kid will remember for life. Iceland has lots of riding stables staffed by experienced and enthusiastic experts, so give it some serious consideration.

8. As mentioned above, Iceland’s rugged scenery and natural wonders are no less inspiring for children than adults; but you can really go out of your way to blur the lines between reality and fantasy by taking a duck boat tour at the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Drifting among icebergs and playful seals in an amphibious boat is a genuine-fake Arctic experience and will be sure to bring the North Pole from books and fairy tales to life in unforgettable fashion.

9. On the cheaper front, a visit to central Reykjavík’s Tjörnin pond is a surprisingly rewarding experience for four reasons: feeding the ducks, geese, swans, pigeons, starlings, seagulls and terns is a more intense experience than most places due to their large numbers and tameness. Then you will notice Reykjavík’s modernist city hall and the interesting things inside. The pond is surrounded by pleasant parkland, and finally there is a small adventure playground and climbing net at the far end.

10. Finally you’ll be wanting to take a trip out to the capital region municipality of Mosfellsbær. There are many good reasons to do this (including the pool, the Laxness museum, the walking trails and farmers market); but for this article we are only concentrating of the two children’s adventure parks on offer. One is a nature park, and the other is a Viking park. Enjoy!

Peter & Berglind Rós
Iceland24 2015