Iceland trip wrap-up and highlights

Some people pointed out that I should write a wrap-up to my blog posts about my Iceland trip to keep everything nice and tidy.
To start my list of tips 6 tips to make your trip to Iceland unforgettable.

  1. Take your time
    A lot of people plan only a very short time in Iceland and jump from one touristic vista to the next without giving them time to enjoy the remoteness and the out of reach places. Iceland is expensive that’s for sure but you can travel longer and spend a bit less if you plan accordingly. Take the time for some hikes and let it sink in that you might be the only human for kilometres around you.
  2. Get off the Ring Road
    The Ring Road is great because it will take you to some of the greatest places in Iceland but only staying on the Ring Road would make you miss out on some awesome vistas, villages and waterfalls. Additionally, it would also let you get away from all the tourists for a while.
  3. Be considerate to the wilderness and to the moss (Don’t write in it!)
    Iceland’s flora is pretty tough and adapted to where it lives but it also grows very slowly and trampling around without looking where you put your feet can damage it longterm. Especially don’t do the stupid touristy thing of writing your name in the moss. Icelandic moss is like a coral reef it is very fragile and takes very long to recover.
  4. Don’t drive where you shouldn’t or aren’t able to drive
    Driving on the small tracks, crossing rivers can be tricky and dangerous so don’t put your life in danger and know your limits and that of your car. Don’t go into the highlands or on F-roads with a two-wheel drive car.
  5. Go to the hot pools and swimming pools
    Look out for the hot pools and swimming pools and take every chance you have to go have a soak. Sitting in a warm pool in the middle of nowhere is an awesome experience.
  6. Whale watching
    Whale watching in Iceland is a great experience and you are almost guaranteed to see some whales. Akureyri and Husavik are arguably the best places but you can also do some whale watching in Reykjavik.

 

Two blog post about what you should remember before going and what you should pack.

If you wonder about car rental, roads and camping in Iceland aka all the things you should know before going, read:

What to know before going

Roads in Iceland

 

For my gear and packing list for a summer and early autumn trip to Iceland read:

Packing list

My shoe broke hiking in Iceland

 

And now the list of my individual blog posts about each region of Iceland and the things I found most interesting on my trip.

For my tips about Reykjavik and Western Iceland read:

Reykjavík and Western, Kirkjufell, Snæfellsjökull, Stykkishólmur

Reykjavík Iceland

 

For my tips about the Westfjords read:

Holmavik, Djúpavík, Norðurfjörður to Krossneslaug

Whale watching in Iceland

Ísafjörður and Hornstrandir

fjords in Iceland

Dynjandi, Látrabjarg, Rauðisandur and the south of the Westfjords

Some of the best waterfalls are in Iceland

 

For my tips about Northern Iceland:

Whale watching in Akureyri, Godafoss, Myvatn, Dettifoss, Langanes

Whale watching in Iceland

 

For my tips about Eastern Iceland:

Road 917, Seydisfjordur, Litlanesfoss, Hengifoss and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

Quirky towns in Iceland

 

For my tips about the South and the Ring Road read:

Skaftafell, Svartifoss, Fjaðrárgljúfur and Fagrifoss, Vik, Reynisfjara and puffins

Great scenery in Iceland

Solheimasandur, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi, Haifoss, Gullfoss, Geysir

Crash-landed plane in Iceland

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