Iceland was my first stop on my trip through Europe and I would spend the rest of my life there if I could. Every corner you turn there is something beautiful waiting for you. 200/10

I’m so grateful I was able to explore this ethereal place.

😼

We started our trip at Hveragerði and aimed for Djúpagilsfoss Waterfall

About us: two friends from new york city who love to travel and decided to get out of America over july fourth weekend :) We’re big walkers and foodies. We used reddit heavily for our trip planning so we decided to give back to the community with our full itinerary and tips below!

Day 1 (Thursday) - Arrival, Sky Lagoon, Reykjavik
- Our flight arrived around 9:30am and it took way longer than expected to get through passport control so we were an hour late to our Sky Lagoon reservation. We called and they were understanding.
- Picked up our Blue Car rental which was quick and easy, a few steps from the airport. Quick drive to the lagoon.
- Sky Lagoon was AMAZING! Definitely order the morning moments breakfast package. Don’t sleep on the rituals, the scrub was divine.
- We got to Reykjavik around 3pm to check into the City Center hotel. Funky cute hotel but excellent location. We explored the city for a few hours and did some light shopping.
- Dinner at Skal! was absolutely incredible. We booked a few weeks out. Best beef tartare and roast lamb ever.
- Passed out early this night from the long travel / jet lag.

Day 2 (Friday) - Golden Circle pt 1, Westman Islands Overnight
- Started the morning with coffee from Reykjavik Roasters and a bakery crawl. Braud & Co for cinnamon bun and chili cheese twist. Sandholt for hot cross bun - this one was so good we ended up coming back.
- We began our drive along the golden circle towards the Landeyjahöfn ferry port. Beautiful views everywhere! Obsessed with the roadside purple flowers all over.
- First we stopped in Hveragerdi for waterfalls and thermal pools, though we didn’t hike all the way up. We drove to Selfoss and stopped for a late lunch at the Mjolkurbuid food hall. Fish and chips were solid.
Next stop was Uridafoss waterfall. We continued driving and had to pull over to take pics with stunning roadside horses! Last waterfall of the day was Aegissidufoss, then we loaded with our car onto the ferry.
- The 5pm ferry to Westman Island was charming and very easy. When we arrived we checked into Hotel Vestmannaeyjar and then quickly turned around to explore the island before dinner. We hiked around the Flakkarin area which had absolutely stunning views.
-Made our way to Naes for dinner - we did not have a reservation but we were very lucky to get a table around 8:30pm. They had a special tasting menu for the 53rd anniversary of the end of the volcanic eruption. It was incredible! Really nice fine dining vibes but also felt very local - everyone there seemed to know everyone!
- Lastly took advantage of the midnight sun and explored the island some more. Got in our car and drove up towards the puffin lookout, not the best at night for spotting birds, but still had amazing sunset views. We ended the evening at Brothers Brewery and watched the world cup with the locals. Their local brew was crisp and delicious.

Day 3 (Saturday) - Golden Circle pt 2, Reykjavik
- We had a quick hotel breakfast (included!) and then did some heavy island exploration this morning starting with elephant rock and heading all the way up to the puffin lookout. Pro tip - we had better puffin viewing at the spot half way up (near the “tractor in the cliff” on google maps.
- Finished the morning with an amazing coffee and fresh pretzel at Vigtin Bakhaus - do not miss this local spot!
- Took the 1pm ferry back to the mainland and headed straight to Seljalandsfoss. WOW this was like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Wear your rain gear here.
- Decided on a whim to drive to Fridheimer tomato greenhouse for some afternoon tomato soup and bruchetta. So delicious and very cool to walk through the huge greenhouses.
- Last stops of the day included Kerid Crater and Thingvellir National Park. Both beautiful site seeing and photo ops.
- Made it back to Reykjavik by about 8pm to check into Hotel Eyja. This hotel was very nice but a bit further from the city center. Dinner at ROK was tasty - we had mixed opinions on the cured reindeer but the salmon was incredible.

Day 4 (Sunday) - Departure
- Another trip to Sandholt for more coffee and pastries before heading to the airport. Sad to leave but fit a lot into a small amount of time!!

