Exploring Iceland: A Four-Day Adventure
Day 1: Journey to Iceland & Exploring Rekjavik
Our adventure kicked off with a whirlwind travel day. We decided to visit Iceland in late September and loved it! The temperature ranges from 41°F - 58°F. It is also the start of Northern Lights season so we were keeping our fingers crossed that we would see them! We flew with Southwest from DAL to RDU, then hopped onto Icelandair from RDU to KEF.
We took off around 8:30pm and enjoyed a smooth flight to KEF. Our experience with Icelandair was fantastic, and we would definitely fly with them again!
Landing in KEF at 6:40am we picked up our rental car from Hertz. A quick note: always check the tires before you drive off! More on that later. We drove straight to the Blue Lagoon, where we had one of the first reservations of the day, an 8am reservation.
Next, we headed to Reykjavik and checked into the Parliament Hotel - Curio Collection. Our room wasn't ready yet so we dropped our bags off and parked our car and started exploring. Hot tip: Limited parking can be a hassle in the city. Many hotels don’t offer parking, so we parked overnight at the city hall parking garage for just $15 USD compared to $3/hour USD for two-four hour parking on the street.
After our hotel, our first stop was some much-needed caffeine at IDA Bokakaffi. The lattes in Iceland are delicious, but if you prefer a stronger brew, don’t forget to ask for an extra shot of espresso!
We strolled around Reykjavik, exploring the colorful rainbow street and Laugavegur Street. Initially, we planned to have lunch at Helmur Food Hall, but it wasn’t what we expected, when we got there. Instead, we ended up at Monkeys, where we enjoyed some decent lunch options. It felt more like a cocktail and evening spot, but it's not a bad option for an afternoon snack. Just a heads up: many restaurants close from 2pm-5pm in Reykjavik, so plan accordingly if you want to have a late lunch!
Post-lunch, we walked to Hallgrimskirkja. Although we didn’t go inside due to an onging service, the exterior was breathtaking. Eventually we made our way back to our hotel and settled into our room before getting ready for dinner and an evening of exploring the city nightlife!
Reykjavik is a very walkable city, so we opted to walk the 20 minutes to our dinner reservation at La Primavera. Recommended in a YouTube video we watched, this Italian restaurant lived up to the hype! We savored the spinach and ricotta Nudi, enjoyed spaghetti carbonara, and a ravioli with blue cheese, walnuts, and pears. Everything was simply incredible!
La Primavera is located a little ways out of the main city center situated on the harbor. It was a little bit chilly so we attempted to take the bus to the city center. After a few tries, we finally managed to purchase tickets online and hop on for a quick 5 minute bus ride that saved us 30 minutes of walking in the cold. The initial spot we wanted to check out was the Lebowski Bar. As we were heading there we stumbled upon some live music and popped inside to find incredible live music by The Bookstore Band. They played fun throwback hits including songs by Tina Turner, ABBA, Whitney Houston, and more!
After a night filled with drinks and music, we returned to our hotel for some much-needed sleep before our early wake-up call.
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Day 2: Southern Coast Excursions
We woke up at 6:30 AM, ready for a day of excursions and sightseeing along the southern coast. For breakfast, we stopped by Braud & Co. for a quick cinnamon roll and croissant.
By 7:30 AM, we were on the road, heading to Thingvellir National Park. We noticed low tire pressure, so our first mission was to fill up the tires. Most gas stations didn’t have air compressors, so we ended up at an auto shop, where we discovered all four tires were extremely worn down and unsafe to drive on. We had to replace the car entirely with Hertz. This is why we highly recommend checking all tires when you pick up your rental car at the airport. The roads in Iceland can be very unforgiving on cars and tires, especially in the winter time. Always worth a double check!
After getting our new car, we made it just in time for our snorkeling excursion in Silfra! Swimming between the tectonic plates that separate the North American and European continents was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The water was chilly, especially for our hands, but it was absolutely worth it. We booked this excursion through Arctic Adventures and they were wonderful!
We continued down the southern coast to Skogafoss, another stunning waterfall, and one of the largest in Iceland! You can walk right up to the falls if you're up for getting wet from the spray or you can walk up the 500 steps to reach the top viewing platform. It's worth the trek in our opinion! Last up on our sites of the day was the iconic black sand beach by the town of Vik. The beach is beautiful, but be prepared for it to be very windy and significantly colder than the other sites we visited.
After an adventure-filled day, we checked into the ION Adventure Hotel and enjoyed a late dinner at the hotel restaurant. We chose this hotel because it was a half way location between the stunning southern coast and the western Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We wrapped up the night at the hotel's Northern Lights Bar, which had delicious drinks, but unfortunately there were no Northern Lights to be seen.
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Day 3: Western Iceland - Snaefellsnes Peninsula
After a great night’s sleep, we were eager to hit the road again. Our destination was the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, to see Kirkjufell. While technically Kirkjufell is only a hill, it is considered to be the most photographed mountain in Iceland. On our way, we stopped in the charming town of Borgnes for delicious lunch at Englendingavik Restaurant!
We also made stops at Kolgrafarfjördur Viewpoint for gorgeous photos and Grundarfoss, another beautiful waterfall right off the road. Finally, we reached the magnificent mountain Kirkjufell, framed perfectly by the nearby Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall.
After a quick snack and restroom break in Olafsvik, we visited Svöðufoss, another waterfall along the peninsula. There are said to be over 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland! They truly are everywhere and each one as stunning as the next. Our journey along the peninsula led us to Lóndrangar, with breathtaking black cliffs that felt straight out of a fantasy movie. From the parking lot it's worth taking the short walk down to the massive rock formation on the cliffs.
Along the way, we couldn’t resist stopping for photos of the Icelandic horses and sheep. After a long day, we returned to the hotel, where we enjoyed dinner in the hotel restaurant and margaritas at the Northern Lights Bar.
Later, we enjoyed a late night dip in the hot tub. While chatting with some new friends, we noticed the northern lights peeking out behind the hotel! We grabbed our cameras and, after a bit of searching, found a perfect spot to view them. In the middle of a countryside road we parked our car and camera and marveled at the beauty of our first time seeing the Northern Lights, From 11:30pm-1am we were in awe of the lights dancing in the sky, creating a surreal and magical moment that we’ll never forget.
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Day 4: Farewell to Iceland
After our late-night adventure, we enjoyed a leisurely morning before our journey home.
We had an afternoon flight home so we headed into Reykjavik for a final lunch before going to the airport. Unexpectedly we stopped at La Poblano, where the tacos were phenomenal, and the atmosphere was cute and cozy, this definitely a must-try! Who would have thought that we'd find delicious tacos in Iceland, but they really were amazing!
After lunch, we wandered through Reykjavik, exploring gift shops and taking in the vibrant city life. We only wished we had more room in our suitcases to fit more souvenirs! Finally, we boarded our flight, filled with unforgettable memories of our Icelandic adventure!
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I hope this guide inspires you to explore the breathtaking landscapes and charming cities of Iceland. Safe travels!
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