All Posts, Europe, Iceland · 10 Things To Know Before Visiting Iceland Iceland is one of the most beautifully diverse destinations in the world, but it’s also a destination where being prepared is so important. There are so many things I wish I knew before our trip to Iceland. Don’t make the same mistakes I did.. read my list of 10 Things To Know Before Visiting Iceland. QUICK TIPS 1. ICELAND IS BIG Iceland may seem small when looking at a world map, but it is much larger than you’d expect. We were only in Iceland for 4 days, so obviously we weren’t going to see everything, but we only scratched the surface of all the sights to see in Iceland (at least we have a great excuse to go back!). Set your expectations realistically and realize that, as cheesy as it sounds, Iceland is one of those places where the journey is as good as the destination. Also, note that Google Maps driving time is not very accurate. It will almost always take you longer to road trip through Iceland than what Google maps will suggest. For example, according to Google Maps, Vik to Diamond Beach takes 2 hours and 20 minutes. On our road trip, it took us more than 3 hours. This is mostly because we wanted to stop and take photos along the way, but I’m sure you’ll want to do the same, so make sure you plan accordingly and have enough drive time budgeted. 2. SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT Of course, this is solely my opinion, but I’d go back to Iceland in June in a heartbeat. Between the warmer weather, the long sunlight hours, and the blooming purple lupine flowers, Iceland in June was paradise. When I first pictured us traveling in Iceland, I wasn’t too excited about the notorious weather conditions. I imagined rainy, cold, and dreary conditions, all while trying to navigate the roads and sightsee. It sounded miserable to me. Luckily, we still decided to give Iceland a try, and I’m so glad we decided to visit in the summer month of June. The weather in June was perfect. I read so many Iceland packing lists stating how you must bring thermal underwear, waterproof pants, and all kinds of other gear in order to keep warm. While it wasn’t beach-like summer weather in June, we still only wore long sleeve t-shirts and a light rainjacket and we were set. The midnight sun is another perk of visiting Iceland in the summer. The sun will literally set around midnight, so you have all day to explore without worrying about how many daylight hours you have remaining. Iceland in the winter will only have 5-6 hours of daylight, so this makes it quite difficult to see a lot of sights in only a few days. Summertime is also one of the few times in Iceland that I recommend taking a solo road trip. Iceland is known for its unpredictable weather, so once it’s cold enough for snow, I wouldn’t be brave enough to drive in the unknown road conditions. 3. A ROAD TRIP IS THE BEST WAY TO SEE ICELAND Iceland is the perfect opportunity for a road trip. It’s easy to navigate (assuming you don’t venture too far off the back/bumpy roads), you can make your own schedule, and you’ll also save money by avoiding those expensive, organized tours. Driving on your own not only gives you more flexibility but also saves you quite a bit of money in the long run. If you don’t have a car, you’ll have to rely on other means of transportation and even guided tours. The bus from Keflavik International Airport to Reykjavik round trip is about $60 per person. Add in the blue lagoon you’re looking at another $20 per person. Not to mention your guided day tours—the Golden Circle tour runs about $60 per person, and that’s just for one day. For reference, we spent $200 on our rental car for 4 days, plus about $100 in gas. This amount would have only gotten us on two organized tours! Renting a car is definitely the best way to save some money and have more freedom to do exactly what you want in Iceland. 4. ALWAYS HAVE YOUR CAMERA READY Road tripping through Iceland is challenging only because of the stunning landscape distracting you around every turn. There were so many times while driving through Iceland where we turned a bend in the road and saw a stunning waterfall, only to miss it because I was trying to find my phone or camera. I was even in the passenger seat and still couldn’t react fast enough! The landscape in Iceland is diversely beautiful and it changes so quickly – no few miles are the same. Even if you wanted to stop at every spot that caught your eye, it would be impossible and you’d likely never make it to your destination. So be sure to have your camera easily accessible to take in all of Iceland’s diversely beautiful sights. 