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ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Essential information to prepare your trip, save time and money
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND
TRAVEL GUIDE
PUBLISHED BY Where2travel

pictures, texts & maps by Dan NGUYEN GIA

Infography & Design by ChrisTine Crepain

© Copyright 2021. All right reserved

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

CONTENTS
FOREWORD...............................................3

ABOUT iCEland........................................4
Facts 5
History 6
Myths & folklore 11
What not to do? 12
Icelandic language 14

WHEN TO VISIT ICELAND?........................16

Weather conditions 18
Summer or winter? 20
When to see puffins, whales, northern lights 22

WHERE TO GO IN ICELAND?......................24
Map of Iceland 25
45 amazing places to visit 27
Advised itineraries 28

WHAT TO DO IN ICELAND?........................44
South West of Iceland 45
South of Iceland 71
East of Iceland 99
North of Iceland 117
North West of Iceland 131

HOW TO GET AROUND ICELAND?.............145

Transportation 146
Safety 149
Accommodation Food 152
Food 156
Life cost 159

ABOUT.................................................163
About Where2travel 164
About the author 169

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FOREWORD
Welcome to Iceland, one of the
most beautiful country I had
the chance to visit. A land of
contrast, which to me, has the
most stunning natural lands-
capes. In a same relatively small
area, you will be able to see
volcanoes, glaciers, black sand
beaches, canyons, ice caves,
geysers, waterfalls and much
more. I am sure that you will
not have enough words to
describe the beauty of the Ice-
landic scenaries. More of that,
you will also discover the li-
vely ambiance of the capital
Reykjavík with all its restau-
rants, museum and bars, as
well as the charm of its smal-
ler villages and the Icelandic
culture (folklore, gastronomy,
customs…)
I gathered for you in this ebook
all the information to help you
spend an unforgettable time in
Iceland. You will first find gene-
ral information about Iceland to
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ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE
Then, I will help you decide
when is the best time for you
to go there. You will also disco-
ver the practical information on
each interesting spots to visit
in all the different regions. Also,
thanks to my downloadable
Iceland map that you can use
easily on your mobile, plus the
advised intineraries that I pro-
pose, you should not get lost or
loose time to reach all the sites
described in this guide. Finally, I
will tell you all you need to know
to get around Iceland smoothly
(safety, food, costs…)
Whereas you would like to
spend few days or a full month
in Iceland, this unique desti-
nation will certainly fill you of
happiness, especially if you are
a Nature lover.
I wish you an amazing trip in
Iceland!
Dan
ABOUT ICELAND
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

FACTS
• Population: About 360 000 inhabitants
• Surface: 103,000 km²
• Density: 3.4 / km²
• Capital: Reykjavík
• Government: Unitary parliamentary republic
• Language spoken: Icelandic of course but most
of them can speak English
• Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
• Currency: Icelandic krona
• GDP per capital: $75,700
• Economy: Tourism, geothermal power, fisheries, aluminum
smelting, geothermal power, agriculture (sheep, pigs, vegetables,
chicken,…)

Seyðisfjörður, to me, one of the most charming town of Iceland

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HISTORY
VIKING ICELAND
In the 8th century, Irish monks
were the first people to settle in
Iceland, but the Vikings drove
them out during the 9th century.
Naddoddur is believed to be the
first Viking to discover Iceland
when he got lost on his way to
the Faroe Islands.
After him, a Swede man named
Gardar Svavarsson circumnavi-
gated Iceland about 860.
However, the first Viking who
attempted to inhabit Iceland
was a Norwegian man named
Floki Vilgeroarson. He was
the one who named the land
Iceland. He originally landed
in the northwest of the country
but the harsh winter put his
domestic animals in danger so
he sailed back to Norway. It was
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ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE
said that around 874, settlers
came to Iceland from Norway
and the Viking colonies in the
British Isles.
Iceland is blessed with a land
that is suitable for raising
sheep and an abundant fishing
grounds around the nation.
Vikings brought flocks and from
930 the population soared to
60,000 people.
In the early days, Icelanders
were ruled by chiefs known as
Godar and local assemblies.
They created an assembly for
the whole island that they called
the Althing, which was around
930.
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND IN THE MIDDLE AGES

When the Norwegians were
converted to Christianity during
the 11th century, the Norwegian
kings sent missionaries to Ice-
land. It became their official re-
ligion, but pagans were allowed
to worship in private. As a part
of the Christian belief, Icelanders
paid tithes to the church, which
made the church grew rich and
powerful. Iceland was given a
bishop in 1056 and paganism
was stamped out.
It was in the 14th and early 15th
century that Iceland suffered
from climate change, it grew
colder. From 1402 to 1403, the
Black Death struck Iceland with
devastating consequences for
the population.
Prosperity returned to Iceland
during the 15th century when
demand from Europe for Ice-
landic cod and fishing industry
grew.

In the 12th century, Iceland

suffered from overgrazing and
deforestation that resulted
in soil erosion. Therefore, the
Icelanders depended on Norwe-
gian merchants for wood to build
ships. Icelanders also exported
wool, animal hides, horses and
falcons. They asked protec-
tion from the king of Norway to
protect their trade.
In 1262, the Icelanders agreed to
pay a tax of woolen cloth each
year. This was in line with the
agreement called the Ancient
Covenant that was accepted by
the Althing. This contract agreed
that the king would uphold law
and order in Iceland. He then
replaced the Godar with royal
officials.
A new constitution was drawn
up in 1280 as the Althing conti-
nued to meet but their decisions
needed the king’s approval. The
Statue of Ingólfur Arnason in Reykjavík
king soon appointed a governor
and 12 local sheriffs.

