Since it was our very first trip to Iceland, we didn’t really know what to expect and only had a vague idea of what Iceland in May was going to be like. It was a little overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you. This blog post is here to let you know what to expect and help you decide if May is a good time for you to visit Iceland.

Why You Should Visit Iceland in May:

(Note: We were in Iceland from May 18 to June 2.)

Lower Airfares

Flights to Iceland are more affordable, especially if you book months in advance. We booked about 6 months in advance and saved a couple hundred dollars that way. Airline Christmas sales usually include May dates so watch out for those. You might find some great deals.

We flew with Icelandair, direct from Toronto. It was nice enough. They gave each passenger a bottle of pure Icelandic water upon boarding. In-flight entertainment was pretty good. In-flight food was mediocre. Mother Nature, however, was being very generous to me and showed me the Northern Lights through the airplane window for at least three-quarter of the length of the flight. Pretty cool, especially since the Northern Light season in Iceland was already over by then

More Affordable Car Rental

Iceland is best explored by car. At the peak of summer, car rental practically costs twice as much as any other seasons, including springtime. We rented a small, compact car because we weren’t planning on driving to the highlands (or as they like to call it, the Interior) as the mountain roads would still be closed for the season anyway (they’re usually only open in the summer months). It served us well.

We rented our car from Blue Car Rental because it had decent reviews and a little less expensive than the competitors. We had no problems with them. If you book through this link, you get a 5% discount and a free extra driver!

Lower Accommodation Cost

This is another thing that will cost twice as much in the summer. We stayed mostly within the Hey Iceland‘s network of guesthouses. (If you’re interested, they’re currently offering a 15% discount on May self-drive tour packages, which include car rental and accommodations; not a bad deal.)

To save money, we alternated between a room with a shared bathroom and one with a private bathroom. The price difference could be up to $50, which is roughly one dinner for two! The rooms at the guesthouses were basic but nice, warm and clean. A continental breakfast buffet was included, which was another money-saver for us.

In Reykjavik, however, we stayed at an Airbnb apartment downtown because it was cheaper than a hotel room. We had a lovely stay in a top-floor apartment very close to the big church, Hallgrimskirkja. If you’re not an Airbnb member yet, sign up using our referral link and you’ll get a $45 CAD credit for your first stay! We’ll get some credit too so it’s a win-win situation!

Smaller Crowds

The Golden Circle and other major attractions in South Iceland will still be busy because every tour bus operator take their customers there, but it will be multiple times busier during the high season. At some lesser known attractions, we were still able to find ourselves alone with nature.

Longer Daylight Hours

It never really gets completely dark in Iceland in May. At midnight, it still looks like sunset and it stayed that way until dawn. June, July, and August might be warmer but May only has slightly shorter daylight hours. Longer daylight hours means more time to explore and more attractions you are able to see, and there is a lot to see in Iceland! The day will keep getting longer and longer up until the Summer Solstice in the third week of June.

Friendlier Weather

Temperatures in Iceland in May would be generally above 5° Celsius (41°F). I think the highest temperature we had during our stay was around 11° Celsius (51° F). Much better than winter weather! If you love sweater weather, May is perfect for you.

We only experienced a bit of snowfall once in the two weeks we spent in Iceland, and it was right in a valley surrounded by mountains by an old, mostly forgotten swimming pool called Seljavallalaug that we hiked to one morning. Even that didn’t last very long.

Anyway, the weather would still be wet and windy, but that’s Icelandic weather in general, any time of year. Do pack a good rain coat/windbreaker and be sure to check the weather and road conditions before you head out for the day!

Lambing Season

Lambing season is in progress, and it means cute overload at every turn! Baby sheep are super cute and you’ll see them everywhere when you visit Iceland in May, but especially in South Iceland near the town of Vik. You better watch out, though, because baby sheep have zero understanding of where they should and should not be so you’ll occasionally find them hanging out in the middle of the road. Please keep your eyes on the road to prevent any accidents.

Puffins Have Returned

Puffin season is usually between mid-April to mid-August. They spend the rest of the year out in the sea and are only in land to breed. They’ll definitely be out and about in May if you know where to look. We didn’t get to see them in South Iceland where they were supposed to be abundant, but we did see them at a bird-viewing area in Borgarfjörður Eystri, East Iceland. They are very entertaining to watch. You should see them at least once!

If you need any recommendations on places to visit or have any questions about travelling in Iceland, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer the best I can with what I know from experience. (Having done a road trip around Iceland three times now, I like to think I know a thing or two about it.)

Addendum: Be sure to check out our itinerary! It might help you make your own. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, don’t miss my post about our visit to several Game of Thrones shooting locations in North Iceland! Trying to figure out your way around Iceland? This post might help!

The post 8 Good Reasons to Visit Iceland in May appeared first on Fjords & Firths.

I’ve been to Iceland for a visit five times. My husband and I did a road trip in four out of the five visits, in three different seasons (spring, summer, and autumn), so I like to think I know what I’m talking about. We usually rent a car from Blue Car Rental near the Keflavík airport and we haven’t had any problems with them so far. If you book through this link, you get a 5% discount and a free extra driver!

In this post, I will break down the pros and cons of doing an Iceland road trip in May, June, and October based on my first hand experience.

Iceland in May

Our first Iceland road trip happened in May, starting in mid-May. Now that we’ve done a road trip in June and October as well, I can say with confidence that May is the best time to visit Iceland for a road trip, or at least, our favourite time.

Pros:

• The day is getting longer and longer every day so you can cover a lot in one day.
• The weather is decent for the most part. No heavy rain or snow and the temperatures stay above freezing.
• Smaller crowds in many major attractions. Trust me, Iceland is more enjoyable when you can have any attractions to yourself, or close to it.
• You get the “spring is in the air” vibe, which I personally love because it brings out a lot of good feelings and sense of happiness, hope and optimism.
• Puffins have arrived in their usual breeding grounds all over Iceland.
• If you take an overnight flight to Iceland from North America, you might be able to see the Northern Lights from the plane! I know I did.

Cons:

• The landscapes still look mostly yellow and brown because winter just ended and the grass and moss only start to wake up from their dormancy.
• Some roads, especially the ones in the highlands and northern Iceland might still be closed due to snow from the winter or because they’re not maintained until June and therefore not safe to drive on.
• Some puffin breeding grounds might be closed for tourists to allow the birds to nest undisturbed.
• Next to zero possibility for Northern Lights because the nights never get dark enough.

Iceland in June

June is not the cheapest time to visit Iceland because it’s peak season and there are always large crowds of tourists in major attractions, especially in South Iceland. We decided to splurge anyway because we really wanted to see the Westfjords. Many roads in Westfjords only open in the summer. We wanted to see a lot of things there so it only made sense that we went in the summer.

We did manage to see two of the main attractions in South Iceland’s Golden Circle, Gullfoss waterfalls and Geyser, near the end of our trip but we went in the evening after hours (note: it never really gets dark in the summer) and there were only small crowds left, so keep that in mind.

Having said that, Westfjords is never crowded, even in the middle of summer. I’d say June is the perfect month to visit Westfjords.

Pros:

• There’s light for pretty much 24 hours of the day. You could stay up and drive all day and night if you’re so inclined, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Rest is important, especially when you’re driving.
• There are seas of purple lupine flowers almost everywhere! It’s a sight that will take your breath away the first time you see it.
• Many other flowers are also blooming, like poppies.
• Puffin-viewing season is in full swing.
• All attractions and roads are open.
• Weather is generally good and even hot when a heatwave hits.
• Mostly warm, t-shirt weather makes packing light an achievable goal.

Cons:

• High season. Popular attractions packed with tourists. Higher prices.
• Annoying bugs in areas near water/boggy areas when it’s not windy. Don’t trust anyone who says there are no bugs in Iceland.
• Birds are chirping non-stop because it’s daytime all the time. If you’re a light sleeper like me, pack a pair of earbuds or have a white noise app ready for bedtime.
• Having to book accommodations and activities months in advance for the best price and availability.

