Iceland - questions answered

I posted this information in another thread but it's something that is probably useful for cruise passengers visiting Reykjavik:

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I'd highly recommend walking from the port to the downtown area if you are fit enough. It is a designated walking path, not a pavement and should take about 20-30 minutes. You'll walk past several sites that you might otherwise miss: Hofdi, The Sun Voyager and Harpa.

When you get to Harpa (take a look inside it is a stunning building, especially the view on main stairway) just continue walking on the path on the harbour itself where you'll probably walk past the Icelandic "navy", some fishing boats, Hotel Marina, the dry dock and continue all the way to the best Icecream shop in Iceland, Valdis.

To return walk towards Kristkirkja and then towards Hallgrimskirkja through the downtown area. I'd recommend walking up Skolavordustigur for the best view of Hallgrimskirkja.

Then just get lost for a few hours, wander about and notice Reykjavik's main distinction from other capitals (apart from its small size): No two houses look the same.

I posted this information in another thread but it's something that is probably useful for cruise passengers visiting Reykjavik:

 

 

 

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I'd highly recommend walking from the port to the downtown area if you are fit enough. It is a designated walking path, not a pavement and should take about 20-30 minutes. You'll walk past several sites that you might otherwise miss: Hofdi, The Sun Voyager and Harpa.

 

 

 

When you get to Harpa (take a look inside it is a stunning building, especially the view on main stairway) just continue walking on the path on the harbour itself where you'll probably walk past the Icelandic "navy", some fishing boats, Hotel Marina, the dry dock and continue all the way to the best Icecream shop in Iceland, Valdis.

 

 

 

To return walk towards Kristkirkja and then towards Hallgrimskirkja through the downtown area. I'd recommend walking up Skolavordustigur for the best view of Hallgrimskirkja.

 

 

 

Then just get lost for a few hours, wander about and notice Reykjavik's main distinction from other capitals (apart from its small size): No two houses look the same.

Very useful! Thanks

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Great thread. Thanks for all the info.

We are heading to Iceland in August 2017 before an expedition cruise to Franz Joseph Land.

I'll be there for about 5 days and will hire a car.

I was looking at South Coast, Golden Circle and Reykjanes Peninsula.

Would that be best?

Thanks

Raina

Best for what? It's hard to know without knowing what you like. Have you booked accommodations yet?

Great thread. Thanks for all the info.

 

We are heading to Iceland in August 2017 before an expedition cruise to Franz Joseph Land.

 

I'll be there for about 5 days and will hire a car.

 

I was looking at South Coast, Golden Circle and Reykjanes Peninsula.

 

Would that be best?

 

Thanks

 

Raina

Hi,

Sorry - best to see some highlights of Iceland. Would love to do the whole circle loop but I guess I don't have time for that.

I want to see landscapes, nature and some cultural things. Will not be doing any long hikes. Am happy to drive long distances so was thinking of going as far as Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon as it looks amazing.

Haven't booked any accommodation yet but would be out int he country rather than in Reykjavik.

There are so many amazing ideas in this thread.

Thanks.

Raina

Australia

Good to plan in advance. Do make sure you have your accommodations booked by October or November of this year to ensure your first choice (we booked for this August last December and got 3rd choice in one area).

3 days along the South Coast would be great, 1 day Golden Circle, 1 day on the Peninsula including Blue Lagoon is a good plan. If you haven't been to Iceland before I recommend you do Golden Circle first with a small (minibus) tour group so you can learn all about the country from a good guide. This will greatly enhance the rest of your visit.

We always do at least one tour on each trip -- this will be our 4th visit this summer.

Good to plan in advance. Do make sure you have your accommodations booked by October or November of this year to ensure your first choice (we booked for this August last December and got 3rd choice in one area).

 

3 days along the South Coast would be great, 1 day Golden Circle, 1 day on the Peninsula including Blue Lagoon is a good plan. If you haven't been to Iceland before I recommend you do Golden Circle first with a small (minibus) tour group so you can learn all about the country from a good guide. This will greatly enhance the rest of your visit.

 

We always do at least one tour on each trip -- this will be our 4th visit this summer.

Thanks Nitemare.