5. THE FOOD IS NOT CHEAP After living in Paris for a while, we were pretty used to expensive food. However, Iceland was even more than we were expecting. I’m talking $40-50 per person for any sit-down meal, even for just a sandwich and chips. That adds up quite quickly when you also take into account all the other expenses of travel. While the flight to get to Iceland is usually pretty cheap, do make sure that you add up the total cost of your trip. One way to help save money is to bring some of your favorite snacks or breakfast bars from home. This will at least help save money on one meal. I also recommend bringing a reusable water bottle. Iceland has some of the purest water in the world, so there’s no need to buy water. Iceland is also famous for its Skyr yogurt, which is a very filling yogurt, almost resembling a greek yogurt. This is another great breakfast option that you can find at any grocery store or gas station. 6. THE WEATHER IS UNPREDICTABLE Expect the unexpected when it comes to the weather in Iceland. Icelanders have a saying: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” This should give you an idea that the weather here is usually rainy, windy, and cold. While we surprisingly had sunny and warm-ish weather during our visit in June, we were prepared for Iceland’s bipolar weather. Having a waterproof coat is a must for any time of the year, even if it’s just to keep dry from hiking to, around, and behind Iceland’s many waterfalls. If visiting in the winter, you’ll need all the winter gear like thermal underwear, warm coat, waterproof pants, and plenty of layers. 7. NORTHERN LIGHTS AND MIDNIGHT SUN You’ve probably not given much thought to how many daylight hours Iceland will see during each month of the year. Here’s a quick chart to show how drastically the number of daylight hours will vary depending on when you visit: MonthDaylight HoursJanuary6February9March11April14May19June21July20August16September13October9November6December4 If visiting during the months of September to April, the Northern lights may be visible during your time in Iceland. However it’s not as easy to spot the Northern Lights as you may think. The weather conditions are important, and clear skies along with aurora activity are necessary. The midnight sun is out during the months of May to August. As its name suggests, the sun is out until midnight or later. If visiting during these months, you’ll have plenty of daylight hours to sight-see around Iceland. Also, I highly recommend packing an eye mask — otherwise you won’t be doing much sleeping! 8. YOU CAN EAT A DECENT MEAL AT A GAS STATION As I previously mentioned, Iceland is not cheap. It is completely acceptable (and surprisingly not bad) to eat at a local gas station. They have hot dogs, sandwiches, and some even have an open hot-plate buffet. I had never thought about having a sit-down meal at a gas station until I realized this was actually pretty normal here. As you drive further away from the capital city of Reykjavík, most small towns don’t have many (or any) restaurant options. This is why there are so many gas station and restaurant combos in Iceland. TIP: When getting gas, most rental car companies have a loyalty program with certain gas station chains. Your rental car company should give you a key fob that gives you a loyalty member discount at their partner gas station. 9. ICELANDIC HORSES EVERYWHERE As I’ve mentioned many times before – Iceland’s landscape is diverse, and Icelandic horses are no exception. I was certainly not expecting to see many animals on our Iceland road trip, but the Icelandic horse was a nice surprise. These pony-sized creatures will have you wanting to stop on the side of the road every few miles. I mean, just look at that Mick Jagger styled hair! The Icelandic horse arrived with Viking settlers in Iceland around 900AD and has been purely bred here for over one thousand years, making this horse one of the purest horse breeds in the world. In fact, once an Icelandic horse is sent abroad it can never return to Iceland. If you’re wondering where to find these majestic beauties, you won’t have to search long. There are about 80,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland and you are bound to see tons of them on your Iceland road trip. Watch out for traffic if you stop on the side of the road to take photos, and, of course, be respectful as they are owned by local farmers and are usually kept on private property. 10. HAVING A PLAN IS IMPORTANT Iceland is not one of those places you can just show up and wing it. It’s even recommended to book accommodations at least four months in advance, and even six months if planning a trip during the summertime. I highly recommend planning out your hotels, rental car, tours, etc. well in advance. Want more info about Iceland? Check out my other Iceland blog posts: How to Plan the Ultimate Iceland 4 Day Road TripSnorkel the Silfra Fissure – Iceland Bucket List DID YOU LIKE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER!
