ICELAND
12-Days Itinerary - Around the Ring Road
Part 1: Day 1 to Day 4
Hello fellow traveller!
If you are reading this, probably you have seen some awesome photos of Iceland and planning your trip to go there. Indeed, Iceland is an awesome place and the most scenic place we’ve travelled to thus far because every corner just leave you awestruck with its beauty.
This will be Part 1 of the 3 posts that will bring you around the famous Ring Road which covers the whole of Iceland (Note: The Golden Circle will be covered in these itineraries as well). We’ve created a custom google map and an excel file of all the places covered here. From there, you will able to see duration it takes to travel from one location to the other. Of course, you can tweak the itineraries to your own preferences. Please request it in the “Contact” section and we will send it over to you.
Make sure to read this post: Iceland (General Info) to get background of what to expect in Iceland.
Day 1: Getting ready for the adventures
After a long flight, we are going to take the first day nice and easy to prepare ourselves for the adventures ahead.
After arriving at the airport, get the data sim card because you are going to use Google map to navigate around (Make sure to download the offline map in Google map as a backup plan because not all areas are covered by network).
From the Keflavik airport, take the shuttle bus to the car rental shops near the airport. There are many car rental companies, we book ours from Thrifty. After this, depends on what time is your slot at Blue Lagoon, you can stop by a nearby groceries shop to get some necessities, Krónan and Bónus are the 2 biggest groceries chain throughout Iceland.
Thereafter, we are heading to the Blue Lagoon which is just 20 mins from the airport.
Blue Lagoon
Now its time to relax!!!
Blue Lagoon is one of the most famous geothermal spa, and you should pre-book the entry on their website because entry is by time slots. The silicate minerals is the primary cause of the water’s milky blue shade.
For the first night, we stayed at River Apartment in the town of Selfoss (not to be confused with the Selfoss waterfall). It’s in a convenient location as there are groceries store and restaurants just opposite of the apartment.
Day 2: Waterfall, waterfall and more waterfalls
Now the real adventure begins!
There are 10,000+ waterfalls in Iceland, so it’s impossible to see all of them. Each of the waterfall that we are going to visit have their own unique features.
Remember to wear waterproof jacket and proper footwear as the rocks will be slippery from the waterfalls perpetual mist.
Seljalandsfoss
For Seljalandsfoss, the most distinguishing feature is that you can walk around the base of the waterfall. There is a proper pathway at the side for visitors to use. It is 65 metres tall.
There was a plan to build a 8-metre high, 2000 square-metre information centre near the waterfall, but it provoked controversy in May 2017. Landowners in the area opposed to the idea, proclaiming that the centre would greatly alter the natural appearance of the waterfall’s renowned scenery.
This shows the reason why Iceland remain such a popular destination for people to enjoy the grandeur of nature with minimal human alterations.
Gljúfrabúi
Gljufrabui is around 15mins walk from Seljalandsfoss. For this waterfall, there is no pathway to access the base of the waterfall (as seen in the 2nd photo). You have to walk on rocks along the side of the water stream. There is a huge rock at the base of the waterfall for unique photo-taking perspective.
Skógafoss
Skogafoss has the same drop as Seljandsfoss but it’s width is 25 metres, thus you can feel the force of the waterfall. You can walk up the steps that lead up to an observation platform. Local legend believed that behind the Skogafoss, you can find a chest filled with gold and treasures.
Kvernufoss
Kvernufoss is the secret waterfall that many people is not aware of. The walk in is around 20 mins. Due to fact that many people doesn’t know this place, you can take your time here to take photos without tourists being in the shots. We totally enjoyed the quaint and quiet walk in, being able to have the place to ourselves for that moment was very special.
The pathway starts from behind Skógar museum (the 3rd photo is how the entrance looks like), after a few minutes walk from the entrance, you need to step on stiles to pass a fence. Just follow the pathway and you will see the waterfall.
This is possible to walk behind the waterfall like Seljandsfoss which provides a unique perspective. Kvernufoss should not to be confuse with Kvernafoss when googling.