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ICELAND 1500-1800
Like the rest of Europe, Iceland
faced as lot of reformation in
the 16th century. In 1530s, the
Danish king ordered his men
to confiscate the church’s land
as Denmark became Protes-
tant. Iceland resisted at first,
including the bishop but the
Danish king enforced conformity
in 1541. In 1584 the people of
Iceland slowly began to accept
Protestantism and the Bible was
translated into Icelandic.
In 1602, the king made all the
trades with Iceland a mono-
poly of selected merchants in
Copenhagen, Malmo and Elsi-
nore. As a result, Iceland suffe-
red as they were forced to sell
goods to the company at low
prices and buy supplies from
them at high costs.
ICELAND IN THE 19TH CENTURY
The bond between Iceland and
Denmark weakened in the 19th
century as nationalism was a
growing force all over Europe.
The Danish king known as
Christian VIII recalled the Althing
and it met again in 1845. Though
it had a little power, nationalist
opinion in Iceland thrived and in
1874, Christian IX granted a new
constitution.
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ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE
In 1661, the king of Denmark was
made an absolute monarch and
Icelanders were forced to submit
to him. The Althing continued to
meet but they lacked power and
eventually bargained to being
a court. From 1707 to 1709,
Iceland suffered a smallpox epi-
demic killing a large part of the
population.
Iceland faced devastation in
1783 from numerous volca-
nic eruptions and in 1786, the
population of Iceland was only
38,000. The Althing closed
in 1800 and a new court law
substituted it. It was located in
Reykjavík with a community of
300 people.
Restrictions on trade were re-
moved in 1854. Iceland opened
its trades to all nations. The Ice-
landic fishing industry became
much more successful in the
late 19th century. From using
rowing boats, fishermen swit-
ched to much more effective
decked sailing ships.

The sun voyager in Reykjavík
ICELAND IN THE 20TH CENTURY
The population of Iceland rose
again despite emigration to
Canada. Reykjavík university
was founded in 1911
In the 20th century Iceland’s
relationship with Denmark
loosened. Iceland earned their
home rule in 1904 as the post
of governor was closed down. In
return, Iceland gained an Icelan-
dic minister responsible to the
Althing and in 1918, Iceland was
made sovereign.
It was in 1915 that Icelandic
women were granted the right
to vote. The first woman was
elected to the Althing in 1922.
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ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE
Iceland was occupied by British
troops in 1940 and was relie-
ved by the Americans in 1941.
Finally in 1944, Iceland ended
all links with Denmark and the
united monarchy was dissolved.
Mount Hekla erupted in 1947
that caused so much destruc-
tion but Iceland recovered again.
In 1949, Iceland joined NATO.
En 1980, Vigdis Finnbogadottir
was the first elected female pre-
sident in the world.
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND IN THE 21ST CENTURY

In 2008, they suffered econo- Iceland is a flourishing nation
mically when its 3 main banks and benefits high standards of
failed. Demonstrations led to the living. It is an amazing country
downfall of their government in to discover and it is on most
2009. people travel bucket list.
Nowadays, Iceland still depends
on fishing and raising sheep,
cattle and Icelandic ponies, but
tourism is getting increasingly
more important in the economy.

Lively street of Laugavegur in Reykjavík

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

MYTHS & FOLKLORE

It is said that 10% of Icelanders believe in supernatural beings, and
10% do not, the remaining 80% may not believe in it completely or
refuse to deny that their possible existence.
Visiting Iceland is an opportunity to discover sites with myths and
folklore like:
• Álfhól: These are small wooden houses that people construct for
the elves, to live in. You can even see small churches, built in order
to convert the elves to Christianity.
• The trolls of Vík: According to the local legend, you will be able
to see trolls on the black sand beach in Vík, with also its famous
basalt rock formations. It is said that these rocks were trolls who
were turned into stone forever.
• Sea monsters: Monsters, known as skrimsli in Icelandic, may live
in the sea.
• Elf School: This school in Reykjavík proposes courses on folklore,
elves, fairies, trolls, dwarves to discover quickly Icelandic folklore.

The giantess of Keflavik cave

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

WHAT NOT TO DO?

•D
 on't drive or walk off-road. Every steps you make can definitively
affect the nature and environment. Don't build cairns (small stone
pyramids), it is not our role to reorganize this unspoiled nature.

•D
 on't stop on the road, too many tourists stop their car unsafely
nearby the main roads, in order to take pictures of Icelandic horses
or waterfalls for example

•D
 on't complain about the weather. Iceland is called like that for
a good reason. As the say, there is no such thing as bad weather,
just bad clothing

•D
 on't collect stones or natural rock formations.

Beautiful natural landscape of Stokksnes peninsula

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

• Don’t leave anything behind you. Always use garbage can or pu-
blic toilets like anywhere else in the world.

• Don’t visit only Reykjavík (and the Golden circle). Reykjavík is

a nice city but there is so much more to see in Iceland! Golden
circle attractions are beautiful also of course, but to me, the
massive flow of tourists really reduce the interest of these sites.
To find more untouched and wilder nature, go beyond these
well-known sites of the west of the island.

• Don’t pass signs barring access, it is often for your own safety
or for the rights of the people living around.

• Don’t scare local birds, trying to approach them from too close.

• Don't camp just anywhere. Since 2016, a law has prohibited

camping outside of campgrounds, a designated area or without
the permission of the landowner.

Parking my camper van at the camping site

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELANDIC LANGUAGE

Icelandic language seems quite hard to learn, we all remember the

difficulty to pronounce the name of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull that
erupted in 2010.

The Icelandic alphabet has 32 letters. These are: Aa Áá Bb Dd Ðð

Ee Éé Ff Gg Hh Ii Íí Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Óó Pp Rr Ss Tt Uu Úú Vv Xx
Yy Ýý Þþ Ææ Öö.

