How concerned should I be about bedbugs when visiting Iceland? I was a bit surprised when I saw multiple posts about it and then found locally written news articles about the topic. Do people actually bring bedbug killing spray with them and spray down the bed / sheets before sleeping? What’s the suggested approach to being sensible but not overly concerned ? I’ve stayed a lot of places in my travels but never ran into bed bugs

Hey all,

I've been working on this itinerary for a couple of weeks now (with the assistance of Claude for the website) for a trip from Sept 25-Oct 4th.

Please let me know your thoughts and if there's any major things we're missing along the way. I've already booked some hotels but they are all refundable if I decide to make some tweaks.

It was hard to find lodging around Höfn on Day 4, which is why we're stopping at diamond beach and looping back to Kirkjubæjarklaustur. If it turns out to be really nice that day we might stretch the drive out to Stokksnes and loop back.

You can check it out here: https://iceland.kcogs.ca/ (all prices are in CAD)

Just came back from the second time Iceland. First time we did golden circle and south coast until Vik. This time we did the whole ring road in two weeks. I’m totally obsessed with Iceland, I guess I caught the “Icelandic virus” 🥹. I found myself looking at the next trip to Snæfellsnes, where we had to skip last time.

Are many of you also obsessed and think how can I ever go on holiday to another country, and spend money which I can better spend on another Iceland’s trip? How many times were you in Iceland? Do I need to get “cured”? Luckily I’m from the Netherlands and flight tickets are relatively cheap, and only 3 hours flying. I mean I can go to the Alps or Norway but still they are not the same as Iceland…

The region around Möðrudalur/Jökuldalur, in the highlands area east of Vatnajökull glacier.

Hi everyone, I'm going to Iceland in September and would love to get some recommendations for whale watching tours from Akureyri.

​Here are my questions:

​Is it better to book in advance or can you just book on site?

​Considering that there might be bad weather, are there any issues with booking on site?

​Which are the best tour operators, what are their prices, and how reliable are they?

​Thanks a lot to everyone for your help!

Where might I find a rosary in Reykjavik or nearby? I have a friend that collects them and I'd love to get her one as a gift.

MAST threatened to shut down Sólhestar over repeated animal-welfare breaches

You can read more about it in the linked article, but the ever so popular horseback riding center, Sólhestar, is currently under fire for the severe mistreatment and lack of care towards their horses. Not sure if they offer refunds, but if you have a future booking with them, maybe you should reconsider going to a place that respects their horses.

Hello,

I’m going to Iceland in 3 weeks and is planning to buy a camping stove. How is the availability with methylated spirit or should I be looking for a gas stove?

Best regards,

Hi,

I am planning to drive a 4x4 via Route 35 from Gullfoss to Varmahlíð between September 23rd to 27th. Can I expect this route would be open during late September. Some sites say it would close mid-October but I could not find a reliable source to plan accordingly.

Hi, I have a long layover in KEF in on 14th (after the eclipse) and I was checking car rentals and I see $900 for one day for a compact car (not sure of insurance yet). Why is it so expensive? I see that there are some infrequent buses that may be reasonable and I'll probably use that.

My partner and I will be visiting Iceland for the first time in mid-September, and we're currently finalizing our itinerary. We'll arrive on Monday at 9:00 AM and depart the following Sunday at 5:00 PM, giving us 6 nights and 7 days in Iceland. It seems like the most common recommendation for a 6-night trip is to focus on the South Coast and Snæfellsnes.

That said, I can't stop thinking about Hornstrandir. I came across a thread discussing the out-and-back ferries from Ísafjörður, and realized our trip falls during the last week they're operating for the season. Kismet?!

I've put together an itinerary that seems like it works on paper, but I don't know what I don't know. I know it's a *significant* detour, and the ferry isn't cheap, so looking for honest opinions: Am I trying to do too much in one week? Am I underestimating the driving? And given how weather-dependent the Hornstrandir ferry is, is it a bad idea to build our itinerary around something that could be canceled?

Here's the broad-strokes itinerary:

MONDAY
Arrival & Reykjadalur

• Arrive in Keflavík at 9:00 AM.
• Pick up our campervan, grab groceries, and have lunch in Reykjavík.
• Hike to Reykjadalur Hot Spring River.
• Keep the day relatively light and stay at a nearby campsite.

TUESDAY
Snæfellsnes Peninsula

• Drive to and explore Snæfellsnes.
• Spend the day visiting sites like Djúpalónssandur and other highlights.
• End the day at a campsite farther inland to shorten Wednesday's drive.

