If you've read my previous post on Iceland: A 9D8N itinerary for the land of fire and ice, you would have noticed that we moved around a lot to maximize our family trip here. The road trip from Reykjavik to the south and back could not be made possible without booking accommodations which could fit all 9 of us. Yes there were 9 of us in a family.
I kid you not when I say that it is not cheap to visit this country, therefore a lot of hard earned savings (and pooled money) was required to make this happen. There were no sponsorship for any brands, hotels, transportation as had planned this together as a family.
Phew! Now that the disclaimer part is explained, I'm going to share with you the places we stayed in Iceland as a family. The list could give you an idea of what sort of room or house to stay in when traveling in a group.
1. Central Premium Luxury Apartments, Rekjyavik
Our first place was booked via Booking.com, called Central Premium Luxury Apartments. We stayed here for 4D3N and booked 2 apartments to accommodate everyone. In the first apartment were 3 rooms, a large living room, a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and small balcony area.
We booked another apartment opposite each other so that we could go in and out easily. This apartment had 2 rooms, a living room, 2 bathrooms and a balcony facing Laugavegur Street (shopping street) below. We had our breakfast at our parents apartment and slept in ours at night. My room was a makeshift store room, with no windows therefore it was a little bit stuffy to sleep in it at night.
There was also a dedicated parking lot behind the building and plenty of shops around. We were practically right smack in the middle of town where everything was within walking distance. While staying here, we managed to do the Golden Circle Road trip and then back to Reykjavik.
The spacious 2-bedroom apartment at Central Premium Luxury Apartments in Reykjavik, Iceland Location: Laugavegur 86-94, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland Type: Luxury Apartments Rates: US $200 - US $280 / night (breakfast not included)
Book Central Luxury Apartments here. You can also use this link to get 10% from your trip with Booking.com.
2. Kviholmi Place, Vik
This was an exciting place to stay in, even though it was just for 1 night. After a long road trip from Reykjavik to Vik, we finally found our next accommodation, located in a huge farm estate.We chose this particular accommodation mainly because it was close to the ferry terminal to Westman Island. We arrived super late and had to navigate a long, dark, road to reach here. The owner was kind enough to wait for us and gave our keys to 2 apartments.
What I loved about Kviholmi Place is that it is a newly renovated farmhouse, built in the 1930s. The property is painted in white, comes with 2 floors, and a view of rolling hills (and plenty of sheep). The apartment is small and cute, with white interiors (which I love). It comes with a kitchen, couch and TV, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a washing machine. The second apartment was located upstairs with 2 bedrooms and similar amenities.
This was such a lovely place to stay in, even though we spent such a short time here. It is recommended to find accommodation close to the ferry terminal if you plan to drive across to the island.
Kviholmi Place is a renovated farmhouse in Vik, Iceland. This was our 2-bedroom apartment with a view of the green farm. Location: Sandhólmavegur, Syðri Kvíhólmi, 861 Hólmabæir, Iceland. Type: Apartment (Renovated farmhouse) Rates: US $148 - US $408 / night (breakfast not included)
Book Kviholmi Place here. You can also use this link to get 10% from your trip with Booking.com.
3. Haukaberg House, Hofn
We arrived in Hofn and found our next Airbnb stay at the Haukaberg House.
Our next stay with the family was in Hofn, located in a quiet residential area. Erin was our host and she has this beautiful two-storey house, with 4 bedrooms, facing the mountain. We were quite stunned at the size of the home which could fit easily fit 10 people. There were 3 rooms downstairs and 1 room in the spacious attic.
We stayed in Haukaberg House for 2D1N and took the opportunity to visit the town area near the pier. Erin was also quite organized as we found a guide book and brochures on places to visit in Hofn.
My favorite part about the house was the large kitchen and dining table which had plenty of room for everyone. We had dinner in town but cooked breakfast in the morning before hitting the road again. I would say this this was one of coziest places I've ever stayed in that felt like home.
Haukaberg House came with 4 bedrooms and a view of the mountain. Location: Hofn, Iceland. Type: Apartment (Renovated farmhouse) Rates: US $900+ / night (breakfast not included)
Book Haukaberg House here. You can also use this link to get US $25 travel credit from your trip with Airbnb.
4. Luxury House in the center of Vestmannaeyjabær
Our accommodation in Westman Island was built in 1911.
We arrived in Westman Island with our cars, through the ferry service that evening. I'd like to share with you that it's best to take the ferry during the day and avoid the evening hours as the waves are very choppy, which made us all seasick. You can imagine our delight when we discovered that the accommodation was merely 2-minutes away from ferry terminal.
The house we stayed in was a traditional looking red cabin house built from 1911 (the year was clearly stated at the entrance). It has 3 floors with an attic as well as the basement space. Since it came with 5 bedrooms, it was enough for all us. The only minor setback was that there was only 1 bathroom (with a shower) in the basement and another bathroom (no shower) on the first floor.
We adapted and took turns, getting 10 minutes of extra nap while waiting for everyone to get ready. This house has a large living room, kitchen, dining table and washing machine. We love that it it is located in the middle of town, and within walking distance of most restaurants in the area.
This 3-storey home comes with a basement and an attic. Location: Vestmannaeyjabær, Iceland. Type: Apartment (Renovated farmhouse) Rates: US $400 / night (breakfast not included)
Book the Luxury House here. You can also use this link to get US $25 travel credit from your trip with Airbnb.
5. Luxury Villa with stunning view, Reykjavik
Our final stay in Reykjavik was in this luxury home.
I am saving the last and the best accommodation for this whole entire trip, here. After road tripping around the south side of Iceland, we returned to Reykjavik and stayed in a luxury modern villa fit for 12 guests. Our host, Throstur was not in town that day, but his mother was and she greeted us warmly when we arrived.
What we assumed was a modern house, was actually a millionaire's villa, located 15 minutes from town centre. It came with 5 bedrooms, 9 beds and 3 bathrooms. I stayed on the ground floor while everyone else took the first floor which had an incredible view of the sea. There was living room, a TV which felt more like a mini-cinema, and an outdoor patio with a dining space.
We were so excited that we couldn't sleep that night. We spent the last few days in Reykjavik here, and took this time to do some sightseeing in town. This was definitely one of the most unforgettable stays in Iceland.
This home has such a beautiful view of the sea and a glimpse of Reykjavik town. Location: Reykjavik, Iceland. Type: Apartment (Renovated farmhouse) Rates: US $395 / night (breakfast not included)
Book the Luxury House here. You can also use this link to get US $25 travel credit from your trip with Airbnb.
Iceland can be quite pricey, but the saving grace for us was traveling in a group, meaning we could pool funds together and share the costs. It was expensive, but it was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience with our family.
I honestly want to tell you that this is possible, but as we traveled around the country, it was quite obvious that you would need quite a good amount money to be here. While there are affordable options of stays (check out Agoda for discounts on hotels in Reykjavik), there's also the cost of food, car rental, and tour tickets to think about.
When you've planned out your budget for this trip to Iceland, you're all set to have an amazing time with stunning view of the Land of Fire and Ice.
