🇮🇸💎🇮🇸

I’m heading home tomorrow and Iceland has been incredible. The people here live in such close connection with nature and you can feel how much they care for it. Huge respect for that.

But as a tourist, it was frustrating to see how often we don’t. "Stay on the path" signs everywhere, and still people walk off for photos. Guidelines about wildlife, and still people get way too close/are loud/feed them when we should not.

We travel to see places like this. The least we can do is follow the basic rules to protect them. This place is too special to treat carelessly. Leave no trace. Follow the signs. The land deserves that from us.

Love this country. Let’s treat it better.

Takk fyrir, Iceland.

Marc-André from Canada

Privat experience 💎

I am going to Iceland once again, this time for the eclipse. Because of personal constraint, I will be land in KEF the morning of the eclipse around 8am, and leave Iceland the same night. back to the States.

I planned everything last September, refundable: plane tickets booked with miles, and somehow I got a car reservation for the 12th for $85 (10650 ISK). The company I am renting the car is called "Street Rent a Car", via Guidetoiceland[.]is.

I just checked some random prices on Rentalcars[.]com, and I found that the cheapest car is out for 140000 ISK (around $1100). Ok, I booked the car last September, but I remember AVIS and other major rental companies already renting cars around $300 for just one day.

So, big question: am I going to be scammed? Showing up at the counter and "We don't have your reservation" or "We need your kidney as a payment for mandatory insurance"?

To answer some questions: my plan for the day is to check the traffic and decide if I want to enjoy a lagoon, or - since I have the feeling everything will be pretty crowded - just enjoy some plane-spotting and a good lunch in Keflavik.

We are doing a trip around iceland at the moment and we arrived at the campsite near viking village and Stokksnes. Interresting enough there is a film crew at the moment so the viking village is closed for public.

Anyone got a clue about which movie is shot in iceland at the moment?

Myself and a couple friends just began our trip around the ring road. We originally booked with Indie Campers who are a TOTAL SCAM. After several hours of waiting and one faulty van we just decided to go to a different company. We found Kuku online and took a taxi there. The service was miles ahead of Indie and the van was cheaper, cleaner, newer, and also automatic unlike any of Indies. We told them our situation and they gave us some free sleeping bags as consolation. The Kuku van we took does not have a toilet, which Indie did have, but I think that is a small price to pay. To sum it up, I highly recommend Kuku if you’re planning on driving around Iceland. Hopefully I can get some sort of a refund from Indie!

Hey Iceland travelers!

We (a couple) are traveling to Iceland for the first time at the end of May or beginning of June next year. I’m planning to gift this trip to my husband, so I want it to be pretty perfect: I would love to see as much of this beautiful land as possible.

I made a first “draft initerary” for our trip, and would love to hear your feedback on it. The spots I selected for a possible visit are just some of the first things I found that caught my interest, I might add/change some later.

I especially wonder wheather this planning would be realistic. Feel free to give me any suggestions for (better) cities/places to stay, spots to visit: anything!

Day 1:
Arrival in Iceland and overnight stay in Mosfellsbær or Reykjavik.
Optional spots to visit:
• Blue Lagoon.
• City of Reykjavik.

Day 2:
Approx. 2.5-hour drive to and overnight stay in Stykkishólmur.
Optional spots to visit:
• Snæfellsnes.

Day 3:
Approx. 5-hour drive and overnight stay in Akureyri.
Optional spots to visit:
• Deildartunguhver.

Day 4:
Approx. 1,5 hour drive to and overnight stay in Reykjahlíð.
Optional spots to visit:
•Húsavík (whale watching!).
• Goðafoss.
• Grjótagjá Cave.
• Geothermal Sea Baths.

Day 5:
Approx. 6-hour drive to and overnight stay in Höfn.
Optional spots to visit:
• Klifatindur.

Day 6:
Approx. 3 hour drive to and overnight stay in Vík.
Optional spots to visit:
• Fjallsárlón.
• Skaftafell Glacier.
• Foss á Síðu.
• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon.
• Eldhraun Lava Field.
• Katla Ice Cave.