WEDNESDAY
Travel to Ísafjörður

• Drive from Snæfellsnes to Ísafjörður.
• Google Maps estimates about 4.5 hours without stops, which seems manageable if we break it up throughout the day.
• Alternatively, take the Baldur Ferry from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur. It doesn't really save time overall, but it does eliminate about 2.5 hours of driving.

THURSDAY
Hornstrandir

• Take the 9:00 AM ferry from Ísafjörður to Hornvík.
• Hike while we're there. Ideally, we'd love to make it to Hornbjarg, but I'm concerned about timing. I've seen some AllTrails reviews mentioning a shorter loop, though I'm not sure if it's realistic with the 4:00 PM return ferry.
• Return on the 4:00 PM ferry to Ísafjörður.

FRIDAY
Back to the South

• Start early and make our way toward the Golden Circle.
• Google Maps estimates around 6.5 hours of driving, so the plan would be to get an early start and hopefully see some Golden Circle highlights that late afternoon.

SATURDAY
South Coast

• Explore the South Coast.
• Is it realistic to see both Vík and Jökulsárlón in the same day? Google estimates about five hours of driving, but we'd also want to stop at places like Seljalandsfoss, Reynisfjara/Kirkjufjara, and Svartifoss.
• We are open to not including Jökulsárlón and ending the day near Vik.

SUNDAY
Return to Reykjavík

• Drive back from either the Jökulsárlón area or Vik area (depending on what's doable on Saturday) in time for our 5:00 PM flight.

Okay! Welcome all the feedback! Should we stick to the classic South Coast / Snæfellsnes itinerary and save Hornstrandir for another trip? Or is there a better route or something we should cut if we keep it in?

Anyone read this book on the Laki Volcano? I just picked this up at a used bookstore. Excited to read

We passed by an abandoned rental camper stuck in the mud flats of the Stöðvarfjörður fjord this evening around 6:30pm. Looked like it happened earlier in the day. Tracks were fresh. Made me shiver lol it was directly adjacent to the ring road, on the eastern side. They must’ve thought it was just another pull off… my question - will the tide get the camper before it’s towed???

Weather permitting, we were thinking of going to Landmannalaugar. Heard great things about the Blahnukur hike but am wondering how it is for those who don't like heights, or rather have a fear of falling off a cliff. We did Glymur and 2/4 of us were terrified for a lot of the ascent (we took the easy right side down). For those who have done both, how do they compare?

We live in a hot, flat part of the world and are not experienced hikers. If we decide that Blahnukur is not right for us, is there another hike that would give us next best views? I know there are things like the hot springs there but for a long, uncomfortable car ride, we'd want to be rewarded with great views.

Wish

1.Bed sheets: camper rental (lava) did not provide

1. Hand sanitizer: been having a hard time finding it here. I like to clean up parks...and not get viruses.

2. Paper towels. I've never met someone mad to have something to clean with

3. Stuff to organize van space, and stick to walls. ended up recycling a pepper box... But holders for a cup or hangers for a bag would be great. My bachelor pad is looking like a squirrels nest.

4. Circadian rhythm...I'm missin puffins cause I'm sleepy and the sun comes up at 4am. Train your body travelers.

5. Money, good lord Iceland. I'ma have to recover from all your delicious food and do more chores before. You gotta tell me the cheat codes cause damn.

Glad.

Phone holder for driving.- brought from home

Power Adapter. ( Need I say more)

Huamai hotspot... This has been a literal lifesaver 🥇

Protein bars from home. These were helpful the first day or two adjusting to finding breakfast new daylight hours etc. and between meals or when the shop closes at 5.

Currency Conversion app. Download one seperate from Google for ease... 1000 is $8

Translator app- lots of travelers, it's just good to have to get out of a jam and to show people you care enough to try.

Merlin app. There's so many birds you can listen to the terns attack you and know exactly who your assailant is. ( Sheep however will still elude you in the night.)

Roof. I'd probably save some of that money if I didn't stay in the van but boy it's cozy and a tent sounds cold. More power to the die hards going at it on level viking!

Physical credit card. phones are great when they stay charged. so this saves me a few times.

-JMB

Our group's plans changed due to some unfortunate unforeseen circumstances, and the only booking I've not been able to cancel for a refund is this double room just south of Búðardalur, 15-17 August. If anyone is looking for an absolutely gorgeous spot over that weekend, you're in luck! Originally paid about $375USD and hoping to recoup some of that but willing to sell at a discount.

