Iceland: An Epic 4-Day Road Trip
Katla Ice Cave
Do you need a quick, adventurous escape from the kids? From NYC, Iceland is a short five hour flight and will nourish your Viking soul.
With three elementary-aged kids at home, it’s hard for me to guiltlessly getaway more than a few days, and I worried that three nights wouldn’t be enough. But it’s amazing how much you can accomplish sans kids. In just four days my girlfriends and I tasted the lively Reykjavik nightlife, toured sites along the Golden Circle, soaked in geothermal waters, hiked an ice cave, caught a glimpse of Aurora, and even walked across continents. Here’s how you can do it:
Day 1: Reykjavik
Arrive at Keflavík International and stock up at Duty Free before leaving the airport since there’s a high tax on alcohol in Iceland. Travel roughly 30 mins to Iceland’s capital –Reykjavik (our hotel booked an airport transfer for us). While there, shop for an authentic Icelandic wool sweater, eat fresh seafood in Old Harbour, and visit Laugavegur Street (Main Street) for a bustling party and dance scene.
Lesson Learned: Take the red-eye so you can catch a few hours of sleep and maximize your day in Reykjavik. We arrived at 10pm to find a plethora of bars, bustling with 20-something partygoers, but with an ambitious agenda and 330 miles to explore we forced ourselves to sleep (to little avail) and missed all the culture and history the city has to offer.
Day 2 — Reykjavík to Fludir via Golden Circle (90 mi, 2 hr 15 min)
Rent a car at Blue Car Rental, which is conveniently located within walking distance of City Centre. Head east on the Golden Circle to observe so many stunning, iconic sights – many featured in Game of Thrones:
Öxarárfoss Waterfall
Thingvellir National Park – Hike the Öxarárfoss Trail and see, first-hand, the Mid-Atlantic Continental drift as you walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates to a 13m waterfall.
Geysir Geothermal Area – Explore the hot springs and witness Strokkur, the most famous hot spring, shoot boiling water up to 130 ft high. If it looks like you just missed it, fear not, it erupts every 5-10 minutes.
Gullfoss Falls – Walk the easy 1-mile trail for astonishing views of the waterfall and canyon.
Secret Lagoon – End the day soaking in Iceland’s oldest geothermal pool. Book in advance and secure the latest time slot to give yourself plenty of time along the Golden Circle.
Gullfoss Falls
The Secret Lagoon
Finally, settle in at the Hill Hotel in Fludir, located across the street from the Secret Lagoon. With an onsite bar and restaurant and Aurora alarms for glimpsing the Northern Lights, this was the perfect pit stop after a full day of traveling.
Lesson Learned: The sights along the Golden Circle are very touristy — I wasn’t prepared for all the tour buses and massive crowds. Steer clear of the big, daily tours leaving from Reykjavik and, instead, rent a car to explore on your own. We experienced beautiful weather in early March, so driving was doable along well trafficked and maintained roads. Download an app, such as Færð & Veður, for updated road conditions and My Aurora Forecast and Alerts to help you hunt for the Northern Lights.
Day 3 — Fludir to Vik (90 mi, 2 hr)
One of the most remarkable things about driving through Iceland is the extraordinary, diverse landscape — from uninhabited countryside with rocky hills, to cascading waterfalls, glaciers, and black-sand coastline. This journey’s highlights include:
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall – Stop at the picturesque 200ft waterfall, right off the Ring Road, on the way to Vik. (The Ring Road is an 828-mile drive encompassing the entire island.) Give yourself enough time to explore the legendary footpath behind the cascading water – we were in a rush to make our tour in Vik and only took a quick photo.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Katla Ice Cave Tour – This must-do, majestic excursion takes you off-road across a glacier to the black-sand desert. Once there, you’ll strap on crampons and hike to the blue glaciers and ice caves covered in ash from the Katla Volcano, resulting in an imposing landscape in hues of black, white, and blue. We had a great experience with Troll Expeditions.
Katla Ice Cave
Smidjan Brugghus – Afterward, stop in this nearby brewpub for a pint and burger and enjoy the cocktail of adrenaline and microbrews.
Reynisfjara – Visit this volcanic black-sand beach before sunset and observe the rocky sea stacks (known as the Reynisdrangar) and roaring Atlantic waves. Be mindful of the zone system as the waves have been known to rise to 120 ft and can be dangerous.
Reynisfjara “Black Sand Beach”
Settle in at Hotel Kria right in the village of Vik. This modern hotel is the perfect base on the Ring Road and offers a game room, bar, and cavernous restaurant.
Lesson Learned: If you have more time in Iceland, spend another night in Vik and hike the Solheimajokull glacier. I wanted another experience like the Katla Ice Cave and the coastal, rugged landscape surrounding Vik trumped the touristy Golden Circle (for me). What’s more, avoid taking detours along rough roads (like we did) to see turf houses on your way to Vik. We stopped at the Keldur Turf House – the oldest turf house in Iceland – and while the scenery and history were remarkable, there were plenty of turf houses to see in Vik right off the main road.
Keldur Turf Houses
Day 4: Vik to Reykjanes Peninsula (150 mi, 3 hr)
Book a late flight home to expand your last day on the island (we had a 5pm departure) and head to the Reykjanes Peninsula which lands you 30 mins from the airport. This incredible region offers a host of geosites – from famous volcanoes, lava fields, and geothermal areas, to a visible rift between active tectonic plates. Here’s a few sights to behold:
Skógafoss – On your way, stop at Skogafoss and climb the 370 steps to the top of this spectacular waterfall, standing at nearly 200 ft tall. As you walk close, prepare yourself to be sprayed by the enormous veil and look for a rainbow that is visible on sunny days.
Skógafoss
Bridge Between Continents – If you didn’t get a chance to visit Thingvellir National Park (see above), another way to see the impressive Mid-Atlantic Ridge is to walk across the Bridge Between Continents – also known as the Leif the Lucky Bridge – and step between the Eurasian and North American plates.
Bridge Between Continents
Lesson Learned: If you hike the Öxarárfoss Trail in Thingvellir National Park, skip the Bridge Between Continents and, instead, explore one of Reykjanes top places like the geothermal spa at Blue Lagoon, or the recently awakened Fagradalsfjall Volcano. My trip to Iceland didn’t feel complete without witnessing some sort of fissure and fire. After being dormant for 800 years, Fagradalsfjall has become very active, so be aware of volcanic activity, which occurred both before and a week after our visit, closing roads and the Blue Lagoon.
Can you visit Iceland with kids? Absolutely, but you might not cover as much ground. For me, Iceland was the perfect mix of exploration, adventure, freedom, fun, and laughter that I might not have experienced with my three little ones. So maybe just grab your partner or closest friends and go recharge your batteries.
