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Holiday in Iceland

We honeymooned there in summer of 2017.

Iceland is amazing. It's like Skye or Torridon but turned up to 11 with volcanoes and glaciers!

We did everything on a shoestring budget. We shopped at supermarkets and stayed mostly in self catering air B&B's, We hardly ate out at all (only in a few bakeries).

The further we got from the busy tourist areas the more we enjoyed it. In my opinion the real magic of Iceland is not in the 'Golden Circle' tourist attraction but in the remote area of unspoilt wilderness. We did two long all day walks in spectacular scenery and didn't see another person!
 
I did a cycling tour there in 2002. 4 weeks camping. From Keflavik I followed the ring road to Egilsstadir on the east coast, then went inland to Askja before heading to the northern coast. Back to Keflavik via Kjolur.
It's a wonderful place, but for some reason I never went back. As people have said, it's expensive. A written trip report at the link below, though I never got around to scanning & uploading the photos.

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=100602.0
 
big waterfall!

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You can go to the top of the amazing church. Great views.


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gintonic said:
once had long weekend (4 days) there. Whilst the scenery is very engaging, ultimately, we found it rather boring, very expensive and almost characterless. My wife described it as Dubai in the cold.
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I think this reflects what you do. You don't do outdoorsy stuff, so I'd say that a large part of the appeal is gone already. I wouldn't go to Ullapool or Inverness without my mountaineering or cycling gear either. Likening it to Dubai is a bit harsh, but maybe it is if you're not into mountains, lakes and the likes and you spend your time indoors. I wouldn't go to Dubai if you paid me, I can't think of anywhere worse to holiday, but Iceland worked for me because we put on skis and went off into the mountains for days on end.
 
My wife and I are booked up for a ten day cruise around Iceland in June calling into around five different destinations around the complete island, so also very interested to hear more experiences and also recommendations regarding clothing and preparations etc for the low temperatures. We should be within the polar region for the summer solstice to get to see the midnight sun, which we are expecting to be somewhat strange but definitely a box ticked.
 
stevec67 said:
You don't do outdoorsy stuff,
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we do, lots of walking. Scenery was pretty.

stevec67 said:
I wouldn't go to Dubai if you paid me, I can't think of anywhere worse to holiday, but Iceland worked for me because we put on skis and went off into the mountains for days on end.
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whilst you cant readily put on ski`s you can go out into the desert, rough camp etc and we have done that. Scenery is equally spectacular
 
Ward said:
My wife and I are booked up for a ten day cruise around Iceland in June calling into around five different destinations around the complete island, so also very interested to hear more experiences and also recommendations regarding clothing and preparations etc for the low temperatures. We should be within the polar region for the summer solstice to get to see the midnight sun, which we are expecting to be somewhat strange but definitely a box ticked.
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Big tip from us - we went in winter - is to take all the outdoor clothing you have! The professional-level tip is to put waterproof trousers on before you go outside/get off the coach otherwise you spend too much time chasing the legs around in circles……

At one point on the northern lights trip Mrs hc25036 said to the guide ‘it’s so clean here, no rubbish on the streets at all’. ‘That’s because it’s all on the way to Norway on the wind’ said the guide…..

Agree with the comments about the main tourist traps as the famous waterfall and the blue lagoon were a bit depressing due to the crowds and wear and tear on the infrastructure.
 
Ward said:
My wife and I are booked up for a ten day cruise around Iceland in June calling into around five different destinations around the complete island, so also very interested to hear more experiences and also recommendations regarding clothing and preparations etc for the low temperatures. We should be within the polar region for the summer solstice to get to see the midnight sun, which we are expecting to be somewhat strange but definitely a box ticked.
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It's pleasant enough in June, I understand. You will need a sweater for the evenings, and standing around outdoors at midnight might need a coat and a hat, but it's not as bad as all that.
Watch out for the midges around lakes in summer, it's like Scotland in that regard. I'd ask the tour operator what they think about that, I would certainy pack midge repellent and if I planned to spend a lot of time outdoors in the evenings and at dawn, especially near water, I'd be considering packing a midge hood. Yes, they look ridiculous and they aren't much fun to wear, but they transform places like the Scottish Highlands from "Intolerable Midge Hell" to "Actually it's OK, I can sit outside". They aren't expensive, it's only a beekeepers hat after all.
 
If you like being cold Canada is an alternative; very good flight deals about last week, spectacular scenery and some good vineyards around Niagara.

We did self drive, B&Bs and rellies.
 
Seeker_UK said:
If you do go, be sure to say hi to the elves and trolls.
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Yes, they really do believe in elves and trolls in Iceland.
dweezil said:
If you like being cold Canada is an alternative; very good flight deals about last week, spectacular scenery and some good vineyards around Niagara.

We did self drive, B&Bs and rellies.
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I bet Canada would be great, but a very different experience.
 
dweezil said:
If you like being cold Canada is an alternative; very good flight deals about last week, spectacular scenery and some good vineyards around Niagara.

We did self drive, B&Bs and rellies.
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We have future Canada plans already and have been there before and love it.
 
Thanks for all the comments, all very useful.

We are outdoorsy types, like scenery, walking and mild climbing. Looking at a taster visit of a week I'd say. Debated cruising over there but that might be a second visit if we like it. I suspect this trip will be a flight over, self drive and book BnB's or maybe hotels. I will look at independent travel vs a package as I prefer to pick my transport and accomodation where possible.

From your pics and stories I think it will serve very nicely, thanks again.
 
@Big Tabs - That big waterfall looks like Gullfoss!

I went for 5 days in February 2016. Stayed mostly in Reykjavik but drove around the ring road after hiring a Golf and also stayed further north (hiring a car I think is a must to get about). It’s nothing like Dubai of course - it couldn’t be more different. The scenery is stunning. Yes, the Blue Lagoon is a man made tourist trap but there are other hot spas which are completely natural. When I went, Gullfoss was partially frozen which was quite a sight to behold! It is expensive without any doubt but it wasn’t that bad and there’s a decent selection of non Icelandic food - we even went for a curry and had a KFC (which was odd)!

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I have been twice, both times in winter. One was mostly bird watching in a small group, but our English-born guide was actually a geologist, so we had some of that too.

The second time was whale watching, excellent views of Orca and dolphins, also many birds.

Both were fairly short trips, the second was arranged through Naturetrek. Both very good, though quite different. I am told that there are lots of insects (flies and midges) in the summer.
 
Jezzer said:
That big waterfall looks like Gullfoss!
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Yar, that’s it. I couldn’t remember the name.

If you look closely, you can see a bunch of people. Gives the shot some scale. I took many photos during that holiday. That image does not do justice to how massive it is, never mind the fantastic noise!
 
The automotive passgegiata in Rekyavik is worth seeing.

The waterfalls are undoubtedly impressive. Did a driving tour around the North West of Iceland, and some of the scenery there is fine, but nothing you wouldn't see in the Scottish Highlands.

Check out the rhubarb jam.
 
Big Tabs said:
Yar, that’s it. I couldn’t remember the name.

If you look closely, you can see a bunch of people. Gives the shot some scale. I took many photos during that holiday. That image does not do justice to how massive it is, never mind the fantastic noise!
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Yes, Gullfoss is truly stunning and no amount of pictures can compare with the actual experience of being there. When I went it was about minus fourteen. The sound of the waterfall combined with the howling wind made for a truly memorable experience.
 
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