Planning a Trip To Iceland: 25 Things You Should Know

Planning a trip to Iceland? It’s a wonderful country with unique beautiful landscapes, natural wonders and interesting geology. From waterfalls and black sand beaches to volcanoes and glaciers, there is so much to explore. To help you plan your trip, we’ve put together 25 practical tips.

---

Table of Contents

Here’s an overview of the tips covered in this guide.

---

1) When to Visit Iceland

Iceland is a year-round destination, but for a better chance of good weather combined with the opportunity to see the Northern Lights, consider visiting in spring (late March to mid-April) or autumn (September to mid-October). During these months, you’ll still have long daylight hours, the weather won’t be as harsh as in winter, and you’ll also have a chance to catch the Northern Lights.

Taking a road trip in the summer is another great option if you want an even higher chance of good weather and the experience of the midnight sun. Summer also allows for exploring the highlands, but be aware that prices will be at their peak.

If you want to see puffins, the best time to visit is between May and July.

We went at the beginning of April, which was a great choice. We had mostly good weather, saw the Northern Lights, and enjoyed plenty of daylight hours for exploring.

In summary:

• For Road Trip: Late March to Early Ocotber
• For the Northern Lights: September to middle April
• For Puffins: May to July
• For hiking in the highlands: July and August

The following chart explains in great detail when to go to Iceland depending on your preferences and on what you intend to do.

2) Planning Your Iceland Itinerary

Two of the most popular routes when exploring Iceland are:

• South Coast (including or not the Golden Circle and Snæfellsnes peninsula)
• Ring Road, which consists on trip around the whole island (it may include or not the Westfjords)

The South Coast is the most popular route. It’s easy to drive and not so remote as the northern part of the country. It’s perfect if you have one week or less in the country. I recommend also adding the Golden Circle and Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Recommended reading: South Iceland Itinerary: Ultimate 7-Day Road Trip

For the Ring Road, it’s best to plan at least 11 days. If you’re an adventurous traveler and comfortable driving in harsh weather—especially during winter, late autumn, or early spring—you’ll enjoy the challenge. If you have two weeks and are traveling in summer, consider adding the Westfjords to your itinerary.

If you only have one or two days on the island—whether on a layover or visiting family—the Golden Circle is a great choice. It allows you to see a variety of incredible places and landscapes in just one day.

3) Renting and Driving a Car in Iceland

Renting and driving a car is the best way to get around Iceland. We have several tips to rent and drive a car in Iceland that you can read on the following guide:

Renting and Driving a Car In Iceland: 13 Essential Tips

4) How to Get Around Iceland Without a Car

If you don’t drive, you can still visit many of the most popular places in southern Iceland or all around the island through organized tours. There are tours with super complete packages with everything arranged for you, including the hotels.

• Southern Iceland Tour
• Golden Circle Tour
• Ring Road Tour Around Iceland

5) Icelandic Weather is Unpredictable

Icelandic weather is unpredictable. You should always check the weather for the day before setting out. Additionally, always be prepared for unexpected rain, winds, and snow storms. Even if it’s sunny in the morning, it may be pouring rain in the afternoon.

You also need to be prepared to adjust your itinerary and travel plans if any weather warnings are in place.

6) Take Weather Warnings Seriously

Weather warnings should be taken seriously and may require you to adjust your travel plans. For the most accurate weather updates, visit vedur.is, which provides forecasts for all regions.

To monitor road conditions and warnings, use the SafeTravel app or website. Roads are color-coded: green indicates clear and safe driving. You can also find information about closed roads and any active warnings.

If road conditions are poor, it’s best to avoid them and adjust your travel plans if needed. That’s what we did while exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula when some roads had almost no visibility due to snow blizzard and whiteouts.

7) Dress for the Worst Weather

As we mentioned earlier, Iceland’s weather is highly unpredictable, even in summer. Always be prepared for harsh conditions by packing waterproof clothing and shoes. Wear layers so you can easily adapt to changing weather throughout the day.

8) Download Offline Maps

When going on a road trip, it’s a good idea to download an offline map of your destination. Google Maps lets you download maps for offline use, which is especially helpful if you want to save mobile data or are in areas without coverage.

9) Download These Essential Apps for Iceland

We highly recommend that you have the following apps on your smartphone for your trip to Iceland:

• Google Maps for navigation;
• or Waze for navigation and warning about speed limits;
• SafeTravel for road conditions and weather warnings;
• Vedur app for weather forecast and weather and hazard warnings;
• My Aurora Forecast app for northern lights forecast;
• Parka and EasyPark apps to pay for parking your car.

10) You Don’t Need Wi-Fi in Your Car—Get an eSIM

When renting your car, many companies will give you the option to add a Wi-Fi router to your car. In my opinion, buying an eSIM will be more practical and cheaper.

When travelling to foreign countries, we always opt for an eSIM to get internet data. We had good experiences with airalo, Maya, and Holafly. Check several providers to see which one offers the best package.

If you decide to go with airalo, you can use the referral code below on your first purchase to get a a 3$ credit:

SARA0837

Tip: As a Portuguese traveler, our data plan includes roaming in Iceland, making it easy to stay connected without additional costs. Other European countries may also have similar arrangements, so it’s worth checking with your provider before your trip.