Iceland in October

We gambled on the weather by doing a road trip that started on Iceland’s official First Day of Winter, which typically falls on the third week of October. We got lucky. Locals we met in the northern part of Iceland kept telling us how lucky we were with the weather because they usually had already had their second blizzard by then. There was no snow on the ground when we were there. If you’re feeling lucky and confident in your winter driving skills, October road trip might be the thing for you!

Pros:

• Low season. Crowds are practically non-existent in areas outside South Iceland and Snaefellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. Lower prices.
• Beautiful light. It’s almost like having the Golden Hour all day. If you’re into photography, you’ll love it.
• You might be able to see the Northern Lights if the weather is good.
• Lovely autumn colours. Yes, there are trees in Iceland! Not a lot, but they do exist.
• Maybe it’s just me but food in Iceland just tastes better this time of year, especially fish dishes.
• If you take an overnight flight to Iceland from North America, you might be able to see the Northern Lights from the plane like we did. Book a window seat!

Cons:

• The day is fairly short and getting shorter every day. There won’t be enough light for sightseeing until around 9 in the morning and it gets dark around 5 in the afternoon.
• Weather is unpredictable at best. You need to make sure your rental car has winter tires on, just to be safe. We didn’t get snow, but we did get rain and thick fog that gave us next to zero visibility.
• Because of the unpredictable weather, tours are always at risk of getting cancelled.
• Some attractions are already closed for the season.
• Puffins are gone for the year. They spend winters out in the sea.

Iceland in Winter

I personally wouldn’t do a road trip around Iceland in the winter months, especially between December and February. Daylight hours are short; too short to see a lot in one day. Road closure is also common because of the unpredictable weather and it can overthrow your plans. I just don’t think I’d get my money’s worth.

If you really want to have the Icelandic winter experience, I’d suggest you have a home base in Reykjavik and take day trips or day tours from there. Also, be flexible. Don’t have a set plan or you might be disappointed.

If you decide to do your own driving, check the weather forecast and road xonditions before heading out. If the forecast is not good for driving, at least you are already in Reykjavik. Reykjavik is a very walkable and relatively small city with a lot of things to see and do. If you go with tour companies, the good ones will let you know if they have to cancel the tours that you booked due to inclement weather.

Best Time to Visit Iceland for Northern Lights

According to science, the best time to see the Northern Lights is around the equinoxes because that’s when geomagnetic storms — disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field — are strongest. Autumn equinox falls in the third week of September and Spring equinox the third week of March. If your main goal is to see the Northern Lights, use that as a guidance. But as long as the night is dark and the sky is clear, there is always the possibility for the Northern Lights to put on a show for you. Definitely not in the middle of summer (mid-May to mid-August)!

Hope this post helps you decide the best time for you to visit Iceland. Be sure to check out our customizable itinerary. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comment and I’ll try to answer the best I can.

The post Best Time to Visit Iceland for a Road Trip appeared first on Fjords & Firths.

Our original itinerary was not a perfect itinerary. We did have to backtrack a couple of times, and I stated it as such, but it’s completely customizable and versatile. It allowed us to see a lot of Iceland.

This itinerary would be perfect for a trip between May and September. I wouldn’t recommend this itinerary for a winter trip because of the limited hours of daylight and potentially poor road condition due to the unpredictable weather.

How We Spent 2 Weeks in Iceland

We spent 13 nights on the road (and 2 nights in Reykjavik at the end of the trip) in May of 2013, driving the ring road anti-clockwise.

We didn’t have enough time to visit the Westfjords because we wanted to do this trip leisurely and not rushed. Someday we’ll get around to exploring the Westfjords and experiencing its wild and amazing landscapes first-hand. In the meantime, I’ll just keep dreaming about it.

Below is a colour-coded map of the places where we stayed overnight and some of the highlights of our trip (each colour represents a day of travel):

Tip: If you follow all the tips in the itinerary below, you should be able to shorten the trip down from 15 nights to 10 nights!

Day 1: Keflavik Airport to Selfoss

Highlights: Gardur lighthouse, Valahnúkur, Gunnuhver, Blue Lagoon.
Where We Ate: Valgeirs bakarí in Njarðvík, Kaffi Kruss in Selfoss.
Where We Stayed: Lambastadir Guesthouse (TripAdvisor reviews)

We arrived at Keflavik airport early in the morning. We picked up our rental car from Blue Car Rental near the airport (book your car through this link for a 5% discount and a free extra driver) and decided to explore the Reykjanes peninsula to kill the time (we couldn’t check in to our accommodation until 4pm). After doing some sightseeing, we decided to go for a dip in the Blue Lagoon, hoping that it would make us a bit more awake (in 2013, you could just walk in; you’ll have to book online in advance now). Well, it ended up being so relaxing that I fell asleep in the car while my husband was driving us to our accommodation in Selfoss. We slept for over 12 hours that night!

Day 2: Selfoss to Hella

Highlights: The Golden Circle (Keriđ crater, Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Gullfoss).
Where We Ate: Cafe at the Information Centre in Þingvellir National Park, Kaffi Klettur in Reykholt.
Where We Stayed: Guesthouse Nonni (TripAdvisor reviews)

We woke up in the morning refreshed and with no signs of jetlag. After breakfast, our host gave us some recommendations on places of interests around the Golden Circle, which we appreciated. We headed out to the Golden Circle after saying hi and goodbye to some of the farm animals. Other than almost missing the Thingvellir National Park (we drove past it without realizing it), it was a pretty uneventful drive. We headed down to Hella (pronounced Hetla) after having dinner at Kaffi Klettur, where I had my first bowl of lobster soup. Yum!

Day 3: Hella to Vik

Highlights: Seljalandsfoss, bus tour of Heimaey island in Westman Islands, Vik black sand beach.
Where We Ate: Vinaminni Kaffihus in Heimaey and Restaurant Vikurskali in Vik.
Where We Stayed: Guesthouse Vellir (TripAdvisor reviews)

This was the only time in the whole trip that we had a kind of awkward breakfast in which we all shared the same dining table. The highlight of the breakfast was when Nonni complimented my pronunciation of Eyjafjallajökull. I’m still pretty proud of it. Anyway, this was the day we took the ferry to Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, on a day trip. On our way to the ferry terminal in Landeyjahöfn, we saw Seljalandsfoss so we made a quick stop there before moving on. Fast forward to Heimaey, the weather wasn’t the greatest that day so we decided to go for a bus tour instead of a boat tour. Good choice! We were the only people taking the bus tour that day. We loved the private tour!

Tip: If you have no interest in taking the ferry to Heimaey, you could spend this day doing many other things. We had to miss visiting the DC9 plane wreckage and doing the Sólheimajökull glacier walk because I just HAD to go to Heimaey (I have a thing for little islands). Other things to see in the area include Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the hidden Seljavallalaug swimming pool, Skogafoss waterfall, Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara beach, and the black sand beach in Vik. If you did all these on this day, you wouldn’t have to backtrack your way the next day like we did.

Day 4: Vik to Hornafjörður

Highlights: Seljavallalaug, Skogafoss, Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara, Svartifoss, Jökulsárlón.
Where We Ate: Restaurant Vikurskali in Vik and Kaffi Horniđ in Höfn.
Where We Stayed: Guesthouse Skalafell (TripAdvisor reviews)

We were starving when we were back on the mainland from Heimaey the day before so we just drove past some attractions and head straight to Vik to get something to eat. That was the reason we had to backtrack a bit to visit Seljavallalaug, Skogafoss, Dyrholaey, and Reynisdrangar on this day. After visiting all those attractions, we had lunch in Vik and then continued driving east, stopping at a lot of scenic locations (don’t worry, you’ll see them), including Skaftafell National Park to see Svartifoss (from afar anyway). Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon, was definitely the big highlight of the day, and so was the Diamond Beach across the road from it. The guesthouse we were staying for the night is about 30 minutes east of Jökulsárlón and 35 minutes west of Höfn. Höfn is the closest town with restaurants. Thought I’d mention it.

Tip: If you have a plan to visit Fjallsárlón, do it on this day instead of the next day like we did. It would save a couple of hours of your time.