I was planning on booking accomodation as soon as they opened up that. And was thinking of trying one of the less touristy pools like Laugarvatn Fontana. Have you been there as well?

R

Ah, I missed the 2017. But yes, book as early as you can, as accommodations fill fast these days.

Definitely spend a day in Reykjavik. It is a very nice city, with lots of charm. We did a wonderful food walking tour, which covered most of the central area, and then saw a choral concert at the Harpa opera house that night.

Then, get out and see the countryside. Plan on arriving back near the airport/Reykjavik the day prior to the cruise. Even in August, roads can be closed for high winds, and you don't want to get stranded. You definitely have time to get to Jokulsarlon. There is a new hotel that just opened down that way. It's pretty much the only one around that part of the country, excepting Airbnb's. Your other option is to go north to Ayekuri, Myvatn, and the west fjords. You won't be able to do it all, so resign yourself early to that, then enjoy what you do see. It's an amazing country.

I have not done Fontana but I hear good things. We've done Blue Lagoon x 2 and Myvatn Nature Baths once. Myvatn was much better in our opinion as it's natural, not manufactured. But we do like the Blue Lagoon

Bah, totally misspelled Akureyri!

Bah, totally misspelled Akureyri!

Blame autocorrect! I would... ;)

We will be cruising Iceland in July 2017. We have one day in Akureyri and are overnight in Reykjavik. We are interested in renting a car in both ports to tour on our own. Can anyone recommend a rental company (preferably with an office close to the port) or are there any rental companies to avoid?

Waterproof shoes are critical if it rains. While we were there last summer, it started sunny, rained like crazy at the Geysir, sprinkled at the waterfall, and was sunny again for the south side. We were happy to have our waterproof shoes on.

 

You can find some good trail shoes rather than boots that are lighter to pack and are affordable. You can often find some good deals on Sierra Trading or through your local outerwear store when they have sales.

Thank you for the suggestion. I just got a great deal on some waterproof hiking shoes on the Sierra Trading Post website.

I also found a fantastic deal on a Cole Haan packable down filled coat on Amazon.

We will be cruising Iceland in July 2017. We have one day in Akureyri and are overnight in Reykjavik. We are interested in renting a car in both ports to tour on our own. Can anyone recommend a rental company (preferably with an office close to the port) or are there any rental companies to avoid?

This is definitely THE way to do it. We have never taken a ship's tour in Iceland at any port of call, and we've done three cruises in Iceland with multiple stops in Akureyri, Reykjavik, etc.

Akureyri has become easier to rent from the port. In 2008 (our first visit) we rented from Europcar at the airport, and they drove the car to the pier to meet us. They were late arriving, but it was convenient. In 2014, they had a satellite office at the pier and we were able to pick up the car from them directly. We could return after hours and just drop the key in a slot in their door.

The office (such as it was in 2014) is about a block from Oddeyrarbryggja pier. Very convenient. I say "such as it was" because it was a desk set up in what looks like a shipping crate that's been plopped down on the side of the road. If you look at a map, it's on the street called Laufásgata right by the pier. You can reserve on line.

Reykjavik - depends on where you're docking. Neither port is particularly convenient IME thus far. We got Europcar to meet us once at the Skarfabakki pier (the larger one, out of town) but the next time they wouldn't agree to meet us with the car. So that time, we took a nice enjoyable stroll into town along the waterfront early in the morning, then grabbed a bus from the central bus station which let us off a block from their office. We did get them to give us a ride back to the pier once we dropped off though.

In 2014 we docked at the smaller closer downtown pier. We rented from Hertz at the domestic airport (the small airport right in Reykjavik, not the Keflavik airport) and they provided us with a shuttle pickup at the pier, took us to their office, and we picked up the car there. That was easy enough.

Let me know if you have additional questions about our rental experiences in Iceland. But I hope that you do this and enjoy it as much as we did!

Thanks jpalbny for the great information. I am starting to do more ports on our own the more we cruise. I like the idea of being on my own schedule - can decide where and how much time to spend. We are thinking of one day on the south coast from Reykjavik and the Golden Circle the next day. Would you recommend getting a 4WD vehicle? We are interested in geological sites and wildlife. The more I read about Iceland the more I realize we will only be able to see a fraction of what we want. What in your opinion are the absolutely do not miss places in Reykjavik and Akureyri? Thanks again for the help.