Some of the Icelandic letters look like the English ones but are not
pronounced differently, for example: Þ is not a P or J is not pro-
nounced the same way as in English.

Nevertheless, when you learn the basics, Icelandic is quite logi-

cal, many words of sites you will visit are simply combined words.
For example, "Eyjafjallajökull", it consists of three separate words:
"eyja" (island), "fjall" (mountain) et "jökull" (glacier); "Jökulsárgljú-
fur" est composé de 3 mots : "jökull" (glacier), "á" (river) et "gljúfur"
(canyon).

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

FEW WORDS TO KNOW

• Halló: Hello
• Hæ: Hi
• Bless: Goodbye
• Já: Yes
• Nei: No
• Góðan daginn: Good day
• Góða nótt: Good night
• Gaman að kynnast þér: Nice to meet you
• Sjáumst (seinna): See you (later)
• Takk: Thank you
• Verði þér að góðu: You're welcome [said in response to Takk]
• Velkomin / Velkominn: Welcome [female and plural / male]
• Hvað kostar þetta?: What does this cost?
• Hvar er næsti hraðbanki?: Where is the next ATM?
• Skál: Cheers
• Gæti ég fengið vatnsglas?: Could I have a glass of water?
• Ég er að læra íslensku: I am learning Icelandic
• Ég heiti ...: My name is...
• Ég er frá ...: I am from...
• Hvar er Hallgrímskirkja?: Where is Hallgrímskirkja?
• Mælir þú með góðum veitingastað?: Do you recommend a good
restaurant?
• Hvað er fiskur dagsins?: What is the fish of the day?
• Hvað er réttur dagsins?: What is the dish of the day?

If you need more words, download on your mobile the application

Google Translate (Android / Apple). You can even use it off line.

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WHEN TO VISIT ICELAND?
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Choosing when is the best time to visit Iceland is important,

because you will not see the same things depending on which
seasons you go. There are a few factors to take into account for
your decision, and it really depends on your interests, tastes, budget
and travelling style. I gathered below a synthesis of the main criteria
to decide when the best time to visit Iceland is for you:

Gullfoss waterfall in summer and in winter

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

WEATHER CONDITIONS
“If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” this saying is very
true for Iceland as the weather can change so much within a short
time. The most reliable and accurate weather forecast website
I found for Iceland is https://en.vedur.is. When you are in Iceland,
checking this website regularly will be very helpful for you to decide
where to go.

Contrary to common belief, Iceland is not a country with very cold

temperatures, average summer temperature is 12,5 °C (54,5 °F) and
can rise to 20 °C (68 °F), and in winter the average temperature is 0
°C (32 °F) in Reykjavík. Nevertheless, the temperature can drop down
to -15 °C (5 °F) in some places. One thing you need to be careful is
the wind, which can be so powerful. The rain or the snow are also
conditions that can make your journey more difficult so be prepared!

The meteorological data hereafter will be useful to decide when the

best time to visit Iceland is for you. These data are for Reykjavík. If
you’d like another town in Iceland, just check this reliable website:
weather-and-climate.com

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Maximum and minimum temperature in Reykjavík, Iceland

Number of sunshine hours by day in Reykjavík, Iceland

Precipitations in Reykjavík, Iceland

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND IN SUMMER OR WINTER?

There are advantages and disadvantages to visit Iceland in sum-
mer or winter time: access of the main Icelandic attractions, high
tourist season, number of day light hours are among the parameters
to consider to make your choice.

SUMMER IN ICELAND
If you come to Iceland for the first or maybe the only time, you might
want to do the full tour of Iceland. In that case, I would advise you to
go between May and August because you will have the longest days,
the temperatures won’t be too cold and all the roads should be ope-
ned to access almost any spots. To hike the beautiful landscapes in
the center of Iceland, or to see whales in the Icelandic sea and puffins
on the coasts, it would be also definitely a better period.
On the other hand, this summer period will be the most crowded and
expensive for accommodation and rental cars for example. Months
of May and June should be a sweet spot to have both “good weather”
and lower tourist influx.

The kind of beautiful flower you can see in summer

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

WINTER IN ICELAND

In winter, days are short, even very short (5-6 hours of day light)
and some roads are closed because of the snow or the rain. The
very powerful wind in Iceland is also a meteorological parameter to
consider, because it really cools down the temperature and can be
annoying.
On the other hand, if you want to visit amazing ice caves, if you like to
see landscapes with snow or would like to see northern lights, winter
is when to go. More of that, the prices for my flight and camper van
were also much cheaper and there were less tourists.

The splendid landscape of Jökulsárlón, visible in summer or winter

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

WHEN TO SEE
PUFFINS, WHALES, NORTHERN LIGHTS?

BEST TIME TO SEE THE NOTHERN LIGHTS?

The best observation period is from 21st of September to 21st of

March, ideally between 6.00 pm and 1.00 am when the sky is clear
and dark. The important point is to be far from the lights of a town.
The northern lights can be observed at the poles, usually above the
60° latitude in the north, and below the 60° latitude in the south. As
Iceland is at the latitude of approximately 64° north, it is consequent-
ly a very good country to spot them. More of that, there are many
beautiful places to observe northern lights in Iceland, above a volca-
no or a glacier, under a moon surface landscape or on a black sand
beach for examples.

The website you need to check to know the aurora forecast is https://
en.vedur.is/aurora. The northern lights forecast is measured on a
scale from 0 to 9, starting 2, you have chance to see this beautiful
activity of solar particles entering the earth’s magnetic field. I spent
one week during winter in Iceland, and although I went out the nights
with the best potential conditions, I didn't see this amazing pheno-
menon unfortunately.

