Chasing the Northern Lights - Iceland

pjs

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Anyone has any airbnb recommendation and discount code for iceland ring road stops?
 

RyanJ

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haha i'm still considering to stay a night in Akureyri or 2 nights in Mývatn.

1) did you guys go till the west fjords and Snæfellsjökull National Park?

currently (very vague) plan is to drive from reykjavik to Borgarnes then Skagafjörður. staying at Siglufjordur.

2) would i have time to stop by Snæfellsjökull?

3) should i drop the westman islands? and move my plans down and stay around Snæfellsjökull for D2?

D1 - Land @ 0835, collect car - blue lagoon & reyjkavik
D2 (hotel: Siglufjordur)
• Begin the Ring Road drive by heading for Borgarnes
• Skagafjörður
D3 (hotel: Akureyri or Mývatn??)
• Drive the Tröllaskagi Peninsula
• Stop in Siglufjörður and Akureyri
• Spend the evening heading to the Mývatn lake area
D4 (hotel: Mývatn)
• Mývatn area
• Húsavík port town
D5 (hotel: Seyðisfjörður)
• To the Eastfjords
• Dettifoss falls
D6 (hotel: Höfn)
• Along the Eastfjords to the southeast
• Vatnajökull National Park
D7 (hotel: near Vik)
• South Coast sights
D8 (hotel: near Vik)
• Westman Islands day trip
D9 (hotel: Reykjavík)
• Golden Circle highlights en route to Reykjavík
• Thingvellir National Park
• Geysir
• Gullfoss waterfall
D10 - depart @1750

anywhere i don't need so much time that i should amend my itinerary? thanks.

I did 17 days drive anticlockwise manner in june

You can drive the entire ring road excluding westfjords in a week but just damn shack most of the time on the roads .. summer days longer dun over fatigue urself. Some areas require alot of walking. Latrabjarg at westfjord is beautiful, can see puffins, but drive was treacherously slow on uneven gravel, limited lodging in the vicinity of the bird cliff. given the limited time in your case I would just skip Westfjords.

icelandic waterfalls are gorgeous
the ones that I saw
- Gullfoss ( not too far from Reykjavik )
* Haifoss - Didn manage to see, but u *could* visit while u r clocking the Golden circle
- Skogafoss ( south ) - erh u can literally go under the waterfall , bring raincoat the waterfall spray/mist quite powerful will be soaked in seconds .. if weather good try to hike abit upstream. one of the scenes of Walter Mitty movie
- Seljalandsfoss ( south ) - can walk behind the waterfall
( both of the above u can clock while on the way to Vik )
- Svartifoss ( south ) Near Hof

- Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss ( east ) Litlanesfoss is easy walk, but going further to see Hengifoss upclose is a f***ing hike around huge rocks and streams

- Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls ( north ) - I consider this to be the most awesome, think the Prometheus opening scene, I visited on the drive to Lake Myvatn . Dun confuse Selfoss waterfall with Selfoss town , one north one south..
- Goðafoss - nice to take from top ( the classical shot ) and then walk down to the bottom to grab another different angle. one girl nearly fell off taking selfie, everyone there that day nearly kenna heart attack.

- Dynjandi - at Westfjords
 

saffronsatire

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the distance, the time, the petrol... i will skip it and go lagoon instead
I went to myvatn one in the end since it wasn't out of the way from the ring road.

It was an ok experience and a lot cheaper. I think i would have felt that the blue lagoon was overpriced.
 

saffronsatire

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Sorry, forgot to reply you. Yup, wasn't planning to go to the west fjords. The Dynjandi is magnificent though. Got waterfall fatigue after a while and we skipped some of the waterfalls in the south which parking fees are payable LOL.

We didn't go to Haifoss / Svartifoss and we regretted going to Hengifoss / Litlanesfoss. It was quite a long hike up and the waterfalls weren't impressive in our opinion. They have since closed the path to Hengifoss to protect the flora and fauna though, so we couldn't go upclose.

The Snæfellsnes side, Mount Kirkjufell and Stykkishólmur were also not particularly beautiful maybe bcos of summer. Could have spent another day elsewhere like Akureyri (and do whale watching) which we only stopped over for lunch as we planned to stay in myvatn. And also not impressed with the black beach LOL. :s13:

I think out of all the waterfalls, we liked the Hraunfossar Cascade best and it was also relatively quieter with much fewer visitors. Siglufjörður was beautiful though it's a very small town. Didn't regret the detour but pity the weather was a bummer and we couldn't capture the fjords before the sun got blocked by the clouds. We liked Seyðisfjörður too and there's an underated waterfall, Gufufoss en route.

Colleague who went one month before me, her second trip, was surprised I didn't find Iceland to be awesome. Maybe bcos I went Switzerland last year, so I think it's much more beautiful overall.