11) Book Your Accommodation in Advance

Once you leave Reykjavik, accommodation options are limited. To secure the best quality-to-cost ratio accommodations, it’s a good idea to book in advance. To book our accommodation, we always use Booking or Agoda.

12) Restaurants Are Scarce and Close Early

Restaurants are scarce in more remote areas, so your dinning options are quite limited. Additionally, most close at 9PM or even earlier.

Even though dining options were limited, there were still several great choices in Selfoss and Vík. One of our favorites was the Soup Company in Vík. It serves delicious soups, perfect for warming up after a day of exploring.

13) Choose Accommodation with a Shared Kitchen

There aren’t many dinning options outside Reykjavik. Additionally, eating out in Iceland can be quite expensive to what is offered. That’s why it is a good option to choose an accommodation with a shared kitchen to prepare something to eat at dinner and breakfast.

14) Stock Up on Groceries and Snacks at Bónus or Krónan

Once you start your road trip, it’s a good idea to stock up on snacks and groceries, especially if you’re staying at guesthouses or hotels without a restaurant.

The most affordable supermarkets are Bónus and Krónan. While fresh produce can be quite expensive compared to other countries, packaged snacks are generally in line with what you’d expect.

For meals, we typically had toast with butter and a banana for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch (or something from gas stations), and instant noodles or pasta for dinner. The prices for these items were similar to those in other countries we’ve visited.

15) Iceland Is Not the Best Place for the Northern Lights

Even though there is a lot of marketing involving the northern lights in Iceland, it is not the best place to see them due to its unpredictable weather and frequent cloud cover.

Additionally, Iceland is not as far north as places like Tromsø in Norway (which we’ve been to and seen the most spectacular Northern Lights show), which means that if the aurora is not very strong, it may not be visible in Iceland at all, while it could be clearly seen further north.

In places like Tromsø in Norway, or Abisko in Swedish, or Rovaniemi in Finland, you’ll have better chances to see the aurora, especially when the northern lights are less intense, as these areas are located closer to the Arctic Circle.

With this said, there are also spectacular Northern Lights shows in Iceland, you just need to be a bit lucky. During our week in Iceland, we could only see a strong aurora one day during 30 seconds, even though we mainly had clear skies most days.

16) You Don’t Need Cash in Iceland

Everything in Iceland can be paid using card. You don’t need to withdraw cash.

17) No Need to Tip in Iceland

Tipping is not a common practice in Iceland, as service charges are usually included in the bill. Whether you’re dining at a restaurant, taking a taxi, or enjoying a guided tour, there’s no obligation to leave a tip.

18) Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

The tap water in Iceland is excellent, so there’s no need to buy bottled water. Just bring a reusable water bottle and refill it whenever you get the chance. The water is clean, fresh, and comes straight from natural sources, making it safe to drink anywhere.

19) The Hot Water is Smelly

In Iceland, the hot water can sometimes smell like rotten eggs—the smell comes from sulfur. This is because the water is heated by geothermal energy, which comes from hot springs and natural wells. Regardless of the smell, the water is safe and you won’t be smelling like rotten eggs after your bath, don’t worry.

20) Everyone Speaks English

There’s no need to stress about learning Icelandic, as almost everyone speaks English. We had very few interactions during our trip, as most services were automated, including the check-in process at our accommodations.

21) Respect Icelandic Horses

Icelandic horses are such beautiful and friendly animals. But, don’t stop at the side of the road to take pictures or to see the horses. Stopping in the middle or on the side of the road can create dangerous situations not only for you but also for other drivers.

Instead of pulling over, look for designated parking areas or viewpoints. And most importantly, don’t play with or feed the horses.

22) Expect Long Days of Driving

Distances may seem short on a map, but weather and stops make journeys longer than expected. So, plan for shorter driving days and don’t be too optimistic about the distance you can cover in one day. Driving to your designated place might take much more than you anticipated and you’ll probably want to spend more time at scenic stops than you had initially planned.

23) Beware of Strong Winds

Iceland is known for its strong winds. To prevent your car doors from being damaged when you open them, always park your vehicle facing into the wind. Additionally, be careful when walking too close to the edges of cliffs, specially in windy days.

24) Most Natural Attractions are Free to Visit

Most natural attractions in Iceland like waterfalls, viewpoints, geothermal areas, etc. are free to visit. But, most places require you to pay for parking. In the majority, you pay for car and not for person. This allows you to split the costs if you’re sharing the car with friends.

Most parking places are not as expensive as I thought and much cheaper than entrance fees to attractions in most European countries. For example, in general parking was around 5€ to 7,5€.

25) Public Restrooms Can Be Limited

Public restrooms in Iceland are limited, especially in remote areas. However, you’ll find them at most popular paid attractions, gas stations, and supermarkets. Plan your toilet breaks around these locations—options can be limited when traveling between towns or less-visited areas.

Wrapping Up

That’s it for our 25 tips to help you plan your trip to Iceland. We have more travel guides that you may find useful:

• South Iceland Itinerary: Ultimate 7-Day Road Trip
• Iceland: Glacier and Ice Cave Tour—What to Expect
• Iceland Golden Circle Self-Driving Itinerary (with Map)
• Renting and Driving a Car In Iceland: 13 Essential Tips

Finally, you can use our links to book your accommodation, and activities and find cheap flights. You won’t pay more for it and you’ll be supporting our work.