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 GUIDE DE VOYAGE ISLANDE

BEST TIME TO SEE BEST TIME TO SEE

PUFFINS WHALES
Iceland is one of the biggest You can see whales in Iceland
puffins colonies because in from early April to September.
spring time, they come here for This country is one of the best
nesting. Iceland is the breeding places in Europe for whale
home for about 60 percent of watching. About 20 different
the world's Atlantic puffins. species of whales live around
the island.
You can see puffins in Iceland
from early April until September You can take whales watching
each year. boat tours from several places
in Iceland like:
Best place I found to ob-
serve puffins was the cliffs of • Reykjavík
Dyrhólaey at the end of the day. • Húsavík
Other places known to see puf- • Snæfellsnes
fins in Iceland are:
• Akureyri
• Vestmannaeyjar islands
• Dalvík
• Papey
• Hólmavík
• Vigur Island
• Grímsey
• Tjornes peninsula

Puffins at Dyrhólaey peninsula

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WHERE TO GO IN ICELAND?
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

MAP OF ICELAND

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ADVISED ITINERARIES

If you like to plan your trip in detail, let me propose you few itinearies
for different durations.
These itineraries are designed (in terms of time) for travelers with
their own rental car, but they are doable with local transportation too
(with much more time). If you don't want to drive yourself in Iceland
or take public transportation, you will find links for escursion, which
are mostly starting from the capital Reykjavík.
These suggestions will need to be adapted depending on the period
you visit Iceland. Indeed, day light duration will greatly vary depen-
ding on whether you come during winter or summer. Please also
keep in mind that a planned itinerary can changed along the trip, if
the weather is too bad or if you like too much a place.
For some of the places described in this travel guide, you will need
to have a 4x4 vehicule. Some roads are even prohibited for non 4x4
vehicules. Landmannalaugar region for exemple, is an natural area
where you will need 4x4 vehicule to cross small rivers (fords).
Finally, please note that these itineraries are quite intense, they don’t
allow much time for sunbathing or beers drinking in the bars. If you
have more time,don’t hesitate to add some days to these itineraries
to enjoy more this country.

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND DURING 4 DAYS

Day 1
• Arrival at Keflavík airport / get your rental car or (1-2 hours)
camper van, then drive from Keflavík to Reykjavík (2) (1 hours)
• Visit Reykjavík (2) (4-6 hours)

Day 2
• Visit Thingvellir (3)
(2–3 hours)
• Visit Geyser (4)
(1-2 hours)
• Visit Gullfoss (5)
(1-2 hours)
• Visit Kerid crater lake (26)
(1 hour)

Geyser in action

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Day 3
• Visit Seljalandsfoss (6) (1–2 hours)
• Visit Skógafoss (7) (2–3 hours)
• Visit Sólheimasandur plane wreck (8) (3–4 hours)

Day 4
• Visit Reynisfjara (11) (1–2 hours)
• Visitez Dyrhólaey (10) (1-2 hours)
• Way back from Dyrhólaey to Blue Lagoon (3 hours)
• Enjoy Blue Lagoon (1) (2–3 hours)
• Way back from Blue Lagoon (1) back to Keflavík airport (25 minutes)

Advised itinerarery for 4 days

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND DURING 1 WEEK

Day 1
• Arrival at Keflavík airport / get your rental car or (1-2 hours)
camper van, then drive from Keflavík to Reykjavík (2) (1 hours)
• Visit Reykjavík (2) (4-6 hours)

Day 2
• Visit Thingvellir (3) (2–3 hours)
• Visit Geyser (4) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Gullfoss (5) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Kerid crater lake (26) (1 hour)

Day 3
• Visit Seljalandsfoss (6) (1-2 hours)

• Visit Drangurinn í Drangshlíð (29) (2-3 hours)

• Visit Skógafoss (7) (2-3 hours)

Drangurinn í Drangshlíð turf houses

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Day 4
• Visit Sólheimasandur plane wreck (8) (3-4 hours)
• Visit Reynisfjara (11) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Dyrhólaey (10) (1-2 hours)

Plane wreck on Sólheimasandur beach

Day 5
• Visit Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon (12) (2-3 hours)
• Visit Svartifoss (13) (2-3 hours)
• Walk on the Svínafellsjökul glacier (14) (3-4 hours)

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Day 6
• Visit Fjallsárlón (33) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Jökulsárlón (16) (2-3 hours)
• Visit Diamond beach (17) (1–2 hours)

Day 7
• Way back from Jökulsárlón (16) to Blue Lagoon (1) (5 hours)
• Enjoy Blue Lagoon (1) (2-3 hours)
• Way back from Blue Lagoon (1) back to Keflavík airport (25 minutes)

Advised itinerarery for 1 week

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND DURING 2 WEEKS (OPTION 1)

Same start as week 1 until day 6

Day 7
• Visit Höfn (34) (2-3 hours)
• Visit Stokksnes peninsula (18) (2-3 hours)
• Visit Viking village (35) (1-2 hours)

Day 8
• Visit Folaldafoss (36) (1 hour)
• Visit Hengifoss (37) (2-3 hours)
• Visit Mjóifjörður (20) (2-4 hours)

The breath taking fjord of Mjóifjörður

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND DURING 2 WEEKS (OPTION 2)

Day 1
• Arrival at Keflavík airport / get your rental car or (1-2 hours)
camper van, then drive from Keflavik to Reykjavík (1 hour)
(2) (4-6 hours)
• Visit Reykjavík (2)

Day 2 (2-3 hours)

• Visit Thingvellir (3) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Geyser (4) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Gullfoss (5) (1 hour)
• Visit Kerid crater lake (26)

Day 3
• Visit Háifoss (27) (1-2 hours)
• Drive to Landmannalaugar (9), stopping everywhere (3 -5 hours)
you like

Beautiful road to Landmannalaugar

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 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