Overall Tips
- Rent a car
- Make dinner reservations
- Bring layers, more types than you think you need. We got lucky with mostly 50° sun, but some areas of wind made it chillier than expected.
- Bring an eye mask to sleep! The midnight sun, while stunning, is no joke. Only one of our hotels provided them so do not count on that - the “blackout” shades at the hotels were also a little iffy so the mask was extra crucial.

Iceland's hot springs are one of the best parts of visiting the country - but some of them are also fragile and sensitive. Many of them sit on private land, most have no staff, and some have already been closed to visitors because people didn't treat them with respect. So let's first start with the rules to keep them beautiful. If everyone follows them, these places stay open for the next person.

This is the detailed list for anyone interested: https://epiciceland.net/all-hot-springs-iceland/

The hot spring rules - please read this part

1. Shower before you get in. At developed pools and lagoons (Blue Lagoon, Krauma, Forest Lagoon, etc.), you're expected to shower thoroughly without a swimsuit before entering. It's a health rule and a cultural one, and locals genuinely care about it - don't skip it. At wild springs there's usually no shower at all, so the rule flips: never use soap or shampoo in or near the water, and leave the spring exactly as you found it.

2. Leave absolutely no trace. No litter, no food waste, nothing. These are delicate natural areas, and a single plastic bottle left behind is the kind of thing that gets a spring shut down. Take everything back out with you.

3. If you find a wild hot spring that's NOT on our list - check whose land it's on. A lot of Iceland's springs sit on private property. If you stumble on one that isn't documented, don't just jump in. Make sure it's not on private land, and if it is, ask the owner for permission first. It's their land, their water, and their call.

4. Respect closures. This isn't hypothetical. A recent example: Fosslaug, the beautiful spring near the Reykjafoss waterfall, was closed to all visitors by the landowner in June 2026. It's a gorgeous spot - and it's now off-limits because that's what the owner decided. Please respect that. We're seeing more and more of these closures, and they're almost always the result of overuse and disrespect.

5. Accessible doesn’t mean free. For many hot springs, even the wild ones, you often have to pay a fee to the landowner. Sometimes it’s compulsory, sometimes it’s treated as a voluntary (and recommended) donation. There’s almost always a sign explaining this.

What to expect from an Icelandic hot spring

Iceland sits on top of serious geothermal activity, which is why hot water bubbles up all over the country. But no two springs are the same, and it helps to know what you're walking into.

Location and access range from roadside pools you reach in a two-minute walk to remote tubs that need a long hike or a 4x4 on an F-road. Some sit right next to famous waterfalls or out in the Highlands; others are tucked away in a farmer's field.

Temperature varies a lot. The comfortable bathing range is roughly 38-40°C, like a warm bath. Some springs are perfect, some are lukewarm, and a few are genuinely too hot to enter - never assume, always test the water first. Wild springs also have hotter and cooler spots, so where you sit matters.

Facilities are minimal at wild springs - usually no changing room, no toilet, no staff, at best a simple wooden deck. The developed pools and lagoons are the opposite, with full changing rooms, showers, and lockers.

Water quality and the surface underneath differ too. Some springs are crystal clear with a clean gravel or sandy bottom; others are murkier, with algae, mud, or slippery rock underfoot. A faint sulphur smell and some mineral sediment are normal and harmless. Bring water shoes if you don't like surprises under your feet, and as a general rule, don't put your head under the water in natural geothermal springs.

About our list

We've spent months exploring all the hot springs in Iceland and have personally visited almost all of them. Our full list currently covers 59 hot pots - wild springs, man-made pools, mountain tubs, and the big commercial lagoons.

To be clear: these are the springs you're allowed to bathe in (unless we've marked otherwise). We deliberately exclude places where bathing is forbidden, like the Stóragjá cave. But "publicly accessible" still doesn't mean "do whatever you want" - it means act like a guest, every single time.

For each spring, we've gathered the common info you actually need upfront so you can visit responsibly and know what you're walking into: the type of spring, water temperature, whether there's a changing room, whether it's free or paid, how to get there, what car you need, and how busy it tends to get. No surprises, no guessing.

And so this is our list of all 59 hot springs, with maps, temperatures, car requirements, and access notes for each: https://epiciceland.net/all-hot-springs-iceland/

Happy to answer questions in the comments - and if you know of a spring we've missed, let us know!

