If You Only Have 3 Days in Iceland...
Well...here is where it could get interesting. Three days in Iceland kind of cracks the lid on a box full of countless other possibilities. After thinking back on everything we did, this itinerary is what I would recommend to a good friend who only has three days to spend. Someone who is pretty adventurous, ambitious and wants to make the most of their time in Iceland. There are certainly many other things you could do. You could kick all the way out to Vatnajokull and check out the glacier, you could take any one of many different day tours, you could hug the coast towards the Northwest of the country, to Stykkishólmur and back or you could do anything you missed on Days 1 and 2. With all that being said, if everything goes well on your trip up to now, this is where I would send you.
First, do the Reykjanes Peninsula on the day you land in Iceland, sleeping in Reykjavik that evening. Depart for the Golden Circle early on the morning of the second day.
On Day 2, after your stop at Kerið crater, drive directly to Hvölsvollur. There isn't much to this town, frankly it's just a spot on the map, but the hotel we stayed at was cute and more importantly I think it's a manageable distance from the Golden Circle. It should take you a little under an hour from Kerið to get here, so you can spend your time on the Golden Circle without having to worry about an overly long drive to your next destination.
Day 3
Stop 1: Seljalandsfoss
The next day, wake up bright and early and head towards Seljalandsfoss. This amazing waterfall has a small cave where you can walk behind it.
I remember I really wanted to take this picture, but in order to do it I had to hop off the path and down this slick, mossy hill. A group of asian tourists probably thought I was about to go swimming because they all gathered around the railing, pointing and watching us. It was kind of like our entire time in China.
If you, like me, watched the Gummi Bears growing up, then this will remind you of where Gusto Gummi lived. Skip to 5:30 if you're so inclined.
Stop 2: Skógafoss
After Seljalandsfoss, IF YOU WANT, you can continue towards Iceland's oldest swimming pool, Seljavallalaug. We did not go. I don't like being cold, I don't like being lukewarm and I don't like having to put on pants after I've been wet, especially outside. If this intrigues you, it's on your way to the next waterfall, Skógafoss.
Do you notice a shoe change? We were hiking around Seljalandsfoss and I totally ate it and my hiking boots filled with moss, mud and water. This is why I'm glad I usually pack 2 pairs of waterproof shoes.
Skogafoss is one of Iceland's biggest waterfalls and if you're there on a sunny day you will probably get to see a single or double rainbow in the spray. There is also a legend that the first Viking settler buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall and when locals discovered it, years later, they were only able to pull the ring off the chest before it disappeared behind the waterfall. The ring was supposedly given to the local church for their door. The old church door ring is now in a museum in Skógar.
To the side of the waterfall, you can climb a set of steps to the top which eventually leads up to a pass between two glaciers and even continues down to the Laugavegur trail to Landmannalaugar. This is a four day hiking trail and we did not have time for it when we went, but it is definitely bookmarked for our next trip to Iceland.
Stop 3: Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar
Next, we drove to two stops on the coast: Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar. Both Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar are accessed by following small roads that jut off the main ring road towards the coast. I remember when we went we thought we were going the wrong direction because it didn't seem like a normal tourist access route, but just keep on going and follow the signs.
This is right in front of the parking lot and I had just cracked open a fresh pack of chocolate biscuits, so the fact that I popped right out of the car before Jorge to take some pictures just goes to show you how incredible the landscape is. In the distance, you can see the Reynisdrangar sea stacks.
Dyrhólaey or "door-hole" is named for the arch that the sea has carved into the headland. Apparently boats and even a small plane have passed through the arch.
If you follow the path up and along the top of the headland you will be able to see clear across to Reynisdrangar and the Dyrhólaey lighthouse.
Legend says that the stacks in Reynisdrangar originated when two trolls dragged a three-masted ship to land unsuccessfully and when daylight broke they became needles of rock. If you watch Game of Thrones, this is the beach at Eastwatch by the sea where the men of the Night's Watch guard the wall.
I love this picture but also hate that it makes us look like those Mexican TV host couples where the lady is just a tad bit taller.
After Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar you will pass through Vik on your way to your next stopping point: Hjörleifshöfði. If you want to stop for lunch, Vik would be the place to do it. I am 99.9% certain that we just ate sandwiches in the car because Iceland was too rich for our bones.
Stop 4: Hjörleifshöfði
Hjörleifshöfði is a (supposedly) haunted mountain about 30 minutes past Vik. The name was given by one of the first settlers in Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson, whose brother in law, Hjörleifr Hróðmarsson settled there at the end of the 9th century. Hjörleifr was slain there by his slaves who then fled to Vestmannaeyjar where they were killed by Ingólfur Arnarson in revenge. It is said that Hjörleifr is buried at a mound on top of the mountain called Hjörleifshaugur. You can read A LOT more about this here.
Either way, when we went it was completely deserted and absolutely spooky. Both me and Jorge felt that the place had an eeriness to it and in fact Jorge refused to hike the mountain because it gave him the creeps. Just be careful coming here without 4WD because there were parts where the ground felt soft and we had to be conscientious about where and how we drove.
Right behind us was this small stone circle and Jorge wanted to get closer and walk through it and I remember I was spooked and yelled at him until he got back in the car.
When you leave Hjörleifshöfði you will only have about 45 minutes to your hotel for the night. I would strongly suggest you stay in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. I LOVED this area and would stay here again for a couple days when we go back. You're going to be sad you're here for such a short time, but it's better than nothing. We stayed at this hotel.
This was the view from our window. Hi ponies.
This hotel (and most in Iceland) had a full restaurant so if you are there in the summer, you can do what we did and check in, eat dinner and then go for a walk.
Most of the trails cross private property, but just be mindful and close gates behind you, don't leave any trash and pay attention to any signs.
