An Armchair Guide to Iceland

As an Armchair Traveller, I’ve done plenty of Armchair Travelling. By that I mean that I have spent far too much time on my laptop/in my books researching destinations that I will one day visit. Instead of putting all of that information to waste, I thought instead I would compile everything in to a blog post. I hope this helps if you are planning on visiting this destination or even if you just interested in filling your brain up like me! Photos are not my own.

This first guide is on beautiful Iceland - a country growing in popularity despite it's well known expensive prices! I plan to visit in the next couple of years, and have a pretty good idea about how I would want my trip to be. Please read on for all the information I think you might need for starting to plan your own trip.

Logistics

Getting there – As with most European destinations, if you are thrifty enough when booking/searching for flights, you can find plenty of deals from London for under £100 (some well under!). Check out my post on how to make the most of your time and money here.

Getting around – The two main options are renting a car or going on specific tours. If visiting for a limited period of time or if you don’t feel comfortable driving (especially in winter), booking tours such as the classic Golden Circle tour will be the way to go. If however you feel comfortable driving on the roads, then get out and rent a car/camper van! Clearly with this method you will have more freedom on where you go and how long you spend there.

Where to stay? It depends on how long you’re staying/what type of trip you would like! If you’re doing a long weekend or don’t want to rent a car, definitely base yourself in Reykjavik since many of the main sights are in the south west and trips will depart from Reykjavik. The only main options are to hire a camper van and go on a road trip or rent a car and stay in hotels/guesthouses in the middle of nowhere! You will find plenty of options all over the country on the usual booking sites.

When to go? It’s simple, in winter months you have most chance of seeing the wonderful Northern Lights but in summer months (specifically June) you will be able to enjoy almost 24 hours of daylight. Since I’ve not been in either, I can’t comment! But there are plenty of blog posts that will be able to give you a better idea like this one. Personally, I would want to visit for midsummer when I do finally go… The idea of sightseeing at 3 am with no other tourists around is kind of appealing. But if you are set on seeing the Northern Lights, it would be best to go when there is actually darkness (blog posts like this will help).

Top Sights

Skogafoss Waterfall

• Reykjavik – the capital city!

• Blue Lagoon – one of the most famous things to do in Iceland. You can book a trip from Reykjavik which includes the entrance fee or you can drive there yourself

• Skogafoss – a beautiful waterfall on the south coast

• Reynisfjara – black sand beach on the south coast

• Jokulsarlon – I think this is one of the most alluring things for me in Iceland! Jokulsarlon is a glacial lagoon in the south east

• Snaefellsness Peninsula – a region in the east with the Snæfellsjokull volcano at the tip of the peninsula

• Northern Iceland – there are plenty of other spots of natural beauty in the North, even though this list focuses on the South. If you have more time to visit this striking country, venture here for places not usually visited

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Golden Circle

• Geysir – to see boiling water launched into the air, this is the place for you

• Gulfoss – a spectacular beast of a waterfall! Will be included on all Golden Circle tours

• Pingvellir – site of a rift in between two tectonic plates which you can walk between

• Kerid Crater – volcanic crater lake

• Secret Lagoon – if the Blue Lagoon is too busy/expensive for you, check out the “Secret Lagoon” in the Golden Circle area

Long Weekend Itinerary

Day 1: Fly in to Reykjavik and head straight to the Blue Lagoon for a dip. If you are travelling at the right time of year, go on a Northern Lights spotting trip or just head out of the city for the chance to see this spectacle after dark if it's clear night.

Day 2: Take a tour to the Golden Circle so you can tick off Geysir and Gulfoss and other sites.

Day 3: Explore the capital city Reykjavik before your flight home

1 week Itinerary

Visit everything on the long weekend itinerary above. On one of your remaining 4 days, rent a car and head to stunning Jokulsarlon, also fitting in waterfall Skogafoss and black sand beach Reynisfjara. Spend another day visiting sites on the Golden Circle that you would have missed out on a 1 day trip. Consider heading to the Snaefellsness Peninsula.

2 week Itinerary

Visit everything as in both itineraries above. With your extra week, head to the North of the country. Here you can spend time in the Westfjords area and Trollaskagi Peninsula. There are also some stunning fjords in the east. If you are heading to all of these spots, drive on the famous Ring Road. Possibly with a camper van for the true experience!

So what do you think? Have you already visited Iceland or if you haven't yet, which itinerary would you do? Let me know in the comments below.