Day 1: Landing in Reykjavik
1:15 pm - Our journey started from London to Iceland via Icelandair to Rejkyavik, Iceland. The flight took 3 hours and we arrived safely at 3:30pm local time. The flight was good and there was in-flight entertainment. However, to listen to the movies required headphones, and those were not free. We skipped it and slept instead.
5:00 pm - We got our SIM card from the airport, and picked up our cars from Blue Cars Rental. We drove to our Airbnb place in town called Premium Central Apartments on Laugavegur Street.
7:00 pm - Once we settled into the apartments, we had dinner together indoors and then went to bed after a long day of traveling.
Day 2: Walking the city of Reykjyavik
10:00 am - Breakfast at our new home before heading out for a walk around the city, starting with the Icelandic Phallogical Museum (Ticket 1,500 Kr). It was such an eye-opening experience especially when you visit it with your family.
11:00 am onwards
- Our next stop was Hallgrimskirkja Church and along the way we saw many colorful cafes, restaurants and wall art.
- Kolaportio Large Indoor Flea Market was located near the harbor front and it had both frozen section and souvenirs. Just next door was the famous Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur which served local hot dogs (US $4.50).
- Laugavegur Street is the longest shopping street in Rejkyavik and we walked along it until we reached the apartment.
- In the evening, we walked over to the Solfar Sun Voyager installation at the lake to admire the sunset.
Day 3: Golden Circle Route
9:00 am - Started the Golden Circle road trip with Pingvellir National Park for a breathtaking view of the UNESCO Heritage site.
12:00 pm - Visited the Gulfoss Waterfall to see the rainbow above the streaming water which flow two decks below.
1:30 pm - Continued driving to Haukadalur Geyser where we waited for the Strokkur to erupt every 5 to 10 minutes. 4:00 pm - We ended the road trip with Kerio Volcanic Crater which has been around for 6,000 years. 6:30 pm - Drove back to Reykjavik and reached town in the evening. We decided to shop for groceries and cooked at home for dinner.
The beautiful black sand Diamond Beach
Day 4: Vik
10:00 am - Departed from Reykjyavik to Vik, a 2-hours drive away where a new 'home' awaits. Along the way, we stopped at a stunning viewpoint and took photo with a group of Icelandic horses.
12:00 pm - Arrived at another waterfall called Skofagoss where rainbows float above us. This was one of the locations for the famous Bollywood movie, called Diwale.
2:30 pm - Drove to Dyrholaey, a view point overlooking the ocean. This place reminded me of the 12 Apostles in Melbourne.
5:00 pm - After lunch we made our way to Reynisfjara Beach which was also known as the Black Sand Beach. We stayed here to take photos of the cliffs until sunset came.
8:00 pm - We reached our next accommodation called Kviholmi Place, a unique farm house which was built in the 1930s. We took two apartments here and prepared dinner before calling it a night.
Day 5: Hofn
10:00 am - After a good night of rest, we departed to our next destination, called Hofn. It was a 4-hours drive from Kviholmi Place.
12:00 pm - We stopped for lunch at one of the rest stops which had a colorful church on a hill. We also stopped at hill overlooking a sea of glaciers.
2:00 pm - Drove to Diamond Beach which was next to Jokulsarlon Ice Lagoon. The glaciers break up & land on the black sand, making it shine like diamonds.
4:00 pm - We arrived at our next home for the night, called the Haukaberg House by Airbnb. It was such a beautiful private home with plenty of bedrooms, bathrooms and a nostalgic looking living room.
6:00 pm - After unpacking for a little bit, we drove out to the port and had dinner at Gastronomy Humarhofnin Langostine for some fancy lobsters. It was delicious and worth the money spent.
8:00 pm - Headed back home and rested for the night.
Day 6: Westman Island
9:00 am - We bid farewell to the Haukaberg House after breakfast and drove towards the pier for our ferry ride to Westman Island.
10:00 am - Stopped by Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon for a tour of the magnificent glaciers. It started to rain but since the weather changes every 5 minutes, we stayed put and soldiered on for the boat ride.
12:00 pm - Yana wanted to have a look at the iceberg up close and so we drove on until we reached Fjallsarlon Iceberg Lagoon. The weather was too cold for me and I stayed put in the car while everyone went up to see the white icebergs.
3:00 pm - We drove another hour to Seljalandsfloss Waterfall after lunch where we took photos behind the waterfall.
5:00 pm We arrived at the Landejahofn Pier earlier than expected and waited for our ferry ride to Westman Island. We drove the car onto the ferry and went upstairs to our seats. The water was so choppy we all had motion sickness. I would recommend to take the boat earlier in the morning or afternoon for a view of the water.
9:00 pm - Arrived at Westman Island and found our red house which was built in 1911. It was a renovated 3-stories house with a basement and attic. One tip I would advice is for you to ask as many questions about the house before booking them as it could end up not as you expected it to be. Read more here.
Day 7: Reykjavik
10:00 am - Drove around the island and stopped at Eldfell Hike for a quick walk up the hill. On the way, we saw a small airport belonging to the island and flocks of sheep everywhere.
3:30pm - We had a quick lunch near the harbor before driving the cars back onto the ferry. The journey took an hour but this time we stayed on the upper deck with a view of the amazing sea.
6:00pm - Arrived at our last home for this trip in Smararimi, Reykjyavik. The house is located on a hill with a view of the beautiful city and ocean.
Day 8: Reykjavik
10:00 am - Woke up, had breakfast at home before heading out to the Arbær Open Museum to see Icelandic houses in the past. Ticket entry was 1,900 ISK/person.
1:00 pm - Drove to Kringlan shopping mall (one of the largest in Reykjavik) and had lunch at Cafe Bleu. We ordered fish of the day which was halibut with rice and curry.
5:00 pm - We went home to pick up some stuff before driving straight to Blue Lagoon in Grindavik which was 45-minutes away. Since we didn't purchase the tickets to swim in the lagoon, we took photos at the outside are which was super cold. Only my sister and brother-in-law stayed on to enjoy the hot water.