This part included the area from the Golden Circle all the way to Vestrahorn. I did not complete the full circle of the Ring Road due to limited time and the possibility of harsher weather in northern Iceland during winter.
Day 4: The Golden Circle
Start from Bjork Guesthouse, we drove to:
- Þingvellir National Park: 15-minute drive. Parking fees are required (there is a parking fee machine)
- Snow Mobile Tour: Spectacular view! Meeting point is a 45-minute drive from Þingvellir National Park.
| Mountaineers of Iceland (Link): https://mountaineers.is/tours/meet-us-at-gullfoss/ Meet at: Gullfoss Cafe Duration: 4 hours Time: 12:00 or 14:00 |
| Price: ISK 29,000 per person (2 persons share the same snowmobile); a single person per vehicle at extra cost ISK 10,000 |
- Gullfoss
- Strokkur Geysir Hot Springs: 10-minute drive.
- Brúarfoss: 20-minute drive.
- Drive to the hotel: We stayed at a remote location, hoping to see the Northern Lights, and we did!
| Guesthouse Rauðafell (Link): https://www.booking.com/Share-2t09Pq – 1 Triple Room with Mountain View – 1 night – 🙂: Convenient self-check-in, fully functioning kitchen. A very lovely house. – 🤨: The street lights were a kind of light pollution. |
| Price: € 155 ($ 165) |
Day 5: Southern Iceland
- Skógafoss: 10-minute drive
- Reynisfjara Beach: 30-minute drive. Parking fees are required (there is a parking fee machine)
- Katla Ice Cave: Meeting point is a 12-minute drive from Reynisfjara Beach. It looked very much like in the movie “Interstellar.”
| Katla Ice Cave (Link): https://adventures.is/iceland/day-tours/ice-caves/katla-ice-cave-tour-under-the-volcano/ – Duration: 3 hours – Start time: 10:00, 11:30, 13:45, 15:00 |
| Price: ISK 27,900 ($ 198) |
- Mossy Lava Field: 45-minute drive
- Fjaðrárgljúfur: 10-minute drive
- Drive to the hotel: There are not many options in this town.
| Hali Country Hotel (Link): https://www.booking.com/Share-ValCh0 – 1 Triple Room – 1 night – 🙂: Great location! – 🤨: There is no kitchen or communal dining area. |
| Price: € 240 ($ 256) |
Day 6: Southern Iceland
- Blue Ice Cave Tour: Many companies operate the Blue Ice Cave Tour, but Glacier Adventure’s office is the closest to the location. Therefore, if you book the 9 AM tour, you will almost be the first ones to enter the cave. Consequently, we stayed in the cave for more than an hour and took as many photos as we liked. When we were heading back from the cave, we saw many groups, totaling perhaps 50-60 people, heading towards the cave. The cave is not very large. Almost all the negative reviews on Google mentioned the short amount of time spent inside the cave. I guess it was due to the timing of the visit.
| Glacier Adventure (Link): https://glacieradventure.is/tour/crystal-ice-cave-adventure/ – Only operated during winter months (October – April)!!! – Duration: 3-3.5 hours – Start time: 09:00 or 13:00 |
| Price: ISK 21,000 ($149) |
- Lunch: We had lunch before visiting Vestrahorn. It was delicious, and they served the food extremely fast! A 50-minute drive from Hali Country Hotel.
| Kaffi Hornid: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EMSbGpiXPJmA1phx8 |
- Vestrahorn: A 50-minute drive from Kaffi Hornid. The area is private land, and you are required to purchase entrance tickets to visit the mountain and the Viking village.
| Viking Cafe and Guesthouse (Link): https://www.vestrahorn.is/ |
| Price: ISK 1,000 |
- Jökulsárlón / Diamond Beach sunset
- Driving to the hotel: Another remote place to stay for the Northern Lights
| Hotel Skaftafell (Link): https://www.booking.com/Share-WYwrw9 – 1 Triple Room – 1 night – 🙂: The surrounding view is just breathtaking. – 🤨: They say they will call your room when the Northern Lights appear, but I think it’s better to trust the Aurora Forecast App. |
| Price: € 254 ($ 270) |