P.S.: There are also public swimming pools and hot pools locals often use but we’ll leave this for another day! 😊

Is this the Snaefellesjokull Glacier? Took the picture today from across the KPMG building in Reykjavik.

Four days in Hornstrandir with perfect visibility, no rain, and almost no wind - almost unheard off!

Hornstrandir is one of the few places in Iceland with no roads, no airstrip, and no permanent residents, you arrive by boat or not at all. The nature reserve was abandoned by its last farmers in the 1950s, and since then the land has been quietly returning to itself. Arctic foxes have never been hunted here, which is part of why they behave the way they do: at the Hofn camping area, a whole family lives just below the main tent structure and will walk up to you without much hesitation. Don't leave food accessible, they're opportunists, but they won't tear into your pack.

Here is our 4-day, 3-night trek in Hornstrandir (July 1–4, 2026).

Route

We were two 40-year-old hikers only been to Hronstrandir once before, with reasonable fitness but limited by a knee issue, which slowed our pace. Due to a ferry mishap, we ran our planned route in reverse, disembarking at Hesteyri instead of Veiðileysufjörður. We emailed the operator (Borea) via a rare cell signal, and they changed our return tickets instantly. The reversal helped, providing gentler descents for our knees.

• Day 1 (Hesteyri to Hlöðuvík): 14.5 km | 9 hrs. Mid-mountain rocky terrain guided by cairns, a steep pass, and a soft-sand beach descent.
• Day 2 (Hlöðuvík to Höfn): 10.5 km | 8.5 hrs. Two ridge climbs and a coastal cliff-side walk.
• Day 3 (Höfn Circular Loop): 18 km | 8 hrs. Left heavy gear at camp. Steep climb to the Hornbjarg cliffs, then a south-east descent.
• Day 4 (Höfn to Veiðileysufjörður): 10.5 km | 7 hrs. Steep boulder-field ascent, followed by a rocky descent to the ferry pickup.

Technical & Environmental Data

• Weather & Visibility: Flawless. Zero rain, low wind, and perfect visibility.
• Navigation: Very few marked trails. We relied on tall stone cairns and the Mappy app offline. A navigation app is mandatory here.
• Terrain Challenges: Daily elevation averaged 500 meters. We used fixed ropes twice: descending the Day 3 saddle and navigating the Day 2 shoreline. Day 3 features narrow, slippery single-person paths next to sheer drops.
• River Crossing: One major crossing on Day 3. We chose the wide, 200-meter section over flat sand. Water remained below knee height with a weak current, passable barefoot or in Crocs at any tide.
• Infrastructure: Designated campgrounds have dry toilets (no toilet paper allowed in nature). Veiðileysufjörður is uneven and rocky; Höfn and Hlöðuvík are grassy.
• Connectivity: No signal except at three specific mountain passes.

Trail markings are sparse by design. Navigation runs mostly on cairns, visible footpaths worn into the earth, and terrain logic, the landscape itself tends to tell you where to go, as long as visibility holds. The group used Mappy offline, which worked well and cost nothing. In poor weather the calculus changes entirely, and a waterproof phone case becomes less optional.

The one river crossing on the circular day hike out of Hofn has two options: a shorter route near the sea that requires timing with low tide, or a wider crossing — around 200 meters, sandy underfoot, passable any time — that adds a couple of kilometers but asks nothing of you beyond wet feet. The ranger at Hofn knows the tide schedule.

Hornstrandir tends to attract people who've already done a fair amount of Iceland and want something with more silence to it. If you've been, what was the moment where it actually hit you that you were somewhere genuinely different

Visited Iceland this June between 04-14. The itinerary was exactly as my other post with a few modifications because of the weather, for instance we had to skip Fjadrargljufur because of fog and rain and didnt drive to Seydisfjordur camping because again it was foggy and rainy so we stayed in Egilsstaðir camping however having driven through fog and rain through the East Fjords and seeing that it was not raining in when we arrived in Egilsstaðir we decided to have a late afternoon hike to Henigfoss and then drive the next day to Seydisfjordur forecast showing sunny weather. Its good to always have a good back-up plan because of the weather. We did encounter a lot of rain and even strong wind during the trip but also a few completely sunny days so be prepared for anything. Also if the wind is blowing quite strong at 60-70km/h you need to hold the steering at an angle to counter the wind while also being careful around bends because wind changes.

