In the last part of this trip, we were heading back to Keflavík Airport. The advantage of doing a return trip rather than a round trip is that you get a second chance to see the sites you missed during the outbound journey, especially in places with fast-changing weather like Iceland.
Day 7: Southern Iceland
- Svínafellsjökull: 5-minute drive. So beautiful and a relatively less touristy site.
- Svartifoss: 10-minute drive. A 45-minute uphill walk.
- Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck: 2-hour drive. A shuttle bus operates from the parking lot (parking fees apply) every 30 minutes. You cannot drive your own car to the site. Alternatively, you can walk, but it is a 40-50 minute walk on black sand. Tickets can be booked in advance, although most people purchase them on site.
| Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck Shuttle (Link): https://www.mountainguides.is/tour/plane-wreck-shuttle Time: 10:00 to 17:00 (dependent on daylight hours), every 30 minutes Duration: 10 minutes |
| Price: round trip 1,000 ISK ($ 7) |
- Skógar Museum: 10-minute drive.
- Seljalandsfoss: 25-minute drive. The path to the back of the waterfall is closed during winter. Parking fees are required (there is a parking fee machine)
- Drive to the hotel: We stayed at a hotel/horse farm to experience Icelandic horse riding.
| Guesthouse Eldhestar (Link): https://www.booking.com/Share-yNohCBN – 1 Quadruple Room with Shared Bathroom – 2 nights – 🙂: Clean and spacious. You can literally see the horses right outside the house. – 🤨: It’s a hostel, so the facilities are basic. |
| Price: € 278 ($ 296) (price for 2 nights) |
- Dinner: We found this place very randomly, but it turned out to be the best meal we had in Iceland.
| Skyrgerðin Restaurant: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fgeuy2muCipVbkz87 |
Day 8: Horse Riding and Heading back to Reykjanes Peninsula
- Icelandic Horse Riding: The weather was awful, but the experience was fun, at least for a first-time horse rider like me. There are many tour options available, suitable for horse riders of all skill levels.
| 02A – The Heritage Tour (Link): https://eldhestar.is/ Time: 09:00 Duration: 3 hours |
| Price: 15,800 ISK ($ 112) |
- Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel: 15-minute drive. Worth every penny!
| Standard Lava Tunnel Tour (Link): https://thelavatunnel.is/tours/ Time: 09:00 to 17:00, every 1 hour Duration: 1 hour |
| Price: 8,400 ISK ($ 59) There The Lava Falls Adventure Tour” is also available for 3-4 hours at a cost of 25,900 ISK ($183) |
- Kerið Crater: 30-minute drive. Parking is free, but there is an entrance fee for the site.
| Kerið Crater (Link): https://kerid.is/ferdaskipuleggjendur/ |
| Price: 450 ISK ($ 3) |
Day 9: Last Day. The Blue Lagoon.
- The Blue Lagoon: It is very touristy for a reason: it’s very Instagram-worthy and also very effective in relieving fatigue at the end of the trip. There was a recent volcanic eruption, and one of the roads to the Blue Lagoon is submerged. You can still see the 50 km/hr speed limit sign, half-covered by the solidified lava.
| Blue Lagoon Iceland (Link): https://www.bluelagoon.com/book/spa/guests?adults=1&children=0 Opening time: 08:00-22:00 |
| Prices vary according to the time of visit and package type. I purchased the morning comfort package entrance ticket for 9,990 ISK ($71). |
- Return the rental car: The drop-off process was far smoother than the pick-up process we encountered. I think the company was understaffed that day. The staff used the same car to drive us to the airport, so we didn’t have to move our luggage. Overall, the car was in great condition. I would definitely rent from them again if I revisited Iceland someday.
- Lunch at the airport: We were amazed by the food quality at the airport. Usually, airport food is expensive and poor, but this was far from that.
Our 9-day trip to Iceland has come to an end. Since it was a winter trip, the F-roads to the central highlands were closed. Additionally, I didn’t visit the northern part of Iceland due to limited time. Iceland is a wonderful country that likely requires multiple visits to fully experience its breathtaking landscape.