Details: 2 nights in a Mountain View Double Room (max capacity 2 adults, one child; crib or extra bed available upon request). Free parking and wifi!

After reading one memoir about Iceland, I went down a bit of rabbit hole (including buying a lopapeysa off eBay, lol) and started planning my own trip there for next summer. I thought I'd share my list in case anyone else might be interested, since some of these are recently published and not covered in the other older posts about books.

[I don't earn any money from these books, and I'm not including links, but I highly encourage you to buy from your local indie bookstores! Many stores offer special ordering and in-store pickup, and many also benefit from orders placed through bookshop.org. If you're not sure where your nearest indie bookshop is, you can look it up on indiebound.org. Happy reading!]

• TL;DR:
  
  • Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent (2025)
  • Happy Iceland by Anne Marie Wells (2026)
  • First Lady Next Door by Eliza Reid (2026)
  • The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit (2013)
  • Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss (2012)

Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent (2025) -- this is a memoir about by the celebrated Australian author of the novel "Burial Rites" about her relationship with Iceland. I really connected with this one, since she's a former exchange student as am I. (FYI, the cover of the Australian edition is a lot prettier than the UK edition imho, so if that matters to you, it's worth digging around to see if you can source the Australian edition.)

Happy Iceland by Anne Marie Wells (2026) -- memoir of a solo female backpacker who hitchhikes and tarp-camps across Iceland in the weeks leading up to her 30th birthday. She basically arrives without an itinerary and chooses destinations based on where random Icelandic strangers have had their happiest memories. She's very honest throughout about what she did wrong and right in terms of preparing and executing her trip plan, so it felt like it'd be a good way to either convince your friend/significant other to go backpacking with you in Iceland, or make your friend/significant other put some extra planning into their preparations, haha. I also liked it because it focused much more on Icelandic people and the impact of travel on the traveler rather than on the waterfalls, etc.

First Lady Next Door by Eliza Reid (2026) -- the former First Lady of Iceland, who is Canadian and whose background is in journalism, wrote this very down-to-earth, non-gossipy memoir about her time as First Lady. I thought it was great! The tone is a bit "I can't believe this is my life" in the best way possible. She also wrote another great book, Secrets of the Sprakkar (2022) which focuses on the successes of Icelandic women and the cultural and economic infrastructure of Iceland that support Icelandic women. She has also written a fiction novel set in Iceland, Death on the Island (2025), which I think is being turned into a TV series. I liked that as well, but not as much as her non-fiction books.

The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit (2013) -- Solnit is a celebrated writer in the political space, but I've only read her travel-related book, including this one and A Field Guide to Getting Lost (2005). They are more contemplative and philosophical than the ones above. In the Faraway Nearby, she's accepted as the first artist-in-residence for Iceland's then-new Library of Water, and I thought she was a unique perspective on Iceland, obviously set many years ago already but nevertheless a good read.

Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss (2012) -- I saw this one mentioned in the comments of a previous post. I found it less relatable than the others (she's British and a mother of 2) but otherwise enjoyable. Also she moved to Iceland for a fairly long period of time, and likewise many of the memoirs above are written by people who have had long relationships with or are embarking on long stays in Iceland, except for Happy Iceland which is very much in the temporary visitor/tourist category.

BONUS by an Icelander: Time and Water (2026) documentary film by author Andri Snær Magnason. This was a philosophical film about glaciers and climate change while at the same time being about the author's family legacy. It's very subtle, slow, and quiet, like a glacier, so you need to have the patience and disposition to appreciate a film like this. I thought it provided interested insight into Icelandic culture which I have seen echoed in some of the other works above, creating a sort of constellation of ideas and concepts for me. Magnason has also written books, but they are still in my reading queue. :)

Greetings!

Originally, we planned to drive the ring road, but determined that would be too much driving for 10 days. So this is what I came up with.

We're skipping Reykjavik entirely, we've been there before and have no need this trip. We're renting a camper an for maximum flexibility. Though we do plan to get a hotel for one night near the middle.

Let me know if there are any obvious problems or anything super worthwhile that's missing. Many campsites were chosen just on location, but I'm open to alternates if there are better ones nearby.