No need for a 4x4 in Golden Circle and south coast. All those roads are well paved.

Thanks jpalbny for the great information. I am starting to do more ports on our own the more we cruise. I like the idea of being on my own schedule - can decide where and how much time to spend. We are thinking of one day on the south coast from Reykjavik and the Golden Circle the next day. Would you recommend getting a 4WD vehicle? We are interested in geological sites and wildlife. The more I read about Iceland the more I realize we will only be able to see a fraction of what we want. What in your opinion are the absolutely do not miss places in Reykjavik and Akureyri? Thanks again for the help.

Some thoughts gathered from our visits to Iceland...

No 4WD needed for the golden circle route - it's all major paved roads. The southern route also is well-paved in most parts, though some of the smaller roads further out on the Reykjanes peninsula are not paved - but 2WD accessible.

However, you may have more fun on the southern route (depending on how far east you want to go, and how adventurous you are) if you take a guided tour by 4x4 with a driver. You can go into the backcountry and get closer to the eruption site. We did this in 2011 and it was lots of fun. We went through some mud and forded streams to get further in for a nice view of the glacier and the vent of Eyjafjallajökull. That is definitely not a place to drive yourself. But, there are plenty of sights on the ring road in the south for you to explore on your own with a regular car. So you can visit either way.

There is a lot to do around Akureyri and it would take several days to see it all. We've had two stops and on the first visit, we started at Godafoss. Then Myvatn for some hiking around the lake. Then Dimmuborgir for the interesting rock formations. We finished up with some active geothermal features - Viti (a crater lake) and Hverarond (mud pits, fumaroles, hot springs, etc). Think Yellowstone. Very cool stuff here!

Two years ago we revisited and hit a bunch of places we missed. We started by driving north to Husavik for its picturesque views at the harbor. On the way there the coastal views were nice as well. Then we headed back south towards the Jökulsárgljúfur part of Vatnajokull National Park where we saw Ásbyrgi canyon (a round crater supposedly formed by the hoof of Odin's horse), and drove further into the park for three great waterfalls: Dettifoss, Sellfoss, and Hafragilsfoss. After that we headed towards the Krafla Region for the Leirhnjúkur Crater Hike, then back to Lake Myvatn to hike Hverfjall, a tephra cone near Dimmuborgir that we hadn't had time to get to our first visit. After all that, we still had time to drive back to Akureyri and visit the botanical gardens before getting back to the ship for a very late dinner. :)

All of these places were pretty cool to visit, so see what appeals to you and pick some. No way you can do all of them in a day. The second trip that I described in the preceding paragraph was 390km of driving.

Around Reykjavik, of course the golden circle is a must. We did that the first time we rented a car and it was fun to avoid the bus tour and decide how much time we wanted to spend at each place.

I also like the Reykjanes peninsula, especially the southern part where the coast is wild and isolated, and there are neat geothermal features scattered around. We drove around this on our second visit.

The Snaefelles peninsula is pretty cool too but I think that's too far away for a day trip from Reykjavik. We stayed in Stykkisholmur for a night when we visited there.

Reykjavik itself is a cool city and we very much enjoyed visiting in the off-season. We got 4 nights in a hotel right in downtown and it was a lot of fun. I'm not sure I'd stay there in the height of summer, though. When we were in Iceland in August, we stayed outside of the city.

There are some pictures and more detailed descriptions of our last visit to Akureyri in my trip log, link in the signature below. It's the August 2014 cruise.

We are taking a Norway cruise next July. We are planning to make a stopover in Iceland on the way. Your suggestions sound great. We were last there in 2013. We rented a car and did the Golden circle plus drove as far as Hof. We did Jakusarlon lagoon. We would like to do Akureyri

Thanks so much for the great information and feedback. This has definitely helped a lot in our planning. I was on the fence about renting in Akureyri but with this information I think we will rent a car there too. The 4X4 tour you mentioned sounds great too. Sounds like you have really been bitten by the Iceland bug. Same thing happened to us on our first visit to Alaska. I have a feeling Iceland may do the same thing. Thanks again.

