Southern Iceland Road-Trip in Winter in 10 Days – Day 1
Iceland had always my heart, me being a huge Game of Thrones fan. Then one fine day, Richie over the phone, “What do you think about road-tripping in Iceland?” In seconds, I was like, “Yassss!” Do you remember the sequence where White Walkers attacked Samwell Tarly and Lord Commander Mormon? Also Arya’s and The Hound’s journey to the impregnable Eyrie? That arrowhead mountain beyond the Wall when Jon Snow and his band of men ventured North to fight the Army of the Dead? There are more! So, it was a YES to Iceland in seconds. We did a rough costing of the trip, booked the flight tickets instantly. Gradually, we got our visas, booked accommodations and few tours in advance, also rented the most suitable vehicle for our road-trip, and the day almost arrived when we had to actually take the flight from New Delhi, India to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Highlights of the Day
- Arrival in Iceland
- Car Rental
- Reykjanes Peninsula
- Blue Lagoon
- Check-in at Hallgrims Guesthouse
#1 Explore Keflavik International Airport
Spending some time in the small yet beautiful Keflavik International airport should be in your to-do list in Iceland when you arrive. It is located on the tip of the lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland’s south-westernmost region. Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city, is located 50 km northeast of the airport.
Do not confuse Keflavik International Airport with Reykjavik Airport. The latter mostly caters domestic flights only and based in the city center.
Iceland’s budget transatlantic airline Wow Air had ultra-cheap direct flights between New Delhi, India and Keflavik, Iceland. It was a 12-hour non-stop flight. Unfortunately, it does not operate anymore now. The flight was scheduled early in the morning from New Delhi, India. We both reached Keflavik International Airport, Iceland at around 11 AM Icelandic time i.e. GMT.
Food, Bank & More in Keflavik Airport
You will find all the modern amenities in Keflavik international airport. For example, there are restaurants, cafes, bars, banks and money transfers, car rental companies, duty-free shopping and more. We had lunch in the airport itself, in Nord Restaurant, whose specialty is Scandinavian cuisine. We really loved the pan-fried vegan patty there that was served with roasted broccoli, cauliflower, fresh salad and cucumber-sauce.
There is a service point of Arion bank at the arrival hall where we changed dollars (USD) to Icelandic krona (ISK). Also, Arion Bank helped us putting all the cash in a travel debit card, so it was more convenient for us.
The airport is small and well sign-posted, so we did not find any difficulty finding the baggage claim and the exit.
#2 Rent a Car in Keflavik Airport or Reykjavik
Road-tripping in Iceland has always been in my bucket list. Now is the time! Booking the vehicle in advance is a great idea. You can pick your vehicle from Keflavik International Airport or even from Reykjavik. You will find the service desks of Avis, Eurocar, Hertz and Budget car rental companies at the arrival hall in Keflavik International Airport. Blue Car Rental office is located just outside the airport. They have their offices in Reykjavik also.
If you are arriving in the winter like we did, be sure to confirm the car is using winter tires. Don’t ignore the insurances.
Richie and I had already booked a car online in advance from Blue Car Rental. There were second thoughts in my mind. I wasn’t sure if the idea of driving is good after such a long flight.
I was like, “Richie, we may feel jetlagged. Shouldn’t we rent the car the following day?”
Richie instantly said, “No ways, I am full power, 24 hour, let’s get the car and drive to Reykjavik right now. Oh, but Blue Lagoon first.”
Alternate Modes of Airport-to-City Transfer
It is a 45-min drive from the airport to the city. There are buses called Flybus that conveniently wait right outside the exit door. They depart from Keflavik Airport 35-40 minutes after each flight arrives. They are available to pre-book as well for around 32$ for one way and 60$ for two-ways. There are also private airport coaches that will directly take you to your hotel, and you can also buy a return ticket for your transfer back.