I took this picture because it looked like a penis and it made me laugh and I wanted to show it to my brother.
This is Systrapi (Sister's) Rock. It was named after two nuns who lived at a Benedictine convent that was in Kirkjubæjarklaustur from 1186-1550. The story is that the nuns broke their vows, were burnt at the stake and then buried at the top of the rock. Later they were found to be innocent and it is said that flowers grew on their graves. It's a short walk from the village to the rock and when you get there, you will see a chain dangling from the top.
You could climb to the top if you were so inclined, or you could try while your husband says "Jess, there's no way you can do that" and then you decide that it's dumb and there's no point in even trying because obviously you could do it but what do you have to prove?
There are several paths through here - many of which I think are meant for horses, but just be mindful that this is private property and stick to the trails.
Kirkjubæjarklaustur is almost 4 hours away from the airport, so you should plan on a later flight to give yourself plenty of time to make it back the following day. Depending on how your schedule works out, you could quickly stop by Kirkjugólf on your way out but you do have a 4 hour drive to the airport, so you probably need to get a move on.
First, do the Reykjanes Peninsula on the day you land in Iceland, sleeping in Reykjavik that evening. Depart for the Golden Circle early on the morning of the second day.
On Day 2, after your stop at Kerið crater, drive directly to Hvölsvollur. There isn't much to this town, frankly it's just a spot on the map, but the hotel we stayed at was cute and more importantly I think it's a manageable distance from the Golden Circle. It should take you a little under an hour from Kerið to get here, so you can spend your time on the Golden Circle without having to worry about an overly long drive to your next destination.
Day 3
Stop 1: Seljalandsfoss
The next day, wake up bright and early and head towards Seljalandsfoss. This amazing waterfall has a small cave where you can walk behind it.
Stop 2: Skógafoss
After Seljalandsfoss, IF YOU WANT, you can continue towards Iceland's oldest swimming pool, Seljavallalaug. We did not go. I don't like being cold, I don't like being lukewarm and I don't like having to put on pants after I've been wet, especially outside. If this intrigues you, it's on your way to the next waterfall, Skógafoss.
Skogafoss is one of Iceland's biggest waterfalls and if you're there on a sunny day you will probably get to see a single or double rainbow in the spray. There is also a legend that the first Viking settler buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall and when locals discovered it, years later, they were only able to pull the ring off the chest before it disappeared behind the waterfall. The ring was supposedly given to the local church for their door. The old church door ring is now in a museum in Skógar.
To the side of the waterfall, you can climb a set of steps to the top which eventually leads up to a pass between two glaciers and even continues down to the Laugavegur trail to Landmannalaugar. This is a four day hiking trail and we did not have time for it when we went, but it is definitely bookmarked for our next trip to Iceland.
Stop 3: Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar
Next, we drove to two stops on the coast: Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar. Both Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar are accessed by following small roads that jut off the main ring road towards the coast. I remember when we went we thought we were going the wrong direction because it didn't seem like a normal tourist access route, but just keep on going and follow the signs.
Dyrhólaey or "door-hole" is named for the arch that the sea has carved into the headland. Apparently boats and even a small plane have passed through the arch.
If you follow the path up and along the top of the headland you will be able to see clear across to Reynisdrangar and the Dyrhólaey lighthouse.
Legend says that the stacks in Reynisdrangar originated when two trolls dragged a three-masted ship to land unsuccessfully and when daylight broke they became needles of rock. If you watch Game of Thrones, this is the beach at Eastwatch by the sea where the men of the Night's Watch guard the wall.
After Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar you will pass through Vik on your way to your next stopping point: Hjörleifshöfði. If you want to stop for lunch, Vik would be the place to do it. I am 99.9% certain that we just ate sandwiches in the car because Iceland was too rich for our bones.
Stop 4: Hjörleifshöfði
Hjörleifshöfði is a (supposedly) haunted mountain about 30 minutes past Vik. The name was given by one of the first settlers in Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson, whose brother in law, Hjörleifr Hróðmarsson settled there at the end of the 9th century. Hjörleifr was slain there by his slaves who then fled to Vestmannaeyjar where they were killed by Ingólfur Arnarson in revenge. It is said that Hjörleifr is buried at a mound on top of the mountain called Hjörleifshaugur. You can read A LOT more about this here.
Either way, when we went it was completely deserted and absolutely spooky. Both me and Jorge felt that the place had an eeriness to it and in fact Jorge refused to hike the mountain because it gave him the creeps. Just be careful coming here without 4WD because there were parts where the ground felt soft and we had to be conscientious about where and how we drove.
Stop 5: Kirkjubæjarklaustur
When you leave Hjörleifshöfði you will only have about 45 minutes to your hotel for the night. I would strongly suggest you stay in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. I LOVED this area and would stay here again for a couple days when we go back. You're going to be sad you're here for such a short time, but it's better than nothing. We stayed at this hotel.
This hotel (and most in Iceland) had a full restaurant so if you are there in the summer, you can do what we did and check in, eat dinner and then go for a walk.
Most of the trails cross private property, but just be mindful and close gates behind you, don't leave any trash and pay attention to any signs.
You could climb to the top if you were so inclined, or you could try while your husband says "Jess, there's no way you can do that" and then you decide that it's dumb and there's no point in even trying because obviously you could do it but what do you have to prove?
There are several paths through here - many of which I think are meant for horses, but just be mindful that this is private property and stick to the trails.
Kirkjubæjarklaustur is almost 4 hours away from the airport, so you should plan on a later flight to give yourself plenty of time to make it back the following day. Depending on how your schedule works out, you could quickly stop by Kirkjugólf on your way out but you do have a 4 hour drive to the airport, so you probably need to get a move on.
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