2 weeks road trip through Iceland – chasing Northern Lights
2 weeks road trip through Iceland – chasing Northern Lights
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Iceland has become a very popular destination for travelers from all over the world. Especially in the summer months the small island at the rim of the Arctic Circle can get quite crowded in some places. We decided to beat the crowds and explore the country in the Winter. Not only are there far less tourists, but you also have a good chance to see an Aurora Borealis, the magical northern lights! So we booked our flights to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve exploring Iceland by car.
Arriving in Reykjavik (Day 1-2)
Most international flights will arrive at Kevlavik Airport which is the closest Airport to the capital of Iceland – Reykjavik. It’s a 45min drive from the Airport into the city and we booked a shuttle bus (FlyBus) online in advance. But if you prefer, you can just buy a ticket when you arrive. If you want a more exclusive transfer or a cheaper option, there are private shuttles and public busses available. It was so cold in Reykjavik, in the evening we went into the centre in a snow storm. Bring warm clothes!
Where to stay?
Since our flight arrived with a five hour delay, we were glad that we already planned to stay in a hotel in Reykjavik for our first night. Iceland is expensive, we didn’t find a single hotel under 100€ for that night. We decided to stay in the “Reykjavik City Park Hotel”. Everything was new and clean, the breakfast was nice and the city center was a 15 minutes walk away.
After we checked in and got an emergency snack at the reception, we decided to gather our first impressions of Iceland in the illuminated streets of Reykjavik! Fortunately all the stores where opened until 11 – 11:30 pm!
Renting a Car
There are many car rentals available on Iceland. We booked one in advance and made sure to get a 4×4. Although the tracks through the highlands are closed during winter, the conditions on the main roads can be challenging enough. We would definitely go for the 4×4 again!
Off to Akureyri in the North and dogsledding (Day 2-4)
We really wanted to visit Akureyri in the North, since it was the only place where dogsledding tours weren’t fully booked. There is one big ring road around Iceland, most of the times the streets are accessible in the winter, have a look at road.is the day before, since the weather can change quickly. Sometimes parts of the ring road are locked spontaneously due to heavy snow storms.
Driving along the coast with the fjords and glaciers in the background looks incredibly beautiful. It truly feels like your entering arctic zones. Due to the Iceland’s northern latitude the light and the colours of the land are incredibly pastel, almost like a painting.
1. Driving North to Akureyri through snow and mountains
After a good breakfast in our hotel we picked up our car at 10 am and got an upgrade from the cheapest 4×4 we could choose. Next thing on our list was shopping for all the things we would need. Due to the high prices we couldn’t afford eating in restaurants and hotels all the time, so we had to buy some groceries. We also realized that stores wouldn’t be open for the next few days because of Christmas. After picking up a lot of food we bought a SIM at a gas station. Our last stop was a ATM to get some cash. The ATM decided to keep one of our two Credit Cards and bank itself was already closed. There was a very kind Icelandic couple helping us to call the hotline of the bank, but the callcenter was already closed too. We gave up and started out trip to the town of Akureyri a lot later than we planned.
The road to Akureyri, with all its mountains and the wild coast was beautiful. It started to snow and and we really enjoyed the drive. Since we started late and the sun sets really early we had some beautiful views of the the stars when the clouds finally disappeared. We actually saw really weak northern lights shimmering on the horizon. We needed around 7 hours to get from Reykjavik to Akureyri.
2. Staying at Icelandair Hotel Akureyri
Despite our late arrival in the beautiful “Icelandair Hotel Akureyri” we were offered the Christmas dinner. But we decided to eat our ramen noodles in our room, since 80€ p.P was way beyond our budget. It still was one of the greatest Christmas dinners we’ve ever had!
3. Our Highlight: First time dogsledding in Akureyri
When we planned our route for our Iceland trip, the North of the country wasn’t part of our route. But we really wanted to take the chance and try dog sledding and Inspiration Iceland, based in Akureyri, was the only company with two spots available. We booked a tour from 11am to 2:30pm with Inspiration Iceland. A young guide in a jeep picked us up in front of the hotel together with 3 other people from San Francisco. We drove in a really snowy remote area and learned how to ride a sled and to communicate with the dogs. It was so much fun and actually went pretty well! Afterwards we had enough time to cuddle the huskies and malamutes. The big two malamutes were called Yukon and Aurora.
