Pro Tips for Visiting Iceland

When to Visit

There are a couple of different ways you can do Iceland. The best time to visit if you're looking to do more adventurous outdoor things is the summer. It's when all the snow is melted so things are more accessible.

We visited in August, and our trip was geared mostly around hiking and other outdoor activities. If you want to go into the Highlands or the Western Fjords, you have to go during the summer because otherwise, it's inaccessible.

Another good time to visit is in June, especially if you're a photographer because they have this phenomenon called the "midnight sun", where it never gets dark. A lot of photographers will actually sleep during the day and then stay up all night to have the midnight sun light for their photography.

Another trip we'd recommend doing is a winter road trip. That would be more geared towards watching the northern lights and soaking in hot springs. You do have to prepare more because a lot of the campgrounds aren't open in the winter. The best time to do this trip would be September to March. It will also be the cheapest time to go because it's off season.

The Weather

Due to its northern location, the weather in Iceland is always changing. Here's a great site to keep track of the weather conditions in the area you are in because different parts of the island have different weather at all times. This is the most accurate according to the locals. This app also has a really good aurora tracking feature.

Road Conditions

To see all current road conditions, check the Umferdin website! It will let you know which roads are impassable at the time. https://umferdin.is/en

The Northern Lights

Your best bet to see the Northern Lights is going to be during the later Winter months. The Aurora Borealis typically show up between September and April.

In order to see the Northern Lights, you'll have to have the following conditions:

-Pick a night that is as dark as possible. Don't try to see them during a full moon, for example, as it will dim the effect of the aurora.

-Get as far away from any city as possible, as light pollution impacts the view.

-The night should be clear, with little to no cloud cover.

-There must be enough solar activity for the aurora to be visible.

You can use Vedur (linked under weather) to check their Aurora forecast as well.

How Long to Visit

If you want to make the most out of your ring road trip, we'd recommend a minimum of 6-7 days. If you want to add on excursions off the Ring Road or spend extra time in the Western Fjords (if visiting during the summer), plan on adding a few more days, unless you're crazy like us and go from sunrise to sunset every day.

If you're only planning on seeing the southern side of the island, we'd recommend 3-4 days.

Budget Hacks & Currency

Iceland is not a cheap country. If you are trying to ball on a budget, we highly recommend buying your own groceries at grocery stores like Bonus, Kronan, or Costco after you land in KEF. You can restock along your trip at gas stations.

Everything is sold in Iceland's currency ISK, but you can use your credit card almost everywhere. Make sure your credit card doesn't charge you for foreign transaction fees.

Never buy water, bring a reusable water bottle and refill it. Also, use the discount card your car rental gives you for gas. Happy Campers (our van rental company) offered this.

Some things to know if you're driving

⛽️ Gas stations offer multiple languages at their pumps, so make sure to choose the one you speak.

💳 You also need a credit or debit card with a pin to use the pumps.

⛽️ Don't choose the "fill up" selection when pumping gas because it can place a hold on your card. Just choose a certain amount of gas. If you choose too much, it will refund the amount you don't use. Also check to see if your car/van rental has discounts as most will have keycards that offer percentages off at certain gas stations.

🛣 There are lots of gravel roads & round abouts. Make sure you know what to do at a round about because we don't have a lot of them in America. You may also have to dodge some sheep.

🚙 We recommend renting a camper van or vehicle that has 4x4 capabilities.

⛺️ If you're visiting during the summer and planning on renting a camper, there are a lot of campground options. However, the majority of the campsites are not open in the winter. Spending the night at campsites can be significantly cheaper. You don't have to book campsites ahead of time. You do have to camp at a campsite, you can't just camp anywhere you want.

💻 Some van rental companies offer portable WiFi as part of their package! We would highly recommend investing in it if you don't decide to get a foreign SIM card to help with directions/getting around Iceland.

What Not to Do

- Off roading - it's illegal.

- Do not step on moss. It's considered disrespectful.

Okay, let's get into it!