Iceland Requires 2 Visits, One in the Summer for the “Midnight Sun” which is 22 hours of daylight (and 2 hours of cloudy sunlight, Lol). Another visit must be done in the winter, total darkness around the clock and a chance to see the Northern lights!
ICELAND Itinerary July 7-25, 2015
July 7th Arrive in Iceland 9am get rental car & Phone SIM
1pm: Tour North West Iceland with 2 friends. It’s a 2.5hour drive. Snaefellsjokull National Park, I wanted to Snowmobile, but in July they only have the Big Snowcat operating, which was also a great experience, at the top of the Glacier (which is the top of a volcano) we took photos, enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of it all and they came around with a visitors book to sign. (Some people brought skies and climbed a little higher on the side of the glacier)
What we didn’t realize is the Snowcat does it’s last run at 4pm! We raced straight there…..and just made it!
Drive to http://www.snaefellsjokull.com
After the snowcat we continued to tour the area, stopping at every interesting point along the way, and time escapes you when it’s constant daylight, I drove for 10hrs that day, getting back to Reykjavik after 1am! In Reykjavik, Stayed at an Airbnb Apartment. Found Free Street Parking.
July 8th
Goto the tourist office to get maps for the next 2 days and info!! More friends arrive and we all Check into another Airbnb Apt: corner of Snorrabraut & Flokagata, reykjavik, Iceland 105
(We walked everywhere 20Min to the center of the city and Nightlife (mostly along Laugavegur Street)
10am: Plan to Drive the Golden Circle: (Goto Grocery for snacks/lunch items before we go) Bring Warm layers, water proof shoes, and bathing suits & towels.
Strokkur Geyser, where jets spout anywhere from 60 to 100 feet; the mystically beautiful Gullfoss (or Golden) Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall, tumbling into a glacial river with a 105-foot double cascade; and (Þingvellir )Thingvellir, a scenic national park that marks where Europe’s first Parliament, the Althing, was formed in 930 AD. AND any other stops recommended; Haukadalur geothermal area, Secret Lagoon hot spring nature bath
8pm Grill Market Dinner Resv for 6 (My Favorite, very Delicious)
Party All Night!
July 9th
8:30am Pick up time South Shore Tour & Horses. Pay on Bus Credit Card or isk Cash.
http://www.gatewaytoiceland.is/south-shore-adventure
8:30-9am 9-10hr 19,900 (151us) / (14,500 no horse) Thursdays or call South Shore Adventure & Horseback Riding
- Seljalandsfoss & Skogafoss waterfalls • Solheimajökull glacier
- Reynisfjara shore and black sand beach • Dýrholaey puffins’ cliffs (mid summer)
- Horseback riding or Skógar folk museum
Check website for what to bring, we walk behind waterfalls so waterproof clothing recommended & on Glacier.
All back by 7pm (10hrs)
9pm Fish Market Dinner Resv for 6 (Also very Delicious)
Party All Night!
July 10th
7:30am pick up time, Private Driver Valdi, Grey big wheel 4×4 Tour, Each give $150 USD Cash (x6 = $900 for this Driver)
Drive through parts of the Golden Circle and Valdi will give us local knowledge of the areas.
10:30am Dogsledding.is Check in for 11am tour 1.5hours for 6 guests (Cost: $137 Each website www. Dogsledding.is )
12:30pm resume tour with Valdi: Lava Cave (driver brings equipment), HraunfossarBarnafoss waterfalls, Deildartunguhver hot spring. Also includes, as time allows: Borgarfjorour area, thru lava fields to Hvita River, Kaldidalur Mountain with moon landscape.
Back by 7pm
Dinner & Party all night!
July 11th
2 Girls went on a 11am ATV tour (2hrs) Then we all meet for Blue Lagoon 1pm is a good goal. Average quality time for blue lagoon is 3hrs. (Personally I’ll prob sleep in and at noon catch the bus to Blue Lagoon (40min) [There’s also a free walking city tour at noon for 1hour, I didn’t have time]
Either way we left leave the lagoon 5 or 6pm
Party all night!
July 12th Sad goodbyes to Iceland and friends.
NOTES>>
Free walking tour option departs twice a day from Laekjartorg Square at noon and 2 p.m.
Shopping: Laugavegur and intersecting Skolavordustigur
Hot dogs: Icelanders are crazy about hot dogs, and the place to find out why is a simple stand near the harbor called Baejarins Beztu Pylsur (literally means “best hot dog in town,” and we have to say: it’s mighty fine), a standby since 1939. Look for it on Tryggvagata, just east of Posthusstraeti. (Head toward the Radisson Blu 1919 hotel in the old town, and look for a line of people.) To sample a hot dog the way the natives like it, order it with everything — sweet mustard, fried onion and a remoulade sauce. It will set you back about 2 euros.
Classic Seafood: Vio Tjornina, whose name means “by the lake,” offers a cozy, homey setting with a bit of kitsch — hanging lamps over the tables, embroidered tablecloths, hand-carved chairs. Local cod is a specialty served many ways; the marinated cod cheeks taste much better than they sound. The restaurant is near Reykjavik’s city lake, and, before you leave, the staff will give you a bag of bread crumbs for feeding the ducks.
A special splurge: With stunning modern decor in Reykjavik’s oldest cellar, Sjavarkjallarinn, or “Seafood Cellar,” is the almost unanimous choice for the city’s top dining. Its fusion cuisine means creative preparation and unexpected ingredient combinations that make the most of the city’s best fresh seafood. Try the salmon with truffles, cod seasoned with coriander or haddock with artichokes.
