Gf and I are headed there for 5 nights and looking for things to do. We're running a half-marathon and going to a Solstice music festival, but looking for recommendations on everything else. Probably will do the Golden Circle drive.

Food/restaurant recs and tours etc.

Following this thread.

My two favorite waterfalls in Iceland are Skogafoss (about a two hour drive from Reykjavik) and Bruarfoss which is in the middle of nowhere but close to the golden circle.

Will you have your own car or are you just planning on joining tour groups for Day trips?

We will most likely not have a car. Doing 7 nights in Ireland as well so trying to save a little bit here and there

My niece and hubby (both '99) did Iceland and had a ball. They rented a VW camper van and did the circle tour. I'll have to see if they posted anything public domain.

Catch a flight to the Faroes.

I went in winter, so can't help too much, but Iceland is awesome. I'd love to go back.

Definitely rent a car and do the Golden Circle drive. I saw some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on that drive. Reykjavik is an awesome, but expensive city. Be prepared to drop $30-$40 a person on average food. Beer is around $12 a pint. I wanted to buy a couple of souvenirs, but didn't because of the prices. A crappy t-shirt will set you back $40. That being said, I can't wait to go back.

Other things to try:

Icelandic hotdogs (Baejarins Beztu Pylsur is the famous cart, but they can be found many places)

Gull and Viking are the two Icelandic beers. Both are good!

Go see the Viking sculpture on the water.

Check out Hallgrimskirkja church and the Leif Ericsson statue.

Harpa Music Hall

Walk along Laugavegur, the "Main Street" of Reykjavik.

Here is a good guide to the Golden Circle drive:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/expertvagabond.com/golden-circle-iceland/amp/

If I go back, I would love to do a puffin watch. We didn't have enough time. Hell, if I go back, I'm doing the entire Ring Road drive.

BlueAg2003 said:

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Definitely rent a car and do the Golden Circle drive. I saw some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on that drive. Reykjavik is an awesome, but expensive city. Be prepared to drop $30-$40 a person on average food. Beer is around $12 a pint. I wanted to buy a couple of souvenirs, but didn't because of the prices. A crappy t-shirt will set you back $40. That being said, I can't wait to go back.

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Glad i went when I did. Their economy tanked, beers we're like 75 cents. Our hotel was about 20 bucks a night.

Its been 18 years since I was there but look into not just the waterfalls you can see by the road, several hikes and horseback rides to see falls in the middle of green valleys. Also do the Blue Lagoon - neon blue water heated by thermal plant next door.

I would disagree with the recommendation to do the Blue Lagoon. Iceland is the most naturally beautiful place I've ever seen, so to go to a tourist trap spa that is man-made and heated by a power plant isn't really worth it. I did some research on it before our trip and we opted for more time in Reykjavik and driving around to see the natural beauty.

For one, again, it's extremely expensive. You'll probably spend over $100 per person for an assigned time to sit in this geothermal spring. That's not including the transportation down there if you don't have a rental car. Like any tourist trap, they've turned what used to be good about it into $$$. Lockers, robes, etc. are all up-sells. Most of the reviews I've seen say it's highly overrated. Check out some of the naturally-occurring geothermal baths all over and hop into one of them!

It is closer down to Keflavik, so if you do decide to go, do it on your first or last day because it is pretty far from Reykjavik.

We actually get free entry in Laugardalslaug, which I think is the biggest public pool in Reykjavik with our entry into the half marathon.

We went to blue lagoon, but went at night when it was snowing. Normally I'd opt for natural springs, but only so much you can do in the winter since daylight is limited. We went ice climbing during the day and then hit blue lagoon at night. And as I mentioned before, it wasn't expensive due to their economy at the time.

All that said, I'd probably skip it if I were you.

That's awesome. I would definitely do that rather than spending the time to go down to Blue Lagoon.

Did ya'll need a 4x4 car to do the Golden Circle in a day?

Nope, we had a crummy little Chevy Spark that we rented from Sixt. The roads were all paved and pretty well-populated. I think the bigger Ring Road trip requires a 4x4 vehicle, but the Golden Circle drive all takes place on normal roads. You'll park in big lots and then take small hikes/walks to the places you want to see. Here are a few pictures from my trip this summer!

If they have those glass igloos you can rent to sleep under the northern lights, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Seeing the northern lights is on my bucket list personally.

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1st Church of LEGO!

Serious reply, great photos.

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If they have those glass igloos you can rent to sleep under the northern lights, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Seeing the northern lights is on my bucket list personally.

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Unfortunately, if he's going in summer, then he won't get to see them. Many of those pictures above (the ones specifically taken in Reykjavik) were at 10 PM or later.

BlueAg2003 said:

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If they have those glass igloos you can rent to sleep under the northern lights, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Seeing the northern lights is on my bucket list personally.

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Unfortunately, if he's going in summer, then he won't get to see them. Many of those pictures above (the ones specifically taken in Reykjavik) were at 10 PM or later.

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Yep. No northern lights for us. Hard for the gf to take time off being a full-time teacher and coach, so summer it is.

I saw the northern lights in summer in Canada and Alaska. No guarantee, but it's possible.

wangus12 said:

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Did ya'll need a 4x4 car to do the Golden Circle in a day?

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You do not need a 4x4 to do golden circle or even the ring road. You'll need a 4x4 if you go into the center of the island off the ring road - generally the roads are marked or you can buy a map that shows which roads need a 4x4 vehicle.

I traveled around in a normal suv without issue and we only got an suv because we partially slept in the car a couple of nights and wanted some extra room.

I think the south and eastern parts of the island were my favorite

Those are fantastic photos!!!

Make sure you dive or at least snorkel the tectonic divide on the north shore. It is nothing short of incredible. Blue lagoon was a tourist trap but we went the morning we landed and it wasn't so bad before lunch.

fire09, are you dry suit certified SCUBA? I want to dive here but have never used a dry suit.

Just booked a trip to Iceland with my wife.

September 17-22

DFW - KEF nonstop on AA.

Would love to hear more recommendations. Especially hotels. Hoping to see northern lights.

We stayed at a place called 22 Hill Hotel in Reykjavik. Initially we booked an Airbnb, but when we arrived, it was pretty crappy and there were some strange folks with a screaming toddler staying in the upstairs room. So we opted to book a hotel. The location was pretty good and everything was walkable. Hotels are expensive (like everything else), so we took advantage of the free breakfast there. It was pretty basic...bread, fruit, cheeses, etc, but helped fill us up before we struck out each day.

I would love to do the ring road, but I don't think we have the time, and it sounds like camping is the only option along some parts of the road. I would love to hear if that's not the case.

My tentative plans:
Arrive in Reykjavik on Tuesday morning
Stay in Reykjavik first 2 nights at the new Hilton Curio (points)
Explore Golden Circle on Thursday...stay in a cabin/cottage near National Park on Thursday night.
Return to Reykjavik on Friday and stay at Hilton Canopy (points)
Fly back Saturday.