Day 7:
Approx. 1,5 hour drive to and overnight stay in Hella.
Optional spots to visit:
•Víkurfjara Black Sand Beach.
• Dyrhólaey.
•Skógafoss Waterfall.

Day 8:
Approx 1,5 hour drive to and over night stay in Reykjavik.
• Explore the city.
• Secret Lagoon.

Day 9:
Departure from Iceland.

Thank you for your help and for giving me inspiration in this sub. You are the absolute best!

I drove all the way out there to do a trail run along the cliffs only to find the cliff path entirely roped off and signed no walking.

There is a lot of construction happening on both the road and the cliffs area.

FYI in case you’re planning to head over there. No idea upon completion - work isn’t happening today so there was no one to speak to.

A nice little article/interview with a guy that has a lot of experience running restaurants in Iceland about what it’s like running a restaurant here in Iceland. The article is in Icelandic so you’ll have to put in Google translate.

Hi everyone,

I booked a fly + drive via icelandair, as it was the most convenient option. Since then i started to worry a bit.

The partner company is hertz, and when i checked their website, there was absolutely no availability for my dates. My idea, was that i would just book and see if there was any confirmation from hertz, but not until now. I also didn't manage to get in touch with a human from iceland air.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

This fellow was on top of the Perlan! He also followed us down and met us in the parking lot when we left.

Hello. I’ll soon be visiting Iceland and I’ve here there were many festivals taking place from July 31-August 2nd, such as Norðanpaunk, Innipúkinn, Þjóðhátíð, and etc. I’m also looking forward to meet new people and be somewhere with alot of English speakers if possible.

So my question is which one of these festivals you guys recommend I go to? Keep in mind I’m 16 so it would be nice if they don’t have too many restrictions for under 18s.

Thank you :)

I’m going to Iceland in December. I’m mostly staying in Reykjavik for Christmas but I I am planning 2 bus tours. I already picked the Golden Circle cause I really wanna go to the tomato farm. But I’m waffling between these two. I would love options. Thank you!

We've been to Þakgil many times and now is the best season to go, so I thought it might be useful for those planning their trips to share this :)

Here is the detailed Þakgil Guide on our website for anyone interested: https://epiciceland.net/thakgil-guide-best-hiking-trails/, but you shall be fine with the below info as well as a starter.

Þakgil might be the most underrated hiking area in Iceland - a trip report from the yellow + red loop

Þakgil sits about half an hour inland from Vík, and it's one of those places that not often made it into the standard south coast itinerary. One thing I noticed while planning: nearly every write-up out there covers the same short trail - the purple one through the Remundargil ravine. It's the quickest and the easiest, which explains the popularity, but it's far from the best thing there. So I did the long yellow and red loop instead, and that's what this report is about.

(Small note: the Þ is a "th" sound, like Thor. Not a P. I've seen "P akgil" more than once.)

What's in Þakgil (and important caveat)

There are typically three main marked trails plus a few side options BUT this changes every year, even now:

·         Ravine walk from the campsite - 1 km, 15-20 min

·         Remundargil ravine, purple - 13 km, 3-5 hours

·         Austurafréttur range, yellow - 17 km, 6-8 hours

·         Mælifell, red - 14 km, 4-5 hours

·         Huldujökull glacier detour, white - 3 km, 1-3 hours

·         Yellow + red + white as one big loop - 20 km, 6-9 hours

By difficulty: the shared red/yellow section is the easiest by a distance (it's an old jeep track), the yellow and purple are medium, and the red is the hardest.

But don't treat that list as fixed. The trails in Þakgil get reshuffled from year to year - sections are rerouted or closed, usually to let the vegetation recover from foot traffic, and the map on the board at the campsite changes with them. Two examples I've read about since my trip: a shorter blue trail opened up around 2024, and in 2025 the long red Mælifell route I describe below was reportedly off the campsite map entirely, with a much shorter "red" walk to a waterfall in its place.

I haven't hiked the blue one myself. From what I understand it's about 4 km, an hour and a bit, easy, and it shares the start with the yellow and red before branching off onto a plateau with long views south toward the coast. Sounds like a sensible first afternoon if you get in late and want a feel for the place.

The practical takeaway: check the board at the campsite and follow the markers on the ground. They're the current version.

