This is a departure from this blog because it’s not really a budget voyage. Iceland is a pearl because it is gorgeous and pricey. It is one of the most expensive countries in the world, primarily because it imports so many of its commodities. But if you manage to limit expenses – and there are ways and means of so doing – you can see one of the most uniquely beautiful places on the planet without busting your budget.
So if your Christmas business or bonus was better than expected, why not spoil yourselves a little with a week exploring lagoons, glaciers, spectacular waterfalls and beaches of black sand? You’ll notice that all the sites of interest I’ve mentioned are free of charge, and Iceland has plenty of them. If money is no object, then you’ve probably already been there. If it is, there are ways to limit your expenses in a way that does little to diminish your pleasure and a lot of reduce your costs.
Because Iceland is really worth a visit. It contains five national parks that make up nearly 20% of the country’s protected area.It’s unique beauty is truly awesome, the people are warm and friendly, the air and water are clean and the food, even the budget provender, is excellent.
When to Go There
This is not an easy problem to resolve. The best time to visit Iceland depends on what you want to see and do. The season of your visit will determine pretty much what your experience will be like. In short, if you want the best weather for driving around in a rental car, go in summer. If you want to see the northern lights, then go in winter.
Summer has some drawbacks, however. There will be lots of tourists and prices are higher, which goes from mid-June to the end of August. The weather is temperate and the days are very, very long, with the sun setting around midnight and rising three hours later. Yawn! This way you can cram lots of sightseeing into a single day and thereby reduce your stay there from, say, a week to three or four days, thus saving money.
Summer is also the season for watching puffins and whales, for which tours are of course available. And it is also the season during which roads are not frozen, nor covered with sludge, nor closed because of ice.
Going there in winter, when there’s only about 5 five hours of sunlight, is not really recommended. But (I told you this was going to be complicated) that’s when you can see the northern lights, get a look at Iceland in the snow (it’s gorgeous) and have the chance to see how the Icelanders celebrate the end-of-year holidays. And, of course, there’ll be few tourists to get in the way of your camera lens.
Another option is spring, from mid-March to the end of May. There is still lots of sunlight for a good sightseeing cram, eateries are reopening and the locals are coming out of hibernation. Plus, the waterfalls are in good form due to the melting snow.
Good luck with this decision. Of course, after a first visit to the country, you may want to see it again, at a different time of the year. That’s allowed.
Best Way to Get There
But first, a budget visit to an expensive destination begins with the journey getting there. Fortunately, this is fairly straightforward. The cheapest way to go is to accept a stopover with your flight, which can save you more than 50% on a round-trip ticket. Yes, it will take you longer to get there and longer to come back, but we’re trying to save money. Fortunately, there are lots and lots of flights from anywhere in Europe to the capital Reykjavik, so you’ll have lots and lots of choices.
Where to Stay
As already suggested above, to stay within your budget, rent a room in a hostel, a guesthouse or a basic hotel where you might have to share the bathroom. Yeah, it’s annoying, but not as annoying as staying a day or two less in a place you love just because you don’t want to find some stranger’s hair in the shower drain. Enough affordable places are available that will enable you to stay a week or even longer. Just make sure to reserve months ahead of your arrival.
I suggest creating an itinerary before you go and looking for (and reserving rooms at) budget hotels in non-touristy towns along the route. If you go in spring, before the tourist hordes arrive, you might be able to find hostels or budget hotels on the go.
You might also think about renting a campervan if you go in the non-winter months because there are lots of campsites in Iceland and the cost of renting a campervan will probably be less than the combined cost of a hostel and car rental. Do the math. It always pays to do the math. And do a little research, because not all Icelandic campsites provide showers.
What to See & Do for Free
No matter when you choose to visit Iceland, it will not disappoint you. In spring everything glistens and burbles and blooms as the island quite literally comes back to live. Summer is (relatively) warm and bright almost for the entire 24 hours. And there are festivals galore, such as the self-explanatory Viking Festival, and whales to watch. In autumn the island is filled with colors, the sky is a dazzling blue and the country’s fresh produce fills the markets. It’s also the start of the northern lights, which reach their climax in winter, which is dark and cold, with average daily temps of -5 to -2 C° (23-35.6 F°) and the country turns into a real winter wonderland, to use a cliché that is apt for once.
The Ring Road
Iceland’s Ring Road (aka Þjóðvegur 1, in Icelandic) is 1,322 kilometers (821 miles) in length and goes all the way around Iceland and connects the main inhabited parts of the island. Making that trip is a convenient way to see the astonishing variety of the landscape, if only because it’s a great road that will not challenge the small tires of your budget rental car or campervan.
In short, making that journey will enable you to check out the hot springs and jaw-dropping waterfalls in the north and west of the country; coastlines, mountains and remote villages in the east; and the black sand beaches, waterfalls, glacial lagoons and ice caves in the south.
Waterfalls
As noted above, the best time for waterfalls is spring, when the snow is melting and the cataracts are in full gush. The Skógafoss in the south of the country is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, with a drop of about 60 meters and a width of 25 meters. You can walk close enough to it to get drenched, so wear waterproof clothing.