4. Driving back to the West of Iceland: Borganes
We were happy when we finally reached our little airbnb villa near Borganes in the darkness. From Akureyri in the North of Iceland to Borganes in the West of Iceland we had to drive through a heavy snow storm. The hut is located so beautifully surrounded by snowy mountains in an area called Halsaskogur – Skorradalsvegur. From Akureyri we needed around 5 hours to get to Borganes. We even helped a local getting out of the roadside ditch with our 4×4.
The Golden Circle (Day 5-7)
Now it’s time for the famous Golden Circle in the South of Iceland. After exploring the less touristic North this part might feel very crowded, but it’s still very beautiful. A lot of cool attractions like an erupting Gysir, two meeting continental plates and beautiful waterfalls. There is also an old crashed airplane you can visit on a black sand beach.
1. Driving along the Fjord in Akranes
To get to your first stops at the famous Golden Circle you can drive from Borganes along the beautiful Fjord in Akranes. Actually every car ride was a highlight, the landscape looks so stunning everywhere, but this street was fantastic!
2. Þingvellir National Park
The drive through the park is beautiful and there are several places where tourists can stop along the way to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Þingvellir National Park (Pronounced “Thingvellir”) is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site which has a history dating back to the 9th Century. It is is home to the physical boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. A short distance from the waterfall is the 70-80 meter wide Silfra Fissure which was created by the shifting of the tectonic plates. The fissure is considered as one of the top dive sites. Most people dive there in summer, but it’s also possible in winter. Do you dare?
The first major destination along the route is the beautiful Öxaráfoss Waterfall. The waterfall admittedly isn’t as big as some of the others that you’ll see during your Icelandic travels, but it is a beauty and the area was featured as a shooting location for the Game of Thrones series.
3. Geysir Geothermal Area
The park, which is also free of charge is known for its Great Geysir as well as the very active Strokkur geyser which erupts every five to ten minutes. When visiting, its a good idea to stick around to see a few of the geysers eruptions, check out some of the hot spring pools.
4. Gulfoss Waterfall
The giant waterfall is absolutely spectacular and it is a must stop destination for anyone visiting the country. The white river is a glacial river flowing southward straight from Langjökull giving Gullfoss an awesome flow rate. The waterfalls drop a total of 32 meters in two stages as it flows through the rugged canyon. About a kilometer from Gullfoss, the river turns very sharply to the right where it flows down through a dramatic, wide canyon.
5. Crater Kerið
One of the final stops along the Golden Circle route before reaching the town of Selfoss is Crater Kerið. The giant volcanic crater was formed by a huge volcanic explosion that forced the volcano to collapse. Visitors are able to walk around the edge of the 55 meter deep and 170 meter wide crater’s edge before eventually descending down to water-level to check out the pristine water of the crater lake. Have a look online, if it is possible to get there in winter.
6. Petrified lava fields around Selfoss
Around Selfoss we passed some really beautiful petrified lava fields. Although there was snow on the ground a lot of hot smoke came out of the holes. This area is so beautiful!
7. Urriðafoss
The waterfall Urriðafoss in the mighty river Þjórsá is the waterfall in Iceland that has more volume than any other waterfall. One reason is the river Þjórsá that is the longest river in Iceland and thus collects a lot of water from its many origins in the highland and lowland until it exits to the ocean. And it is easily accessible from the Ring Road
8. Secret Lagoon or Hruni Hot Springs
Secret Lagoon is a natural hot spring located in the small village called Fludir in the Golden Circle area. It’s a great alternative if you don’t want to visit the famous and expensive Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik. The warm water stays at 38-40 Celsius all year. In the whole area there are several geothermal spots and a little Geysir which erupts every 5 minutes. If this place is still too touristic for you, the unknown Hruni Hot Springs might be perfect for you.