I did 17 days drive anticlockwise manner in june

You can drive the entire ring road excluding westfjords in a week but just damn shack most of the time on the roads .. summer days longer dun over fatigue urself. Some areas require alot of walking. Latrabjarg at westfjord is beautiful, can see puffins, but drive was treacherously slow on uneven gravel, limited lodging in the vicinity of the bird cliff. given the limited time in your case I would just skip Westfjords.

icelandic waterfalls are gorgeous
the ones that I saw
- Gullfoss ( not too far from Reykjavik )
* Haifoss - Didn manage to see, but u *could* visit while u r clocking the Golden circle
- Skogafoss ( south ) - erh u can literally go under the waterfall , bring raincoat the waterfall spray/mist quite powerful will be soaked in seconds .. if weather good try to hike abit upstream. one of the scenes of Walter Mitty movie
- Seljalandsfoss ( south ) - can walk behind the waterfall
( both of the above u can clock while on the way to Vik )
- Svartifoss ( south ) Near Hof

- Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss ( east ) Litlanesfoss is easy walk, but going further to see Hengifoss upclose is a f***ing hike around huge rocks and streams

- Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls ( north ) - I consider this to be the most awesome, think the Prometheus opening scene, I visited on the drive to Lake Myvatn . Dun confuse Selfoss waterfall with Selfoss town , one north one south..
- Goðafoss - nice to take from top ( the classical shot ) and then walk down to the bottom to grab another different angle. one girl nearly fell off taking selfie, everyone there that day nearly kenna heart attack.

- Dynjandi - at Westfjords
 
Last edited:

mata_hippo

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i just checked out the travel intern's breakdown for their 10 days iceland trip

the campervan alone is 300plus sgd per day, is that the norm? :eek:

Posted from PCWX using VOG-L29
 

winningeleven

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i just checked out the travel intern's breakdown for their 10 days iceland trip

the campervan alone is 300plus sgd per day, is that the norm? :eek:

Posted from PCWX using VOG-L29

Iceland. Without a doubt is one of the most expensive countries in Europe I ever visited . (probably as costly as spending in Switzerland and Norway) I am not surprised camper van can cost up to $300 there. A typical KFC 2 pc meal cost $17 there.

I have been to both Iceland and NZ during the shoulder season. Iceland in Oct and NZ in early May and the price is considered off peak. I feel that both countries are quite similar.

For accommodation
In NZ. With $150 a night. I have no problem getting a room that comes with self contained kitchen and private shower. In Iceland. $150 only can get me just a room only and kitchen and shower are to be shared.

For Car rental. $60 is able to get a 4x4 suv in NZ. In Iceland. It cost about $90. The last time when I checked the self contained camper van rate in NZ. It cost more than $180 on my intended travel date. So I guess $300 in iceland is considered "norm"

In Iceland. Some of the roads that lead to attractions are gravel road. 4x4 is recommended and campervan is totally not allowed to drive thru. Instead of spending $300 on a camper van rental in Iceland. Why not use $100 for a 4x4 vehicle and the remaining $200 for a better accommodation?
 

mata_hippo

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Iceland. Without a doubt is one of the most expensive countries in Europe I ever visited . (probably as costly as spending in Switzerland and Norway) I am not surprised camper van can cost up to $300 there. A typical KFC 2 pc meal cost $17 there.

I have been to both Iceland and NZ during the shoulder season. Iceland in Oct and NZ in early May and the price is considered off peak. I feel that both countries are quite similar.

For accommodation
In NZ. With $150 a night. I have no problem getting a room that comes with self contained kitchen and private shower. In Iceland. $150 only can get me just a room only and kitchen and shower are to be shared.

For Car rental. $60 is able to get a 4x4 suv in NZ. In Iceland. It cost about $90. The last time when I checked the self contained camper van rate in NZ. It cost more than $180 on my intended travel date. So I guess $300 in iceland is considered "norm"

In Iceland. Some of the roads that lead to attractions are gravel road. 4x4 is recommended and campervan is totally not allowed to drive thru. Instead of spending $300 on a camper van rental in Iceland. Why not use $100 for a 4x4 vehicle and the remaining $200 for a better accommodation?



haha I've been to nz self drive too, nz feels cheap after looking at iceland prices :s22: :s13:

Posted from PCWX using VOG-L29
 

yrh0413

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I'll be heading to Iceland for 2 weeks stay in early March 2020. Its still winter and I heard tons of horror stories with winter driving.

I have made a reservation on a 4x4, can anyone share if driving in winter is really that daunting? I have zero experience driving in snow.
 

winningeleven

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I'll be heading to Iceland for 2 weeks stay in early March 2020. Its still winter and I heard tons of horror stories with winter driving.

I have made a reservation on a 4x4, can anyone share if driving in winter is really that daunting? I have zero experience driving in snow.

U can refer to road.is and safe.is for road condition. The information given from the website is very useful.
 

Shanice78

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Hi all,

Planning to travel to Iceland from 14th mar till 24th mar 2020

Anyone gng during the period?

Wanted to try dog sledding in Iceland.

Thanks
 

yrh0413

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I’ll be in Iceland from 10-21 March. Do you plan to drive on the whole ring road?

Hi all,

Planning to travel to Iceland from 14th mar till 24th mar 2020

Anyone gng during the period?

Wanted to try dog sledding in Iceland.

Thanks
 

Shanice78

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I’ll be in Iceland from 10-21 March. Do you plan to drive on the whole ring road?

