You probably heard the saying that Iceland in not all ice and Greenland is not green at all. I haven’t been in Greenland, but at least in winter Iceland is all about the ice. I just LOVE this place!
Iceland is simply out of this world! It’s so wild, unpredictable and incredibly beautiful. Its ever-changing landscape includes some of the country’s biggest volcanoes, glaciers and most iconic waterfalls.
Taking all the above to account, this January I randomly booked my ticket and went on a solo 3 day road trip adventure around Golden circle and the South coast.
In this post I will share my itinerary with some photographs I gathered along the way, plus tips for exploring Iceland.
After landing in Keflavik airport I headed straight to pick up a rental car from Lagoon Car Rental. I’ve chosen a Kia Sorento for added 4×4 safety in winter conditions with the option to go off the beaten path. Overall, I was super happy with my rental choice, can’t imagine this trip without heated seats and 4×4! Tip: definitely get the car WIFI device. That little thing had service everywhere meaning I could stay connected to maps and social media along the way.
Things to consider:
If you visit in the winter season, you have fewer hours of sunlight (4-5 hours) so ideally you’d want 3-4 days to complete this itinerary. I did all driving by myself and am super proud of the mileage done in such rough weather conditions.
Here’s my day-by-day highlights of a winter road trip in Iceland. Day one and two sights are located between Reykjavik and Vik and the sights on day three are all located between Vik and Jökulsárlón.
Day 1: The Golden Circle: Kerið, Geysir, Gullfoss, Snowmobiling.
Day 2: Seljalandfoss, Skogalfoss, DC-3 plane wreck
Day 3: Reynisfjara Beach, Dyrholaey, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Diamond beach and Icecave.
Day 1:
The Golden circle
Rule of thumb in winter season here in Iceland is early rise and shine. Even tho, early isn’t defined by time but more by sunrise. In January sun was coming up at 11am meaning your alarm should ring few hours before. Because days are so short in winter, you should save time by leaving early.
I woke up, had breakfast and left in complete darkness. Strange feeling but also so mystical.
First stop of golden circle was Kerið crater. Kerið is approximately three thousand years old, making it roughly half the age of most volcanic calderas found in Iceland. The reason why the lake is so vividly coloured is that of the minerals from the rocks, seeping into and dyeing the water the aquamarine colour for which it is renowned.
However, today was really overcast and moody and crater was all covered in snow so I wasn’t able to see all the beautiful colours. I think it looks much better in spring time. Also only when I got out of the car I realised how cold it was outside and how thankful I am for my ski jacket & gloves I borrowed last minute from my sister!
Next stop was Gullfoss. I also made a quick stop at the Geysir since it was so close and I’ve never experienced such thing before. It’s actually here that the term “geyser” was born. Geysir actually comes from the Old Norse word “geysa,” which means “to gush.”
Weather conditions made visibility a bit poor but standing next to a 100C spitting Geysir was pretty incredible. It erupted every 10min and everyone was standing still with their eyes fixed on it, cameras in hand, ready to capture the magic.
Gullfoss is only 10km drive from Geysir but with icy road conditions it can take longer then planned.
As you get closer to the area of a waterfall you can see the steam coming from far away and as you make your way down the path to the waterfall you can hear the phenomenal sound of the gushing water cascading down in vast volumes to the depths of the river Hvita below.
Gullfoss waterfall is just breath-taking and it’s pretty special too! Think of any waterfall you have been to. Chances are you viewed it from the bottom. Gullfoss waterfall is unique because you view the falls from above and it appears that the Iceland waterfall is actually going underground.
I cannot even try to describe how cold and windy it was that day. It was a real challenge to take a picture of the waterfall. So after a quick visit I was rushing back to visitors centre as I had booked a tour which I was too excited about. The tour I did was the Ice cave and snowmobile offered by Mountaineers of Iceland, which is conducted in a super truck with massive tires and included snowmobiling on the Langjökull and stopping in a natural ice cave! I had a one on one private guide that showed me around. I was a total whiteout and snow storm was pretty brutal which made the whole experience twice as extreme and exceptional. The ride took us to a newly discovered ice cave that Mountaineers have built an entrance for the season. It was heavily snowed in but we shuffled the path out in no time and entered a quiet ice cave. It was surreal to be somewhere so exclusive and remote.