3 - 4 WEEKS IN ICELAND

If you are traveling longer, it is well worth spending more time on the
sites presented above, and you can also add the following ideas to
the previous itineraries:

• Explore ice cave (15) - only in winter (1 day)

• Try snowmobile tour - rather in winter (0,5-1 day)
• Visit Selið turf house (31) (1-2 hours)
• Visit Lindarbakki and surroundings (38) (2-3 hours)
• Spend more time in Landmannalaugar - summer (9) (3-5 days)
• Walk on the glacier Svínafellsjökull (14) (0,5-1 day)

Exploring ice caves

35
WHAT TO DO IN ICELAND?
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

SOUTH WEST OF ICELAND

In this part of Iceland, don’t miss the lively town of Reykjavík (2)
with its famous monuments such as the Hallgrímskirkja, the Har-
pa, and the Sun Voyager. The most touristic excursion of Iceland is
also in this region: the golden circle, with the 3 sites Þingvellir (3),
Geysir (4) and Gullfoss (5). Not far from there, you can make a stop
to Kerið (26) too which is a nice volcano cratere to see. More in the
center of Iceland, and if you have a 4X4 vehicle, you will be able to
observe Háifoss waterfall (27) and Hekla volcano (28). In the south,
I advise you strongly to discover Seljalandsfoss (6) and Skógafoss
(7), waterfalls, the turf houses of Drangurinn í Drangshlíð 2 (29),
and the famous plane wreck of Sólheimasandur (8). Finally, on your
way back to the airport, you could relax at the Blue Lagoon (1) geo-
thermal spa.

37
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

38
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

BLUE LAGOON

The Blue Lagoon is a geother-

mal spa located in the
southwest of Iceland near
Keflavík Airport. It is a very touristy
63.880838, -22.448185 and quite expensive place, but still
worth experimenting in my opinion.
Low You will undoubtedly have a very
relaxing time in this nice facility. In
addition to that, you will enjoy the
2-5 hours benefits (for the skin in particular) of
its warm geothermal waters rich in
Free parking minerals.In high season, do not for-
get to book well in advance before
Paying entrance going there, the number of places is
limited inside.

39
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Even in winter, I happened to be

unable to book a ticket a few
days in advance because it was
full at all times.
If the price seems too high, you
can also go to other cheaper
hot tubs, like the one in Mýtvan,
which is in the north of Iceland.

All day long, so cool at the

sunset. Blue lagoon at the sunset

Bring a case or a waterproof

camera.

Don't forget you swim suite!

Flip flops can be useful too.
A towel is provided there

www.bluelagoon.com

Just outside of Blue Lagoon

+
Very nice facilities, such a
relaxing moment

-
Expensive, very touristic

Entrance in the Blue Lagoon

40
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

64.208041, -19.686897
Háifoss is an impressive 122
meters high waterfall in
Low Fossa river. You will observe
nearby another beautiful waterfall
1-2 hours called Granni which makes with
Háifoss a pair of usual waterfalls.
Free parking

Free entrance

41
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

All day long.

You will get a magnifi-

cient view on the opposite
edge of the canyon, in
front of the waterfalls.

You can see the 2 edges of the canyon

+
Beautiful and original view of
the waterfalls
Not many tourist

Nice spot to observe these 2 waterfalls Rainbow on the waterfall

42
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

SOUTH OF ICELAND
In the southern part of Iceland, there are also plenty of very inte-
resting spots such as the waterfalls of Svartifoss (13), the beautiful
canyon of Fjaðrárgljúfur (12) oor the spectacular black sand beach
of Reynisfjara (11). If you like to hike, the 2 places I recommend
in particular are the Landmannalaugar (9) and Katla geopark (30)
with its amazing campsite. You will need an all-terrain vehicle, ifyou
want to visit the gorgeous and colorful region of Landmannalau-
gar. Hiking across these mountains and old volcanos are probably
among the best memories I have of Iceland. You can easily spend
few days in Landmannalaugar’s campsite, in order to enjoy the
several splendid hikes.
In the summer, you will be able to see puffins at the peninsula of
Dyrhólaey (10). If you like ice, you will be able to do glacier walk
at Svínafellsjökul (14) and Skaftafellsjokull (32), see icebergs at
Jökulsárlón (16), Fjallsárlón (33) or on Diamond beach (17).

43
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

44
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

LANDMANNALAUGAR

The Landmannalaugar is a
vast natural region with
mountains, lakes, volcanoes,
63.983717, -19.067219 natural hot spring baths… in the
middle of the highlands of southern
Iceland. This is one of the best
Various places if you want to hike. Personal-
ly, the hikes I did there will truly stay
2-10 days by the best memories I have of Ice-
land. From the Brennisteinsalda
Free parking campsite, you can start incredible
hikes from a few hours to a few
Free entrance days, and of different difficulty
levels. You can buy hiking maps on
site, or download one here.
Landmannalaugar is only ac-
cessible between mid-June and

45
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

mid-September depending on
the road conditions.
So check the weather condi-
tions carefully before going to
the Landmannalaugar as the
fords are sometimes too deep
to cross them. There are three
main routes to reach the Land-
mannalaugar. The F208 from the
north, with few rivers to cross,
the F225 from the west (near
Mount Hekla) and the F208 to
the south. You can also access One of the numerous Landmannalaugar views
the Landmannalaugar from
Reykjavík or Skaftafell by the
daily bus. For sleeping, the main
option is the Brennisteinsalda
campsite which has a natural
hot spring bath nearby.

Hikes all day long.

Climb the hills, moun-

tains, volcanoes to get
the best surounding
views.
Landmannalaugar camping site
Camping and hiking
equipment.