We skipped the Golden Circle and Vestrahorn. Somehow we didnt meet tour groups at all until Dettifoss where it was absolutely horror, parking was full and we circled 30minutes to get a spot, there were lots of people not dressed for the wind and showers, seemed like cruise ship people and always complaining about the "hike" which is flat. Then again it was quiet until Snaefellsnes where there were some tour groups in small vans but not very disturbing. Thingvellir was again horror, was like a march through the fissure, lots of people again not dressed or equipped and also pickpockets in the parking. Went to Thingvellir for the fissure but thanked myself for skipping Golden Circle completely.

The camper was a Renault Traffic with 143.000km, although we didnt book one with experience. Nothing broke during the trip however for the price paid there were some cost cuttings that should not have been for instance Sailun tires which are budget and have very poor braking performance on wet which is not ideal given there are sheep and birds on the road some refusing to move (duks and geese) meaning its a full stop. Also curtains were 1-2cm shorter than the windows not covering the entire surface (we did bring sleeping masks), but its hard to create darkness inside the van to simulate dusk for example. Also back doors were not insulated so they were radiating cold while the feet were in a sauna from the heater. We used the pillows provided to shield the area better and used our own inflatable ones from home. Nights were in the 4-8C range.

Full insurance is a must, there are sections of gravel areas where the road was washed out especially around Tröllaskagi Peninsula and in the Southern part of Snaefellsnes.

Below the full itinerary that I made and did, 2500km in total. Renault Traffic manual averaged 6,6l/100km with my style of driving (legal 90km/h limit etc) for anyone who wants to budget gas.

Day 1 - 04.06.2026

Get Camper, Grindavik, Route through south Reykjanes peninsula, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss/ Kvernufoss,

Vik Camping - Decent camping, clean toilets, big albeit crowded common area

Day 2 - 05.06.2026

- Vik area, Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara, Fjadrargljufur (skipped because of rain), Stjórnarfoss, Svínafellsjökull (waited 1h in the parking for rain to clear according to my app, didn't clear so skipped) went back to

Skaftafell Camping - Nice camping area, close to nature, no common area, clean toilets

Rain stopped so evening hike to Skaftafell Glacier

Day 3 - 06.06.2026

Morning hike to Svartifoss, Svínafellsjökull and lagoon, Hof Church, Fjallsjökull and lagoon (rain and fog and cold wind coming down the glacier, were 4C here, not pleasant), Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach (sun came out, lots of diamonds on the beach too), Hofn for groceries, Hvalnes for the views then enjoyed the sun and the scenic route to

Fossardalur Campsite - Very nice camping, big common area with cooking stations, clean showers and toilets, very rough road to get to, rain started at 21:00 so couldnt visit the waterfalls close to the campsite.

Day 4 - 07.07.2026

Full day rain and fog, driving through East Fjords, Eskifjörður, Egilsstadir then hike to Hengifoss then back to

Egilsstadir Campsite - plan was to camp in Seydisfjordur but it was foggy in the pass and rain in the fjord so stayed at this campsite, could say the second worst i've stayed at. Its the only one with reservation, didnt know so I got the place near the grey water dump, not a problem, they tried to upsell me with an electricity spot but I didnt have an electricity hook up, toilets were dirty, common area was dirty and some Spanish lady stole my glass from my table spot which I confronted her about.

Day 5 - 08.07.2026

Sunny day, nice drive up the pass to Seydisfjordur, enjoyed the waterfalls up the pass, the town and Vestdalsfossar, Búðareyrarfoss near it. Then drove to Bakkagerði for the puffins and camping. Amazing scenery.

Hafnarholmi Camping - stunning location, provided its sunny to see the views and hike a bit up the river from the camping. Small common area and kitchen but it was not so crowded when we stayed. Puffins are about 10km away so not really doable by foot unless you have a few hours.