There’s also an observation platform above the waterfall, which you can reach by climbing more than 500 steps, depending on where you start. It’s worth the effort for the great view of the falls and the surrounding landscape. The Skógafoss is on the Skógá river, naturally, which has more than 30 other waterfalls along its length. So if you’re up for a long hike . . . .
As long as you’re in the south of the country, you might as well also have a look at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which is just stunning. It falls from a high cliff in which there is a broad cavern accessible via a path, which enables those not afraid of getting damp of seeing the water fall up close and personal – in summer! Going by car via the Ring Road, it only takes about 2 hours to reach the falls from Reykjavic.
Other waterfalls of note are called Gullfoss, Godafoss, Kirkjufellsfoss and Hraunfossar.
Glacial Lagoons
A glacial lagoon, which is what you’ll be seeing in Iceland, is a body of water formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression it created. The best time to visit them is from May to October because inclement weather can make reaching them a bear.
However, Iceland’s best-known glacial lagoon, the Jökulsárlón, is accessible all year round because of its proximity to the Ring Road. It is also in the south and a 5-6 hour ride from the capital, so you might consider spending two or three days in the region. You can visit its blue ice caves and go on boat rides to check out the icebergs that drift across it and the seals that hang out there.
The Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is truly spectacular, but it is also evidence of a crime against nature because it formed as a result of climate change, which caused the glacier there to melt and leave behind its water. But don’t think about that when you’re there. And remember that every cloud, no matter how dark, has a silver lining.
Other glacial lagoons are Heinabergslon, Breiðárlón and Hvítárvatn. If you visit one or several of these lagoons, take a few safety precautions. First, do your research about the site and check the weather forecast, even in the summer, which is the best time, by far, for a visit. In winter, glacial lagoons are prone to freezing breezes and icy winds, so make sure that you and yours are dressed for it.
The best-known black sand beaches are Reynisfjara and Diamond Beach, which is the source of the icebergs of the Jökulsárlón lagoon. And there’s one in the Hvalnes Nature Reserve. In fact, there are a bunch of black sand beaches in the south.
If you’re going to visit Reynisfjara, which you should, be aware of possible rock slides and so-called sneaker waves, which have swept away unwary visitors in the past. So read the safety signs thoroughly and follow their council and stay far from the ocean to avoid getting caught by a wave.
The Þingvellir National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site because there you will see the ruins of the first Icelandic settlement. The first general assembly was established there in 930 (that’s the year, not the time of day) and met there for some 800 years. There are interactive exhibitions, walking tours and you can go snorkeling or fishing, if you really want to.
Reykjavic
The capital is where you start and finish your visit because there really isn’t much to see or do there except spend too much money.
But if you have an hour or two, here are three sites in the city you might want to have a look at:
The Sun Voyager is the city’s most famous sculpture. It is a graceful modernist take on a Viking ship and you’ll find it on Reykjavik’s seaside, with a great view of Mt Esja in the background.
The elegantly modern Hallgrimskirkja Church is the capital’s most iconic building. There’s art inside and entry is free.
The Harpa Concert Hall is just plain beautiful, if you like modern architecture (I do!). Its design was inspired by Iceland’s volcanic landscape. And check out those crazy windows!
If you’ve got enough spare change for paid activities, let me recommend a boat tour of the Jökulsárlón lagoon and a hike into a blue ice cave and across the Vatnajökull glacier in southeast Iceland. The glacier is located in a national park of the same name, takes up an astonishing 13% of Iceland’s total landmass and covers actual volcanoes. Both activities are truly mind-blowing – but first make sure of the weather.
The ice cave and glacier visit is moderately difficult, so you will be given a helmet, a harness, an ice axe and crampons for walking on the ice. Bring heavy-duty hiking boots along. You should have them handy every day anyway because you’ll never know what will catch your fancy and how tricky the hike there will be.
What to Eat Without Going Broke
Restaurants are expensive in Iceland so DIY if you are staying in a place with kitchen facilities. Compare store prices before you favor one particular chain. Avoid buying food at or near popular tourist sites (this should be a commandment for every trip, because those places are always, always rip-offs.
For lunch, try buying sandwiches at gas stations; some of them even serve not-too-disgusting hot meals in the evening for a song. Soups are good in Iceland and relatively inexpensive, especially when offered in a self-serve place. Definitely try their langoustine soup: a real delicacy in Iceland. Booze is very expensive, so either bring your own or go on the wagon for a week. It won’t hurt you.
One Last Thing
I’ve really only scratched the surface of what you can see and do in Iceland. It has a population of about 400,000 and is smaller than the US state of Colorado. I estimate that it probably offers more beauty per capita and per square kilometer than almost any other country in the world. So you will pay a little extra for all that beauty, but beauty doesn’t really have a price, does it? In any case, there are ways to make your visit affordable, as I’ve tried to show. But however much you will spend, I know that you will feel that it was worth it!