Welcome to the story of our Icelandic road trip. We packed our bags loaded our sturdy vehicle and set out to explore the Land of Fire and Ice. From majestic waterfalls to towering volcanoes here is the structured daily diary of our journey across this beautiful country.
Day One The Journey Begins
Date Saturday June Sixth Twenty Twenty Six
Route Switzerland to Selfoss
Our Icelandic adventure began in the afternoon when I drove to Allenwinden to pick up my cousin Laura at three o clock. We packed our bags with eager anticipation. I had already nestled the clothes belonging to our travel companion Lukas right alongside my own. We booked a massive extra large suitcase to share among the three of us with a generous weight allowance of twenty six kilograms. When we finally managed to zip it shut the scale read exactly twenty five kilograms. We could not help but tease Lukas since he had claimed at least half the space for his own belongings.
At four in the afternoon Laura and I headed to the Edlibach bus stop. Thanks to my mother driving us directly to the station we avoided hauling our heavy gear on foot. Two and a half hours later we reached the airport where the luggage check in process went perfectly. Lukas soon arrived to join us for the wait at the gate.
Just after nine in the evening our EasyJet flight number EZS1289 took to the skies bound for Keflavik airport in Reykjavik. The flight time was announced as a breeze at three hours and twenty minutes. We touched down on Icelandic soil just before midnight at twenty three thirty five. We quickly found the Blue Car Rentals desk to pick up our sturdy Dacia Duster for the journey. After a late grocery run in the nearest town to stock up on supplies we embarked on a mesmerizing one and a half hour drive covering eighty kilometers through vast lava fields. Our first night was spent at Hjardarbol in Selfoss where we had a cozy private room equipped with a bunk bed. Laura bravely volunteered for the top bunk making it her official standard sleeping arrangement for the rest of the trip while Lukas and I took the lower beds. We finally drifted off to sleep around two thirty in the morning.
Day Two The Golden Circle and Unpredictable Weather
Date Sunday June Seventh
Route Selfoss to Vik
Sunday dawned as our Golden Circle sightseeing day with roughly two hundred and thirty kilometers of driving ahead of us. I woke up eager and grabbed breakfast just before eight in the morning. Laura joined me shortly after but Lukas was battling a severe lack of sleep accumulated in the days before the trip and simply could not get out of bed.
By ten o clock we were finally ready to hit the road but we had to make the tough call to skip our first planned stop to keep our schedule intact. We missed out on Pingvellir National Park where we had planned an eleven o clock hike through the Almannagja Rift to walk between the tectonic plates. Instead we enjoyed a fantastic smaller hike around the Kerid crater. This magnificent three thousand year old extinct volcano features striking red volcanic rock slopes that contrast beautifully against the deep blue water of the caldera lake resting at the bottom.
The weather that day was brilliantly unpredictable alternating between ten minutes of rain and ten minutes of glorious sunshine. Laura was the absolute genius of the group as the only one who brought her rain jacket out of the car. Lukas and I got quite wet but we learned our lesson quickly. From that moment onward we came prepared and proudly wore our waterproof rain pants at nearly every stop.
Our Golden Circle route continued as we reached the Geysir geothermal area around one in the afternoon. We stood in awe in the viewing area watching the Strokkur geyser erupt every few minutes shooting hot water twenty meters into the sulfur scented sky. At two o clock we stood before the mighty Gullfoss waterfall on the Hvita river. We walked down the path to the lower viewpoint to watch the glacial river plunge over two stages dropping thirty two meters total into a rocky canyon below and wrapping us in a magical cloud of mist.
Around half past four we arrived at Seljalandsfoss a breathtaking waterfall dropping sixty meters from a high cliff. We carefully navigated the slippery path walking directly behind the falling water and embracing the refreshing spray. Just a short walk away we explored Gljufrabui a hidden gem of a waterfall. Balancing on wet stones we waded through a narrow rocky cleft in the cliff face to discover a secret cavern where the water crashed into a serene pool.
We concluded our sightseeing at seven in the evening by standing right at the base of Skogafoss feeling the immense power of the rectangular drop hitting the flat riverbed. We spent the night in Vik at a stylish modern hostel called The Barn. Before arriving we bought fresh gnocchi locally and cooked a wonderful warm dinner together in the communal kitchen. We shared our six bed dorm room with some lovely tourists from Taiwan. I absolutely adored the industrial design of the hostel and it was fun being the youngest guests staying there.
Day Three Canyons Ice and a Lingering Cold
Date Monday June Eighth
Route Vik to Hofn
Monday brought our canyons and ice itinerary covering about two hundred and eighty kilometers. We started at half past eight in the morning at Reynisfjara Beach admiring the black volcanic pebbles the geometric basalt columns rising like a grand staircase along the cliffs and keeping a watchful eye out for the infamous Atlantic sneaker waves.