Day 5: Hornafjörður to Breiðdalsvík

Highlights: Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón, Djupivogur.
Where We Ate: Ósinn Restaurant in Höfn.
Where We Stayed: Hotel Stadarborg (TripAdvisor reviews)

This was another day on which we had to backtrack our route. This time it was because I wanted to see Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón’s less famous cousin. It’s located about 40 minutes drive away from the guesthouse, westward, so it really added to the driving time. We also made another stop at Jökulsárlón before driving to Höfn to have lunch and continuing driving East. We made a quick stop in Djúpivogur to check out its stunning waterfront. It was the only town between Höfn and Breiðdalsvík big enough to have all the amenities. We had to eat out of our snack bag that night because there were no restaurants close to our hotel and the weather was a little stormy that night.

Day 6: Breiðdalsvík to Borgarfjörður Eystri

Highlights: Hallormsstaður forest, Lake Lagarfljót, Skriðuklaustur, Borgarfjörður eystri, Hafnarholmi.
Where We Ate: Klausturkaffi in Skriðuklaustur, a bakery in Fellabær.
Where We Stayed: Blabjorg Guesthouse (TripAdvisor reviews)

This was a pretty eventful day as far as animal sighting goes. We saw a big herd of wild reindeer in the morning as we were driving towards the mountain pass and away from the hotel. Another animal sighting was of two horses running in the middle of the road towards the highland near Skriðuklaustur. My favourite sighting, of course, was of the puffins in Hafnarhólmi harbour. They were so cute and one of them practically posed for me. I must’ve taken at least a hundred photos of it. It was a lovely, sunny day and the lunch buffet at Klausturkaffi was amazing! It was also another night of eating out of the snack bag due to the lack of restaurants near the guesthouse. The guesthouse location is quite remote but I loved it because it’s right by the sea and surrounded by mountains. My kind of place.

Tip: If you’re planning a shorter Iceland vacation, skip Borgarfjörður Eystri and Ásbyrgi and head to Mývatn instead. On your way to Mývatn, you could still visit Hallormsstaður forest, Lake Lagarfljót, Skriðuklaustur, and have the amazing lunch buffet at Klausturkaffi. Additionally, you could also visit Dettifoss waterfall, Namafjall, Krafla calderas, and have a dip in Mývatn Nature Baths. Your next day would be Day 9.

Day 7: Borgarfjörður Eystri to Ásbyrgi

Highlights: Namafjall, Dettifoss, Husavik.
Where We Ate: Gamli Bistro in Reykjahlid and Salka in Husavik.
Where We Stayed: Hótel Skúlagarður (TripAdvisor reviews)

Our driving route on this day was a bit weird due to some road closures, but we made it work. Our original plan was to drive along the coast all the way north and then west towards Asbyrgi. That was a no-go because the road north (off the ring road) was still closed so we had to stick to the ring road and then drive north from Mývatn towards Husavik and then Asbyrgi. On a happier note, the road to Dettifoss that had been closed was open that day so we took advantage of our good luck to visit the most powerful waterfall in Europe! Well, it was an okay place. I would suggest you visit it in the summer or autumn when there’s not a boatload of snow around. It would make for a better view and a better experience, in my opinion.

Day 8: Ásbyrgi to Mývatn

Highlights: Ásbyrgi Canyon, Kopasker, the Arctic Henge, Hraunhafnartangi lighthouse, Krafla caldera, Mývatn Nature Baths.
Where We Ate: Gamli Baukur in Husavik.
Where We Stayed: Vogafjos Guesthouse (TripAdvisor reviews)

This day’s driving route was also a bit weird. There were places east of Asbyrgi that we wanted to visit and that we would’ve had if the road north had been open the day before. The plan was to drive as far east as Þórshöfn but we only made it up to Raufarhöfn before turning around. The road condition was pretty bad. It would’ve taken us forever to get to Þórshöfn. We did a little hike to Hraunhafnartangi lighthouse, which is the northernmost lighthouse in the mainland Iceland. Now we can brag that we’ve been only 800 meters away from the Arctic Circle. When we finally arrived in Mývatn where we’d be staying that night, we climbed up to Krafla’s Viti crater before soaking up our weary bodies in the hot water of the Mývatn Nature Baths. It was the perfect end to the day.

Day 9: Mývatn to Akureyri

Highlights: Grjótagjá, Dimmuborgir, Höfði, Goðafoss, Akureyrarkirkja.
Where We Ate: A non-descript restaurant between Myvatn and Godafoss, Greifinn in Akureyri.
Where We Stayed: Skjaldarvik Guest House (TripAdvisor reviews)

Time to visit some natural attractions around Myvatn! You could even do your own Game of Thrones tour if you’re interested. A lot of walking was done this day. I get tired just thinking about it. My favourite part of the day was seeing Goðafoss. It was my favourite waterfall in Iceland for a couple of days (fell in love with another one later). The walk around Höfði was a close second. After Goðafoss, we headed up to Akureyri, Iceland’s second biggest city. Unfortunately I was already too tired to do much exploring in Akureyri. We checked out the big Akureyri church (Akureyrarkirkja) up on a hill, visited a book store, and then checked ourselves in at the guesthouse. The guesthouse is located a little outside Akureyri but only about 10 minutes away. We had dinner in Akureyri that night.

Day 10: Akureyri to Skagafjörður

Highlights: Laufas, the Herring Era Museum, Hofsós swimming pool, statue of Jon Osmann the Ferryman.
Where We Ate: A non-descript restaurant in Siglufjordur, Ólafshús in Sauðárkrókur.
Where We Stayed: Guesthouse Hofsstadir (TripAdvisor reviews)

We woke up bright and early in the morning because we had tickets to a whalewatching tour from Dalvik that day. After breakfast (the homemade skyr was to die for), we headed out to Dalvik only to learn that the tour had been cancelled due to bad weather (it was raining). Disappointed and a little peeved because they hadn’t bothered to email us about the cancellation, we retraced our way back through Akureyri and to the other side of the fjord to visit Laufas. Then we went back to Akureyri, stopped at a bakery, checked out a couple of thrift stores, and continued our journey through the Tröllaskagi peninsula, stopping in Siglufjörður to have lunch and visit the Herring Era Museum, and in Hofsós to check out the very cool swimming pool and the basalt columns nearby. After checking in to the guesthouse, we went out for dinner in Sauðárkrókur.

Tip: If you’re planning a shorter Iceland vacation, skip Skagafjörður and head to Grundarfjörður instead but do visit the Day 11 highlights on your way there. Your next day would be Day 12.

Day 11: Skagafjörður to Grundarfjörður

Highlights: Glaumbaer, Borgarvirki, Hvitserkur, Svalbarð, Eiriksstadir.
Where We Ate: A bakery in Blonduos, Narfeyrarstofa in Stykkishólmur.
Where We Stayed: Hotel Framnes (TripAdvisor reviews)

It was our wedding anniversary and the sun was shining! Hvitserkur was the big highlight of the day for me. After seeing so many pictures all over the Internet of this unique rock formation, it felt great to finally see it in person with my own eyes. It was a bit like seeing an online friend in real life. Another highlight was seeing the seals sunbathing in Svalbarð. We made the mistake of not sticking to the ring road and took a road that, in theory, would take us to Snaefellsnes peninsula faster. Except it didn’t. The road was so full of potholes. It cost us a lot of time because we had to drive slowly. On the bright side, by taking this crappy road, we got to visit Eiriksstadir, the home of Erik the Red and the birth place of his son, Leif Eriksson. As the Icelanders would say, “þetta reddast” (it will all work out okay)! But seriously, your time in Iceland is valuable. When driving between Vatnsnes and Snaefellsnes peninsulas, stick to the ring road! You’ll be glad you did.

Day 12: Grundarfjörður to Snæfellsbær

Highlights: Kirkjufell, Djúpalónssandur, Rauðfeldar Canyon, Búðakirkja.
Where We Ate: A bakery in Olafsvik and Hobitinn in Olafsvik.
Where We Stayed: Guesthouse Langaholt (TripAdvisor reviews)

Ugh. I hate writing about this day. It was the day we were supposed to take a whalewatching tour from Olafsvik. I was really excited about it, especially since our tour from Dalvik was cancelled a couple of days back. We arrived in Olafsvik ahead of time just so that we’d have enough time to have lunch prior to the tour. After lunch, we stood at the marina waiting for the boat. Except it was the wrong marina, which we learned from a local lady. She told us follow her truck to the place where we were supposed to board the boat. Alas, the boat already left without us. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed some tears. I was in a foul mood for the rest of the day but forced myself to check out some sights anyway. I especially enjoyed Djúpalónssandur beach and Buđakirkja, the black church at Buđir. No restaurants near the guesthouse so it was another night of making dinner out of some snacks.

Tip: If you’re planning a shorter Iceland vacation, skip Snæfellsbær and head to Borgarnes instead. You would have the option to either visit this day’s highlights listed above or Day 13’s highlights. Your next day would be Day 14.

Day 13: Snæfellsbær to Borgarnes

Highlights: The Settlement Centre, Snorrastofa, Hraunfossar, Deildartunguhver.
Where We Ate: Settlement Centre restaurant and Matstofan in Borgarnes.
Where We Stayed: Hotel Hafnarfjall (formerly Hotel Bru) (TripAdvisor reviews)

It was raining pretty heavily when we left the guesthouse in the morning. We decided to spend the morning learning about the history of Iceland at the Settlement Centre in Borgarnes. After having lunch at the Settlement Centre restaurant, we headed out to Reykholt (not the Reykholt we went to have dinner on the second day) to learn more about Icelandic history at Snorrastofa. Having had enough of Icelandic history for the day, we decided to check out some natural attractions nearby before heading back to Borgarnes for hotel check-in and dinner. Hraunfossar was the highlight of the day. It was, in fact, my most favourite waterfalls in the whole Iceland, and I had seen more waterfalls than I could count by then! Don’t miss it.

Day 14: Borgarnes to Reykjavik

Highlights: Hvalfjörđur, Alafoss wool store, Reykjavik.
Where We Ate: A non-descript fast food joint in Mosfellsbaer, Mokka Kaffi and Noodle Station in Reykjavik.
Where We Stayed: Airbnb apartment (sign up to Airbnb using our referral link to receive $50 CAD/$40 USD on your first qualifying stay; we’ll receive some credits too!)

It was almost the end of the trip (boo-hoo!) and we were heading out to our final destination: Reykjavik. We took the long way there. Instead of taking the tunnel that would’ve taken us to Reykjavik in 1 hour and 30 minutes, we took the scenic route through the Hvalfjörđur (the Whale Fjord). I didn’t really care how long it would take us to get to Reykjavik. I didn’t want the road trip to end. Anyway, if you’re a fan of the Netflix series Sense8, you might recognize the church, Hallgrimskirkja (no, not the one in Reykjavik). The cemetery in the churchyard is the final resting place of the Riley Blue character’s baby and husband (boyfriend?). Hvalfjörđur is worth a detour if you like desolate places of natural beauty.

Tip: If you’re planning a shorter Iceland vacation, skip Hvalfjörđur, take the tunnel, and head to Reykjavik instead. Spend the rest of the day exploring Reykjavik. You can do the things we did on Day 15 on this day. Your next day could be the day you leave Iceland.

Day 15: Reykjavik

Highlights: Kolaportiđ, Penis Museum, Harpa, Hallgrimskirkja.
Where We Ate: Buddha restaurant (out of business), Vegamot in Reykjavik.
Where We Stayed: Airbnb apartment (sign up to Airbnb using our referral link to receive $50 CAD/$40 USD on your first qualifying stay; we’ll receive some credits too!)

Our top-floor Airbnb apartment was awesome! It was on the street right in front of the big Hallgrimskirkja church, only steps away from it. We had a great view of the church from the balcony. After staying in guesthouses and hotels for almost two weeks, it was nice to stay in a place that feels like home. On our last full day in Iceland, our goal was to find me a lopapeysa, the traditional Icelandic jumper. We heard that you could find one for cheap at the Saturday flea market, Kolaportiđ. I didn’t see anything I liked there. Long story short, I found one with a design I liked at Thorvaldsens Bazar. I wore it straight out of the shop. It was drizzling outside and I ended up smelling a bit like a wet sheep in my pure Icelandic wool jumper. In the evening, we went to see a one-man comedy show in Harpa called “How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes“. It was a hoot! You should see it if you have a chance.

Plan Your Iceland Road Trip

We took a direct flight to Iceland from Toronto with Icelandair. It was a red-eye and I saw the Northern Lights as we were flying over the Canadian Arctic! Best in-flight entertainment ever. We rented a Suzuki Swift with an automatic transmission from Blue Car Rental for our road trip. It was small but it did the job. We didn’t rent a 4×4 because we had no plans to take on any of the F-roads or the central highland mountain roads. We booked most of our accommodations through Hey Iceland (formerly Icelandic Farm Holidays), except for the ones in Hella and Grundarfjörður. I think their off-season rates (valid from October to April) are quite reasonable, and they include a continental breakfast buffet.

Driving around Iceland is a pleasure. The sceneries keep changing, and so does the weather. You can see a lot in a two-week Iceland road trip if you go between May and August because the days are long and it barely gets dark. I know we did when we went in mid-May. We shall soon see how much we’ll be able to see when we go in late October, which is the beginning of the winter season. I’ll keep you posted! If you have any questions about our itinerary, feel free to ask in the comment section below and I’ll try to answer the best I can.

The post 2 Weeks in Iceland: A Comprehensive Itinerary appeared first on Fjords & Firths.

There were so many Scottish Borders attractions that I wanted to see. Unfortunately some of them were already closed for the season in mid-October. I really should have done a better job researching the Scottish Borders attractions before our visit. We seem to have missed a lot of amazing sights! Admittedly, we only had one full day to explore the region and most if not all attractions had shorter opening hours in October (if open at all). We did thoroughly enjoy the few that we managed to visit.

Smailholm Tower

We stumbled upon Smailholm Tower on our way back from a day trip to England. It was almost sunset when we got there. Even though the tower was already closed for the season, it was still attracting visitors. We weren’t the only ones there, even that late in the day. I could see why. It is a magnificent structure on a hilltop with a nice sweeping view of the surrounding area.

Smailholm Tower was built in the 15th or early 16th century. It was built to protect its occupants from the sporadic English raids. Sir Walter Scott used to spend time at the tower in his youth and later in his life, he brought the famous English painter, J.M.W. Turner with him to the tower. Turner’s sketch of the tower was included in Scott’s Poetical Works. Only later did we realize that Smailholm Tower was the building on the cover of the Lonely Planet Scotland Travel Guide that we had with us!

The Wallace Statue

After our visit to Smailholm Tower, we headed towards Scott’s View. That’s when we stumbled upon the parking area of the Wallace Statue. It was getting late and I was getting tired. We didn’t really know how far the statue was from the parking lot. I decided to stay in the car while my husband went to investigate the statue. He came back about 15 minutes later with some pictures of the statue for me. He thought it was cool.

The Wallace Statue was made of red sandstone by John Smith of Darnick and was erected in 1814. It stands 31 feet high and depicts Wallace looking over the River Tweed. Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence, a hero.

Scott’s View

We arrived at Scott’s View just in time for the sunset. A couple other people also had the same idea as us. It was the perfect place to watch the sun go down at the end of a long day. The view over the valley was simply amazing, made even better by the warm, golden light brought by the sunset. We liked this spot so much we came back a couple of days later to appreciate the view in broad daylight.

Scott’s View is known to be one of the favourite views of Sir Walter Scott. According to a popular story, Sir Walter Scott stopped at this spot so often on the way to his home at Abbotsford, that his horses would stop without command. Sir Walter Scott sure knew a great spot when he saw one!

Melrose Abbey

We spent the last full day of the Scotland portion of our vacation exploring the famous abbeys of the Scottish Borders. Melrose Abbey was our first stop of the day. I was pretty excited about visiting this abbey as it seemed to be the most famous one of the bunch. I was ready to be wowed, and wowed I was. Amazing architecture, albeit in a ruined state! We climbed up a tower in the abbey through a narrow and steep staircase and was rewarded with a beautiful view of the surrounding area. I was freaking out on the way up and down but the view was worth it.

Melrose Abbey was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks and was the first Cistercian abbey in Scotland. The abbey is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. There’s even one of a bagpipe-playing pig! It’s famous for being the place where the Scottish King Robert the Bruce’s heart was buried (though it’s apparently never been proven to be true or untrue).

Dryburgh Abbey

Dryburgh Abbey was our next stop. I think out of the three abbeys we visited that day, this one was my favourite, but I’m not sure why. It just was. The abbey had a reading room with great acoustic (which is totally useless in a reading room, I suppose). I hummed a song in the room and my voice actually sounded better than it really was! It also had a lot of benches. I love benches! Maybe that was the reason I loved this abbey, but probably not. I don’t remember sitting on any of them. I guess I just liked its beautiful Gothic architecture.

Dryburgh Abbey was burned down so many times since its establishment in 1150, it’s not even funny. The last time it was burned down was in 1545. Not sure if there had been any attempts to restore it since. Anyway, this abbey is the final resting place of Sir Walter Scott. He was buried there after his death in 1829.

Jedburgh Abbey

I think Jedburgh Abbey was the most impressive one of the three abbeys we visited in the Scottish borders, in that it’s a large structure that’s still mostly intact. It was easy to imagine how magnificent it must have been in its glory days. And there were so many arches! Lots and lots of arches! There was a tower you could climb up to by a stairway for a bird’s eye view of the compound but I was tired and decided to give it a pass.

Founded in 1138 as a priory, Jedburgh Abbey has an interesting mix of Romanesque and Gothic architectures. It took 70 years to build, during which architecture style changed from Romanesque to Gothic. They had recreated a cloister garden with the same plants once used in the medieval abbey on one side of the building, which I found quite interesting. I wanted to explore more but, alas, it was closing time already.

Leaderfoot Viaduct

We came across the Leaderfoot Viaduct earlier in the day while driving from Dryburgh Abbey to Kelso (if I remember correctly). Opened in 1863 as a railway viaduct, it’s quite a young structure compared to the 900 years old abbeys we visited that day but it was still pretty impressive-looking.

There was a sign nearby pointing to the Roman settlement of Trimontium but we couldn’t really figure out where it was exactly. I think it might have been in the valley you could see from Scott’s View. We shall investigate when we get the chance to go back to Scotland.

Plan Your Trip

If you’re planning on visiting the Scottish Borders, you might want to consider getting the Scottish Borders Explorer Pass (£18.00 for one adult; £36.00 for 2 adults and up to 6 children). It covers entrance fee to some of the more popular Scottish Borders attractions, including all three abbeys plus Hermitage Castle and Smailholm Tower (the last two will already be closed for the season if you go in mid-October like we did, however). We rented our car from Alamo (the best deal we could find on automatic car rental) and booked our cottage in the Scottish Borders near Selkirk through Airbnb (sign up here for CA$50/US$40 credit to spend on your first stay).

We loved the Scottish Borders and wished we could have stayed longer. Next visit, we absolutely will! Seriously, the Scottish Borders are just as charming and beautiful as the Highlands but with much fewer tourists. If you like magnificent old ruins, fascinating history, and beautiful, bucolic landscapes, you should definitely add the Scottish Borders into your Scotland trip itinerary. You won’t regret it!

The post The Scottish Borders: Medieval Abbeys and Fascinating History appeared first on Fjords & Firths.

Airfares, accommodations, car rental, gas, and food are usually the costliest parts of a road trip. If you spend less money on those sectors, you could potentially stretch your budget a little further. It would in turn allow you to stay in Iceland longer so you could see more of this amazing country. Trust me, you want to stay longer!

We spent two weeks on our first road trip around Iceland and we still wished we could’ve stayed longer.

Time of Visit

Airfares, car rentals, and accommodations tend to cost less in the off-season, anywhere in the world. Iceland is no exception. Off-season in Iceland is typically from October to April (basically winter). For the longest daylight hours in winter and a chance to see the Northern Lights (if you’re lucky), I would suggest you go in October or April.

Longer daylight hours allows you to spend more time driving and sightseeing on your road trip. And who doesn’t want to see the Northern Lights? On the downside, some attractions and roads will still be closed for the season, but fear not, most attractions are open all year!

We went in May for our first trip because, in 2013, the month of May was still considered off-season. Unfortunately, as Iceland became a more popular tourist destination, it’s now considered high-season by the Icelandic tourism industry. We do feel very lucky to have had the chance to visit Iceland before the big tourism boom.

Airfares

PLAY Air is the budget option, but we’ve been flying Icelandair because we think their fares are fair for what we get (one checked baggage, one carry-on, one handbag/personal item, free soft drinks on board) and in the dozen times we flew with them, we always had a good experience. It’s just a matter of preference.

Here’s a little tip: Icelandair’s economy fares don’t fluctuate much all year but sometimes they do go lower. To catch the lower fares, set up a price watch for your preferred travel dates on Google Flights. You will receive a notification email from Google when the price changes. When you think the price is right, book the flights and pats yourself on the back.

Book your tickets early. The closer to the date, the more expensive they will cost.

Car Rentals and Gas

Our trick for a cheaper car rental is to always rent the smallest car available. Not just because of the lower cost but also because smaller cars tend to be more fuel-efficient. You won’t need to refuel as many times as you would a bigger car so you’ll spend less on Iceland’s very expensive gas.

However, there is a catch. In the off-season, the weather can be quite unpredictable and Iceland is prone to gale/hurricane force wind. Small cars can be harder to steer when it’s super windy so please drive carefully and according to weather and road condition. And maybe buff up your steering arms a bit before the trip.

Also, make sure your rental car has its winter/studded tires on, and please do stay on the ring road or paved roads when driving a small car in the off-season. It’s for your own safety.

To save yourself from having to pay for the airport shuttle busses to Reykjavik and then back to the airport at the end of your trip, pick up your rental car from and return it to the airport if possible (returning to a different location usually costs you extra). Not only will you save money, it will make your life a little easier, too!

Renting a car with manual transmission costs considerably less than renting one with automatic transmission. If you only know how to drive automatic, it might be worth it to learn how to drive manual before the trip.

Alternatively, find a travel companion who can drive manual and who is willing to drive the whole trip. Bonus point if you’re able split the car rental cost with him/her.

We always rent our car from Blue Car Rental, which is a reputable Icelandic company. If you book your car through our referral link, you get a 5% discount and a free extra driver! It’s a pretty good deal considering how expensive Iceland can be.

Accommodations

This is the area where you need to do a lot of research and price comparisons through online booking engines in order to find the best deals. When you did find a hotel with the best deal through a booking engine, make sure you visit the hotel’s website and see if you can get a better deal by booking directly.

Book early because the least expensive accommodations will get booked up fast. You also need to make sure that the accommodation cost includes breakfast. Having breakfast included is a money-saver and convenient. Camping, obviously, will save you even more but I wouldn’t recommend it in the off-season when the weather tends to be sketchy.

If you sign up for a Hostelling International membership and don’t mind staying in a dormitory-style room with other travellers, or a single room if you travel solo, it can be a good way to save money. Double rooms in hostels, however, are not quite budget-friendly in my opinion. They seem to cost as much as a budget hotel double room, if not more (correct me if I’m wrong).

In Reykjavik, unless you can find a budget hotel room with a decent rating (we’ve never had much luck with it in our two visits), you’d be better off staying at an Airbnb. If you choose to rent a private room instead of an entire home, it can be cheaper than a Reykjavik hostel room and you’ll get to stay with a local or a local family.

Some smaller, entire home can be quite affordable as well. As an added bonus, they usually come with a kitchen. Being able to cook your own food will save you money because eating out is expensive anywhere in Iceland.

If you don’t have an Airbnb account yet, sign up using our referral link to receive a CA$50/US$40 credit to spend on your first stay. You’ll also help support this site because we’ll get some credits too for our future trips!

Budget is super tight? Check out Couchsurfing. You might be able to crash on someone’s couch for free. However, only Reykjavik locations are available.

Food and Drinks

As mentioned above, booking accommodations that include breakfast is a good way to save money. If you stuffed yourself at breakfast, you could probably get by with having only snacks for lunch.

When we’re on a road trip, one of the first places we visit is usually a local grocery store. We would put together a “goodie bag” full of snacks like potato chips and chocolate bars, fruits like bananas and apples, and the staples: bread, butter, and jam. Go to Bonus, Netto, or Kronan supermarkets for the lowest prices.

If you really have to eat out, research the restaurant beforehand and check out the menu online, if possible. Find out how much it would cost. That way you avoid getting a sticker shock.

It also allows you to decide whether it’s within your budget to eat there, or if eating out of the “goodie bag” is a better option. Hotdogs, sandwiches/wraps, pizza, and fish and chips are among the least expensive food in Iceland. Many gas stations like N1 serve pretty decent hotdogs for cheap.

We enjoy visiting local bakeries when we’re travelling for a taste of local pastries and sweets. I would strongly recommend a visit to any bakery in Iceland. Baked goods are usually inexpensive and would make good snacks or even a light meal. My favourite Icelandic pastry is called kleina, a knot-shaped donut. Can’t get enough of them!

As for drinks, always pack your own reusable water bottle(s) when you travel to Iceland. Never buy bottled water! Iceland has one of the best quality drinking water in the world. You can get it for free out of the tap.

For alcoholic drinks, be sure to buy them from the duty free shop at the Keflavik airport when you arrive as alcohol is very expensive in Iceland. Or better still, don’t buy alcohol at all!

Tours and Activities

Organized tours and activities in Iceland are what I would call luxury items. They tend to be quite expensive and cost over $100 per person. But sometimes you just have to take a tour or an activity no matter how much they cost because it’s been on your bucket list forever. That is fine. Consider it a reward for watching your spending.

You might want to plan ahead and decide which tours or activities you’d like to splurge on and then stick to the plan. A visit to the Blue Lagoon was one of the two luxury items we splurge on on our first trip. The other splurge was on a lopapeysa, the traditional Icelandic handmade wool jumper. No regrets on both accounts.

Professionally Organized Iceland Road Trip on a Budget

If the whole trip planning thing sounds too daunting, you might want to consider booking a self-drive tour from Hey Iceland. I think their prices are quite fair, especially in the off-season. They do have some budget options. Plus, almost all of the accommodations in their network include breakfast.

We booked some of our accommodations through them on our first Iceland road trip and were not disappointed. They’re also sponsoring our next Iceland road trip in October this year (full disclosure!) but I wouldn’t have recommended them if we hadn’t used and been satisfied with their service in the first place.

Well, I hope this post helps you a little bit in making your dream Iceland road trip on a budget a reality. If you’re ready to make an itinerary, check out our itinerary for inspiration. Also, if anyone has any other tips to add to the list, please feel free to share in the comment.

Happy trip-planning!

The post How to Plan Your Dream Iceland Road Trip on A Budget appeared first on Fjords & Firths.

We have done a road trip around Iceland before in May 2013. It was the best trip ever, and the best two weeks I’ve ever spent travelling. We’d been dreaming of doing another Iceland road trip ever since we got back from that trip. Unfortunately, in the years that followed, the Canadian dollar only got considerably weaker and the Icelandic krona stronger. We’d had accepted the fact that we would have to save up for a little bit longer to be able to afford another trip around Iceland.

But then, unexpectedly, Hey Iceland, whose service we used to book most of our accommodations on our first Iceland road trip in 2013, contacted me about the many referrals they had been getting from my blog post about the trip. They subsequently offered to sponsor our next trip by covering the cost of our car rental and accommodations anytime in the winter season (October to April)! How awesome is that? I was so amazed by their generosity. After consulting with my equally amazed husband, I replied to them to thank them for their very kind offer and to let them know that we would be interested in doing another road trip in Iceland in late October this year!

Why Visit Iceland in Late October?

We decided to do another road trip around Iceland in late October for the following reasons:

• the average temperature would still be above the freezing point (4-6°C);
• there would still be enough hours of daylight to spend on exploring and sightseeing (about 8 hours, more or less);
• we might get to see the beautitul autumn colour;
• tourist attractions should be less crowded than in the summer months;
• and last but not least, the Northern Light season has already started!

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? The only possible downside is that October is supposed to be the wettest month in Iceland. But it rained a lot when we were in Iceland in May too and it didn’t bother us much. Definitely not a dealbreaker for us. Being budget travellers, we’re used to vacationing in the low season when the weather tends to be less than perfect.

So What’s the Plan?

Hey Iceland has offered me the Around Iceland in 11 Days self-drive package, which would be perfect for us. We would have the options to either make our own itinerary and pick the accommodations we’d like to stay at out of the 170 they have in their network, or let them figure it out for us. Having done this trip before, I’m leaning towards the former because, well, I’m a planner type. I love making my own itineraries and I think it’s great that this tour package allows me to do so. If you’ve never been to Iceland before, however, I would recommend you book one of their self-drive tour packages and let them plan your itinerary or you risk missing out on many attractions like we did!

Our original plan was to visit the region of Westfjords, but we noticed there isn’t much going on in Westfjords in the winter season. If we did another trip around the Iceland ring road, we would be able to visit the many attractions that we missed on our first trip and re-visit some old favourites. Even the attractions we’ve already seen in May might look different in October due to different seasons and lights. And so it’s decided: another road trip around Iceland in late October it is!

What Are Our Expectations?

At the very least, I’m hoping that in late October, the area around Dettifoss would be less snowy. Dettifoss in Northeast Iceland is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. When we were there, we had to walk through a sheet of ice in the parking lot followed by a deep layer of snow on the trail that led to the waterfall. It wasn’t overly fun, and I think Dettifoss would look even more beautiful without all the snow and ice around it.

I’m also hoping that in late October, the Viti crater lake would still be ice- and snow-free. That way, we would be able to enjoy the beautiful turquoise colour the lake is famous for. Viti is also located in Northeast Iceland, not far from Lake Myvatn. We couldn’t see its brilliant colour when we were there due to the ice and snow piling up on its surface.

Need More Convincing?

Here’s a video someone made while they were doing the ring road trip around Iceland in October last year (spoiler: it looks really good and they even managed to squeeze the Westfjords in!):

I really can’t wait for October! But first, I need to get through this winter, the upcoming spring, and the much dreaded summer. And find a flight deal (booked our flights!). Oh well. We’ll get there eventually. I just have to be very, very patient. I will keep you updated as our plan is taking shape.

Have you ever done a road trip around Iceland in late October? Or are you planning to? Let’s share tips and experiences!

The post Iceland in Late October: The Grand Plan appeared first on Fjords & Firths.

After we got all our luggage back, which took forever due to the bad weather, we hopped on a shuttle bus for the 45 minute drive to the heart of Reykjavik. There are two companies that run shuttle busses from the airport to Reykjavik and vice versa, but we’ve always gone with Grayline because they charged slightly less than the other company. We’ve been quite pleased with their service so far.

We stayed at a cozy apartment we rented through Airbnb for two nights. Our host was very friendly and accommodating. She had no problem granting our request for a late check-out on the last day as our plane back to Canada didn’t leave until 5pm. If not for our gracious host, we would’ve had to carry our luggage for a couple of hours around town while waiting for the airport shuttle bus to pick us up! That wouldn’t have been fun, especially in the wet weather we were having that day.

If you’re not an Airbnb member yet and you would like to give it a try, sign up using our referral link and we’ll all get CA$40/US$35 to spend on a stay! We’ve used Airbnb to find a place to stay the two times we were in Reykjavik and had only good experience. It cost us less than a hotel room and we got to experience living like a local. If you’d like to know where we stayed, feel free to ask.

Where We Wandered

We had already been to a few popular Reykjavik attractions like the big Hallgrimskirkja church, Harpa concert hall, and the, uh, Penis Museum on our first visit three years ago so we didn’t give them a proper visit. Our plan for the one full day we had in Reykjavik was to visit the spots we had missed on our first visit, of which there were plenty. Here’s how we ended up spending the day:

Tjörnin Pond by the Reykjavik City Hall

This was our first stop. The pond is a good place to take in a lovely view of the Reykjavik skyline, for checking out the waterfowls, and also for seeing some interesting public arts. While the downtown streets are screaming “tourist resorts”, I found the pond area quite authentic and very Icelandic. I loved it there. The Reykjavik City Hall building itself has an interesting architecture. It’s worth checking out if you’re into that sort of thing.

I got my husband to take some pictures of me with a couple of the statues. I know it’s silly but I was in a silly mood!

The Reykjavik Grapevine has a good list of Reykjavik statues that would’ve made a good guide but I forgot to consult it when I was there. Oh well.

The Harbour

Next, we headed out to the harbour. The Harpa concert hall is the landmark at the harbour. You won’t miss it. You can’t miss it. It’s an architectural wonder. On our previous visit, we saw a comedy show called “How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes” at Harpa, which we thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend seeing if you had a chance. This time, we only went into Harpa to take a break from walking for a bit and enjoy the sights as there were no shows scheduled for that day.

Another point of interest at the harbour is Sólfar or Sun Voyager, the Viking boat statue. It was a very popular spot, so much so that I had to wait a while before I could take a picture of the statue with no one within the shot.

Even just walking by the harbour was kind of nice. I love being able to smell the ocean and just generally being close to the sea. I’m an island girl after all. As the cliché goes, you can take the girl out of the island but you can’t take the island out of the girl! Or something to that effect.

The rest of downtown Reykjavik

The rest of downtown Reykjavik comprises mostly of shops, dining and drinking establishments, and hotels. Still lovely and colourful, but quite touristy, especially on Laugavegur, the main shopping street. Skólavörðustígur is another popular street. That’s the street you see in most photos taken from up the tower of Hallgrimskirkja church. We stayed in a top-floor apartment on Skólavörðustígur on our first visit to Reykjavik and we still like to call the street “our street.”

We sat on a bench by Laugavegur for a little while and did some people-watching. It was fun, and free! We also did some window-shopping. The only thing we bought was a wooden sheep from a Danish chain store called the Flying Tiger on Laugavegur 13. It was a bit like a higher-end dollar store, except everything cost more than a dollar but still mostly affordable. If you like cute or novelty stuff or are looking to buy souvenirs or a gift, you should definitely check out that store. (Hmm, I just noticed that there are some Flying Tiger stores in New York as well. Interesting.)

Also worth checking out is the street art you can see all over downtown Reykjavik. They are not unauthorized graffitis but actually artwork done by various artists commissioned by the city. They usually have some new street art up just before the annual Iceland Airwaves music festival that takes place at the end of autumn or beginning of winter in Reykjavik every year.

Oh, I almost forgot. Did you know that Reykjavik is famous for its cats? There’s even a Facebook page dedicated to them. And we got to pet one! If you love cats, you’ll love Reykjavik.

And that is how we spent that lovely autumn day in Reykjavik. We were expecting the day to be rainy but it turned out to be quite dry, though still grey, cold, and a little windy. We were a bit sad that we didn’t get to see the Northern Lights due to the unfavourable weather, but there’s always next time. Trust me, once you visit Iceland, you’ll want to visit it over and over again! Not good for the wallet!

Where We Ate

Speaking of wallets, we only dined at wallet-friendly places during our (way too short) stay, since we always travel on a budget. But even the wallet-friendly eateries in Reykjavik aren’t really what we’d call cheap. Still, the following places shouldn’t break the bank (much):

The Noodle Station on Laugavegur 86

We had dined here before on our first visit to Reykjavik three years ago and enjoyed it so much, we had to go back. We actually had dinner here two nights in a row! The first night we had the chicken noodle soup and the second night beef noodle soup. They both had the exact same tasty broth. A bowl of soup cost about CA$16. Not overly cheap but quite filling and nice to have on a cold night. They also had an option with vegetable instead of meat and it cost a lot less.

I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen to try to come up with a copycat recipe for the Noodle Station soup ever since we got back from the trip and I think I’m on the right track. Definitely getting there. I might post the recipe here one day, once I’ve come up with something that tastes very close to it. Just watch this space!

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the famous hotdog stand on Tryggvatagata 1

Coming from Harpa, you would have to go through some unsightly construction zones to get there, and once you’re there, you might have to stand in line for a little while, but it would all be worth it. I had one with everything and it was simply the best hotdog I’ve ever had, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t usually like hotdogs. It cost about CA$5 for a single hotdog, and it wasn’t even a foot-long hotdog. Definitely not cheap, but still, you might want to order at least two. You would be CA$10 poorer but at least you wouldn’t regret not having another one like I do. We had one each for lunch. It filled us up for an hour or two.

This was our first visit to the hotdog stand, by the way. We had walked by it but my husband had been too afraid to give it a try three years ago! My loss, really. I actually enjoyed the hotdog more than he did.

Korniđ Bakery on Laekjargata 4

This bakery is located between Tjörnin and the Harbour. Had to stop there because I had a hankering for kleina, my favourite Icelandic pastry. It is basically a knot-shaped donut but denser than the regular donut and has the sweet and citrusy scent of cardamom. I bought one plain kleina and a chocolate-dipped one. They were bigger than the regular kleina. I ended up eating one and packing the other one to have later. They were about CA$2.50 each. I actually liked the traditional plain kleina better than the chocolate-dipped one.

Eldur & Ís on Skólavörðustígur 2

We stopped here to have some ice cream even though it was a pretty cold day (we’re Canadian after all). I had the Daim ice cream, which was good, but not as good as the Ferrero Rocher ice cream I’d had at the same place three years ago (it wasn’t available that day). This place is supposed to be famous for its crépes, but we’ve never had any. Next time!

Sandholt Bakery on Laugavegur 36

We went there to have breakfast on our last day in Reykjavik but we couldn’t find a table so we just bought some cinnamon buns and had them at our apartment. I don’t remember how much they cost but their stuff is not the cheapest. They used to have kleinur (that’s plural for kleina) for sale three years ago but apparently not anymore. It’s also worth mentioning that Sandholt is one of the oldest bakeries in Iceland, founded in 1920. Historical!

I love Reykjavik. It’s small enough to not give me anxiety and also very walkable. We actually walked a whopping 10km on the only full day we had there. My legs didn’t like me very much after that, but it was totally worth the pain. I’d do it all over again! And Reykjavik in October is lovely and not overly packed with tourists. Almost felt like our visit to the city in May years ago. Can’t wait to go back this October!

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Our destination shortlist included Iceland (again!), Wales, the Azores, and Scotland. A trip to Iceland ended up being too expensive for our liking. Wales was too fussy. The Azores seemed lovely and was the cheapest destination of all, but in the end, I decided to save it for another time.

After doing tonnes of research, I found out that Scotland is actually less expensive than Iceland–at least in terms of accommodations and car rentals–and is just as stunning. Plus, the husband loves Scotland. He went there 13 years ago and still couldn’t stop talking about it. Scotland it is then!

The following is how we planned our trip.

Finding the Best Airfares

Finding cheap airfares to Scotland wasn’t easy at all. I had to enter so many combination of dates into Google Flights before I could find a combo that cost us less than 700CAD per person, with some conditions: it would have to be in October, wasn’t a direct flight, but it was with Icelandair.

In order to get this price, we would have to have a stopover in Iceland on the way back. How could we say no to an Iceland stopover? We love Iceland! We booked our flights just before the price went up by 50%. Aren’t we lucky buggers.

Figuring Out an Itinerary

Next, I had to decide where we wanted to go in Scotland. Or rather, where I wanted to go since the husband was no help. Every time I asked him where he wanted to go, he’d say, “I’ll go wherever you want to go.” Aaaaargh! I want to go everywhere and see everything but I can’t, can I? Some help with the decision would be very helpful here! Geez Louise! It was so frustrating.

At the peak of my frustration, I came upon a BBC Travel article about Scotland’s North Coast 500 and it sounded amazing, so I thought, what the heck. We’re doing it! I’ve actually known about the North Coast 500 (NC500) route since its launch in 2014. The pictures I saw on the NC500 website took my breath away.

I remember sending the website link to the husband, jokingly saying, “Next trip!” And here we are two years later: we’ve got the plane tickets and accommodations all booked! Dreams do come true!

All in all, we’re going to spend 12 days mostly driving around the northern part of Scotland and the Scottish Borders, followed by 2 nights in Reykjavik, Iceland on the way back. Excitement level: 11.

I still have yet to make a list of all the places/attractions I want to see along the way and put them together in the form of an itinerary. I’m still sad that I won’t be able to see everything Scotland has to offer in 12 days but I’ve kind of finally accepted the fact. We could always come back some other year to see what we miss, I guess.

I also think it’s a good idea to do the NC500 this year because the route is only going to become more popular. It’s been featured in a bunch of popular travel publications/websites. I’d imagine the cost of accommodations in the area is only going to go up as the route’s popularity rises. Better get to it while it’s still affordable!

Booking Accommodations

My biggest gripe during the trip planning is definitely in the Bed & Breakfast (B&B) booking department. We’ve decided to stay at B&Bs instead of hotels for the first week of the trip because we’re on a budget (as always). While many B&Bs in Scotland have a website, a good number of them still don’t have a seamless way to check for availability/book a room online. You still need to email them and wait.

It’s a bit of a pain for some of us who are used to living in the 21st century. I wouldn’t bother emailing one for availability/booking unless I really, really had to, to be honest. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many B&B options in the north coast so I had to email some of them in order to find a room as a last resort.

Scotland in Autumn, and on a Budget

I shall get back to you once I’ve made a somewhat solid itinerary. The two Scotland guidebooks in the photo above should be able to help me. I got them from thrift stores, by the way. They are (surprisingly) the latest edition from both publishers, so the information should still be mostly up-to-date.

The Lonely Planet one is missing the pull-out Edinburgh map, but we should be able to obtain one easily from a visitor centre. Those books are rather expensive new. We actually saved quite a bit by thrifting them.

Autumn can’t come soon enough! But first, I need to get through this hot, hot summer. Sigh. I hate summer…

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Having been to Iceland before, we already know what to expect and what we want to see, where to go, how to get there and so on. Well, at least we kind of know what to expect. We’ve never been to Iceland in April before and googling “Iceland in April” didn’t really bring any results that could satisfy my curiosity or that basically said “go to Iceland in April, it’s the best time ever!” which is what I’d really like to hear.

What’s Iceland in April Like?

I found out in my research that in April there’ll be daylight between 6 in the morning and 9 in the evening (13 hours of daylight at the beginning of the month and 16 by the end), the temperatures will be hovering between 0 to 5° Celsius (32-41° F), and the weather could be either snowy or rainy, depending on our luck. Doesn’t sound too bad to me. I think I can handle that! (Full disclosure: I’m Canadian and used to cold, wintry weather.)

Trying to pack light, however, is going to be a big pain in the butt since I will need to pack my bulky winter coat. It may not seem that cold, but trust me, packing a good winter coat is always a good idea because I know for sure that Iceland is super windy (wind makes cold temperatures feel colder), which I doubt I will ever need in Paris. But I’ll worry about it later.

Oh, did I say Paris? Well, you might have heard that if you fly with Icelandair, you are entitled to a free stopover in Iceland for up to 7 nights. Our plan is to spend a week in Paris, France first (because I would like to know what the fuss about Paris in the springtime is all about; have you been?), and then we’re going to do the one week stopover in Iceland on our way back.

Since it still gets dark at night in April in Iceland, there is a slight chance that we might see the Northern Lights! I also read that puffins start to go back to land in April to breed so there is also the slight chance that we might see those funny birds again.

Add to that the fact that April is still in the low-season, which means smaller crowds, affordable hotel room rates, and the slightly cheaper car rental cost to the equation and you too will think that visiting Iceland in April is the best idea ever.

Of course with the climate change in progress, messing up weather patterns everywhere, April could totally be a bust and we could end up being stuck in a late winter storm for days, but I’ll take my chances. I’ve never been one to let the weather hold me back from having a great time while on vacation. The way I see it, crappy weather makes for some exciting photo opportunities! Plus, my husband is an excellent driver. We drive through treacherous weather condition pretty much every winter (we live in rural Canada after all) and he’s always brought us home safe.

Since we will only have one week to spend in Iceland this time, we’re not going to do the drive around Iceland like we did the last time. We’re just going to spend a couple of days in Reykjavik and then rent a car and spend the rest of the week driving as far as Jökulsárlón (the famous glacial lagoon) in Southeast Iceland and back, stopping at some old favourites and some other places of interest we missed on our first visit along the way. I think it’s doable.

What I’m Packing

After putting a little more thought into my packing list, I think if I just wear my winter coat over what I’m planning to wear in Paris (sweaters/cardigans over long-sleeve tops) and wear fleece-lined leggings under my pants, I’ll survive Iceland just fine.

Definitely need to make sure my hiking boots are still waterproof, though I’m considering getting an insulated pair, just for the trip. My ideal pair of hiking boots would be mid-top ones that are insulated/winterproof, waterproof, and have good tractions. I like mid-tops because I need ankle-support. My ankles are not exactly the strongest parts of my body. Plus, with a mid-top, you get less chance of getting your feet wet when crossing a stream, or when walking on a beach and a sneaker wave hits you.

Of course I’ll also have to pack an insulated winter hat (we call them toques around here) and gloves, a scarf, and some merino wool socks to keep me warm. Oh, Iceland will be surprised to see how ready I am for whatever weather it’s planning to throw at me.

I’m really looking forward to visiting Iceland for the second time, admittedly more than I’m looking forward to visiting Paris for the first time. But then again, I might fall in love with Paris the way I did Iceland when I get there. You’ll never know! April can’t come soon enough.

Have you been to Iceland in April? Or are you planning to? If you plan to rent a car, I’d recommend Blue Car Rental. We’ve rented from them multiple times with no issue. If you book through this link, you get a 5% discount and a free extra driver!

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Granted, we also had access to Google Maps on my tablet but we only ever used it to navigate our way around Akureyri and Reykjavik, two of Iceland bigger cities, which our paper map didn’t cover very well. So, here are some tips and resources that should help you navigate Iceland stress-free:

• Get hold of an Iceland map (Google Maps will do) and get yourself acquainted with it before you go. Check out where all the places you want to visit are located and figure out the most sensible route and itinerary. If making itineraries is not your strong point, check out some Icelandic tour operator websites. More often than not, they have some self-drive tour itineraries available on their websites (hint: do a Goole search for “Iceland self-drive itinerary”) that you can use without you having to book a tour with them (don’t worry, they wouldn’t know). Alternatively, you can check out our itinerary. It even comes with a map you can save into your Google Maps app!
• Research your destinations well, including how many hours of driving it takes to get from Point A to Point B (Google Maps can help you with this). If you’ve driven for longer than the estimated time but still haven’t seen your destination, you might not be on the right track. 15-30 minutes over the estimated time is usually enough to make me take a better look at the map.
• Have the address or the name of your destinations handy so you can just point at a name if you need to ask for directions because, let’s face it, Icelandic place names aren’t the easiest to pronounce and you’re likely to pronounce it wrong if you try. Don’t be afraid to ask the locals if you need help. Icelanders are very helpful and friendly and a great number of them speak English fairly well.
• Pay attention to the road signs. As I mentioned above, Iceland roads are pretty well-marked. If you pay attention to the signs, you won’t get lost. The beautiful scenery may distract you from paying attention to anything else, but it can be done if you try hard enough.
• If you really have to, by all means, rent a GPS unit with your car, but please keep your common sense intact and keep in mind that there are multiple places in Iceland with the same name. If you follow your GPS blindly, you could arrive at the wrong place with the right name. That’s why it helps to know, at least roughly, where you’re going.
• Having a good travel guide book also helps. Need a free download of an Iceland travel guide book with GPS coordinates of many attractions? Here’s a link to the one I find most useful for a self-drive tour.

For our second trip to Iceland this year, we’ll be bringing my copy of the International Photographer map of Iceland. The map is waterproof, foldable, and, not only does it show all sorts of places of interest all over Iceland, it also highlights great places to photograph! We didn’t have this map the first time we went to Iceland and I’m very excited to finally be able to use it soon. I will also download an offline map of Iceland into my tablet from Google Maps, just in case. You can learn how to do it here. Maps are your friends!

I hope you find the tips and resources I posted above somewhat helpful. Have fun navigating Iceland and have a great road trip!

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