I Wish I Had Known These 12 Things Before Visiting Iceland for the First Time

Visiting Iceland is the experience of a lifetime, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to explore this country five times so far. Over those trips, I’ve learned a lot about creating an itinerary that’s fun to follow. However, I’ve also made several mistakes—such as putting too much on my plate and being too rigid in my planning. 

With those experiences under my belt, I’ll now share some of my biggest tips for planning a memorable trip to Iceland. I’ll cover where you should explore, what to consider when planning the time you visit, and more. 

Choose One Area to Explore 

Iceland is bigger than you think, and driving distances are also pretty long. For example, the 388km drive from Reykjavík to Akureyri takes just over four-and-a-half hours. While some people have done the Ring Road in a week, I would suggest allocating at least 10-14 days for that. I’d also recommend booking a separate trip in the future to do the full Ring Road. 

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably visit Iceland multiple times in the future. So, your first trip is just a sample of what this country has to offer. For that reason, I suggest choosing one area to explore and going into more depth. 

I’ll use myself as an example here. On my most recent trip in April 2024, my girlfriend and I mainly explored part of Iceland’s South Coast (including the Westman Islands). We also spent a few days in Reykjavík, but the core focus was around the South Coast. On my second trip to Iceland in December 2018, my mother and I explored Reykjavík and its surrounding areas (e.g. the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon). 

Here’s Where I’d Recommend Starting…

If you’re visiting Iceland without a car or haven’t got experience driving in places like Iceland, I recommend basing yourself in Reykjavík and spending 4-5 days exploring the city and its surrounding regions. The tourist infrastructure is very well-developed here. I would recommend something like the following: 

• Reykjavík: 2 days 
• Þingvellir National Park: 1 day (as a day trip) 
• Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon: 1 afternoon 
• The rest of the Golden Circle: 1 day (as a day trip)

If you want to explore the South Coast, I recommend allocating 7-8 days and picking one or two bases (we stayed one night in the Westman Islands and then went based ourselves just outside of Vík). 

Side note: You should definitely check out my Reykjavík travel guide for all the best things to do and see in the Icelandic capital 🙂.  

Decide What You Want to Do 

The activities you want to do in Iceland will determine most of when you visit. For example, if you want to see the Northern Lights, you should book a visit between September and April. 

Some roads in Iceland, such as those in the Highlands, are closed during the winter—and while the Ring Road is open throughout the year, you’re more likely to have fewer weather disruptions during the summer. Moreover, you’ll have much more daylight to explore. 

If you just want to see Iceland’s main sights, I recommend visiting in April or May. Our mid-April 2024 trip had pretty decent weather, and the crowds were much smaller.

What Kind of Car Do You Need? 

We had no problems in a normal car driving along the South Coast and across the Westman Islands, though the roads were a bit bumpy in some parts. You’ll also be fine with an ordinary car if you’re visiting the Golden Circle and most of the Ring Road. 

However, you will need a 4×4 vehicle if you plan to drive on any of Iceland’s F-roads (this is a requirement by law). And if you visit the Highlands, the same type of vehicle is essential. While I haven’t been to the Westfjords, I have heard that some of the roads may also make having a 4×4 beneficial. 

Another useful tip that the car rental person at the airport told us: Always hold your door when getting out of the car, especially if it’s windy. I didn’t do this once and quickly realized why she said that, though fortunately, nothing happened on this occasion 🙂. 

If you’re not getting a car for your trip, you’ll need to book transport from Keflavík airport to Reykjavík. 

Determine Whether You Need to Book a Tour

Booking a tour to see many of Iceland’s sights isn’t necessary if you have a car. We didn’t book any tours for our trip in April 2024, but I’ve been on plenty of tours on previous trips to Iceland. 

Below are some examples of when I think a tour should be on your mind. 

Exploring Reykjavík Further

I would still recommend booking some tours for Reykjavík—the food and whale-watching tours were my favorites. CityWalk also has a “free” walking tour, where you pay the guide in tips afterward. I really enjoyed this in 2018, and it helped me get my bearings. 

If you plan to go Northern Lights hunting, I would also suggest doing a tour. That way, you don’t have to stress about finding the right location—nor do you have to worry about driving on Iceland’s roads in the dark. 

(Some) Hiking

Some hikes in Iceland are very challenging, and I am nowhere near the level where I’m ready to do those on my own. You might be the same as me in that respect if you don’t have much hiking experience.

Moreover, you should ALWAYS tour guide for any glacier walk. Make sure that your guide provides crampons for your boots and all the other necessary equipment. 

If You Don’t Have a Car

I’ve visited Iceland four times without a car, and booking tours has been the best way to see parts of the country outside Reykjavík. I have taken tours around the Golden Circle and to Snæfellesnes, along the South Coast, to the Blue Lagoon. 

I would only recommend doing the South Coast as a day trip if you book a tour as there is a lot of driving involved. Otherwise, you’re better off doing as I said earlier and staying there for 4-5 days minimum. 

Budget More Than You Expect to Spend

I’ve visited Iceland both while being broke and also when earning decent money, so I’ve got experience from both sides of the coin (pun intended).