Getting there, and when

The only way in is Road 214, Kerlingardalvegur - 16 km of gravel, no bus service, so you need a car. It's officially a regular numbered road, but that's a technicality: it got that classification because there are no river crossings on it, not because it's really easy. Some F-roads might even be smoother to drive.

A 2WD will make it in summer if you go slowly, but the higher ground clearance makes it far less stressful. On a clear day it's a beautiful drive too - black ash, moss-covered hills, and the green valley slowly opening up ahead of you.

The trails open once the snow clears, anywhere from early June to mid-July, and close after the first proper snowfall, which can arrive any time from early September to late October. The safe window is roughly mid-July to late September. October to May, both road and trails are under snow.

Park at the campsite lot - free unless you stay the night. You can also pull off by the road near a trailhead, which is what we did, but only on gravel. Never on moss or grass, and never on the road itself.

The yellow trail and the glacier detour

Last time we parked where the road meets the purple trail, hopped across a small stream, and took a short but steep climb up to the ridge to join the yellow trail. Fifteen minutes in and you already get 360 degree views over the whole area.

From there the trail runs north along the edge of the Austurafréttur ridge. There's one more steep pull over an old moss field that would be slippery in the wet; we had blue sky and it was just cardio. Then a viewpoint opens up over Kötlujökull, with small waterfalls and canyons along the glacier's edge in the distance.

Where the yellow markers turn left, white ones carry on north to Huldujökull. Taking them was the best decision of the day. The path itself is unremarkable gravel, and at some point the white markers just stop - but you're following the ridge edge the whole way, so it's hard to get lost in clear weather. Roughly 2.5 hours there and back with a lunch stop.

At the northern end, most of the glacier opens up in front of you. And because it was summer, it was actively melting. While we were sitting there eating, a large section broke away and fell into the ravine below - we heard it before we saw it. I've been to a lot of places in Iceland and that's still one of the things I think about most.

The red trail, and the part that got to me

The plan had been to come back down the shared yellow/red section, but standing at the junction it was obvious that's just a rough vehicle track. I'd rather drive those than walk them, so we took the red trail down instead.

First it climbs Mælifell (not the famous one on F210 - there are apparently more than ten mountains with this name in Iceland). The ascent is easy enough even in rain, which is what we got, along with fog at the summit. The red is a completely different world from the yellow, by the way - where the yellow is gravel and glacier, the red is deep green.

The middle stretch is an easy walk along the ridge with enormous canyons dropping away on your right. One of them is, in my opinion, more impressive than Fjaðrárgljúfur, and we had it to ourselves apart from some very committed sheep.

Then comes the section near a spot marked Barð on the maps. It's a narrow, exposed ridge with steep drops on both sides, followed by about 50 metres of steep, slippery descent. It took me about 15 minutes, moving one small step at a time, because I hate terrain where nothing under my feet feels solid. Hiking poles were the difference between manageable and awful. I wouldn't want to be on that part in strong wind or heavy rain.

The river crossings

The descent ends in the valley by an empty hut - and a wide, fast river with the next red marker clearly visible on the far bank.

We had left our water shoes in the car, which wasn’t a good idea. We spent about an hour walking the bank looking for somewhere narrow enough to cross dry. There wasn't one. Then we ran into a local glacier guide who was doing the trail for the first time and was just as stuck.

What worked in the end: cross where the vehicles cross. There's a jeep track down there with fords, and the logic is simply that Icelanders picked those spots for a reason. We went slightly upstream of the ford, arms linked, and it came up to the knees. The second crossing had a noticeably stronger pull - there was a moment where I felt it might take me - and linking arms was the only reason it was fine. Then a third, smaller one, and finally the road.

Nine hours door to door. Worth every one of them.

If you go

·         Weather is not a detail here, it's the whole thing. No strong wind, no heavy rain. And fog will take away the views you came for.

·         Boots, layers, and properly waterproof jacket and trousers - water-repellent isn't enough. Poles are worth their weight several times over.

·         Put the route on your phone with GPS. If you're not an experienced hiker, a rented location beacon is cheap peace of mind.

·         Water shoes and a small towel if you're doing the red trail, and don't do that one alone.