Excursions

+
Perfect for hiking in nature.
Large area where you can feel
lonely

-
Access to get there, need a Beautiful wild flowers
4x4 or come by bus

46
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

SVÍNAFELLSJÖKUL

Svínafellsjökul is a 8 kilome-
ters long and approximately
64.008825, -16.880332 800 meters wide glacier
tongue located in the south of
Average Iceland. It’s a popular spot not far
from Skaftafell, in Vatnajökull Natio-
3-8 hours nal Park.
At Svínafellsjökul, you can can take
Parking to pay great walks on the glacier with
crampons and ice picks. It is a fair-
Paying excursion ly expensive excursion but but it
remains an unforgettable expe-
rience to try in Iceland. Do not try
to go alone if you are new to this
kind of walking because it is full of
potential dangers.

47
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

All day long.

Watch your camera, try to
attach it to your wrist or
neck. If your camera fall
on the ice, there is chance
that it slips straight into a
hole inside the glacier.
Hiking equipment. Stud
and ice pick will be sup-
plied by the excursion or-
ganiser.
Walking on the glacier tongue
To book your glacier walk
tours

+
Amazing experience to walk
on the glacier with stud and
ice pick

-
Quite expensive ex-
cursion Climbing ice mountains

Some path can be risky Hiking on the ice

48
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Hraunfossar are beautiful and

unusual waterfalls over a
distance of about 900 meters.
64.703358, -20.977214 What is striking is the water which
flows through the lava and runs as
Low dozen of tiny waterfalls into the
Hvita River.
1-3 hours This site, protected since 1987,
offers nice facilities (parking, trail,
Free parking platforms, coffee shop) to enjoy this
natural show. Finally, don't forget to
follow the trail to the end in order to
Free entrance
discover another very interesting
waterfall called Barnafoss.

49
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

All day long.

Wide lens is great to take

most of the waterfalls.

Barnafoss at the end of the trail, is not to

be missed

+
Unique kind of waterfall where
the water flow goes out from
inside the rocks

Hraunfossar panorama

Hraunfossar waterfalls Barnafoss waterfal

50
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

45 PLACES
TO DISCOVER

51
HOW TO GET AROUND ICELAND?
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

TRANSPORTATION

YOUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS

If you have more time than The site www.publictranport.is

money, hitchhiking in Iceland detailsdifferent transportation
can be a good option, especially lines availablein Iceland. You
if you only aim to visit the main can download therethe trans-
attractions around the ring road. portation map below.
More of that, Iceland is conside-
red a safe country, therefore the
risk toget in trouble is relatively
low.
Nevertheless, be aware that the
waiting time for a car to pick
you up canbe long. I saw people
staying at the same place for a
few hours.
Using public transportation is
also aquite cheaper way to move
in Iceland.It is very comprehen- To organize a specific journey,
sive and you willbe able to reach thissite will also be useful for
most of the interesting places. you: www.strateo.is.

53

If your time is limited, you should
rent your own vehicle. The roads
in Iceland are good in general,
and without much traffic in the
vast majority of places. In ad-
dition, parking spaces are often
available near the most interes-
ting tourist sites.
However, renting a car in Iceland
is quite expensive, even for small
and simple models. If you want
to access the center of the is-
land, the region for example, you
will need to rent a much more
expensive 4×4 vehicle, because
you will have to cross small
rivers (fords). In addition to this,
certain roads called “F-road” are
prohibited for “normal” vehicles
(not 4×4), so you may be fined in
case of police check.
54
ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE
If you look for a vehicle in which
you can sleep, price will be more
expensive but you will save the
money on the accommodation. I
will detail this kind of car in the
accommodation section.
Taxi is also an alternative for
short journey, but they are
telatively very expensive.
If you drive in Iceland, you will
have to check roads condi-
tion because depending on the
weather (snow, wind, rain), they
can be closed. To be fully aware
of the roads condition in Iceland,
a great website to use is www.
road.is.
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ICELAND PACKING LIST

• Hiking shoes and socks
• Gloves, scarf, hat or headband ...
• Thermal clothing and underwear depending on the season
• Swimsuit, quick-drying towel (for pools and hot springs, towels are
often available for hire at pools)
• Sunglasses, sunscreen cap, insecticide
• Crampons for ice or non-slip soles (especially for glacier walking,
but if you go on an excursion, equipment is provided)
• Sleep mask (especially during the summer solstice at the end of
June when the sun sets after midnight and rises again around 3
a.m.) and earplugs in case of noisy neighbors
• Heavy-duty tent, mattress and air pump, 0 °C sleeping bag
• Warm and waterproof / windproof clothing
• Camping kit for preparing meals including a gas stove like Primus
(gas cylinders can be found for free at campsites around Reykjavík
as many tourists leave them there before returning to their coun-
tries)
• Food provisions, but you can also bring them when you arrive in
Iceland

55
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ACCOMMODATION

You can find all types of accommodation in Iceland, from the

smallest campsites or hostels to luxury hotels. Depending on the
region you visit, the offer will be very different. In my experience, I
had more difficulties to find places to sleep at short notice in the
eastern region of Iceland than in the western part.Your accommoda-
tion choice should be made depending on your budget, your need for
comfort and your willingness to be flexible. .

HOSTELS, AIRBNB AND HOTELS

If you don’t mind shared bathroom and sometime noisy neighbours,

hostels are comfortable and cheap places to stay. More of that,
in some hostels near Keflavik airport, you will be able to find food
such as pasta or cereals (not opened packets off course 😅) left in the
kitchens by backpackers who leave the country. First time I came to
Iceland, I arrived very late at night and booked to a hotel close to the
airport. In the shared kitchen, I salvaged gas cylinders to do fire along
my trip. When I left the country, I also left my remaining food for the
next travelers.
Airbnb is also a good alternative and the offer is quite diverse here.
However, Airbnb is very popular these days, so it's best to book your
rooms well in advance.