The next 3 nights, we will be staying at Hrifunes Guesthouse. Even though the price is on the higher side, the view here is stunning and from here we are within accessible drive to the main attractions in South of Iceland.
Here at Hrifunes Guesthouse, we caught the Northern Lights and the wild Icelandic horses. Because it is situated away from the major town, when there is a clear sky during the Northern Lights period, high chance you will be able to catch it.
The room is very spacious, clean and nicely furnish. The view is amazing for chilling after a long adventurous day.
Furthermore, they provide breakfast, lunch and dinner separately with a fee. The 5th photo is taken during the dinner. The host is very friendly and the dining area is cosy.
Day 3: South of Iceland
Sólheimasandur plane wreck
After all the waterfalls, now we get to see the unique feature in South of Iceland, the black sands. The reason for the sand being black is that it is formed from heavily eroded volcanic rocks.
In order to get to Sólheimasandur plane wreck, it’s a 1 hour walk in from the carpark. Upon arrival at the carpark, there are markings to guide you to the attraction.
During the period that we went, there were occasional rain showers. So bring along your waterproof jacket. There is a saying in Iceland “if you do not like the weather, just wait 5 mins”. It is because the weather in Iceland is very erratic, one moment it can be pouring rain, and the next moment it can be clear sky with warm sunlight.
Reynisfjara black sand beach
Next we will drive to the Reynisfjara black sand beach. Over here you get to see the beautiful rock formations “hand-carved” by mother nature.These basalt columns are the result of basaltic lava that cooled at just the right temperature to form a phenomenon known as columnar joints.
Visitors at Reynisfjara must be made aware of the potential dangers present at the beach. Roaring waves of Reynisfjara are particularly violent, often pushing far further up the beach than many would expect. These are called sneaker-waves and visitors are advised to never turn their back on the waves and keep a safe distance of at least 30 meters. Over here you also get to see famous rock formation called Reynisdrangar. This is the sea stack in the 3rd photo. You might be confused when you google Reynisfjara black sand beach and see Reynisdrangar pops up.
Dyrhólaey Viewpoint
Dyrhólaey Viewpoint is a promontory where you can view the surrounding area. Driving up to Dyrhólaey can be a little challenging, the road is steep, narrow and bumpy. Just drive slowly and you should be fine. Dyrhólaey is divided into 2 parts, the higher and lower part. The photos seen here are taken at the higher part.
Dyrhólaey literally means “the hill island with the door hole”, which is the huge black arch of lava reaching out into the sea. On the right you get to see the endless black coastline.
Day 4: Glacier Hiking and Legendary Canyon
Today we will be hiking the biggest glacier in Europe, so big that it covers 8% of Iceland’s landmass.
Vatnajökull glacier
Glacier Hiking is a must do in Iceland. There are many different locations, durations and types of activities you can do during the hike. For example, you can visit ice caves if it’s available during the season that you visit. We went on this tour with Glacier Guides. It’s longer than the usual 3 hours tour because we wanted to have more time to enjoy the view and hike. The guide was very friendly and the whole hike was akin to climbing stairs.
We climbed the Falljokull (‘Falling Glacier’), which is an outlet glacier from the Vatnajokull icecap. Depends on the condition, you might be able to enter into a small ice cave shown in the photos. It’s just a few steps down, nothing too difficult.
Depending on which season you are travelling, it will affect how many layers to wear for the hike. Generally, prepare a waterproof jacket, just in case it rains when you are hiking. And take note of the shoes to wear (Take a look at one of the photos, Timberland is not allowed). You can also rent a shoe there at a fee. Pack some snacks or sandwiches because food is not provided.
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a magnificent and massive canyon, about 100 meters deep and about two kilometres long. The canyon has sheer walls, and is somewhat serpentine and narrow. Deep in the canyon there are waterfalls so one needs to walk the same way back. Most people choose to walk along a walking path up on the canyon’s edge while simultaneously enjoying the view above the canyon.