Iceland: The Overview
Quick facts:
Capital City: Reykjavík
Languages: Icelandic, English
Population: 375,000 (2023)
Tourists Annually: 1.7m (2022)
Currency: Icelandic Krona (ISK)
Cost Rating: 💰💰💰💰
Planning your trip:
When to visit:
Iceland’s one of my favourite countries, and depending on which month you visit, your views will most likely change drastically!
Between November and March, the country is in its winter months, it will be dark, snowy and cold. When I visited in January we were facing temperatures around -20.
This being said, you’re going to get your best chances of seeing the world famous northern lights during these months.
On the contrast, visiting between June and August you’ll find yourself in the middle of summer, which leaves Iceland with virtually 24 hours of daylight a day.
During the summer season, you can spend your time spotting puffins and whales, and experiencing the midnight sun.
Transport:
Getting to Iceland couldn’t be simpler, thanks to more and more direct flights landing in Keflavik airport, and spotting a cheap bargain is getting easier by the year.
Whilst in Iceland, it’s beneficial to rent a car if this is a possibility for you. Not only does this give you more freedom, it’s the most efficient way to give you rule over tour schedule. In the long term, it also works out cheaper.
If you’re like me, and can’t drive, it’s not a problem. Be prepared to spend large amounts on taxis, so if on a budget, I would opt to stay in Reykjavik centre, many tours do hotel pick up and drop offs, and getting from the airport to the city is relatively painless.
Spending:
Sitting very comfortably in the top 10 year on year for countries with the most expensive living costs globally, it’s no surprise that I would rate Iceland as a rather spendly trip.
The recommended spend amount is around £100pp per day, and I would suggest if you are expecting to drink alcohol, increase this.
In my most recent trip (January 2023), I went to an Italian restaurant near to Bankastræti. I ordered a lasagne, garlic bread, a sprite and a wine, this came to 7100 ISK (£41.67), which isn’t incredibly expensive.
However, the majority of the time I would buy food in a supermarket and then cook in my hostel. This was partially due to me trying to stick to my budget.
Where to stay:
The most common place to stay is Reykjavik centre, this will give you central access to most of Iceland, and if you’re not renting a car, this is important.
I’ve visited several times, and stayed in the centre, both in hotels, but also in hostels.
First up, we have Loft - HI Hostel and Bar, coming in from £39pp per night. I stayed in an 8 bed dorm, and the security is amazing.
The bar is open to the public at night, but the rooms are on different floors with key code access.
Next up, I stayed in Center Hotels Plaza a few years ago. From my visit, everything was lovely, and a very decent hotel for the price.
I also seem to remember the cocktails being top class.
Where to visit:
There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve decided on Iceland by seeing one of the below attractions.
With hot springs, natural landmarks, glaciers and volcanoes, there’s several must see spots in Iceland, and that’s the reason so many people flock to this island yearly.
Hot Springs:
Natural Attractions:
In summary:
I would absolutely recommend, if you know what it is you want to see, and have a plan, I would suggest maybe 4 or 5 nights.
If you’re not renting a car, try to stay in Reykjavik if you want to get about on a budget, however if you want to have a chilled out hideaway, I would consider renting a place further out of the way.
With the possibility of renting a car, the country is your oyster, so be sure to go out and see the whole place.
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