Day 2
Seljalandfoss and Skogalfoss waterfalls
Last night I’ve spent in Hvaregerbi and once again was up and running before sunrise to make it to Seljalandfoss for the first light. Because yesterday was all cloudy and moody I was hoping for a nice sunrise today and wasn’t disappointed. The more south I drove, snow started disappearing and brown colours were popping up. Early arrival to Seljalandfoss gave me an opportunity to enjoy the falls by myself for a few short minutes! It was sunny and icy at the same time. Big change in weather since yesterday!
Seljalandsfoss is 60 meters high with a foot path behind it at the bottom of the cliff. But what many visitors don’t know is that there’s another two and equally stunning waterfall very close by, just keep following the path.
Another 20 minutes from Seljalandsfoss, you’ll find Skogafoss waterfall. Both of these waterfalls are located by the main road and they’re only a few minutes walk from the parking lot.
Skogafoss is yet another spectacular waterfall in southern Iceland. It is 25m wide, gushing with power. What makes it even more special is the position of a waterfall. It is always facing the sunrise, letting visitors enjoy an often view of rainbows. It’s simply overwhelming to stand next to Skogafoss!
DC-3 Plane wreck
The last sight on day 1 is Sólheimasandur plane wreck. This US navy plane crash landed in Sólheimasandur in the 1970s and has been abandoned since. The 40-year-old weather-beaten aircraft has become one of Iceland’s most dramatic photography spots due to its remote location on a desolated black sand beach. It looks like a scene out of some post-apocalyptic movie! It is located 4km from the parking lot and takes about 45min to walk to the plane wreck but is well worth the feeling you’ll get once you see the skeleton of DC-3 in the distance.
Day 3:
Reynisfjara Black sand beach
Reynisfjara Beach is one of the world’s most interesting beaches due to its unique sand and basalt column formations. The sand here is jet black and fine due to countless years of ocean waves breaking down lava that flowed into the water.
Warning! Please take extra precaution when going anywhere near the water. Waves and currents are particularly strong here and fatal accidents have occurred where unsuspecting people have been swept into the ocean. Never turn your back to the ocean!
Drive another 10-15min from Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and you’ll find Dyrholaey Lighthouse. The views from here are mind-blowing! I spent a good hour by myself soaking in all the beauty. Obviously it was super cold and I was running back and forth to the car to warm up. But seriously, it’s a less visited place and you must go there to top up more wow factor.
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagood and Diamond beach
200km drive was incredibly challenging. The further I went, then stormier it got. I was a bit worried I wont be able to reach lagoon on time. Luckily I took unpredictable weather conditions into account and with cup of coffee in hand left much earlier.
I had never seen an iceberg before, not to mention a whole beach filled with diamond shaped ice blocks. So yes, I was absolutely blown away. Even tho it was an overcast on this side of Iceland, waters of lagoon were still and you could see iceberg reflections, which created a moody & mystical atmosphere.
Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in both Iceland and Europe. And Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lagoon stemming down from the Vatnajökull glacier, estimated to be around 25 km2 and constantly getting larger as ice breaks off the glacier every year.
Not too far by foot (on the other side of the road) is a black sand beach. The beach is also known as the Diamond Beach since the icebergs wash up on the shore and sparkle.
There’s a path going from Glacier lagoon under the bridge and down to Diamond beach. It was a high tide when I visited which made it hard to come closer to ice blocks but I managed to sit on one for few seconds and get my bum wet. Not a smart move when I have an ice cave tour in half an hour.
I played around with my camera for a bit and went to grab an essential cup of hot chocolate before checking- in for my Ice cave tour with Local Guide of Vatnajokull.
Ice Cave Tour
The ice cave season in Iceland is rather short: from late October to March. Outside of that season it can be dangerous to go into the caves because they can collapse.
I started the tour by meeting my guide at the check- in van near the glacier cafe. A certified guide accompanied us on the hike, helped to fit the crampons and helmets and explained what to expect on the glacier and how to stay safe. Glacier hiking is not something to be attempted on your own. Not only do you need proper equipment to walk on the ice, you should also only go on the glacier with people who are familiar with the area and have the necessary training to deal with any unexpected situations.
On the walk guide told us more about the glacier and ice cave formations; to be honest I’ve never seen so many shades of blue before! He was very professional and cared about the safety of his guests which is the most important thing to me.
We spent about an hour on the ice and in the cave, and whole experience from the start to the end took about 3 hours.
Those three days in Iceland were phenomenal! It was first time I’ve travelled solo but this trip imprinted only best memories and confidence in me. No wonder it’s called ‘Land of ice and fire’; the ever changing weather is incredible and scenery is mind blowing. If you only have a few days to spend in Iceland, do head South. I can promise, it won’t leave you disappointed!
Recent Comments