Driving through Iceland: one of the things you must do once in a lifetime
**Iceland is one of those destinations that you must travel by car.** Renting a car is an additional expense, but in this case it is worth the investment.
Driving through one of the happiest countries in the world is an extremely simple activity. The roads are in good condition and, although in most cases there is only one lane in each direction, there is no great danger, since the paths go in a straight line.
Driving both night and day is safe in this country. And this is a good point, especially considering that during the winter there are very few hours of sunshine.
Avoid tourist bus tours: to enjoy the country's greatest attractions, We offer you a road route that will help you escape from the masses. We know you want to get that special photo in the Blue Lagoon and we are going to help you with it.
Iceland: the road trip you will never forget
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN REYKJAVIK, BLUE LAGOON, FALLS AND THE RUINED PLANE
If your flight arrives in Iceland at night (which is the best option, to make the most of the time), pick up your car and head to the country's capital, Reykjavik; a tour that will take you about 40 minutes.
Reykjavík is a city that invites you to stroll through its streets. The most photographed stop is the Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church, At 74.5 m high, it is one of the tallest structures on the entire island.
At night, and despite the cold, you will find a good atmosphere in the restaurants and bars adjacent to the church. Do you still have a few hours of sunshine left? head over to see the statue of the Viking ship Solfar in the port.
Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church, one of the tallest structures in the country
Get ready to hit the most motivating early riser of your life, because There is nothing like starting the day in hot springs. Most tourists go to the Blue Lagoon during sunny hours, so it is advisable to choose other times with less traffic. –it is best to head to Blue Lagoon at its opening; at 8 am-.
Book your tickets before you go and with time, because they tend to sell out weeks in advance. The rumors are true: yes, there are workers who force you to shower before entering the hot springs, but you can do it comfortably from a private shower.
The fact of going at 8am will compensate you, because in addition to having more space, You will be able to see the first rays of light of day from the comfort of these hot springs.
The cold will quickly fade into the background once you've settled into a little corner. After a couple of hours, and When you've finally got the perfect photo to show off on Instagram, we're off to our next destination.
To go to the Blue Lagoon without crowds, better first thing in the morning
Your first day involves destinations with water and lots of activity. The most famous waterfalls in the country are located about two hours from Blue Lagoon, but the tour becomes enjoyable with the indescribable landscapes that Iceland offers you along the way.
Brand Seljalandsfoss as your next destination, one of the waterfalls that you can get closer to. It is advisable to bring a raincoat, since the water falls quite strongly.
The magic of this waterfall is that you can walk behind it and take amazing photos. If it has snowed or the ground is frozen, the trail to the rear of the falls may be closed.
The next waterfall is a few steps from the first and goes unnoticed by most tourists: it is Gljúfrabúi. It has a special charm, being hidden behind a wall of rocks.
The last waterfall of this first day of excursion is Skogafoss, that can be seen from the road on your way to the next stop: the plane wreckage in Sólheimasandur, a new trendy destination in Iceland promoted by social networks.
Skogafoss waterfall, don't forget your raincoat!
Everyone wants to take a photo in this place, but few know the details of its history. Is about a small plane that crashed in 1973 and fortunately everyone who was in it survived the accident.
If you put Solheimasandur in the GPS, you will find where to leave the car, but it is quite a challenge to get to the wreckage, since you have to walk for about 45 minutes.
Try to follow other people, because it's easy to get lost if you're not going the official way. The effort is worth it, because the contrast of the plane wreckage with nature produces an effect of natural beauty.
Don't wait too long, because you'll have to retrace your steps to get back before it gets dark. Is there still a little light? Do not miss the beach with the peculiar black sand of Vik.
The Sólheimasandur plane, one of the most instagrammed spots
At night we propose a plan that combines elegance, comfort and maybe a dose of Aurora borealis.
The Ranga Hotel, located in the middle of the Icelandic countryside, meets all these requirements. After spending all day on the road, you will be grateful to arrive at a place as luxurious as this. Each hotel suite is decorated with a theme, which will make you teleport to another radically different destination, be it Africa, Asia, South America or even Antarctica itself.
That's not all, as the hotel houses a restaurant with the best flavors of the country. Its star dish, and one of the most expensive, is the shrimp, but it's going to be one of the best you've ever tasted.
These are all more than favorable points, but The best thing about being in the middle of nowhere is seeing the Northern Lights and in the Ranga hotel they put at your disposal a service to notify you in the middle of the night in the event that this desired effect occurs. You will only have to look out on your balcony to see them.
DAY 2 – THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
This second day on our route through Iceland is full of landscapes that seem taken from another planet. The stops will be frequent, so the hours on the road will really pass as if they were a few minutes.
The first destination is the most famous geyser in the south of the island (Geysir). In this place you will walk between small geysers until you see, a few meters away, the power of the largest geyser of all.
Once you see this spectacle of nature, you will have a hard time leaving. If you miss the explosion of one, don't worry, because you only have to wait a few more minutes for the next one to happen. The geyser starts out as a blue bubble, so it's easy to tell when it will 'blow up'.
Geysir, the most famous geyser in the south of the island
At our second stop, just 10 minutes from the geyser, we are going to be colder (especially if you go in the middle of winter). Gullfoss waterfall It is the largest on this route and its water rushes into the void with great violence.
Seeing it from below is quite a challenge, since the temperatures are very low and taking a photo with the wind against it is not easy, but the experience is worth it. If you go up some stairs, you will enjoy a different perspective of the waterfall.
It's time to head back to areas around Reykjavík (or even the airport). The last stop on this journey is the Thingvellir National Park, with landscapes that extend towards infinity and with a curious geography, since Here the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet.
The impressive waterfall of Gullfoss
Not everything remains there, since it is also a historical place: the first Viking parliaments took place here. The park is an hour from Gullfoss and the views in winter are unmatched, thanks to the landscapes dyed white by low temperatures.
The visit will be as long as you wish and depending on the time, but really It's worth spending an hour or two walking around Thingvellir. Be careful with the bridges, because the floors are usually frozen and you will not want to skate.
If you still haven't had the chance to live the northern lights show, it is advisable that you do not spend the last night in Reykjavík and stay in a remote hotel to have more possibilities.
If you don't get to see them at that time, who knows, you might be lucky that, on the return flight, Iceland says goodbye to you with this light show.
The landscapes of Thingvellir National Park will leave you speechless