9. Stay at: Aurora Lodge Hvolsvöllur with a Hotpool
When we explored the Southern area of Iceland we stayed in the Aurora Lodge Hvolsvöllur. It’s the perfect starting point. The rooms were cute and the restaurant area is really cool. The highlight were definitely the two hot tubs in front of the building with the best view of the Icelandic mountains.
Sölheimasandur and black sand beaches (Day 8-9)
Besides the Golden circle there are more amazing things to explore in the South of Iceland. More waterfalls and beautiful black sand beaches.
1. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
It is 65 meters tall and it is breathtakingly beautiful. A path leads you behind the waterfall, but in winter time the path is closed when it gets too slippery and dangerous to walk behind the waterfall. You will find another waterfall called Gljúfrabúi, very close to Seljalandsfoss. You will find another waterfall called Gljúfrabúi, very close to Seljalandsfoss. Also you can walk at the hiking trails along the rock face.
2. DC3 wreck at Sölheimasandur and black sand beach
The worlds most famous DC3 wreck that is sitting on top of its grave in a post-apocalyptic surrounding of vast sand dunes brought down to Sólheimasandur by glacial flooding is in fact a converted Douglas C-117. It sits in the middle of nowhere, but still so close to the Atlantic ocean. The C-117 was flown by captain James Wicke on a routine mission to the east when the weather turned to the worse and temperature plunged to -10°C. The wind gust increased, and the carburettor started sucking in ice. As the weather force increased, the fight with heavy turbulence was lost and both engines froze solid and stopped spinning. He managed to get the plane parallel to the shore line and used the frozen black sand beach as a bumpy runway. Fletcher had saved everyones life.
You have to walk 15 minutes on the black sand beach to reach the airplane near the ocean. Funnily we got into a heavy snow storm but got the best light afterwards.
3. Skogafoss and Pörsmörk
Skógafoss is a waterfall situated on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. The Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country with a width of 15 metres and a drop of 60 m. Skogafoss tosses over millions of gallons of water and has been doing so for thousands and thousands of years. On the right side you can walk up a lot of stairs to get to the bottom of the waterfall.
4. Vik Kyrdal
Vik is the Southernmost village in Iceland. The village is really cute, but the highlight is definitely the black beach with the rocks in the water. You can even drive with you 4×4 car directly on the beach. At sunset (for us it was already around 4pm in winter) this place is absolutely beautiful.
More time left? (Day 10-11)
Do you have more time left? Then we highly recommend to do some hiking in Hveragerdi or to drive further East from Vik on the ring road until you reach Jokulsarlon and maybe also book a glacier tour at Vatnajökul Glacier.
1. Hike in Hveragerdi and swim in hot springs
The trail leads from the town of Hveragerdi to a geothermal river where you can bathe in warm water while admiring the astonishing Icelandic landscape. Hveragerdi is relatively close to Reykjavik. After hiking for a few kilometers you will reach an extremely active geothermal area with many hot springs. Ahead you will also see the geothermal river.
2. Jokulsarlon or Diamond Beach
You have to visit the luminous-blue icebergs at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the nearby Diamond Beach. All the ice that has been washed ashore from the glacier really glow like diamonds. The icebergs at Jökulsárlón come crashing down into the water from Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which is part of Vatnajökull National Park. Jökulsárlón is not very wide, but it’s the deepest lake in Iceland with a maximum depth of 260 meters.
3. Book a glacier tour at Vatnajökul Glacier
You shouldn’t just walk on the glacier all by yourself as it’s quite dangerous. Book a tour-guide for example with the company called Local Guide of Vatnajökul. The groups are quite small around 6 other people and the whole hike takes about 6-7 hours. The guide take you in their giant 4×4 offroader to the foot of the glacier, where you will get crampons and climbing harnesses for safety. From there you hike for about 1.5 hours until you reach the first ice cave.
Back in Reykjavik: Horse riding, Wale Watching & Polar Lights (Day 12-14)
Back in Reykjavik you can return your car, actually you don’t need it in the city, because everything is reachable by food or by bus. We highly recommend to take some time exploring Reykjavik and to spend some time on an Icelandic horse or an whale watching boat. Also you can book a ticket at the Blue Lagoon or search for Northern Lights in the evening when it’s dark.
