For Easter, I was thinking of going to New York but my friend convinced me to go to Iceland. Why not? I saw a lot of amazing photos of this place and of course wanted to go there too. I didn’t spend a lot of time preparing for this trip, I only looked at some places to visit and booked the cheapest accommodation on Booking.com.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need a car. Road conditions can vary ( we got in a snow storm and a strong storm with a rain), so make sure you book something better than the cheapest option.
What can I say… Probably European bank holidays is not the best time to go there because it felt a little crowded. To take a beautiful photo of waterfalls was #missionimpossible (I mean without people on the background). The wreck of the plane was the most popular place, luckily we got there in the late afternoon when the majority of people were already gone.
There is one main road (the Golden Circle) that goes around the country, and it’s recommended to have 10 days to go around it.Well, we only had 4 days so we stayed focused on the South-East part of Iceland. I wish we went further east to see a glacier, but … next time probably.
Below are the places I recommend visiting. I have also added them all on a Google map at the bottom of this post. Let me know if any questions in the comments.
1. Blue Lagoon
It’s better to buy tickets in advance, and the Standard option is more than enough. Blue Lagoon is located almost next to the airport, it’s a good idea to spend a few hours there before your go back home. Towels are not free and don’t forget to bring your own slippers.
2. Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui and Skogafoss waterfalls
These 3 waterfalls are among the main attractions there and they are located next to each other.
3. Dc-3 Plane Wreckage
This is one of the most iconic photo locations in Iceland.
On Saturday Nov 24, 1973 a United States Navy Douglas Super DC-3 airplane was forced to land on Sólheimasandur’s black sand beach in the south of Iceland after experiencing some severe icing.
Luckily all crew members survived the crash, but the airplane’s fuselage was abandoned. Now it’s become a photography dream location.
When going from Skogafoss waterfall towards Vik, you will see a big parking slot on your right. That’s where you leave your car and walk 4 km to the beach. Detailed directions are in How To Find Iceland’s Famous Sólheimasandur Plane Crash article.
4. Dyrhólaey, Black Beach
Next stop is this beautiful view over the black beach in Dyrhólaey. It’s simply amazing.
5. Vik
This is the most southern village in Iceland. There is a cute church on the hill with a great view. We stopped in Vik only for lunch and had a traditional Icelandic soup made with lamb and vegetables (also it’s ridiculously expensive).
6. Gullfoss
After Vik you can continue to the East to see a huge glacier, but we headed north towards a few more waterfalls, geysers and Thingvellir national park, where you can dive between Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
7. Geysers
Seeing an active geyser was incredible. Geysir Hot Springs is not far away from Gulfoss waterfall and there is just one ‘working’ geyser there.
Click to watch the video:
8. Bláskógabyggð Waterfall
This one is really hidden and not so many people go there. Also, you will need to walk quite a bit to find it. We had a portable gas stove with us, which was perfect for a coffee break with such a view.