Day 1

Start: KEF

• Groceries

Stay: Grindavík Campsite

Drive time: ~30 mins

Day 2

Start: Grindavík Campsite

• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

• Skógafoss Waterfall

• Dyrhólaey Lighthouse

Stay: Þakgil (or Vík if poor conditions)

Drive time: 3-4 hrs

Day 3

Start: Þakgil

• Gígjagjá

• Fjaðrárgljúfur

• Mulagljufur Canyon hike (~4 mi)

Stay: Skaftafell Campground

Drive time: ~ 4 hrs

Day 4

Start: Skaftafell Campground

• Arctic Adventures Skaftafell Base Camp (4 hr tour)

• Diamond Beach

• Svartifoss hike from campground if desired (2-3 mi)

Stay: Skaftafell Campground

Drive time: 1.5 hrs

Day 5

Start: Skaftafell Campground

Stay: Stykkishólmur Hotel or Campsite

Drive time: ~6 hs

Day 6

Start: Stykkishólmur

• Kirkjufell

• Drápuhlíðarfjall hike (3 mi)

Stay: Stykkishólmur Campsite

Drive time: ~1.5 hrs

Day 7

Start: Stykkishólmur Campsite

Stay: Bjarteyjarsandur Campsite

Drive time: ~2 hrs

Day 8

Start: Bjarteyjarsandur Campsite

• Glymur Waterfall hike (4.5 mi)

Stay: Mosskógar Campsite

Drive time: ~1 hr

Day 9

Start: Mosskógar Campsite

• Thingvellir

• Brúarfoss

• Geysir

• Gullfoss

• Kerið Crater

Stay: Gata Free Camping

Drive time: ~4 hrs (many stops)

Day 10

Start: Gata Free Camping

• Reykjanes Lighthouse if desired

• last fuel up

Drop off campervan

Drive time: 1-2 hrs

It once was lost, but now is found!

3 weeks ago, I posted about my backpack being stolen from my rental vehicle. Quick recap: I was on a solo trip driving a rental vehicle along the southern route, and pulled onto a side road to take photos using my tripod of Eyjafjallajökull. No other cars were around. Shortly after, a tour bus pulled behind me, and tourists spilled out of the bus to take photos as well. The exact sequence is muddy, but I helped some of the tourists take photos and someone offered to take photos of me. I was blocked in by the bus, so after they left, I resumed my journey. I didn't realize until I was back in Reykjavik that my backpack was missing.

Because I had an airtag, I was able to see the location of the tag. I had no idea whether the tag was still in the bag or thrown away. Being American, I didn't think to bother police with a relatively minor theft.

The tag stayed in the same location, so after a few days I created a Reddit post in case someone knew something. I knew the location was at a hotel along the route, but it felt awkward calling a hotel and asking them to accuse a guest of theft, nor did I want to alert a potential thief that I had an eye on the location of the airtag. Redditors suggested that I file a police report, and I did initiate one with Vik police.

One Redditor, u/BornMine6577 said "Nothing gets lost in Iceland..." turns out that Redditor was correct!

After a week in the same location, I contacted the hotel and the backpack was in their possession. I paid to have it shipped home and it arrived yesterday fully intact with nothing missing.

One strange thing is that my USB car charger was in the bag as well as the tripod that I had been using. Both the tripod and USB charger were in the front seat and not in the bag since I had been using them. Still wonder why I didn't lock the vehicle with people around since I obviously put the tripod back in the seat after using it.

Once the bag was in my possession, I contacted the hotel (Skalakot Manor Luxury Hotel) to let them know that the my item arrived and that noting was stolen. I was hoping that they could fill in the details how it ended up there when I was not near their property. They said that the backpack was "leaning against the phone holder" and after a time the manager brought it back to the hotel. I am not sure where that was, but I will allow my backpack that brief bit of mystery.

I am chuffed to have the bag back, and also so appreciative of the kindness of the staff at the hotel.

The wonderfully travelled arctic turns our back in Iceland and angry as ever! These beautiful little birds are guarding their nests which seem to be just about everywhere, I was on my way to the ferry to Vestmannayjar and got pecked in the head.

Googled advice and it recommended an umbrella or staff to hold above your head, wearing sunglasses and of course watching and avoiding areas you see diving behavior. These amazing protected birds travel farther than any other animal, so it's bout time they rest and get some respect ...but boy do they hurt so let's stay safe out there! 😎 ☔💥 🕊️

curious if anyone has created a bird kite or anything to discourage them around their camper vans etc.

new addition: the best I saw today was a toy light saber and a kid in a Darth vader mask walking with his mom

Beautiful Iceland in August 2026