Glorious Iceland – thanks for all the advice, we had an amazing trip!
Hi everyone, just thought I'd share our trip from last August as inspiration for anyone planning to visit!
After months of planning, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who shared advice and recommendations – it was incredibly helpful, and we had an amazing time! We’re a family of five (me 21, my brother 18, my sister 12, and our parents). We hired a Dacia Duster, with me, my mum, and dad sharing the driving, and yes, we did a lot of sleeping in the car too. We managed the whole trip for under £2,000, which was very good. Our goal was to see as much of Iceland as possible on a budget, which meant some sacrifices (lots of sandwiches!) and an intense driving schedule – but it was absolutely worth it.
Here’s a list of what we managed to fit in over 4 days:
Day 1 – 27 Aug:
- Landed at KEF airport
- Nathagi Valley lava fields
- Krysuvik geothermal vents
- Lake Kleifarvatn
- Reykjavik: Grand Central Mosque & Hallgrimskirkja
- Thingvellir National Park & Oxararfoss waterfall
- Strokkur Geyser
- Gulfoss Waterfall
- Bjarnalon Lake viewpoint (Hekla volcano behind)
- Haifoss Waterfall
- Total driving: 400km, 8 hours
Day 2 – 28 Aug:
- Husavik Whale Watching with Gentle Giants
- Lunch in Husavik (fish and chips!)
- Total driving: 1000km, 14 hours
Day 3 – 29 Aug:
- Seljalandsfoss & Gljufrabui Waterfalls
- Skogafoss Waterfall + top viewpoint
- Solheimajokull Glacier
- Skaftafelljokull Glacier Viewpoint
- Svinafellsjokull Glacier hike
- Diamond Beach
- Total driving: 700km, 10 hours
Day 4 – 30 Aug:
- Driving back to the airport & flying home in the morning
- Total driving: 150km, 2 hours
Over the trip, we drove a total of 2,259 km (~35 hours driving), which was intense but worth it to see so much in a short time.
It was a whirlwind, with long drives and early mornings, but seeing all these incredible places and experiencing Iceland’s landscapes together made it completely worth it. Driving through volcanic areas, F-roads, and ring roads while sticking to a budget was intense, but honestly, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
We are quite an adventurous family and very experienced with long-distance drives, so we had a great time. I just thought I’d share what’s possible if you’re also adventurous and want to see as much of Iceland’s stunning beauty as possible in a short trip. I will say you could do a lot of similar activities that we did, in a more relaxed way: For example, on Day 2, we could have gone whale watching closer to Reykjavik (100 km from where we were staying), but Húsavík is Europe’s whale capital, and we felt the long ~1,000 km round trip was totally worth it.
The boat ride in Húsavík is in a beautiful bay area surrounded by mountains, and we saw minke whales, dolphins, and humpback whales lunge feeding. It was a surreal experience, and I can’t wait to go back!
Thanks again to everyone who contributed tips – they really made a difference and helped us plan such a full, unforgettable trip! If anyone has any questions, I’d be happy to share more.
