Overwhelmed by the fantastic Iceland trip kimkim put together for us

Iceland | Jun 9 - Jun 20, 2026

Our 1-night stay at Alda Hotel met our needs for a central location and a comfortable room. We were grateful for the offer to check in early, just having arrived from our overnight flight. The hotel does not have its own parking, but the garage we were directed to use is conveniently located on the same street. The room had a balcony with a nice view out on the city. Breakfast was quite good as well. The Bonus supermarket is just up the street. We were able to stock up before leaving town on our self-driving tour of Iceland. It's easy to walk to Harpa, the church, and all of the shopping in the area.

Hotel Rangá has a strong reputation. We noted they were hosting people traveling with highly regarded tour companies while we were staying there. We found our room a bit cramped and warm, road-facing, so limited views. The location served us well for our itinerary. They offered a welcome drink on our first evening. We enjoyed breakfast and the beautiful views from the dining room each morning. The skyr and pastries were quite good! They also offered hot items, including a vegan option. Our dinner at Hotel Rangá was enjoyable, but not fantastic. The reindeer entree was quite large, possibly good to share. The mushroom soup and scallop starter were also quite tasty. We appreciated the warmth and helpfulness of the staff here.

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon was a great choice for our touring in this area. The location worked well for us. The nice bar area, lounge areas, and porch were all enjoyed. Our room was comfortable, though quite a distance from the common areas. No AC; however, fans were available to help circulate the air. We had a very enjoyable dinner at this hotel. The dining room offered lovely views of the surrounding mountains. Breakfast buffet was also quite good.

Our quick overnight in this tiny little village was well served by staying at this guesthouse. We had an amazing view of the mountains, and a little lake, and a porch to enjoy. The guesthouse is basic, but it included comfortable seating, a small fridge, and a coffee/tea setup in the room. We were steps away from the cute church, a supermarket, the local pub, and Aldan Hotel for dining. Its historical charm added to the experience of staying there.

OUTSTANDING hotel. We enjoyed our stay here very much. Our room had the most amazing view of the lake, along with an exterior door onto a small deck. Our room was larger than most we experienced on our trip. We had a large window with two chairs, a perfect setup for relaxing with coffee or a cocktail and taking in the scenic views. The breakfast service was on par with another Fosshotel experience, which we found to be quite good. Service was excellent here.

This hotel is in quite a remote area. The scenery from the numerous comfortable lounge areas was fabulous. We appreciated being able to relax in the public spaces with our coffee or cocktails. The dining experience was less impressive. The dining room is stark and faces the parking lot, not offering much in the way of ambiance. The dinner menu was limited to one vegetarian option, a fish of the day, a lamb, and a beef entree. I had the fish - cod, and it was a tasty dish, but not terribly inventive. The beef my husband ordered was actually tough, a bit disappointing, as you are definitely paying for an extraordinary meal. The breakfast buffet was adequate, but nothing special. We had some concerns regarding our room assignment, which Noga and her team helped us resolve. This hotel is in a beautiful setting, and it's a treat to visit here.

Our quick 1-night stay here was a great choice. This hotel is slightly off the central shopping district, but only by a few blocks. We had easy free parking right out front. Our room was small, cute, and lodge-like. We did not have breakfast or any food here, other than the free coffee in the lobby. The large Bonus grocery store is just a block behind this hotel, so that could be helpful if you need to stock up before leaving town. It's easy to head to the airport from here too. A gas station with the fabulous Braou bakery is just down the hill on your way to the highway.

Midgard really blew us away with this full day of off-road exploration, where we could never venture on our own. Part of the "wow-factor" and beauty of this day was not knowing what we were in for. I hesitate to dig deep into details, but encourage you to gift yourself with this day and soak it in, however it unfolds. There were people of all ages with us. The lunch included in our tour was vegan, gluten-free, and DELICIOUS. Thorear, our guide, was on his game and gave us his undivided attention and entertained us, too. We hold this experience at the very top of our 12-day trip highlights. Midgard is a family operation with a deep commitment to sustainability and treating the community in which they live and work with the utmost respect.

This sea bath venue is INCREDIBLE! The views, the spa-like environment, and easy access to refreshments were all part of what created my favorite 'pampering' outing of our trip. I'm so thrilled that I asked Noga for recommendations for a hot springs experience that would fit into our itinerary. This one is a definite 'DO'. Our timing was impeccable as there were no crowds and it was a glorious blue sky day... perfect for this experience.

We visited at night (still in daylight) and found the lighting to be a special effect, and of course, the buses of tourists were not there. Put your waterproof gear on if you want to go behind the falls. Both falls were worth a visit. It's easy to walk between the two falls. It's right off the main road, so very convenient to go there.

The lagoon area is surprisingly easy to access right off of the main road. Many outfitters operate from this busy parking lot. Food trucks are available and masses of people gather to meet up with their tour operators. The icebergs are close up to the shore and set against the glacier as a backdrop. All in all pretty cool. It’s an easy walk along the side of the lagoon to the ocean and black diamond beach. No need to move a vehicle to a different parking area. The large icebergs that come up on the beach are unexpected and depending on the light, quite striking.

Ice Lagoon runs an efficient operation at the glacier lagoon. Everything ran on time; they have a system down from check-in to suiting up (yes, you will be in a really fashionable jumpsuit!) and a quick bus ride to the pier to load up. Under clear blue skies, we were blessed with an exhilarating ride on the Zodiac out into the lagoon and among icebergs. We saw a gray seal sunbathing and experienced a glacier calving. It's all otherworldly and a privilege to be in that environment. We found our guide to be completely into sharing this incredible place with us. The operation is family-run with only the two Zodiacs. They do quite a business and offer a tour worthy of your attention.

A spectacular hike from one tiny village to another (about 2 miles each way). We walked along the cliffs with clear views to all kinds of rock formations, and then through lava rocks for a good way which gave a chance to get out of a rather blowy wind. At the end we came upon a small building which happened to be a delightful cafe with both sweet and savory foods and beverages. The chocolate cake there was quite delicious! We found it difficult to leave that scenic spot to do our return trip. It’s a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.

Looks like a Lord of the Rings setting! We loved exploring this canyon as it’s very distinctive. We understand it was a little visited place until Justin Bieber made a video here a few years ago. It’s totally worth checking out.