Southern Iceland

Length: 7 days

Places Visited: Reykjavik, Hveragerdi, Skeiðflöt, Kirkjubaejarklaustur, and Kalfafell

On a small island nestled in the north, nature remains in nearly a prehistoric state - lava fields, craters, canyons, waterfalls - the miracles of the earth are tangible to those exploring Iceland.

We fed wild horses, drove through snow storms, and experienced the bitter cold to the insides of our fingertips and yet while freezing, we inhabited this majestic ecological preservation and thrived.

My childhood friends, Anya, Lina, and myself booked a flight through WOW Air for a fair price and rented a car to hit all the sites we were interested in seeing. We found plenty of UNESCO World Heritage sites we had to see and created a Google doc to combine our research.

Packing Tip

Grab a pair of crampons. These elastic attachments with spikes for your shoes provide better grip when walking on icy surfaces. These were lifesavers when exploring.

Here’s a snippet of our itinerary:

Day 1 - The city of Reykjavik

We booked our trip to leave January 1st - it was quite the New Years Eve for myself. I spent a majority of the night not remembering what had occurred and was having a bit of a hangover.

Pro-tip

Try to avoid having a hangover the day of your flight. Additionally don’t be that person on the flight who throws up on others after consuming too much alcohol. You know who you are, love - plenty of fluids, rest and bready goodness before boarding.

The winter months are known for having little sunlight with sunrise at 10:30-11 am until about 4 or so. We were excited to go during a less busy season to truly experience snowy Iceland but this also requires planning to reach destinations within the light hours. Not only does it get dark, but temperatures drop into the evening causing icy road conditions. Most of the roads we encountered were well maintained and single lane. This gave us beautiful views of surrounding cliffs, waterfalls and scenic driving. Be careful to keep within speed limits as there are plenty of cameras along the way and mindful of icy road conditions. We definitely experienced drifting in the car and it was not one of my favorite moments.

The airport is about 30 minutes out from the city. Reykjavik sits on a hill overlooking the lake and mountains. We rested the night in a centrally located AirBnb and in the morning we walked the town. We happened upon a lovely coffee spot right by the lake before we ventured on our southern coast road trip. The views were truly surreal.

Day 2 - Þingvellir National Park

The National Park is a depiction of tectonic plates hitting one another and causing a huge rift. We initially did not wear our crampons but as soon as we started slipping around the car we put them on. The paths take you through the shifted rocks and over bridges of icy falling water.

We made our way to this lovely little hotel to view the moon rising and sunset - stunning to say the least. (Far right image of Hotel Eldhestar https://hoteleldhestar.is/)

Day 3 - Gullfoss Waterfalls & Kerið Crater

The Gullfoss Falls were largest of any we saw. The mere size causes icy water to reach all viewing decks. My hands definitely froze off trying to snap pictures (Left). Worth it.

After warming up at a combined cafe and giftshop, we made our way to Kerið. Kerid is a volcanic crater in the middle of nowhere. At the viewpoint, you can see the entirety of the crater. There are very few signs and such but after paying the entry fee (400 ISK, about $3), we ventured to explore the perimeter. Plenty of people trekked down the steep staircase to walk on the lake within the crater. We went down, wearing crampons the whole way, and basked in the glory of this walled in sphere created by lava.

We drove out to Vik from there and stayed in The Farmhouse Lodge (http://farmhouse.is/). The place was homey and located close to the cliffs and beaches. My traveling companions and I loved this place so much. It was truly in a secluded area so we were able to walk outside with a thermos of hot tea and view Andromeda’s galaxy clearly at night.

Day 4 - Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall & Reynisdrangar Cliffs

We went to see waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Wearing crampons again, we went to view both. Seljalandsfoss consists of two waterfalls that are connected by a pathway. There was also a climbing opportunity to go up to a waterfall. Although icy and a bit treacherous, it was worth the adventure. Skógafoss is just a couple of meters down the road and this is where we were able to view rainbows in the mist from the falls. If you are wild enough to in the freezing temperatures, you can stand under and behind the fall. Additionally, there is a staircase along the side and a very peaceful area further down from the falling water to watch the water flow. We took a few minutes to sit and take pleasure in the view.

As we hoped back on the road, we saw some Icelandic horses near a fence. I had some leftover carrots from the grocery store so we decided to stop along the road and feed the horses. They were gorgeously wild and feisty - definitely a spontaneous highlight.

As we approached our home for the night, we realized we were a short drive from the Black Sand Beach and the Reynisdrangar Cliffs so we quickly drove to view the sunset. The colors blending over the dark sand and cliffs made for a phenomenal finale of sight seeing for the day.

January 6 - Kirkjufjara Beach, Eldhraun Lava Field & Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

The Black Sand Beach, Kirkjufjara, is treacherous and mind boggling. The beach is made up of little pebbles that are perfect balancing stones. The caves are covered in naturally occurring geometric shapes and are great coverage from the intense waves. We kept close to the outer walls of the cave but some fearless travelers ventured closer to the water. Be cautious but take this site in - we made it a point to stop back here on our way back to Reykjavik for the vibrations of phrenetic energy here were addicting.

We stopped off at Eldhraun - a good waypoint to view the endless lava fields passed during the drives.

We hiked up the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, it was completely deserted but totally worth the climb. Definitely needed crampons for these views.

We stayed at the Magma Hotel, in Kirkjubaejarklaustur (https://www.magmahotel.is/). This was our splurge hotel and by far the best place we stayed at. We had our own private cabin with heated floors and a deck for viewing a glacial lake. It was very slippery to walk around so we wore crampons to get around however the cabin was a nice oasis of solitude.

January 7 - Jökulsárlón Glacier

If you go to Iceland, you absolutely must go see a Glacier. The drive was a bit on the dangerous side as it was snowing and we could only see a few feet ahead surrounded by the whitest snow but once we saw the blue ice of the glacier, the seals, and hiked along the edges it was well worth the craziness.

January 8 - Roadtrip back to Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon

The drive was long from southeast to southwest but it was nice to pass through all we had experienced. Overall, my mind couldn’t even fathom how much I had experienced in such a short time. This was a trip for the books.

As most tourists do, we had to stop off at the Blue Lagoon. Others had suggested going to a naturally occurring hot springs but we decided to see what the hype was about. The water was blue and steamy but the line to get in was long and the price was steep. We had a single towel and had to run out into the water - it was so cold out and the water was a relief but it was so crowded we barely got to enjoy the water. This was such a different experience from the solitude we found in nature - I think it would’ve been better to have gone to one of the many local thermal baths.

Pro-tip

Save some money by stopping at a local grocery store for lunch and snacking options. Additionally book places with breakfast included - have a very full breakfast and pack some for later if you are allowed. The car is like a refrigerator in winter so food will keep for a bit. We started off the trip picking up some wholesome crackers, hummus, grapes, carrots, salad, and additionally packing trail mix/bars and a thermos to fill up at the hotel with complimentary tea. These were great foods to have in the car and delicious in between brunch and dinner.

I would like to return in the summer, however, there is something mystical about adventuring through a nearly untouched conservation of natural wonders in the season the country was named after. Cheers until the next time Iceland, you were quite the treat.

Any questions or details you want more information on? Feel free to reach out through my Contact page.