Shortly after Lukas and I had to make a detour to a local hospital clinic in Vik. Neither of us felt well but the cold I had been fighting before the trip had escalated. Armed with new medication we bravely pushed forward to follow our scheduled program. We had a hike swap option to skip the beach and drive down the dirt Road 214 to Pakgil for the purple trail ravine walk or the yellow trail at Remundargil but due to the continuous cold rain and my sickness we ignored it and stuck to the main plan. Despite the wet weather the moody atmosphere of the Icelandic nature was incredibly beautiful to me.
At half past ten we walked along the rim of the Fjadrargljufur Canyon taking a one hour stroll. Covered in vibrant green moss this spectacular gorge is two kilometers long and up to one hundred meters deep with a winding river cutting through the bottom. Around one o clock we drove to the Skaftafell area for a one and a half hour hike to behold Svartifoss a stunning waterfall framed by dark hexagonal basalt columns hanging majestically from the cliff face.
At half past three we reached Mulagljufur Canyon a special destination requested only by me. Lukas and Laura decided to stay in the warm car for an hour since they were tired and cold from the rain. To hike up the unmarked path into the hanging valley I actually had to cross a small glacial river barefoot. The icy water stung my feet but the reward at the top was unparalleled. Looking down into the green gorge adorned with multiple thin cascading waterfalls was pure magic. I returned to the car one hour and ten minutes later feeling accomplished.
We then drove directly to the glacial lake arriving by half past six in the evening at the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. We marvelled at the blue and white icebergs that had calved from the glacier floating peacefully in the deep water. Right across the street we explored Diamond Beach where scattered chunks of glacier ice washed up onto the black sand creating a breathtaking clear contrast.
That night we drove to the town of Hofn and stayed at the Hofn Hostel in a large ten bed dorm room. There we met Jonathan a German traveler who understandably grew annoyed with my relentless coughing fits that racked my chest. It was a bad night for me while Lukas and Laura blissfully slept through the noise noticing nothing. I woke up the next day feeling even worse.
Day Four East Fjords Flat Tires and Puffin Encounters
Date Tuesday June Ninth
Route Hofn to Seydisfjordur
By Tuesday my energy was completely drained. Knowing we had a three hundred and fifty kilometer driving day through our East Fjords program Lukas kindly took over the majority of the driving. We agreed to take everything at a slower pace which was deeply appreciated by the other two. We set off at nine in the morning winding our way slowly along Route 1 through the stunning coastal inlets and mountains of the East Fjords.
The plan was for the others to relax in the Vok Baths while I visited Studlagil Canyon alone. However fate intervened when we arrived at the Vok Baths and noticed one tire lacked air. We had a flat tire. We called roadside assistance and I told Lukas and Laura to go ahead and enjoy the geothermal pools while I waited by the car for the mechanic. The fixing process was fast taking about two hours in total.
Once the car was ready I drove to Studlagil Canyon turning onto Road 923 and parking at the Klaustursel east side lot. Walking down into the gorge was a phenomenal solo experience. Standing beside the largest number of basalt rock columns in Iceland framing the vibrant turquoise water created by the river Jokla was a massive highlight. My entire solo excursion took two and a half hours including the driving.
Later in the evening we regrouped and took a two hour extension drive further north up Road 94 towards Borgarfjordur Eystri. Along the way we admired the peaks of the Dyrfjoll mountains right from the road before reaching the Hafnarholmi puffin colony. We used the wooden boardwalk area designed for safe bird watching to joyfully observe the seabirds waddling around the grassy cliffs and diving into the ocean.
We were so exhausted on the drive back south towards Egilsstadir that we did not even stop at Gufufoss right by the roadside. Reaching our next accommodation in Seydisfjordur required crossing a mountain pass still covered in large amounts of white snow. We arrived at the Hafaldan Old Hospital Hostel at seven in the evening and instantly liked the building. It was a restored historic hospital with a vintage interior featuring old medical lamps wooden floors and common areas maintaining that historical medical character.
But when we checked into our six bed dorm room we were completely surprised. Jonathan the German guy from the previous night was sitting right there on his bed. You could see the lack of joy on his face when he realized I would be coughing in his room all night again but there was nothing anyone could do. We exchanged a few words and cooked a simple pasta dinner in the kitchen.
Later that evening I suffered from multiple coughing fits once again. Adding to the nighttime chaos Lukas accidentally pulled the window blinds up so hard they got stuck at the top failing to block out the midnight sun. Jonathan had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to help Lukas fix the blinds so we could get the room dark again. At a certain point Jonathan graciously handed me his personal asthma spray telling me to use it to open my airways. I took a puff the coughing stopped and everyone in the room finally got some rest.
Day Five The Powerful North and Geothermal Marvels
Date Wednesday June Tenth
Route Seydisfjordur to Akureyri
The temporary relief from the asthma spray did not cure my underlying sickness and I woke up feeling worse than the days before. Because of my deteriorating condition Lukas had to take over all of the driving for our North and Diamond Circle route covering two hundred and eighty kilometers.
