Planning for the Trip of a Lifetime!


If you are looking to take a vacation overseas, I highly recommend Iceland! Years ago, we wanted to plan something special for our 20th wedding anniversary. Like many other things in life, we let the plans fall by the wayside. Kids happened, covid happened, work happened. But this past December when we heard that Icelandair was starting their nonstop flights from Pittsburgh to Keflavik again, we jumped on the opportunity to plan the vacation of a lifetime!

We have never been overseas as a family (I have never been anywhere outside the US besides Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean) so we chose Iceland because of the nonstop flight, the plethora of things to do as a family and we heard that it's fairly easy to get around there by car.

I will admit that once I got into the planning stages, I probably spent more hours planning than we were actually there! We watched YouTube videos, I visited travel websites and blogs trying to get a sense of what we'd like to see and do.

We ended up booking through a wonderful travel agent named Nikki at AAA. I loved the ease of having all of our reservations in one place. We booked the airfare, hotel rooms and car through him. We also purchased travel insurance as peace of mind which was totally worth the money as this trip was a large investment. As a note, places often book up one year in advance. We booked in January for our June 7th departure. We had lovely hotels for our family of four but if you want specific hotels, my advice is to book more than 6 months out!

What Did We Pack?


I spent a lot of time in Iceland "planning" Facebook groups to prepare for this vacation. The summer season can really bring any type of weather and we wanted to be prepared. It is light 24 hours a day there in the summer (so if you have trouble sleeping with light, pack a sleep mask and see if your hotel has black out curtains). We were VERY lucky that all of our days were sunny and in the 50's-60's which is usually unheard of in Iceland! We were prepared with waterproof jackets, boots, hats & gloves and packed layers for under our jackets. We also took our waterproof snowpants because there was a snowstorm there days before we arrived! The snow didn't affect the west or the south but from everything I had read, my biggest takeaway was JUST BE PREPARED!! To save room in our suitcases, I borrowed large bags that looked like ziplock bags to vaccuum pack our winter gear. No vaccuum was needed, just a little elbow grease to get the air out. They were perfect and saved room in the suitcases. (Note: Icelandair has strict suitcase and carryon sizing guidelines).

Iceland Here We Come!


Through careful planning, we decided for our first trip to limit our travel to the sights on the west and south coast. The Ring Road is a paved, two lane road that goes in a circle around the country. There are other "off roads" to see sights deep into the country but most of them require special vehicles. We chose to stay one week and wanted to see as much as we possibly could. Below you will find our itinerary. It's a great starting point if planning a trip and I know that we still missed seeing so many things (but hopefully there will be another trip in the future!!)

Day 1: Pittsburgh to Keflavik to Reykjavik


We were the first ones in line before Icelandair even opened their ticket counter. Excitement was building as we stared at the photos of the landscapes that we would soon see in person. It was a surreal feeling for sure...knowing that in a few hours, we would be on our way to "The land of fire and ice."

The flight was one of the easiest we have ever done! We were checked in quickly, grabbed dinner and even ran into some friends that were flying over with us!

When the flight crew walked up to the gate, the boys made the comment about how professional they looked. All dressed in navy with hats and the ladies had their hair in low braided buns, they greeted everyone with big smiles. The kids received snack boxes and small activities do do on the place. They even gave them small puffin stuffed animals!

The flight time flew by so quickly with the in-flight movies and shows. In my mind, I thought, "everyone will sleep on the plane and we will wake up refreshed and ready to start our day at 6am when we land." That was a giant (as my son would say) WOMP WOMP. The kids were so excited about everything that there was no sleeping!! So when we landed in Keflavik, which is the international airport about 50 min outside of the capital city of Reykjavik, we rented our car and started on our way. (TIP: buy ALL of the extra car insurance for potential sand, gravel, ash damage. It's not that expensive and could save thousands in repairs). We headed towards Reykjavik to spend some time walking around before we could check into our hotel. We found a local coffee shop called "Coffee and Stuff" where one of the boys was fast asleep on a comfy chair before we could finish our lattes and hot chocolate order.