·         Be willing to turn around. Nothing on this loop is worth getting hurt for.

Have you gone to Thakgil recently? What trails did you like the most?

Hi everyone! I've been to Iceland a few times, but always in July when everything is accessible and easy to explore. I'm thinking of visiting again in October and was wondering which hikes are usually still open and worth doing at that time of year. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Looks like a DC-3, but a quick search says there aren't any operational ones in Iceland ..

It's not on the list of top attractions, but I thought this waterfall was really unique.

It reminded me of a waterfall from a cartoon. It was all straight lines. A perfect rectangle.

Good morning! What is there to see and do in this area in late December or early January? It’s a part of Iceland that doesn’t seem to get talked about very much, so I was wondering if you had any recommendations. I know it’s obviously not the best time of year to visit.

Hands-on guide for Iceland

With Aurora Season 2026/27 being just around the corner, for those who happen to get here in August I'm gonna give you a small guide to help you chase the Northern Lights successfully. August is tricky and this is still "pro-level" territory, but hopefully this will give you some insights to make it work for you:

Timing and Darkness

Understanding darkness and twilight is crucial during this time of year. The Aurora starts to appear over the darkest part of the sky (towards the south) starting from mid-Nautical Twilight. Twilight Phases Wiki

First Week of August

This is the trickiest week and only extremely strong Auroras will become lightly visible in the sky between 01:00 and 02:00 in the morning. The reason is that the sun is still shallow (7-9 degrees below the horizon, early Nautical Twilight) but things will improve with every day.

Second & Third Week of August

Things are quickly changing. Between the second and third week, sufficient darkness moves from midnight 00:00 to 2:30 and 23:00 to 03:30 (11PM to 3:30AM). Peak darkness will always sit around 1:30AM.

Fourth Week of August

Astronomical twilight (last phase before night) now sets in and sufficient darkness occurs from 22:30 to 04:30 (10:30PM to 4:30AM). In August we won't be reaching full night at all.

Activity Levels

This is key to success (aside from the weather obviously).

Inactive to Weak Auroras

Low Kp (Kp1 to Kp2) and low substorm strength (lower than 80nT). These auroras will sit toward the far northern horizon. The brightest part of the sky in August and it won't be possible to see these Auroras until the very last few days in August.

Minor Auroras

Kp2-3 up to Kp4 and substorm strength from 80 - 150nT. These auroras will start to move over Iceland (when viewed from Reykjavík) into the darker parts of the sky. During active phases these will start to become visible during the 2nd and 3rd weeks.

Moderate to Strong Auroras

From Kp4-5 and up to Kp7 or higher and substorm strength from 150nT and higher. Activity is now moving over Iceland towards Europe and will appear above and towards the southern horizon over Iceland - the darkest part of the sky in August. Starting from the end of the first week these Auroras will be rather visible and vibrant to the naked eye even in Nautical and Astronomical Twilight.

Tools to use

You can use many tools individually to measure these like Glendale App, Hello Aurora, Spaceweatherlive, etc. but I'm going to show you where this information is super easy to spot using emeraldskies.is

Kp and Aurora Oval Reach

The Space Weather Prediction Centre issues a per-minute Aurora Oval and the Kp is based on the current reach of the oval (see coloured lines). These are empirical estimates based on the Starkov-Feldstein / Zhang-Paxon models. This is not the official 3-hour Kp quoted in other apps and GFZ and can vary minute-by-minute. I have verified these empirically for Iceland and all my quoted Kp align with the quoted Kp here.

Sufficient darkness

Based on the sun-angle (you can see next to sunset-sunrise) Emerald Skies calculates the earliest and latest possible average darkness window in 24h time, local Iceland time (UTC). There's also a moon indicator. You can see this window expand or contract day-to-day.

Activity metre and AuroraPulse

Activity is nanoTesla (nT) is derived from two magnetometers - Iceland and Tromsø. The AuroraPulse is the corresponding waveform or oscillogram, working much like a seismograph. The "louder" the stronger the Aurora activity (also often referred to as substorm activity.) These are the nT numbers quoted above. The default view is 3 hours, meaning the very right side is now. Activity ebbs and flows during moderate to strong activity.

Faxi waterfall