Yes. Planning to drive the whole ring if possible. Need to drive frm clockwise since the dog sledding I’m planning to go at north Iceland. Tat one must do!!

Can share your drive route and stay over in campsite or just by the side of the road?

Thanks.
 

yrh0413

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Yes. Planning to drive the whole ring if possible. Need to drive frm clockwise since the dog sledding I’m planning to go at north Iceland. Tat one must do!!

Can share your drive route and stay over in campsite or just by the side of the road?

Thanks.

I'll be doing anti-clockwise as the roads and weather conditions are better at the South... take 1-2 days to get used to the driving conditions. I'm pretty sure both my wife and me will get bored with waterfalls as our main focus is really to chase NL.

Day 0:
- Collect rental car from airport, drive to Reykjavik

Day 1:
- Cover golden circle (geysir, gullfoss, seljalandsfoss)
- Stay at Vik

Day 2:
- Skaftafell, Svartifoss, Jokulsarlon
- Stay at Hofn

Day 3:
- Eastern Iceland
- Stay at Reyðarfjörður

Day 4:
- Reyðarfjörður to Akureyri
- Stay Akureyri (Akureyri as base for the next 5 days)

Day 5 - 10:
- Dettifoss, Hverir, Myvatn
- Stay Akureyri camp for NL

Day 11:
- Explore western Iceland

Day 12:
- Back to Reyjavik, spend time in town relax
 

winningeleven

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Yes. Planning to drive the whole ring if possible. Need to drive frm clockwise since the dog sledding I’m planning to go at north Iceland. Tat one must do!!

Can share your drive route and stay over in campsite or just by the side of the road?

Thanks.

The Northern area of Iceland are more prone to ice and snowy conditions during the winter . U should consider going anti clock direction 1st so that u explore North area in the late march rather the mid march period.
 

winningeleven

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I'll be doing anti-clockwise as the roads and weather conditions are better at the South... take 1-2 days to get used to the driving conditions. I'm pretty sure both my wife and me will get bored with waterfalls as our main focus is really to chase NL.

Day 0:
- Collect rental car from airport, drive to Reykjavik

Day 1:
- Cover golden circle (geysir, gullfoss, seljalandsfoss)
- Stay at Vik

Day 2:
- Skaftafell, Svartifoss, Jokulsarlon
- Stay at Hofn

Day 3:
- Eastern Iceland
- Stay at Reyðarfjörður

Day 4:
- Reyðarfjörður to Akureyri
- Stay Akureyri (Akureyri as base for the next 5 days)

Day 5 - 10:
- Dettifoss, Hverir, Myvatn
- Stay Akureyri camp for NL

Day 11:
- Explore western Iceland

Day 12:
- Back to Reyjavik, spend time in town relax

I feel Iceland offer much more than Northern lights.

Probably u can consider allocate 1 or 2 days more to explore the south western area to visit Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, black sand beach and dyrholaey and another 1 day on the western area.
 

yrh0413

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I feel Iceland offer much more than Northern lights.

Probably u can consider allocate 1 or 2 days more to explore the south western area to visit Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, black sand beach and dyrholaey and another 1 day on the western area.

What are the interesting stuff at western area? We dont want to get bored with waterfalls for the whole trip :s13:
 

winningeleven

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What are the interesting stuff at western area? We dont want to get bored with waterfalls for the whole trip :s13:

Western area such as kirjufell or West fjords? Unless u have more than 12 days there and If u have limited time and wanted to do whole ring road in 10 days. U can consider skiping both.

U don't have to stay all 5 days in akureyri. When there is a northern light sighting with strong KP. Half of the Iceland should able to view it. For example seen in the North but not in the south or seen in the west but not on the east etc..

After golden circle. U can visit seljalandsfoss and skógafoss which is along the way toward vik. I find this 2 waterfalls are a " must see" . While in vik, dyrholaey and black sand beach are nearby. While leaving vik.
fjaðrárgljúfur canyon are also worth a visit. Those are not waterfalls.
 

yrh0413

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Thanks! I read in forums saying Akureyri has the highest chance of seeing NL, even weather forecast usually indicates Akureyri has less clouds compared to other places.

I plan to make Akureyri my base in the north for 5 days mainly to catch NL at night. During the day we will explore attractions at the north

Western area such as kirjufell or West fjords? Unless u have more than 12 days there and If u have limited time and wanted to do whole ring road in 10 days. U can consider skiping both.

U don't have to stay all 5 days in akureyri. When there is a northern light sighting with strong KP. Half of the Iceland should able to view it. For example seen in the North but not in the south or seen in the west but not on the east etc..

After golden circle. U can visit seljalandsfoss and skógafoss which is along the way toward vik. I find this 2 waterfalls are a " must see" . While in vik, dyrholaey and black sand beach are nearby. While leaving vik.
fjaðrárgljúfur canyon are also worth a visit. Those are not waterfalls.
 

Shanice78

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The Northern area of Iceland are more prone to ice and snowy conditions during the winter . U should consider going anti clock direction 1st so that u explore North area in the late march rather the mid march period.

Thanks for your advise. Will look into it. Cos the dog sledding is the main point to go northern area.
 
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