#3 Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark
Richie and I had already planned to stop by the famous Blue Lagoon before heading to Reykjavik because it’s closer to the airport than the city. There are two routes that head to Blue Lagoon from the airport. One is via staying on Reykjanesbraut and then taking the right on Grindavikurvegur. The other one is a bit longer as you take the immediate right to Hafnavegur that leads to Nesvegur before getting to Grindavik town where Blue Lagoon is located. We chose the second route as this route traverses within Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. It is the second global geopark in Iceland after Katla Geopark, located in South Iceland.
UNESCO Global Geoparks are actually areas where sites and landscapes that are of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. Reykjanes is full of such mystical topography. It has multiple geosites that have a significant role in the Geopark and are connected to the story of the Mid Atlantic ridge and the effects of the tectonic plates.
We spent 2 h in this beautiful peninsula driving beside dramatic coastlines with thundering waves and charming villages on the way to Blue Lagoon.
#4 Stop by the Blue Lagoon
I would like to meet someone who has been to Iceland but not visited Blue Lagoon. That someone does not exist! No one misses it, we didn’t too. Blue Lagoon is just 23 km away from the airport and 50 km away from the city. Hence, it is convenient to visit Blue Lagoon on the way to or from the airport.
Did you know Blue Lagoon is not a natural spring? While Iceland is abundant of natural hot springs, the Blue Lagoon is not one of them. Even though the land and the lava that shapes the pool is natural, but the water is actually the result of runoff from a neighboring geothermal power plant.
Experience Blue Lagoon
It is highly recommended to book the tickets to Blue Lagoon in advance. We had pre-booked two Premium tickets. There are three tiers of tickets – Comfort, Premium, and Retreat Spa. The ticket prices vary depending on the time of the year. You can easily book your ticket online.
Comfort tickets cost around $90, and it includes entrance to the Blue Lagoon, silica mud mask, use of towel, and first free drink of your choice. Premium tickets cost around $110, which includes an additional mask of your choice, dining reservation (optional), and sparkling wine with your dining reservation. Retreat Spa tickets cost around $620. It includes entrance to the Blue Lagoon, access to a private changing room, a private spa and a private area of the Blue Lagoon Iceland.
Vegan Date in Lava Restaurant
As we had the Premium tickets, we opted for reserving for two in Lava Restaurant. If you are in Iceland and planning to take your partner out on a date beside a natural lava wall overlooking the views of the wonder world, then Lava Restaurant is the place. The experience was pretty unique.
#5 Check-in at Hallgrims Guesthouse
We had booked 3 nights-stay in Hallgrims Guesthouse in advance. It is located in Snorrabraut 83 in the heart of the capital, only 500 m away from the famous Hallgrims Church. The drive from Blue Lagoon took 45 min.
It was a long day indeed. We flew for hours, and then headed to Reykjanes directly along with Blue Lagoon before coming down to the capital city of Reykjavik. It’s crazy how we managed to do so many things on the first day itself! We had plans to explore Reykjavik the next day. On reaching the guesthouse, we just buried ourselves on the bed and headed to a goodnight’s sleep!
Total Distance Traveled: 95 km
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)
Let us have a look at the shared expenses of Day 1 in Iceland – Keflavik to Reykjavik via Reykjanes and Blue Lagoon.
- Food at Nord Restaurant: 25
- Blue Car Rental (9 days): 500
- Blue Lagoon Premium Ticket: 100
- Food at Lava Restaurant: 75
- Stay in Hallgrims Guesthouse (3 nights): 100
Total expense (roughly): 800 USD
For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.
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Iceland is at the top of our list and we’ll hopefully be going by next year. Did you get to see Northern lights while you were there? Did you feel it was one of the more expensive places to travel??
Yes, I think Iceland is on the more expensive end, but it’s worth it. And no, we were not so lucky to see a very clear Northern Light.
Seems you made good use of your first day in Iceland. We spent three weeks road tripping there last summer and loved it. We skipped the Blue Lagoon though. When we arrived the tickets were sold out and on the way back we did not have enough time.
