Summary of Our 17 Days in Iceland
We left the capital a little after 3:30 AM and headed to Keflavik. The rental vehicle return at 5:00 AM went smoothly after a Blue Car Rental agent came to check that the car was in good condition and closed out our contract.
We took our flight at 7:00 AM as planned, heading home to Geneva.
A Magnificent Journey
There were fewer tourists in Iceland this year, but on the ground we didn’t really notice a significant drop in the popular hotspots. In fact we found some sites to be quite crowded—especially Jökulsarlon and the Vik area. The difference between regions was clear though, with very few visitors going to remote places like the Westfjords and central Iceland.
We were surprised by the crowds at Landmannalaugar, where the parking lot was full when we returned from our hike. These days it's better to arrive early at the more touristy sites. Over the past few years, most parking lots at popular sites have started charging fees via the Parka.is app. The fees are usually reasonable, around 1,000 ISK. We noticed this at quite a few places including Landmannalaugar, Fjaðrárgljúfur, Skaftafell, Seljalandsfoss, and Jökulsarlon.
As for the weather, it was variable but decent. According to the locals we spoke with, July had been unusually rainy. Out of our 17 days, we experienced 4 or 5 cloudy or rainy days, but the rest were fair to very good. Temperatures ranged from 5°C to 19°C, but on a typical day, the average was 12°C.
It’s essential to use the Vedur.is app and be flexible with your itinerary when possible. Several times, we adjusted our plans based on the weather, like when we stayed in Hella. It was raining in Vik, so we spent the day further east near Múlagljúfur and visited Vik the next day when the forecast showed better weather.
The app is very accurate for the hourly forecast up to two days ahead, but beyond that, it’s more of a guessing game!
This was our third trip to Iceland, so we chose to visit the less touristy areas, well off the beaten track of the Ring Road: Vestfirðir, Landmannalaugar, Kerlingarfjöll, and Thórsmörk. While the whole trip was a treat, we singled out some distinct favourites.
Some of the roads were just incredible: F225, F235, and the southern part of F208 were absolutely breathtaking, and driving on these tracks was a real pleasure. We had no problems with the river crossings, our Duster handled them without any issues.
Favorite Places
Of all places we visited, Kerlingarfjöll was a standout. We were lucky to have beautiful weather there, which isn’t always common in that area. The sun really brought out the dramatic contrasts in the landscape.
Landmannalaugar and Langisjór also left us in awe. The otherworldly landscapes made pure poetry for our eyes.
We had loved Thórsmörk a few years ago and enjoyed it just as much the second time around! The Tindfjöll hike with its stunning panoramas were particularly humbling in their beauty. You'll have to take the bus to get there as the river crossings are dangerous with a rental 4x4, and we strongly advise against attempting it. Even the bus struggled to cross this year due to the high flow of the Krossa river.
First Time in the Westfjords
Visiting the Westfjords for the first time, we were struck by the wilderness here, the hostile beauty of the region. It’s very different from the more accessible parts of Iceland, and you might not see a store or gas station for tens of kilometers in some places. While the weather wasn’t always in our favor, the landscapes and fjords made for unforgettable vistas every time.