It’s no secret that Iceland is a very expensive country, and I have always budgeted more than I thought I would need. I’ve almost always come back with more money than I expected, which is quite nice. 

For my eight-day trip in April 2024, I budgeted around $1,500 (including the rental car and petrol but excluding flights and hotels). I spent around $1,300 of that (including a nice Icelandic sweater and a blanket for our house as souvenirs), and my girlfriend and I ate at restaurants most days.

When you’re actually in Iceland, your two biggest costs will be eating out and alcohol. Literally every time I’ve “under-budgeted” in the past was when I was in my early twenties and drank as much as most other Brits do. But I drink around once every six months now at most, so it was pretty easy to go without alcohol on my most recent trip. If you do plan to drink, get your alcohol from the duty-free shop at Keflavík Airport. 

The above-mentioned April 2024 spending also included a lot of eating at restaurants, so I could have easily cut those costs by cooking if I wanted to. If you’re visiting in the summer, you can also look at camping for more affordable accommodation. 

Naturally, accommodation and rental cars are less expensive if you travel with more than one person. If you’re booking a rental car, Hertz is a pretty good option; we got a discount on the ÓB gas stations throughout the country. 

Pack for All Seasons 

The weather in Iceland is like my brain: All over the place. On every trip in the past, I have experienced all four seasons (even in the summer). So, you should pack for all four seasons. 

I recommend taking a warm sweater or buying one when you land in Iceland. A waterproof jacket, good hiking boots, and trousers are also good ideas. You should also bring a good wooly hat, some gloves, and a scarf. 

It’s also worth noting that the weather can change dramatically if you drive 10 or 15 minutes, and that the weather forecast changes all the time. So, use it as a guideline. 

Pack Vitamin D 

On the shortest day of the year in Iceland, the sun doesn’t rise before 11am anywhere. And for most of the year, the sun doesn’t produce enough vitamin D here. It makes a huge difference on your energy levels, so I recommend either packing vitamin D or buying some while you’re here. 

Use Your Itinerary as a Guideline, Not a Federal Rule

As someone who enjoys planning every single aspect of his life, I have to say that visiting Iceland is a great reminder that you can’t control almost everything. I’ve now learned that you should use your itinerary as a guideline, but not a set-in-stone rule. 

In 2021, my mother and I had planned to fly to Akureyri and the north of Iceland. We had all of our tours and accommodation booked. However, there was a really bad sandstorm, and as we were preparing to leave our accommodation in Reykjavík, the flight was canceled. 

Luckily, we managed to find other places to stay in Reykjavík and stayed here for the rest of our trip. It also worked out well because we got to see Snæfellesnes, which is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. 

Be flexible in your plans and expect that you may have to change things around. That’s part of the adventure, though, so you should embrace it. 

Book Your Accommodation Well in Advance 

Iceland is no longer the hidden gem it once was, and accommodation fills up quickly during peak times of the year. Regardless of when you go, I recommend booking your accommodation at least three months in advance. 

If you need some starting points, I can recommend these places: 

• Reykjavík: Alda Hotel
• Vík: Black Sand Suites (you’ll need a car, though, as this is basically in the middle of the mountains)
• Westman Islands: Hamar Guesthouse

Many hotels and guesthouses let you book now and pay later, so I’d suggest doing that if you aren’t yet ready to pay. 

Public Transport in Iceland

Reykjavík and its suburbs have a good bus network, and buses are free in Akureyri, the biggest city in the north. You can get buses around Iceland, but I’ve never done this before. I’d say it’s probably okay in the summer, as long as you’re willing to deal with the bus schedules. 

I wouldn’t suggest traveling around Iceland by bus in the winter, as the weather’s too unpredictable. If you don’t have a car, your best options are to either book a tour package or fly (however, flying domestically in Iceland is very expensive). 

Ferries operate to the Westman Islands, and in Reykjavík, you can get a boat to the island of Viðey. Again, I’d recommend looking at the schedules before you book. 

• Viðey Timetable
• Westman Islands Timetable

Make Sure You Download the Most Important Apps for Your Iceland Trip

Before you visit Iceland, I would recommend downloading a couple of apps for your trip. 

112 and Safetravel

The 112 app lets you contact the emergency services if you get in trouble, and Safetravel lets you share your location if you need help while you’re out and about. 

On the Safetravel app, you can also check the road conditions before you travel. Moreover, the app has a handy color-coding feature to help you navigate the map, and it’s available in English and Icelandic. 

Klappið

Klappið lets you buy public transport tickets for Reykjavík and the rest of the capital region. You can also plan your route. 

Speed Limits in Iceland 

Understanding speed limits in Iceland is essential, especially when fines are pricey to say the least. In Reykjavík and other urban areas, you’ll normally only be able to drive between 30 km/h and 50 km/h (18.6 – 31 mph) depending on where you are. In the streets around Hallgrímskirkja, for example, the speed limit is 30 km/h. 

Speed limits outside of towns and cities are between 80 and 90 km/h (49.7 – 55.9 mph). You’ll see clearly marked signs for speed limits, and many rental cars will show you the speed limit on the dashboard.