The fresh air was good for our souls as we wandered the city streets impressed with the architecture of the colorful buildings, the friendliness of the locals and the desire to see everything we could! One of the most memorable sights is one that can be seen from almost anywhere and that is the Hallgrimmskirkja Church. It's a stunning beauty on the inside that boasts a pipe organ almost as tall as the building itself and a bell tower that has panoramic views of the whole city and harbor.

Lunch was at a burger joint themed after the movie "The Big Lebowski" which admittedly, I had never seen but the burgers were delicious! After lunch, we made our way to over to the Kvosin Hotel where we would spend the next few days as our home base. I had seen photos of the hotel online but it was magnificent in person. It's a charming space with so much light and living space for the four of us. It had a small cooktop to prepare simple meals. My favorite was the Nespresso machine for it's convenient and delicious coffee! Luckily, we were able to walk to one of the local grocery stores, Kronan and purchase snacks for the week and some breakfast items. Google Translate was helpful with ingredients for Ethan's allergies as most of the foods were not in English. The boys had a blast looking at all of the different foods. To make it easy, we chose pasta with vegetables and marinara to cook for dinner that night. We wanted something simple so that we could get a good night's rest before starting fresh in the morning.

Day 2: ATV Tour through the mountains and Ytri Tunga Beach!


The next morning we woke up refreshed and ready for the day! We didn't seem to mind the 4 hour ahead time difference (the airlines know what they are doing with these overnight flights!). We headed off to our ATV tour where we lucked out both with the sunny weather and that we were the only ones booked for that time and we had a guide all to ourselves. Actur our guide was so patient and kind (knowing we had never done something so adventurous before) and he fully prepared us for one of the highlights of this vacation. The ride up to the top of the mountain through rugged terrain took about an hour. When we got to the top, the views were unbelievable. The photos don't even do it justice. We saw other mountain tops, a glacier off in the distance, a lake and town below and we could still see Reykjavik from a few thousand feet up. I highly recommend this tour!! We booked through a travel site called "Wake Up Reykjavik" and they have many tours available. They partner with Safari Quads and it was one thing that I highly recommend!! No quad experience needed! Aiden had chosen this activity after seeing some videos and said it was his favorite thing all week!

Actur was so amazing that when we were talking with him about how we should plan the rest of the day, he recommended the Snellfesnaes Peninsula over the Golden Circle. We made the drive to the Ytri Tunga Beach, also known as Seal Beach. It was incredible to be in nature with these amazing creatures. We saw so many seals, birds, and even thousands of tiny seashells with creatures inside. We could have spent many more hours there. If we take a trip back, we will visit the entire Snellfessnaes Peninsula as we missed SO much but we were pretty tired from the day's events. Seeing the beauty of the west coast makes us dream of another trip soon!

Day 3: The Golden Circle


Today we are visiting one of the top tourist attractions- the Golden Circle! We dedicated a full day to this because with driving between sights and taking time to really enjoy everything, we needed about 8+ hours. Starting with the Kerid Crater was great! The beautiful aquamarine water made us want to walk down the 100+ stairs to get to the bottom. Apparently, the volcanic crater hasn't erupted in thousands of years but the water in the lake has enough minerals to give it the beautiful coloring. Again, the photos don't do it justice (I feel like that should have been the title of this blog!) and when standing at the bottom, the people walking the perimeter of the top looked like ants! Next we headed toward Gullfoss waterfall but wanted to stop for lunch. We found this quaint town called Skaholt (TIP: keep the tank filled as there are not as many gas stations around the smaller towns and the ones that don't have people working there require a CC pin!) So glad we stopped there as we stumbled upon a beautiful little cathedral that saw the most gorgeous mosaic of Jesus at the altar. We were lucky too, because Hotel Hvonn was right across the parking lot and they had a bright and airy greenhouse that was serving lunch. The boys enjoyed more hamburgers and fries while Eugene tried lentil steak (I don't think he knew what a lentil steak was. Spoiler alert...it's not meat). He was super impressed with the flavor though. I LOVED the homemade bread, hummus and beet soup!

