Top notch intro to the beauty of Iceland
Iceland
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Sep 19 - Sep 26, 2026
Many thanks to Noga and the team for filling our 8 days in Iceland with so many wonderful experiences. As it was our first trip to this island country, we wanted to see the classic Golden Ring highlights as well as cover the beauty of the west and southwest coasts in the short-lived fall season. The itinerary flow was perfect from arrival at KEF to our departure. Each day's itinerary was full and required some focus to manage travel times and meet timed entries on occasion, but it was all in the plan. Rain and wind were often present, but it was accounted for in our outfits and did not stop us from pressing forward. We skipped only a couple of the add-on stops not because they wouldn't be interesting (geyser & crater) but because stopped to smell and eat the tomatoes in a very cool greenhouse bistro. We did both the Blue Lagoon (right after getting the rental car at 0900) and Sky Lagoon (seventh day, after an invigorating 3-hour Icelandic horse-back ride in the morning). We really enjoyed the "Thor's Valley" backcountry Jeep ride day. All four accommodations were unique and comfortable in their own way. As a bonus we got to enjoy the Northern Lights on our final two evenings. As we are only a five-hour redeye flight away, we will definitely consider a follow up trip.
Hotel Reviews
A cool place just on the edge of downtown and an easy walk to the sights. Street parking was available and free but did fill up so we didn't move once we got our spot for the one night. We took a chance and dropped in at 2 PM and they were able to accommodate an early check-in. Breakfast was not in the rate and was pricy ($30US I think) so we got some light fare at a city market.
Our favorite of our four accommodations. Set back in the SW countryside surrounded by fields and grazing animals. Dinner and breakfasts were very delicious and filling. We did the riverside cabins which were spacious and quiet. Great place to step outside at night to see the Northern Lights on the last night.
Very unique & quirky establishment on Reykjavik harbor. No parking on site but you can pull up to the door (alley side not street side) and drop off luggage quickly. Parked on the street a few blocks away which wasn't too bad cost wise for a night. Breakfast included and it was great. Easy walk into downtown for food, shopping, and sights. Saw the Northern Lights over the harbor despite all city lights.
Great place on the hillside overlooking the little village. Good onsite parking. Included breakfast was very well done and filling
Activity Reviews
A great full day off road enjoying the backcountry. Nine of us on the tour loaded into a large Mercedes offroad vehicle. Perfect for full offroad riding and river crossings. Many stops to take in caves, waterfalls, glaciers, and rivers. Midpoint we stopped for an opportunity for a self-paced 45-minute moderate hike to a summit for a great view of the valley. We chose to only hike halfway and enjoyed the views seen in my picture below.
It was a well-run experience though in mid-September there were not a lot of whale sightings to be had. As our guide/spotter/photographer Matteo reminded everyone, we are going into the wild, not an aquarium. He did get four pictures of the animals we saw on the trip which the tour company emailed to us upon request (as they did not have my email thru the Kimkim booking).
Seljalandsfoss was as wonderful as you see in all the pictures. Didi the walk around back and enjoyed the view. We did not make the trek to Gljúfrabúi as we'd spent all day in Icelandic rain and wind.
We got there too late for the main farm and restaurant, but the Bistro next door was open & pretty magical. Great food and ambiance. We each had tomato soup and split a burrata & tomato ravioli and a cheesecake with tomato jam.
Seemed to be a nice town with several good restaurants. it was our base for exploring Snæfellsnes Peninsula so did not walk around here.
This was an optional addon from Noga, our KimKim advisor, and was well worth the divert along the 'silver ring' as we drove from Reykjavik to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Though not as large as Gullfoss, the span and setting made the falls very charming especially with the fall colors.
The seas were rough that day so we got quite the show of wind, sea, surf along the path. Paths were well marked and easy to traverse. Be sure to get a selfie with the large stone troll statue.
A beautiful sight though Iceland weather wasn't presenting the most beautiful views the one day we had available to see it on the way to the west coast. No regrets including it in our itinerary.
A must-see site on the Golden circle that we enjoyed. Iceland challenged us again at this locale with both calm cool weather as well as 40 knot rain & wind in the face. Took the walk from the visitor center to the overlook, down the split to the waterfalls and over to the parliament building. All very interesting
This was our first black sand beach and it was very beautiful, accented by a somewhat stormy day.
A well-run experience to see the effects of lava on Iceland up-close. The chambers were very unique and full of great sights and sounds.
A beautiful, well-run facility and experience. Did the full experience with the 7(?) stages which you get to do once. Rest of the time is relaxing in the lagoon and enjoying the views of the harbor.
A stop on the silver ring that worked out wonderfully for us for different reasons. A friendly Icelandic Sheepdog was running loose in the parking lot, greeting all the arrivals. We are dog people and to get to see & pet this adorable, unique breed pup was big bonus points for us. The hot spring was interesting but not much to see. There is a vendor on site selling snacks and Icelandic hot dogs. If you bought food, you could sit in his large greenhouse and enjoy it in comfort. Did I mention there was a dog ;)
Vik was a quaint little town. Icelandic weather challenged us this day this some stormy weather, but it did not stop us nor this influencer in front of the iconic Vik church taking a gigabyte of photos. We did go to the wool shop recommended in the KimKim Vik write up to a) meet the dogs, and b) get some locally sourced and produced Icelandic wool sweaters. Big win on both counts. We lunched at the Black Crust Pizza place which was delicious.
Grand falls along the coastline drive between Vik and Reykjavik. We stopped to take it in from the base; weren't up for the 500 steps to the overlook.
We landed at KEF at 0630 and were in the Blue Lagoon by 0845. It was a great wake up and re-invigoration after our 5 hour redeye from BWI. Crowds were not bad and you could find some quieter spots beyond the main lagoon to enjoy the experience. The premium experience was nice with the different mud treatments and the robe for lounge outside the water.
We really enjoyed this town. We spent our first and last nights in Iceland here and got to do some exploring of the downtown, old town, shops, and sights. We even got Northern Lights from our downtown hotel, which was a bonus.
Best of all the falls we saw during our trip. A very expansive visitor center/diner/gift store on site.
A beautiful view though we were getting angry, rainy, windy Iceland weather during our visit. Still glad we stopped to see them. The 'sneaker waves' are no joke. They would hit the columns and much of the beach very quickly.
A beautiful site challenged by an angry Iceland weather day. No regrets stopping and getting some good views of the arches, lighthouse, and beaches. We were a few weeks late to see puffins but maybe next time. ;)