Day 6 - 09.07.2026 

Bakkagerdi - Rjúkandafoss - various scenic stops, Dettifoss (West Side) - horror parking, spent 30min to get a parking spot, Hverir, Dimmuborgir,Skútustaðagígar and off to

CJA camping Laugarr - this for me takes the prize of the worst campsite where I stayed in Iceland. Although parking spaces are big, place is full of midges. What is worse is that there are countless dead midges in the kitchen area and its gross. Common area are 3 small tables in another room around the building so you have to walk out with the cooked food and serve it in the common area. Trash bins are dirty, there is no trash bin inside the eating area where there is a sink to wash dishes so you have to go outside.

Day 7 - 10.07.2026

Godafoss, Akureyri where we spent 3h or so walking the old area and the main street, then drove around Tröllaskagi Peninsula with stops in Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður which is very nice and has a museum and ample explanation about the fishing industry. Scenery is amazing in that area so I definetly recommend if the weather is good, final stop Hofsós Camping. Took a stroll around the village, it also has some heated public pools.

 
Hofsós Camping - nice camping, small common area and few bathrooms (clean) but it was not crowded, we were only 3 campers plus 2 cars with tents. Owner comes and collects payment.

Day 8 - 11.07.2026

Long drive day all the way to Ólafsvík in Snaefellsnes (good weather, sunny and windy) with stops at Grafarkirkja and Víðimýrarkirkja turf churches, Blonduos church, Kidka wool factory shop in Hvammstangi where we got our souvenirs (my wife bought a scarf and I bought a puffin beanie, plus a few small items with puffins for family), then Snaefellsnes with stops at Selvallafoss and Grundarfoss then at Kirkjufjell (honestly Kirkjufell Viewpoint parking is free and has a better view of it rather then the famous waterfall view, my opinion) then drove to Ólafsvík camping. Took a stroll around Ólafsvík during the evening to see the old houses and the fish inspired church and rainbow street.

Ólafsvík Camping - we were tired after a long day so we stopped here rather then going to Hellissandur Camping. Camping was a bit crowded, the bathrooms clean but crowded, common area small and way to crowded so we just prepared food at the camper. To make matters worse the area where we were pointed to was not so level so the camper was a bit like the leaning tower of Pisa.

Day 9 - 12.07.2026

Windy and sunny day, we went round the peninsula, first stop at Rif for some Arctic Tern watching, then Hellissandur which was too windy so we drove around, Saxhóll Crater which we climbed and miraculously we were not blown away by the wind, Djúpalónssandur beach, Visitor center at Malariff with a stroll on flat terrain to Lóndrangar then Arnarstapi, Búðakirkja in Budir, Ytri Tunga (go further away from the place where everyone is stopping near the parking, its much more quiet and peacefull, lots of seals but all of them were swimming in the water) then drive through some high wind towards Mosskogar Camping.

Mosskogar Camping - stayed here 2 nights, very convenient, 20min away from Reykjavik, big common area in a former green house, clean toilets and showers. Sinks for washing dishes are either boiling hot water or glacial cold water, no way to mix between the two so you either freeze your dishes or boil them. Cash payment, in our case, 20eur/person/night, own parking spot which was nice.

Day 10 - 13.07.2026

Thingvellir National park, very very crowded, more like a march through the fissure however if you went on the trails away from the fissure people magically vanished. Then we went to Reykjavik for the afternoon, visited the cathedral, the main square, the commercial puffin streets and went to the old area with embassies to get a feel of the city. Honestly didnt quite like the commercial aspect of the rainbow street selling overpriced made in chine souvenirs. For me Reykjavik felt unfortunately like that souvenir shop at the exit of a great museum. Went back to Mosskogar Camping.

Day 11 - 14.07.2026

This was administrative day, wash the van inside/out, pack all the stuff then hang around Reykjavik for a few hours then to drop off the car at 17:00 to catch the free shuttle to the airport where we stayed for 6h until the flight. It is what it is with the costs of transport and the way everything is priced so you cant optimize anything. There is a souvenir shop in the airport which had lower prices than we saw in Iceland, I got a sort of colored lava bowl which was hand made, I like to get hand made stuff from places I visit and I have a collection at home.

All in all this was my experience in Iceland, 2500km, amazing country, amazing scenery, nature and weather.