Continuing on our journey, Gullfoss waterfall did not disappoint! It was magnificent from all angles. We walked to the top, the middle and towards the canyon. The rainbow was just an extra added touch. After taking many photos, we moved on to the Geysir, another scenic drive. The nice thing about Iceland is that even though the drives can be long, the scenery is breathtaking and nothing looks the same!

Geysir erupts (not sure that's the correct terminology) with boiling water every 4 minutes. If we had more time there, we would have enjoyed their hiking trails but we wanted to make it to Thingvellir National Park to see the continental divide between Europe and North America. We had seen it in many YouTube videos but wanted to see it with our own eyes! The park is absolutely beautiful. There is a gorgeous lake and mountains to pass through. I will say we had a little bit of trouble finding the parking location for the techtonic plates as it's not well marked in the park or on the map. But we arrived after a few times of turning the car around and found it- you guessed it- beautiful!! The boys seemed to have a lot of energy that day so they went running down the trail. No where else in the world can we stand between two continental plates!

Day 4: Heading to Iceland's south coast


Before setting out for the south coast, we had heard about Braud & Co, one of the best bakeries in town for cinnamon rolls. We took an early morning stroll through the quiet city streets of Reykjavik and thoroughly enjoyed the bakery's sweet treats. We packed up our things and said so long to the Kvosin Hotel (for 2 nights) and headed on the 2 hour drive to the town of Vik. We planned to stop at Seljandefoss Waterfall to break up the drive. I have to say this was yet another unexpected hightlight! You must be thinking...you've seen one waterfall you've seen them all, right? Nope!! This one we could walk behind!! There were about 60 stairs to climb before reaching the slippery, rocky slope of this magnificent waterfall. Ethan loved it so much we climbed it twice! There was no hike to the waterfall itself as it can be seen from the road. Only when walking up to it could we enjoy it's raw, natural beauty.

Our next hotel was about 10 miles before the town of Vik, called Hotel Dyrholaey. Before checking in, we saw a park where we could drive up a VERY steep, winding road (and let me tell you it was steep-- and I'm from Pittsburgh!). The panoramic views from the top of the cliffs were absolutely amazing. It was very windy up there but that didn't stop us from walking every inch of the perimeter stopping to gaze at the ocean, the black sand beaches below, the mountains behind us and the hillsides rich with sea birds.

Ethan was waiting patiently for months to see a puffin. They normally live in the sea except from June- Sept when come to land to build shallow nests in the hillsides. We did get to see 3 puffins!! The pics aren't great because they are pretty elusive little creatures but he was thrilled at the sight of them!

When we checked into Hotel Dyrholaey, I had no idea it sat atop a mountain hillside. I had seen the views of the Dyrholaey cliffs on their website but had no idea how exquisite the views really were! The rooms were clean and comfortable and the staff very friendly. Their restaurant had large windows looking out to sea and we ate dinner there both night for both the views AND the delicious food!

One more stop for the night after dinner took us to Reynisfjara black sand beach. We stood with other tourists among the basalt columns (sea stacks) making it a very unique location that is well visited. The stacks were formed from lava rock that cooled and hardened cracking into the geometric shape. There is no swimming at the beach due to dangerous "sneaker waves" and well....it's pretty cold and windy but that didn't stop us from enjoying our time on the black sand.

Day 5: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach and Vik


Starting our day early (but we had an AWESOME breakfast at the hotel) was not even difficult knowing we were going on a boat tour of the glacier lagoon! The drive to Jokulsarlon is about 2.5 hours away from where we were staying. The drive went quickly because the scenery changed so often. We saw huge mountains, rolling green hillsides with sheep and horses, fields of lava rock as far as the eyes could see and then fields of black sand. We came upon the glacier itself and it's stunning! I wish we had more photos of the drive but it is illegal to pull over on the road (and dangerous as it's a 2 lane road) but nonetheless, we will remember it!

