Iceland is such an amazing country, I truly believe there is nothing else like it! The terrain, the volcanos, waterfalls, the geothermal pools, the whole thing is insane and a must visit! Flights from the Northeast can be relatively affordable and fast. It’s faster to fly to Iceland from Boston than it is to fly to LA! When we lived near Boston we took advantage and spent 4 nights/5 days in Iceland in February.
Deciding what time of year to visit
Iceland is so different depending on what time of year you visit. This is true of many countries but Iceland in particular you get such different experiences depending on if you visit in summer and it looks like you’re on Mars or if you visit in Winter and you think you’re being blown away in Antarctica. In mid-April to mid-August there is pretty much daylight 24/7 given how North Iceland is located.
We decided to visit in February during Nate’s birthday in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights. Viewing the Northern Lights is possible from August to May and are at their peak in September through March.
Here’s our recommended itinerary for 4 nights:
Day 1
You will likely arrive very early if you’re traveling from the US. Plan to change at the airport and grab a coffee & some snacks there as you probably won’t be able to check into your accommodations for a few hours. But seriously get your jackets out of your bags if you’re visiting in winter. It could get really windy once you get outside and difficult to open your suitcase (we know from experience…)
I HIGHLY recommend renting your own car here if you can as it gives you more flexibility to get around. We rented through National and used our free rental car days. This saved us a bunch of money as we were able to also upgrade for the larger SUV.
If you’re visiting in the winter time and not an experienced snow driver, don’t worry there are also tons of tours that take off from Reykjavík to get you to these destinations. (Tip: Iceland accepts US drivers licenses without an international driving permit needed)
After leaving the airport start your drive to the Golden Circle! The Golden circle consist of Thingvellier National Park, Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall. These are easy places to access as long as there is no blizzard, with large parking lots easily accessible. Make sure you pack some snacks either from home or from the airport to keep you going for the day!
After a day of exploring you’ll be able to head back to town and check into your accommodations and finally have a proper meal! Consider eating at 101 Reykjavik Street Food for dinner
Day 2
Start your day by having breakfast & coffee in Reykjavík, (Reykjavík Roasters) and pack a picnic or some snacks before starting the drive up north to Sandafell Mountain. This is a beautiful drive with stops you can make along the way. It’s hard not to stop every 20 minutes to take a picture of something ridiculously beautiful! If you chose to hike you’ll likely be here all day and drive back to Reykjavik just in time for dinner, which is what we recommend! Also try and stop at Langafoss along the way!
See below for Google map from Point A to Point C
Day 3
This will be your long travel day. Start Early! Your goal will be to drive from Reykjavík to Jökulsárlón.
This is another beautiful drive where you can stop along and seeing Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Gljugfrabui waterfall, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Skaftafell and eventually making it to Jokulsarlon. If you can stay somewhere in this area to avoid driving all the way back to Reykjavík. It’s also better to get out of the city to maximize your chances in seeing the northern lights. We stayed in Kirkjubaejarklaustur in an airbnb. Truly felt like we were in the middle of nowhere!
If you have more time, you can continue driving on ring road to the northern part of the country. Be mindful in winter to check road conditions as certain areas may be closed and you could be driving in snow. If you’re not an experienced snow driver then definitely do not plan to visit in winter and rent a car!
Day 4
Slowly make your way back to Reykavik and explore any of the spots you may have missed the day before or stop and spend additional time to hike at any of the places you really enjoyed! Depending on how much you explored in Reykavik already, this may be when you want to get back and walk around the city and go to the top of Hallgrimskirkja.
Day 5
Before flying out make sure to make a reservation at the blue lagoon. Lots of people visit right before their flight as it’s located close to the airport. This is one of those expensive tourists spots that’s actually worth visiting! It’s also so cool to visit in the winter as the warm pools will feel amazing against the brisk wind. Just don’t miss your flight!!
