Iceland – the land of ice and fire. And waterfalls. Lots and lots of waterfalls.

Who can resist Iceland? It’s popularity soared after the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano in the south of the island. Now, people flock there under the draw of the mesmirising northern lights, volcanic activity, wintry scenes and its simple stunning landscape. And if you’re a Game of Thrones fan why would you not want to visit Iceland and the main filming scenes for “north of the wall!”

When we booked our Iceland trip we knew one this was certain – we wanted to see as much of it as possible. However, both being on low income jobs, it also had to be as cheap as possible. “Cheap” and “Iceland”; not usually words you hear together in a sentence! We decided accommodation was too expensive and hiring a campervan was wayyy out of our budget too so hiring a car and camping around the island seemed to be the sensible (and only) option for us.

Our adventure started in August with a last minute, cheap flight to Reykjavik. Delighted with our find, we made a rough plan of what we wanted to see (more of a few ideas hastily scribbled down on the back of a scrunched up envelope), booked car hire, packed the tent, which was still not aired out from our last camping trip, and set off on our 5 day road trip around Iceland. 

Our route started in Reykjavik, the coastal capital of Iceland, after a short flight. As soon as you step of the plane a sudden surge of fresh air and freezing wind hits you! It may have been the middle of summer but I was glad I had packed warm layers. We picked up our car a few short miles from the airport, drove into the city and had a quick wander around. Reykjavik offers sweeping views of the sea, a host of interesting museums and much more – but we had to make a move!  We hadn’t come for a city break and in all honesty, neither of us are that interested in stuff like that. We much prefer nature, scenery and mountains.

After stocking up on food supplies (and a cheeky dominoes pizza) we set off on a 2.5 hour drive north-west to Hellnar situated on the edge of Snaefellsjokull National Park. The national park sits on the west coast and offers up a treasure trove of activities and sights. Sitting in the shadow of the Snaefellsjokull Glacier – an active, glacier topped volcano that is more than 700,000 years old and can be seen from Reykjavik – there are black sand beaches, scenic churches, cliffs with steep drop offs into the sea, volcanic craters and lava tubes. Really, you could spend a few days here. We had one night – poor planning on our part. Mistake one. We set up our tent, enjoyed the lukewarm pizza and went for a stroll along the coast edge cliffs. The wind battered our faces like tiny frozen needles and we happily escaped back to the tent later in the evening for a cosy nights sleep, although kicking ourselves for our lack of planning of the area. 

We woke up with a new sense of excitement. Our plan for today was to drive up to the base of Snaefellsjokull Glacier (you should really have a 4WD vehicle) and continue on if the road was open – but alas, no luck. The road was still closed because of too much snow so back down the track we went (after some classic headstand photos of course). 

 Slightly disappointed, we headed north towards Akureyri – roughly a 6 hour drive but with all our stopping to look at views it took us much longer. With no plans or campsite booked, that night we found a nice spot to wild camp before reaching Akureyri. There are many cheap camp sites dotted around Iceland but wild camping is allowed (and our preferred option) – as long as you aren’t on private land!

We set off early in the morning and headed to Myvatn hot spings – much cheaper than The Blue Lagoon but still just as lovely! After a good few hours relaxing there we set off again East towards Hverir characterised by boiling mud pots, steaming vents and a beautiful crater you can walk around.

Now possibly my favourite part…

Being a huge Game of Thrones fan girl, I was incredibly excited to visit the Grjotagja Cave near Myvatn. A stunning cave with a geothermal pool, it was used during the scene where John Snow ‘got busy’ with Ygritte. Putting Game of Thrones aside, it was too hot to swim in and warning signs made that very clear. I’ve since heard that now, people aren’t even allowed to go inside the cave at all so check before you visit!

After a short stroll around this area we decided we needed to set off to make it as far as we could around the east coast. Mistake two: check driving distances! This was a LONG WAY! Eventually, we got to route 939, a gravel track, a shortcut with a warning sign and naturally, decided to follow it. The mist and fog had come in and the uphill mountainous track suddenly began to feel very dangerous. The heavens opened, the cloud got thicker and the visibilty poorer. I was certain that it was going to be my last day on earth. We followed the road at a snail’s pace, trying to see how far from the edge we were and using the Sat Nav to help us see when corners were coming up. No exaggeration when I say we could only see maybe 1 metre in front. Eventually, exhausted and emotionally drained, we made it to a campsite at around midnight – I have no idea where we were. We set up the tent and fell asleep, glad to still be breathing.

Another early morning started with a drive west along the south coast’s beautiful landscape. I especially loved all the lonely churches dotted around. 

After a while we made it to Jokulsarlon. The glacial lagoon is a place of tranquility, calm blue water with shimmering chunks of ice float by silently, ocassionally cracking and breaking away from each other. The tranquility though, is shattered by the bustling crowds. Full of tourists, shoving around to get boat tours and the best photos. Go when it’s not busy so you can really enjoy it.  The black sand beach nearby, has ice cubes drifting in the water and resting, appearing abndoned, on the sand. Definitely don’t miss it!

The road now continued to get busier as busier as floods of people travelled around Iceland’s famous ‘Golden Circle’ route – a 230km long route that takes in some of the best sites; 

• Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park
• The Great Geysir and Strokkur Geysir
• Gullfoss Waterfall

Thundering waterfalls cascading from cliffs above, a spewing geyser and beautiful scenery.

My top tops for Iceland

• Research and make a plan – there is so much to see in Iceland. I feel like we missed some awesome places on our trip and regret that
• Check driving distances – carefully! 
• Hire a 4WD car so you can go on all the off beaten tracks – just check your insurance first!
• Be prepared to spend money – Iceland isn’t cheap. Better yet, camp and save yourself a lot!
• Pack layers – even in summer it gets cold!
• Enjoy your time – don’t rush. 

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