Time to cool off? Let's visit Iceland 
The recent heatwave has us sweating ... but when planning your next vacation, how about a place that offers a cool refresh? Maybe Iceland? Iceland has always been on our bucket list - so we looked up how we could make our first time just perfect. I mean going to an all-inclusive seems pretty straightforward - sun, pool and beach. However, let's try something completely different, sun, ice and sweaters?


We found a great 10 Day Iceland Itinerary for First Time Visitors. 

Day 1. 
  • Flying into Iceland is pretty easy. You will land at the International airport and it is a decent drive to the main city of Reyjavik. However, before heading into the hustle and bustle, we found that stopping at the Blue Lagoon on the way is a must! You can save some time and it is a great way to relax after your flight and it is the perfect activity for jet lagged travellers. Remember you want to rent a car from the airport, it's the best way to get around during your stay. 

Day 2 and 3 
  • visiting the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is a must. It is an over 3 hour drive but you will be greeted by black sand beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes and the cutest remote lighthouses. In addition the expansive coastal cliffs are breathtaking. 
  • Spend the next two days touring the area and taking in all the scenery. 

Day 4
  • The Golden Circle! This is where you will spend the day visiting some of Iceland's most popular spots. Gullfoss, the Geysir Geothermal Area and the Thingvellir National Park. 
  • During the day you can also visit the Kerid Crater which is a 3,000 year old volcanic crater filled with water and there is the Secret Lagoon, which is a hot spring that has become very popular - so the word secret is well... not so relevant. 

Day 5
  • If you are a hiker, a highlight of your trip will be the Landmannalaugar area. It is famous for its colourful mountains and unique hiking trails. 
  • Also, easy and must do detours to add along the way include the Haifoss waterfalls. 

Day 6
  • Driving along the south coast is where you will see Iceland's most famous and well-known sights. This includes the Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui, Skogafoss, the Dyrholaey Lighthouse and Arch and the Reynisfjara black sand beach 

Day 7 and 8
  • It's all about the Glaciers. Glacier hiking is an incredible experience. There a lot of options here - from shorter 3 hour walks to all day hikes where you would need to do some ice climbing. A walk on the Vatnajokull is an epic experience as it is the largest glacier in Europe. 
  • After, you can also add a hike to Svartifoss, which is a beautiful waterfall that features black volcanic columns. A sight to be seen. 
  • Next after a short drive, you can experience the glacier lagoon - Jokulsarlon is a beautiful place and you can even do a kayak or zodiac boat tour of the lagoon. 
  • Not far from there, you can visit the Diamond Beach. Named diamond for the diamond like clear ice chunks that wash up on shore. 

Day 9
  • Right back to where you started - so to speak. Spend the day exploring Reykjavik. It is more metropolitan than the spaces you have been. 
  • Here you can visit the Hallsgrimkirkja Church, the concert hall, do some shopping and visit local museum. 
  • There are a lot of interesting foods to try and local favourite eateries. It does get expensive, but worth it to visit a couple hot spots. 
  • We recommend spending the night here before the flight home in the morning. 

Hope this helps plan your next adventure. It doesn't always have to be about the heat and sun - there are a lot "cooler" places to visit that you will love. 


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 Photo credit: The OLVE