What you'll do
You have the Golden circle in the south, and in the north you find the Diamond circle. There are a lot of hidden gems on this route and it is a lot less busy than the Golden circle. So make sure you visit this diamond!
You start and finish in Húsavík, the town you might know from Will Ferrel's "Eurovison Song Contest: The story of Fire Saga".
Day 1
Let others do the driving (read sailing or riding) today. You can choose to do whale watching or horse back riding. Or both if you plan it well!
Blue Car Rental
car_rental
Blue Car Rental
If you book through my link (below) you'll get a 5% discount on your car rental!
Blue Car Rental is right at Keflavík Airport, so you can pick up your car immediately after landing.
In case you are driving around Iceland in summer, you really only need a 4x4 by when you go into the highlands (on the F-roads). Other than that, you will be fine with a regular 2x2 car.
In winter you actually also don't really need a 4x4, but I personally feel more comfortable in one when there is a lot of snow or ice. So I would recommend taking a 4x4 that time of year. But if you are used to snow and feel fine in a regular car, that is fine as well. And in winter, all cars in Iceland (both regular and 4x4) have spikes in their tires, so you will have a lot more grip on the road when it is icy.
North Sailing - Húsavík Whale Watching
tours
Whale watching
Húsavík is known as the Whale Watching Capital of Iceland. So seeing whales will most likely not be a problem here!
It is one of my favorite things to do in Iceland, so I hope you'll love it too!
There are several companies that offer whale watching. If you want to choose the more environmental friendly option, North Sailing is it. You can choose to go on their silent electric boat.
Get 10% discount with the code "ELISA"
Gentle Giants – Húsavík Whale Watching
tours
Gentle Giants – Húsavík Whale Watching
Húsavík is known as the Whale Watching Capital of Iceland. So seeing whales will most likely not be a problem here!
It is one of my favorite things to do in Iceland, so I hope you'll love it too!
There are several companies that offer whale watching. Gentle Giants has big boats for their "regular tours", but also has RIB boats, which travel faster and therefore could get you closer to the whales. These tours are a bit more expensive (around $130)
Húsavík Whale Museum
museum
Whale museum
Whale watching from land. I can definitely recommend that too. They have the skeleton of a blue whale inside. Which is incredibly impressive to see. I really liked this museum!
Húsavík Wooden Church
culture
Photogenic church
You can not miss this pretty church in Húsavík. It is right in the middle of town and just waiting to be photographed!
Saltvík Farm riding tours
tours
Saltvík riding tours
Going for a ride on an Icelandic horse is an unforgettable experience. Icelandic horses are a lot smaller than regular horses, but they are very strong and have a few extra "gaits". So beside walk, trot and gallop, most of them can also do tölt and some even pace.
The tölt is an extremely smooth gait and quite easy to ride for beginners and experienced people.
At Saltvík they have several different tours you can choose from. Both beginners and experienced people should be able to find the perfect tour for themselves. I went on the beach ride and really enjoyed the amazing views and the super nice horses.
Just remember that Icelandic horses are a lot smaller than other horses, so very often there is a weight limit of 100kg / 220lbs.
Restaurant Fosshotel Húsavík
restaurant
Restaurant Fosshotel Húsavík
The restaurant in this hotel is definitely worth a visit. I loved the “Húsavík feast” menu.
Fosshotel Húsavík
hotel
Fosshotel Húsavík
This hotel in the cute town of Húsavík has super nice rooms and a lovely on site restaurant.