Main reason is that I feel safe there. Have had to cancel 2 trips due to terrorism concerns.

If I could add a little to this conversation?

Last year we did a cruise to Norway and on the way home to the states we did a stop over in Iceland for 6 nights. We rented a car at Blue Car Rental (phenomenal service) and drove up to the Snaefellsness Peninsula and then along the southern coast as far as Jokulsklaren. It was wonderful and busy...the shoes recommendations are spot on, by the way.

In retrospect, we didn't plan it out well. We underestimated the driving distances between the places we wanted to visit. We spend one night in several locations. There is soooo much to see and do, spending one night in each place was NOT enough time. We wish we had been able to have a full day to do a tour into Landmannauger. we really struggled unsuccessfully to adjust our schedule for that. We did spend 1 full day on the Snaefellness Peninsula, visiting Arnastapi, lava caves, Kirkjufell...all awesome. We drove to all the waterfalls along the Route 1 and did the Golden Circle, the landscape is amazing...going from moonlike topography to lush green, to mountainous and glaciers . We spent the night on Vik beach in a cabin on the black sand beach and that was amazing. We wish we had more time there. One night was not enough. We spent one night in Skatafell National Park and then traveled to Jokulsklaren. We were going to do the Lagoon trip but we could stand on the shores of the lagood and see all the bergs..we felt that the boat tour was not worth the money. Instead, we walked across the street to the ocean shore and there were amazing melting bergs washing up back and forth and changing shapes with each wave...that was more cool too us than the boat ride. We could have spend much more time in this area as well. We like to go off the beaten path.

So that all said, we decided we wanted to see more of Iceland. We have booked an expedition type cruise of Iceland with Iceland Pro Cruises (224 passengers) for next summer that will circumnavigate the island. We will take advantage of more tours and excursions as time permits but plan to take advantage of every moment that we can.

So my advice to anyone driving...concentrate on what you want to see, know that you cannot see everything and dont make the mistake that we did..spend at least one full day in fewer places . I think had we done this, we would have gotten much more out of the trip rather than just a taste of Iceland...which reminds me that it is true that Icelenad has the purest best tasting water !

Joan

Good advice, pmjnh. Iceland is not physically large, but it takes a longer time than you'd expect to drive most places. The ring road has a paltry maximum limit of 90 km/h, and the secondary roads may be paved, or may not. Any road that follows the coast closely may curve and twist so much that the actual driving distance is much further than you'd expect. So allow more time than you'd expect.

And I agree with you that the sights along the way make you want to stop. There is so much to do. No matter where we've gone, there's never been enough time to get bored, or run out of things to do.

BeardieMom55, hope you like it as much as we do!

Thanks everyone for the input. It helps a lot. Jpalbny- thanks for the info about the speed limit and reminder about taking longer than you might think. We just got back from driving to Alaska and even though we have done this before, every day the drive took longer than I had originally planned. Same thing it sounds as Iceland - curvy roads and 90 km/hr speed limit. I will have to sit down and prioritize and expect that we will have to go back again someday. Boy is that bucket list getting long.

Thanks everyone for the input. It helps a lot. Jpalbny- thanks for the info about the speed limit and reminder about taking longer than you might think. We just got back from driving to Alaska and even though we have done this before, every day the drive took longer than I had originally planned. Same thing it sounds as Iceland - curvy roads and 90 km/hr speed limit. I will have to sit down and prioritize and expect that we will have to go back again someday. Boy is that bucket list getting long.

We cruised to Alaska in 2012 and then rented a car in Anchorage and drove for 10 days. Yes, very similar long distances. By the way, when driving in Iceland, the Ring Road has cameras that will clock your speed and take a photo of your license plate. I have heard of people getting bills months after a visit for speeding. Of course, these bills would go to the rental car company first but they could be filtered to the driver!

Also be aware that some of the bridges are one lane and have little pull outs if you meet a car head on..there is a long one near Skatafell that has a blind entrance on the opposite side..yikes!

Enjoy!

My flight back there leaves in about 10 hours!