17 days in the wilds of Iceland
We had already taken two trips to Iceland over the past 10 years. For our third trip, we decided to explore the West Fjords and spend more time in the Highlands for a few days, as we loved that region, before returning via the south.
The original plan was to go for 15 days, but to enjoy a bit more of the south, we eventually added 2 extra days to our itinerary, making it a 17-day road trip from July 28th to August 13th, 2024.
- The first part, about a week, in the West Fjords
- The second, in the Highlands
- The third, a few days, along the southern coast
Here’s a rough outline of the route we followed. The idea was to avoid spending too much time at the typical tourist spots, as we were already familiar with most of them.
For transportation, we flew from Geneva via Icelandair and chose an Old Model Duster 4x4 from Blue Car Rental to save some money. Along this route, we planned to cross a few rivers, none of which were known to be particularly difficult. Some of the trails we covered included: F208, F210, F235, and F225.
For our first visit to Þórsmörk, we played it safe and opted for a bus tour with Reykjavik Excursion from Hella. (Spoiler alert: given the river's flow, it was definitely the right choice...)
Arriving in Iceland
The weather was rather pleasant when we arrived in Iceland, with a temperature of 12°C—quite a relief from the 36°C heatwave in Geneva! The Icelandair flight was on time, and once we collected our luggage, we picked up our vehicle from Blue Car Rental, which was just 200 meters from the airport exit.
The last time we visited, there had been quite a queue to pick up a vehicle at Blue Car Rental. However, that had changed, and with their pre-check-in system, we got the Duster in less than five minutes. Super convenient! From there, we headed to Reykjavik and our guesthouse, located not far from Laugavegur, in the heart of the 101 district.
We dropped off our luggage and made our way to the old port for a walk around the capital, to stroll along the well-known Austurstræti and Laugavegur streets to find a restaurant. We ended up at Svarta Kaffið, a great spot where they served traditional soups in bread at a very reasonable price for Iceland. They were absolutely delicious, and we highly recommend the place!
After grabbing a drink at the American Bar on Austurstræti, we called it a night, knowing we had a long day of driving ahead of us tomorrow to reach the Vestfirðir.