56
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

For higher standards and comfort, hotel will be probably the best
solution. Nevertheless, they can be very pricey and you also need to
book in advance, especially in regions where the hotel offer is low.
You can see below an example of very typical Icelandic hotel I booked
in the eastern region, the welcome, the place and the food were
amazing. You can findthe link to book a room in this house here.

Another good hotel that I liked was near Selfoss which was inexpen-
sive, clean and modern. Plus the breakfast was amazing.

I didn't try all the hotels of Iceland of course, so the best advice I can
give you tofind the best one for you, depending on your budget or
comfort level, is to simply check yourself a convenient website like
Hotels.com.

57
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

GO CAMPING IN ICELAND

For flexibility, go camping in Iceland is one of the best solutions

because you don’t really need to book in advance your place in
the campsite. If the weather changes or if you want to stay longer
in some spots you really like, go camping give you this flexibility to
adapt your journey.
More of that, camping sites in Iceland are usually available, you can
arrive there at almost any time, even in the night like I did. There are
indeed nearly 200 campsites open from June to mid-September.
However, nights can be cold in Iceland, even in summer. The tem-
perature can be close to 0°c so be equipped with warm sleeping
bags and clothes. Comfort can be tough depending on the camp-
sites. Electric plugs are not always available in sufficient number or
showers are sometime functioning only with cold water.
Nevertheless, even if some nights were tough, I found amazing
campsites with beautiful landscape across the country as you can
see below.
Finally, be aware that you can’t camp anywhere you want in Iceland.
Since 2016, a law prohibits to camp outside of a campground, a
designated area or without the permission of the landowner.

You can find a nice map and a list of campsites in Iceland with faci-
lities description here.

58
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

FOOD
TRADITIONNAL ICELANDIC DISHES AND DRINKS
Iceland being an island, fish and seafood are of course part of the
local gastronomy. In many Icelandic restaurants, you will often
find the dish: “fish of the day”. It is often haddock, salmon, cod, or
monkfish. I went to very few restaurants as it is expensive, but it was
all the times very good experiences.

Icelandic crawfish Fish of the day

The dish on the left is from a locally known restaurant called

Pakkhús in the town of Hofn. The one on the right is from a restau-
rant called Kaffi Duss in Keflavik. I visited Keflavik on a stopover of a
few hours in Iceland. Keflavik is close to the airport (by public bus),
it is very nice to see the port with this restaurant and especially with
the "giant's cave" nearby.

59
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Lamb is also the basis of many

dishes, grilled or in stew, you will
have many different options to
taste it.

Skyr, the traditional Icelandic

dairy product which is to me
close to yogurt, is also a cheap
dessert you should try.

Brennivín is the traditional

spirit of Iceland, it is made of
fermented grain, potato mash,
and caraway seeds.

I’m far to have tried all the restaurants of Iceland (even the most
famous printedtravel guide wouldn’t be able to do that and to keep
it up to date), so the best advice I can give you to find the best one
for you, depending on your taste and budget, is to simply check
Tripadvisor.

60
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FOOD?

Best way to save money on food is to cook yourself obviously, so
either you get an accommodation with a kitchen or you bring your
cooking kit and prepare your food outside. In fact, you don’t need
much to cook outside: a camping stove, one pot and cutlery. You will
buy your gas cylinder locally in Iceland as you can’t bring this kind
of stuff in the plane.

Cooking pasta at the campsite Breakfast in the middle of nature

To buy food, the insider’s If you don't want to cook, there

tip in Iceland is to go to the
supermarkets BONUS. It is well
known for its cheap products.
KRONAN is also another dis-
count supermarket chain but
there are less of them spread all
over the island.
As you will probably start your
trip from Keflavík Airport, near
Reykjavík, you’d better buy and
store food in your car, or cam-
ping van, because you won’t find
these supermarkets everywhere
in Iceland.
are also some inexpensive fast
food restaurants with sand-
wiches, pizzas, or hot dogs, but
it's quite expensive for what it
is. For inexpensive meals, good
in taste and for your health, I
recommend the soups of the
day from N1 stations. They are
garnished with meat, pasta
or potatoes and they change
recipes every day. In addition,
you can fill your plate several
times and the bread is at will.

61
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

LIFE COST
EXAMPLES OF COSTS IN ICELAND

Unfortunately for tourists, life in Iceland is very expensive. It’s ac-

tually one of the most expensive countries in the world.
First, let me give you a few examples of costs in Iceland based on my
experience and on this reliable website: numbeo.com.
I will give you prices in local currency, which is the Króna (sign: kr ;
code: ISK).If you need a currency converter application during your
trip, I advise you Easy Currency Converter (Android / Apple) which
can work off line.

62
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

63
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ESTIMATION BUDGET EXAMPLES FOR 1 WEEK TRIP

1 week very low budget for a couple

• Camping : 1 600 kr (by night) x 7 nights 11 200 kr

• Grossery store : 1 500 kr (by day) x 7 days x 2 people 21 000 kr

• Car renting : 15 000 kr (by day) x 7 days 105 000 kr

• Gasoline : 225 kr (by liter) x 80 liters 18 000 kr

Estimation budget would be 155 000 kr (1 030€ or 1 150 $)

1 week low budget for a couple

•C
 heap hotel / AirBnb : 15 000 kr (by night) x 7 nights 105 000 kr

• Inexpensive restaurant : 2 500kr (by meal) x14 meals x 2 people 70 000 kr
• Car renting : 15 000 kr (by day) x 7 days 105 000 kr

• Gasoline : 225 kr (by liter) x 80 liters 18 000 kr

Estimation budget would be 298 000 kr (1 980€ or 2 205 $)

1 week high budget for a couple

•H
 otel : 30 000 kr (by night) x 7 nights 210 000 kr

• Restaurant for 2 people :14 000 kr (by meal) x 14 meals 196 000 kr

• Car renting : 20 000 kr (by day) x 7 days 140 000 kr

• Gasoline : 225 kr (by liter) x 100 liters 22 500 kr

Estimation budget would be 568 500 kr (3 775 € or 4 205 $)

Most of the natural attractions in Iceland are free, but you might have
to pay also parking sometimes. If you choose to do not rent a car, and
to do excursions everyday from Reykjavík, be aware that your budget
might need to be much increased.

