This is the main page of my travel guide to Iceland: here you will find all the references to the various sections of the guide and the most important pages. I have published both articles dedicated to all the main tourist destinations in Iceland and collections of practical advice on how to best organize your trip to Iceland.
my tips for organizing your trip to Iceland
when to go, cost estimation, choosing your flight, choosing your accommodation, tips for renting a car (important!), travel insurance (even more important!), and other tips useful
what to see in Iceland
guide to all the regions of tourist interest in the country: Reykjavik, Golden Circle, southwestern, south-eastern, eastern Iceland, etc.
Scrolling below you will find links to all the main sections of the guide. Since there are more than 100 pages, I also refer you to this index of the guide (the list of all the links to all the pages of the guide).
tips for organizing your trip
To organize a holiday in Iceland well (after having decided to face the considerable costs), the most important thing is to move in time: the earlier you book, the more availability you find and the less you pay. The best time to travel to Iceland is from June to August.
These are the in-depth articles on the most important aspects of planning:
when to go
The best months to go to Iceland are certainly June, July, and August: the days are long, the climate is “good” (for the Icelandic average, so you will probably find days of rain, wind, and cold) and the accommodation facilities are all open. May and September are much riskier. However, allow for 5-6 days of bad weather over two weeks of travel.
how much does a trip to Iceland cost
A holiday in Iceland is certainly an expensive trip, in fact VERY expensive with the price increases of recent years, so it is important to calculate the costs carefully before starting to organize the trip.
See more information on the costs of a trip to Iceland.
travel insurance (required!)
Since Iceland is part of Europe, you can receive assistance in case of a medical emergency with the simple Italian Health Card, so almost no one thinks about getting insurance: wrong! You have to pay for normal medical visits or treatments yourself, and above all for medical repatriation by air.
guide to choosing and booking accommodation
In Iceland outside the main cities, almost all the accommodation available to tourists is spartan, but generally, it is sufficiently clean. The problem is therefore not finding decent accommodation but the price: high demand and limited supply lead to absurd prices for accommodation with nothing special. In this guide to choosing and booking accommodation in Iceland, I provide some useful advice.
car rent
To visit Iceland you need to rent a car (thinking about going around the island by bus is absurd), but it is NOT necessary to take a 4×4 off-road vehicle (which costs a lot and is only needed on F tracks). Better to avoid small local companies. Complete insurance coverage is essential, especially on glass. The best sites to search and book are Rentalcars, AutoEurope, and Discovercars.
Read my in-depth analysis on car rental in Iceland carefully, because there are many aspects to consider and several mistakes (often made by inexperienced tourists) that would be best avoided.
travel itineraries in Iceland
Defining the itinerary of your trip to Iceland is very easy, given that you have only one possible option: follow the Hringvegur, i.e. State Road 1 (also called Ring Road) which goes around the island more or less following the coast and touching all major cities. How many stops to make depends on the time available. The Westfjords are optional.
books about Iceland
Review of the best books about Iceland: novels set in Iceland, short stories related to Iceland, and essays on different aspects of Icelandic life/history/culture. To get to know this Nordic island better, it is better to prepare for the trip.
what to see in Iceland
As mentioned above in the itineraries paragraph, a trip to Iceland necessarily follows the Ring Road, but once this has been established the question is: what to see along the Ring Road?
To answer this question I have published many pages, a complete guide to ALL areas of Iceland, writing in-depth articles on all the most beautiful and interesting places:
Reykjavik
The Icelandic capital is the place where you will surely land (and leave). I don’t agree with the descriptions of its charm and unique character: in my opinion, half a day is enough to visit it. And you can even skip if you want: it’s better to dedicate your precious time in Iceland to the natural beauty.
the golden circle
Three of Iceland’s most beautiful attractions can easily be visited in just one day, leaving from Reykjavik early in the morning: the Geysir geyser, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the historic site of Thingvellir (one of only two Icelandic sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list). ‘humanity).
Southwestern Iceland
The most beautiful and interesting area of southwestern Iceland is the aforementioned Golden Circle, but the region also offers other interesting stops: the Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, the Dyrhólaey promontory, and Reynisfjara beach .
Southeastern Iceland
The big attractions of this area are the Vatnajökull glacier (the largest ice cap on the planet after the poles), and the beautiful Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon that extends at its foot. In particular, the glacial lagoon is an unmissable stop for photography lovers: