Okay, we've talked about what to do and what to bring to your trip to Iceland, here are some more tips you should know before heading into this magical world.
When is the best time to visit Iceland?
I truly believe early autumn or late spring is the best time for your first trip to Iceland because you'd be able to get a bit of everything out of this trip. Here are some things to be considered when you're deciding on your travel dates.
June to August
Summer is for sure the most popular season to visit Iceland, thanks to the longer hours of sunlight available. Tourists from around the world come here for the midnight sun, hiking trails and sort-of milder weather. But it also means that prices for everything would be driven even higher, and everywhere would be packed with tourists. Iceland is definitely a destination better appreciated without crowds, as I feel like it ruins the mysterious vibes of the otherworldly landscapes.
September to November
Despite being the shoulder season, I find visiting Iceland in the autumn allows you to get a bit of everything this amazing country can offer. You need dark skies in order to see the magical northern lights, which you would get from September to March. Another reason why I believe September is one of the best months to visit Iceland is that the F-roads are usually still open, which means that you can head into the highlands, arguably the best part of Iceland, for hiking and outdoor activities. The prices for accommodations would be a bit more affordable too.
December to February
As its name suggests, Iceland does get pretty icy and snowy during its harsh winters. The ice and snow surely provide an extra layer of charm for its epic landscapes. Winter weather can make roads icy and challenging to navigate. The F-roads would definitely be closed. Winter is the prime time to witness the Northern Lights in Iceland as the nighttime is longer. But it also means that there are fewer hours of daylight for sightseeing.
March to May
Spring is a magical time to visit Iceland. As the winter snow begins to melt, vibrant green hues emerge, painting the valleys and hillsides with new life. The arrival of spring brings a sense of renewal, with the promise of longer daylight hours and milder temperatures.
The best time to visit Iceland is the time that you have on your hands. There simply is no wrong timing. It really just depends on what you would like to do or what mood of landscapes you would like to see.
How many days do I need?
You would need at least 7 days to drive through the entire Ring Road, maybe ten days to get to see everything properly. It is also a great idea to leave a few more days for a detour into the highlands. We did a 14-day road trip and I still feel like we did not have enough time to explore everything as we skipped the Westfjords.
If you don't have enough time, some people would opt for only exploring the South coast of Iceland. This is because most of the main tourist attractions are in the South, including the Golden Circle, waterfalls like Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, the black sand beach, and also glacier lagoons. They are also more closely located in the South, whereas you might need to drive for hours before arriving at another stop in the North. This is also why the South can be far more crowded than the North.
I personally found the Golden Circle a bit overrated, so I would skip it if I was short on time.
You can check out my detailed itinerary here.
How do I get around in Iceland?
With such a tiny population, it is safe to assume that while public transportation is available in Iceland, especially in urban areas, it is often unavailable in remote regions. So if you want to do the Ring Road or just to see most of the insane landscape here, you would need to rent a car. From choosing a rental company to driving on unfamiliar roads, I know it can be very daunting. But with every turn comes a new scenery that takes your breath away, I can assure you it is worth it.
What type of car should I rent?
It totally depends on the season you go and what your itinerary is. We went in early autumn and planned to visit the highlands. The highlands, located in the middle of Iceland, is an area with the most otherworldly landscapes I've ever seen. They can only be reached via F-roads, rough, unpaved gravel roads, closed during winter and only accessible in a 4×4 SUV vehicle. Even if you don't plan to visit the highlands, some of the attractions along the Ring Road, for example, Dettifoss and Mulagljufur Canyon, and some of the accommodations can only be reached by unpaved roads too. Thus I believe that renting a 4x4 vehicle would be the most versatile and suitable for driving in Iceland.
As for the car model, we picked the Dacia Duster, based on our budget. We saw numerous Dusters in the car parks we stopped in. It is definitely one of the more popular cars to rent here. I think it does its job well, I felt safe and comfortable in it. I really enjoyed the seat heating function. It is a compact SUV but was spacious enough for two people. Kia Rio is a similar car that we saw a lot on the road too.
We opted for a local company as their insurance policies are more tailored to the condition we would be driving in. We rented through Lotus Rental Car. Since we knew we were going to drive on F-roads with possible river crossings, we went with the platinum insurance package, which basically included everything. They told us we could have returned them back with a chunk of metal we would be fine. It gave us a peace of mind. And they did not even check the vehicle we returned.
What type of car insurance should I get?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you choose your insurance packages. Simply put, gravel, sand and ash protection is a must. It can be extremely windy in Iceland. Stories of doors being blown off are often heard. You can prevent it by opening the car door with both hands, but still, having insurance would be a much safer option. Windshields or windows being cracked by gravel or rocks kicked up by other vehicles are also common. Driving conditions in Iceland can be rough on the car, it's essential to have adequate insurance coverage to protect yourself and the vehicle.
How to fill fuel in Iceland?
Lotus Rental also provided us with benefits like a discount for gas at N1 gas stations, which is one of the most widely available gas stations in the country. Since credit cards from Hong Kong do not come with a PIN, we got fuel cards in cities at gas stations with staff. A lot of the gas stations along the Ring Road are self-served without staff presence. Refilling by yourself is not too hard to comprehend. There are instructions listed. One thing you need to be aware of is the type of fuel your car takes. Since using the wrong fuel is something that is not covered by insurance.
Other things to know before driving in Iceland
Off-road driving is completely illegal in Iceland. It can have severe environmental consequences, including soil erosion, vegetation damage, and disruption to wildlife habitats. Iceland's delicate ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to human impact, and even minor disturbances can have long-lasting effects. It's essential to minimize your environmental footprint and practice responsible driving behaviour.
You are required to keep your headlights on at all times.
The speed limit is 90 km/h on the Ring Road outside towns, 80 km/h on unpaved roads, and 50 km/h in populated areas.
Some of the car parks at tourist attractions require a parking fee. It was an expense that couldn't be avoided. Paying is easy. There is an app called Parka. You can pay via the app. There are cameras at the entrances of the car parks, so don't cheap out and just pay the fee if you want to stop there.
As road conditions can vary by day in Iceland, I would recommend you check it before you set off each day, on road.is.
All of the suggestions above might sound scary and offputting. But I can assure you we had the time of our lives driving through the bumpy F-roads in the highlands. It was the highlight of my whole trip. My partner drove the whole time as I didn't have a driver's license. It was his first time driving on F-roads too and we live in Hong Kong and the UK so we were used to driving on the opposite side of the road, but there weren't any issues.
If driving is not an option for you, you can still join organized excursions offered by tour companies, but it would certainly be less flexible than exploring at your own pace.
What is my budget for visiting Iceland?
I'm not gonna sugarcoat this but travelling in Iceland is expensive. There are several things that we can budget on and there are things that I think are non-negotiable. The car insurance I mentioned, the fuel, and the tours we joined are things that have a set price. We stayed in mid-range accommodations. I would recommend booking as early as possible as the cheapest options are quite limited there. I also made sure kitchens were available in each of the accommodations so we could cook at night.
As for things that we can minimise our expenses on, food is definitely one of them. Eating out in Iceland can be super expensive, think double the price of London or Hong Kong. We dined out a couple of times and found it not worth it. There aren’t always restaurants to choose from anyway for lunch as you would mostly be on the road. We mainly bought our groceries in Bonus, a supermarket chain abundant along the Ring Road. Fresh items like meat can be up to 6x the price of the same item in London, while cupboard items can be 2-3x the price in London. We have also brought some pasta, instant noodles, canned corn, and seasonings from home to further minimize our expenses.
What to buy in Iceland?
With that said, there still are a couple of things I think are worth buying in Iceland. A hand-knitted wool sweater is one of them, as they are typically of high quality. I got mine from the Handknitting Association of Iceland in Reykjavik. There are many patterns to choose from, and you can also be sure that they are authentic. They can be quite expensive though. I got mine in child-size so it is a little bit better. But you can get a tax refund at the airport for this. The staff would teach you how to do that when you make a purchase.
What to eat in Iceland?
As for food, we splurged on lamb chops, lamp soup, salmon fillets, and lobster soup and we really enjoyed these. Skyr is a thick & creamy Icelandic yoghurt that is heavily recommended, but they are also available in supermarkets in London so we did not try any on this trip.
I also saw people recommending 66°North, but they also have branches in London so we did not pay any visits in Iceland.
In total, we spent 25k HKD (£2.5k) per person for a 14-day trip.
Should I bring my drone to Iceland?
Iceland is heaven for landscape photographers. I'm sure you can find better tips online on how to shoot those landscapes. But there are a few things I would like to highlight. Registering to fly a drone there is not hard. It is the same for every country in the EU. We registered ours already when we went to the Dolomites previously. However, people would say it is not worth it to bring a drone to Iceland, as the wind can be quite gnarly there. There simply aren't too many opportunities to fly it. While I do believe it is worthwhile to bring a drone, I also believe it is important to respect the local drone rules. If people continue to disregard the rules, continue to fly in no-drone zones, and continue to be irresponsible, it will be hard to justify continue letting people fly their drones there. There are signs everywhere reminding you of the no-drone zones. So please be responsible for how and where you fly your drone.
Other photography tips for Iceland
Another issue I encountered is that most of the photos I bookmarked on social media were shot in fenced-off areas. I do give them a benefit of doubt as the exact location of fences changes. As I have explained previously, Iceland's delicate ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to human impact due to its unique geological features, sparse vegetation, and fragile soil. Veering off-trail can lead to soil erosion, vegetation damage, and disruption of wildlife habitats, causing irreparable harm to the environment. Fenced-off cliffs can also be very fragile. Staying on trails would also be crucial for your safety.
Respecting nature and respecting the local rules can help minimize the impacts tourists have on the environment, but also ensure we can still visit these locations in the future.
I have already explained how to pack and what to wear in Iceland, you can check it out here.
For videos on how insane the scenery is, you can check out my video here.
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