64
ABOUT
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

ABOUT WHERE2TRAVEL

Where2Travel is part an independent travel blog and part an

indepth travel guide website. You get the structure of a travel guide
website as well as the personnal multimedia and writting content of
one same independent travel blogger. Where2travel’s purpose is to
present clear, concrete and concise information with lot of photos
and videos.
Where2travel broadcasts content on multiple supports and links in
particular videos, with a website and with ebook travel guides.
Where2travel’s main priority is to show you amazing landscapes,
cities and local inhabitants. The goal is to provide clear information
so You can enjoy these travel experiences.
Where2travel aims to make you gain time, showing you in few
minutes video the best places of a country, giving only straight to the
point and organised information, and providing you a GPS map to
head toward the best attractionsrapidly once you are in the country.
Finally, if you are looking for new trip ideas depending on a certain
month of the year or according to a special interest you have (beach,
natural landscape,History,...), you will find travel inspirations on
www.where2travel.com.

66
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

HOW TO USE THE EBOOK?

Use it with the YouTube videos

This ebook is linked with the YouTube video "25 amazing places to
see in Iceland" and the video "20 additional places to discover in
Iceland" that was provided with this ebook. All the numbers on these
videos correspond to the numbers in this ebook to provide you useful
information about each site.
See excellent videos of travel is fun and entertaining, but know the
numbers of each of the places you see in the video, know exactly
where all these wonderful places are and having all the essential
information to visit them is much more interesting.

Use it with the .kml map

This ebook is also linked to the "45 Amazing Places to See in Iceland"
.kmz map that was given to you with this book. All the numbers on
this card correspond to the numbers presented in this book. You can
download this map to your mobile and use it as a GPS to easily reach
the 45 attractions mentioned in this travel guide. Whether you have
internet access in the country you are visiting or not, you can use the
map using the Maps.me or Google Maps applications. You will find
the procedure to use the cards on these 2 applications here.

Links in the ebook

The texts in yellow in the ebook version of this book are clickable
links that will direct you to different sections or to external websites.
These will provide you with up-to-date information such as opening
hours, entrance fees, excursion details or the type of visa required
to enter.
Some links in this book are affiliate links, please be aware that I only
post those that I trust and use myself. By going through these links,
you contribute (at no additional cost to you) to the development of
Where2travel.
Be aware that not all internal links (to go from one page to another in
the ebook) will work on all mobiles. If you want this function, use the
Acrobat Reader mobile application.

67
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

LEGEND

For each of the 45 places to visit in Iceland, you will find these
information:

Number in link with video and map

Evaluation:

Interesting Definitely worth Not to be missed

the time

Description and advice on the site

Geographic coordinates

Level of difficulty to reach the place

Average time to visit

Free or paying parking

Free or paying entrance

Best time of the day to visit

Advice for photography

Advice for equipment to bring

Useful links

68
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE

LAST ADVICE FOR YOUR TRIP

This ebook will certainly give you a good overview of the country,
with its map and its list of places not to be missed. However, don't
just rely on it, be open to unexpected surprises from travels. Listen
to the locals to discover other interesting places and save time in
your schedule, in order to be flexible and thus further customize your
travel experience.
Talk to local people
Talking with locals is the best way to get the latest information or
to find the most recent places to see. Start with recommendations
from your hotel for example, then don't hesitate to ask the locals in
the street, with a big smile. Among the best travel memories I have,
a large part of them come from meetings I had with local people. It
often started with advice, and sometimes ended with a whole day
or weekend spent together, meeting their families and learning more
about their cultures.
Avoid rush hours
I know this can be hard for some people to hear while on vacation,
but I recommend you get up early! For many tourist sites, being there
in the first light of day will help you take much better photos (sunrise
lights and fewer people). In addition, you will discover the morning
calm and a more local atmosphere. Of course, the golden lights at
the end of the day are also very photogenic, but you will often be
surrounded by a lot more people.

Woman angry after monkey stole vegetables from market in India

69
 ICELAND TRAVEL GUIDE
Essential information to prepare your trip, save time and money

If you've never been to Iceland before, I imagine you intend to see as many
beautiful natural sites as possible during the limited time of your stay. You
are also probably wondering where exactly all these natural wonders are lo-
cated, how long it takes to visit them and whether it is physically difficult to
reach them. You probably also want to know what the cost of such a trip is
(and how to optimize it), where you will be able to sleep, eat, and what means
of transport you will use to get around the island.
Find everything there is to know quickly and clearly with this guide, the map
downloadable to your phone, and travel videos, featuring 45 amazing places
to see in Iceland.

I am Dan Nguyen, a traveler who likes to or-

ganize his own trips to be independent, free
of my time and discover as much as possible
in each country I visit. Like 99% of us, I'm not
a full-time traveler. However, I have the will
to discover the whole world. So I developed
special skills in organizing travel, optimizing
time and money, in order to make the most
of my trips during my holidays. After having
traveled to nearly 80 countries on 5 conti-
nents, I share with you what I learned about
the pays countries that I visited in the easiest
way possible, through my website, my videos
and my travel guides. Ultimately, on Where-
2travel, my goal is to help you find new ad-
venture inspiration and plan your next trips
faster, easier, and cheaper.

EDITION 2 0 2 1
www.where2travel.com