We booked the amphibian boat tour which is suitable for families. The zodiac boat tour and kayaking are available but our kids are not old enough. We had a great time on the boat tour in the giant lagoon and our tour guide gave us the history of how the glacier and the lagoon are every changing. We even got to hold a piece of ice that is over 1000 years old! After the boat tour, we took a short walk to Diamond Beach. It gets its name from the pieces of icebergs that wash ashore with the changing tides. The pieces glimmer like diamonds in the sunlight and we could have spent the whole day there!

On our drive back, we stopped at the most unique coffee shop called Cafe Vatnajokull. Their lattes were so delicious and it was so well decorated. What a nice surprise after a long day of exploring! We couldn't go back to our hotel without stopping in the little town of Vik (who has 320 residents) and climbing the hillside for the pictures of the lupine fields and the little white church that sits above the small town.

We were going to stop and visit the famous plane wreck on the beach (crashed in the 1970's, everyone survived) but when we arrived at the parking area, we did not realize that it's about a 4 hour walk to the site-yikes! So we chose dinner with a view instead at the hotel! Maybe next time!

Day 6: Back to Reykjavik


Our vacation quickly came to an end so we wanted to enjoy every last minute and soak up every bit of the local culture. We really took in the sights on the drive back to Rekjavik. From the mountains, the bright green rolling hills, and the houses randomly placed amid the beauty, we felt a rush of gratitude for everything we experienced this week. The boys wanted one more trip to Kronan and some kronos money to take home so we stopped in the quaint village of Selfoss. The brightly colored buildings drew us in and we spent some time walking around among the locals.

When arriving back at the Kvosin Hotel, we were surprised to have gotten a room upgrade for our last night. The room was gorgeous and the boys made themselves right at home in the bright and airy sunlit room. But we didn't want to call it a night just yet. We walked around the downtown one more time for some last minue shopping. We stopped at a local playground and found a great rooftop bar where we got some happy hour beer, wine and "special" Sprite in fancy bottles! We finished with dinner at 1892 where Ethan said it was "the best spaghetti" he has ever had! We walked down to the harbor and saw the Sun Voyager sculpture and watched the cruise ships in the port.

We honestly couldn't have asked for a better week in Iceland. The weather was perfect (we were very blessed because the weather can be pretty unpredictable!) and we saw SO many things that will leave everlasting memories in our minds.

Day 7: Heading Home and Tips for a GREAT TRIP!


This was a week to remember forever. Thousands of photos were taken and many memories made!!

Here are some very random tips (through my research and experience) that helped us out throughout the week!


-Try to push thru the jet lag the first day and go to bed early. It was a struggle for sure but by the next morning, we were good to go with the 4 hour time difference.

-When renting a car, buy ALL OF THE EXTRA INSURANCE. It's not that expensive and damages to the cars from gravel, sand, sheep etc will cost so much more.

-There are plenty of gas stations. But the ones that are called N1 are usually automatic and not manned by a person. You will need a PIN for your credit card (and that needs to be obtained weeks before traveling....ask me how I know..lol)

-Book excursions before traveling as they do sell out

-Be prepared for ALL sorts of weather!! We needed winter coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, light jackets and short sleeves! Vacuum bags (that don't require a vacuum) are great to pack all of the bulky items. Dress in layers each day.

-Pack a sleep mask for summer. It's light out almost 24 hours! Great for touring all hours of the day but if you're sensitive to light while sleeping, even blackout shades don't completely black everything out.

-Be mindful of the luggage and carryon restrictions of the airlines. They WILL check.

-Credit cards are accepted everywhere. We had no need for cash. The only place that we saw all week was a restroom in Thingvillir Park that needed coins for use and luckily we didn't need to use that one!

-If traveling during the summer months, book >6 months in advance for the best hotel options. Lucking we had an amazing travel agent from AAA who found us fantastic places to stay 5 months out.

-Utilize the local grocery stores for meals and snacks while driving between locations!! Also, the gas stations have really good food and snacks-- way better than even the nice ones in the US!!

-Learn the rules of the roundabouts on Ring Road. There are A LOT OF THEM!!


I could go on with these very random tips but if you're thinking of visiting, reach out to me with questions. Most of all, HAVE FUN and enjoy everything that Iceland has to offer!! You'll see why it's called the "Land of Fire and Ice!"