Yes I understand Natascha, Blue Lagoon is mostly booked. It’s better to book in advance.
I will let the troll cook me on my first visit to Iceland, too. Hehe… You look so funny and happy once you landed there. Iceland is really high on my list. It’s interesting to learn that the Blue Lagoon is not natural. I didn’t know that until I read your post.
Yes Umiko, Iceland is full of miracles and magic, you get high in nature when you visit there.
I love the pledge for Iceland tourism! Such a great way to welcome you and remind you what makes Iceland so unique. I think the Blue Lagoon is the perfect way to get over jet lag! Followed by a nice meal.
How we all should be aware of being careful while visiting a place!
Yes, I liked this also. It’s great to see a country like Iceland putting sustainability to the fore. If only more countries would follow suit.
So true, Paul.
I love reading about adventures in Iceland. It has been one of the most memorable places I have ever gone. When I went to Blue Lagoon it was snowing. It was such a special moment and I enjoyed that warm water while it was otherwise cold. I never knew there was two airports in Iceland.
Oh wow, great to know that you have experienced Blue Lagoon. Also yes, the local Reykjavik airport is popular among Icelanders only.
This sounds like a lovely adventure! I am amazed by the rugged looks of the lava, lumpy landscape, and location along the tectonic plates. At the same time, the beautiful spa-like water and treatment of the blue lagoon and excellent dining options look so soothing. Iceland is certainly a land of contrasts, which I imagine makes one appreciate it all the more. I appreciate these tips, especially about making sure to have snow tires on the rental. I wouldn’t have even thought of that, but…duh!
I am glad I could provide so much of valuable information.
Love you brought attention to and took Iceland’s resonsible travel pledge. It is so important to responsible as visitors to fragile places and remote communities. I for all that hype about the blue lagoon, who would have thought it was one of Iceland’s few manmade hot springs!?
Yes, in fact, there are so many natural hot springs that I would bring into notice in my following posts of Iceland.
Oh my God, the Blue Lagoon is really fascinating. I don’t like cold (because I live in Romania ….) but if we had this kind of places with hot water, I think it would be lot easier for me to go through winter. renting a car is always the best thing to do when traveling (I always do that): you have comfort, flexibility, and most of the times you end up a lot cheaper than traveling by bus/train and then paying for taxies.
Iceland is truly an extraordinary destination which evokes a mystic feeling with it’s otherworldly landscape. Blue lagoon is retreat is amazing and it was nice to see you guys taking a dip and pampered in mud mask.
We loved it!
Even I am not a fan of cold, but Iceland / Blue Lagoon was all worth it.
Can’t wait to see some of these sights. Iceland is such a ruggedly beautiful place!
Totally Tami.
I went to the launch of Wow air in Delhi, but sadly it is no longer operational. However, the blue lagoon with free masks and drinks has given me more goals. I would like to see the bridge over the two tectonic plates too. It looks amazing.
It’s sad that WoW Air is no more operational.
Iceland has been on our plans for a while and your post revives my keen interest to visit the country. It looks such a wonderful trip for both of you. The photos depict what to expect beautifully. Am inclined to do exactly like you did. Thanks for a great insight and a virtual journey.
Glad my post could do that!
I love Iceland! I did not rent a car my first visit and used Flybus. It worked perfect because it allowed a stop at the Blue Lagoon on the way into town. My next visit I will rent a car to better explore off the beaten path spots. On another note, if I had known the view from Lava Restaurant had such an amazing view, I would have had lunch there for sure
Yes, car is a totally different experience altogether.
I am heading to Iceland for 8 days with my family this July and can’t wait! We will definitely be hiring a car also – I think it is a better way to travel independently and avoid the masses, particularly in the Summer…
Iceland is amazing in Summers!
Oh my goodness! Your restaurant view was sheer perfection. I’m supposed to go to Iceland in June, and I can’t wait. I want to go to the geothermal pool, too – how fun!
Great Jennifer, have fun!