We departed Seydisfjordur at nine in the morning heading towards Dettifoss. Our original itinerary noted a swap mentioning we could take the rough gravel Road 864 on the east side to get right down to the water edge. However considering it would add forty five minutes of driving time and my poor health we opted for the paved west side instead. We took west side road 862 to reach the viewpoint by eleven o clock. Witnessing Dettifoss was incredibly nice. As the most powerful waterfall in Europe standing forty four meters high and one hundred meters wide fed by the Vatnajokull glacier the sheer volume of grayish glacial water crashing into the canyon was deafening making the ground shake beneath our feet.
We then drove to the Hverir geothermal area at Namaskard arriving around one o clock. We walked along the roped paths among bubbling gray mud pots and hissing steaming fumaroles. The entire landscape smelled of sulfur and looked exactly like Mars painted with orange and yellow mineral deposits.
At two o clock we visited Grjotagja Cave a historic underground lava cave. We climbed down into the rocky crust to find a naturally heated blue thermal spring hidden beneath the earth. Continuing our journey we stopped at four in the afternoon to look at Godafoss the waterfall of the gods. Shaped like a glorious horseshoe dropping twelve meters high and thirty meters wide we took the time to enjoy the views of the water cascading over the rocky ledge from both sides of the riverbank.
By six in the evening we reached the coastal town of Akureyri located at the base of the Eyjafjordur fjord and proudly referred to as the capital of the north. We spent a couple of hours exploring the town streets looking at the colorful wooden houses and the local shops by the fjord. Finally at eight in the evening we checked into the Akureyri HI hostel enjoying a private single room once again hoping undisturbed rest in our own space would help my health begin to improve.
Day Six Heavy History and a Long Transit
Date Thursday June Eleventh
Route Akureyri to Grundarfjordur
I woke up and took once more some medicaments against my cough. Unfortunately they turned out to not help that much. We faced a massive three hundred and eighty kilometer journey from Akureyri to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. Because I was not feeling well we decided to skip the planned stops at the Hvitserkur dragon rock and the town of Stykkisholmur.
The only major stop we made this day was at Thristapar. This place holds a beautifully bleak spot in the history of Iceland as the site of the last public execution in the country. In January eighteen thirty a woman named Agnes Magnusdottir and a man named Fridrik Sigurdsson were beheaded there for the murder of two men including the local farmer Natan Ketilsson. We stood by the memorial stone marking the exact location in the middle of the rolling hills taking in the heavy history.
We then continued our long transit arriving at our accommodation called Grund in the town of Grundarfjordur. The hostel had a brilliantly nice view of the surroundings including the famous Kirkjufell mountain. Later in the evening Lukas and Laura went out into the town to eat something. I simply took my pill and surrendered to a long sleep resting from six in the evening all the way until eight the next morning.
Day Seven Volcanic Craters and the Snaefellsnes Loop
Date Friday June Twelfth
Route Grundarfjordur to Borgarnes
We had a much more manageable driving plan as the Snaefellsnes loop to Borgarnes was only about two hundred and twenty kilometers. Since the distance was easy we stuck more or less to the original itinerary for the day.
At nine in the morning our first stop was the Saxholl crater where we climbed the metal stairs all the way up to the top of the volcanic cone. By noon we reached Londrangar taking a wonderful walk along the cliffs to look at the giant basalt rock pinnacles rising violently from the ocean.
At half past one we stopped in Arnarstapi for a small coastal hike towards Hellnar. The trail took us about an hour and we admired stunning stone arches and bird cliffs along the water. Our final sightseeing stop at half past four was Budakirkja the famous black wooden church standing completely isolated against the sweeping landscape.
Afterwards we drove to our accommodation for the night which was Hotel Hafnarfjall near Borgarnes. It was a bit of a disappointment overall. While it was the only place during the entire trip where we enjoyed our own private bathroom it was nevertheless the dirtiest accommodation of the whole week. The tap water also carried a very bad smell of sulfur. Exhausted from the events of the day I went to bed quite early once again.
Day Eight City Streets and Fond Farewells
Date Saturday June Thirteenth
Route Borgarnes to Reykjavik and Keflavik
We changed our original plan of snorkeling at the Silfra fissure and looking at volcanoes. Instead we drove down to Reykjavik to embrace the city for our final day. We parked the car in the city center and went directly to the large Hallgrimskirkja church. We went inside the magnificent building and sat down to listen to the grand organ music playing in the hall.
Afterwards Laura and Lukas went to eat their last burger of the trip. They definitely ate a lot of burgers during this week while I used the quiet time to sit down and write some postcards. After lunch we joined a free city tour which was incredibly nice. The local guide showed us around the downtown area and explained some fascinating local history.
When the tour was over Lukas drove around the city a bit more so we could see a few more streets before we finally headed to Keflavik airport. We arrived at the airport returned our faithful rental car and did all our administrative stuff. While waiting for our evening flight we sat together happily calculating how much money we had spent over the course of the trip.
Final Thoughts
Despite the relentless cough the cold rain and the unexpected flat tire this trip was an absolute dream. The shared laughter the breathtaking scenery and the sheer scale of nature made every single kilometer incredibly worthwhile.