1. Riding on an Icleand horse
You should definitely ride an Icelandic horse in Iceland! It’s so much fun and a great way to get to soak in the beautiful landscape. We booked this adventure with Is Hestar. At 9 am a bus will pick you up at your hotel and bring you to the location. They have different levels for riding skills, so you can also ride on a horse if you are a total beginner. They will explain you everything before you get on the horse.
2. Whale Watching with Elding Tours, Hafnarfjördur
We spontaneously signed up for a whale watching tour on the Elding boats. Search 3 hours in Faxaflói bay for the whales and wildlife of Reykjavík. The landscape surrounding the bay adds that something special to the experience. You will get these cool red overalls for the duration of the tour. The most common species are the minke whales, humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises. Occasionally you can see other species such as killer whales, fin whales, sei whales and long-finned pilot whales. The whales are most abundant in summer, but the research shows that more and more whales are staying in the area all year round!
Unfortunately we didn’t see any whales but got second tickets to go on another date for free. This day the waves were really high and I, Jana, got really seasick. I highly recommend to bring some sea sickness pills. However we want to support this company, because they are fighting against whale killing with telling the people how important these creatures are! Hopefully Iceland notice that they get more money of tourists seeing living whales than selling whale meat.
3. Visit the Blue Lagoon
The hot thermal baths of the Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous attraction so we didn’t exactly have it to ourselves. Did you know that Iceland’s Blue Lagoon is manmade? The lava around is natural, but the water is actually the result of runoff from the power plant next door. The water of the Blue Lagoon is full of minerals, algae and silica, and it’s really good for your skin. The temperatures of the milky water hover between 37 and 39°C all year round. Unfortunately a ticket is around 70$ and you have to book in advance!
4. Seltjarnes lighthouse, Chasing Northern Lights
Driving around Iceland in winter we saw several times low green Northern Lights at the sky. But around New Year, when we’ve been the forecast for Northern Lights was really high, rated with a “4”. This intensity of northern Lights doesn’t happen that often in Iceland, we were so lucky!! In the evening we could even see intense green dancing shrouds of Aurora Borealis.
The locals told us that the best place in Reykjavik, aside from the city lights, would be Seltjarnes Lighthouse. You can take a bus to the lighthouse from the centre. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw 2 evenings very intense green and violett lights dancing at the sky for hours. We never expected to have so much luck. These pictures aren’t edited, we could see the moving lights clearly with our naked eyes. We will never forget this moment!
Best time to visit? When can I see Northern Lights?
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, are an ethereal display of colored lights shimmering across the night sky. In mythology, the aurora was a bridge to the sky built by the gods. Our sun is 93 million miles away. But its effects extend far beyond its visible surface. Great storms on the sun send gusts of charged solar particles hurtling across space. If Earth is in the path of the particle stream, our planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere react. When the charged particles from the sun strike atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, they excite those atoms, causing them to light up.
Most are green in color but sometimes you’ll see a hint of pink, and strong displays might also have red, violet and white colors. Because Iceland’s closeness to the polar circle, you can see the Northern lights everywhere in Iceland between September and April.
Ideal conditions are:
- Month between September and April
- It has to be as dark as possible, it’s better if the moon is not that bright.
- Stay away from the cities, they are often very light-polluted.
- The sky has to be cloudless
Helpful Tips
Gas:
There are gas station spread on the ring road. The average price of gas in Iceland per litre is 1.72 USD
Speed:
It’s allowed to drive 90 km/h on the ring road, most of the locals will overtake. However there are often snow storms (we drove 2 days through heavy snow storms), which means you can only drive 60km/h. Keep in mind that the google maps travel time might be doubled.
Roads:
Check the roads everyday on road.
Food prices:
The prices for food and water are extremely high in Iceland: We bought all the food and water in the Bonus store, which is less expensive but still very good.
Temperatures:
December to April: around 0°
May to September: 7-13°
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