Iceland 2025: Preparations
This year, Greg and I are splitting up to cover more territory as our work/life schedules failed to align. He heads to the tropics to Costa Rica while I head north to colder climes. We’re equally excited and jealous of each other.
Over the winter, I decided that it was high time to get an international trip under our belt as a family. As a geologist, Iceland has long been on my radar. It’s the land of Fire and Ice. Volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, and the opportunity to straddle two tectonic plates. I can’t go wrong. The photographer Iurie Belgurschi first caught my eye and imagination with his fantastic work about 10 years ago and I’ve been eager to see the places he photographs. We started the Whoo-hoo calculator on February 12th.
Prior to booking, I read a LOT about how/where/when people travel in Iceland. I looked up the accommodations, restaurants, car rentals, best time of year to travel, where to go, what to do, how best to do it. I used ChatGPT to suggest things to do with children and read people’s blogs on traveling with kids to find the right balance of hikes, history (for the missus), and geology/photography/outdoors for me. I also needed flexibility to work around weather complications.
Here’s what I learned and applied:
When to Go
For us, we are constrained by some outside factors, so early June it is. We won’t quite be at the point of the full midnight sun, but we’ll be close. Sun sets at 12:30 am and rises again around 3. Lupine will be in bloom and the puffins have already returned to the cliffs by late April. The weather, while unpredictable, should be in the low-mid 50’s, so it’ll be spring again for us. Through everything I’ve read, there’s really not a bad time to go, depending on what you want to do.
Where to Go
This one took lots of research and I leaned on some friends of friends who had been to Iceland to make some suggestions. My initial thought, coming from a long history of big cross-country road trips, was to complete the Ring Road that encompasses the island. However, the number of activities and the distances between them in the east and north were more limited and driving would eat a significant amount of time. Most people who do the Ring Road spend ten days doing it. We’ve got 8, so we opted for a more concentrated road trip using the capital of Reykjavik for our home base for several days with day trips in the city and the Golden Circle. Our course would then head south along the coast to Vik and, at its furthest extent, to Hofn to see the Vestrahorn before returning to Reykjavik again for an excursion to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This route would hit the big highlights: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Gulfoss, Selfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Gjulfrabui, Skogafoss, Skaftafell Glacier, Jokullsarlon Bay, the Vestrahorn, Kirkjufell, and various places in between.
How to Go
We fought with this one quite a bit, debating between renting an RV (a very costly affair for the size we would need/want for a week on the road) and an SUV. We settled on a Toyota Highlander from Lotus Car Rentals in Keflavik. Something large enough to tote four people comfortably (and all my camera gear) but small enough to navigate the city.
What I’m bringing
This trip is different in that I don’t have Greg there to shoulder some of the burden of the camera gear. I’ll be mostly relying on myself and one or two eager children to capture good photos. So what is it I’m bringing and not bringing?
One Nikon D5, D750, and D7000. I would have only brought the two full-frame cameras, but without a third body, one child will feel left out if the other is working with dad taking pictures.
My 600 mm “Bazooka” lens. Prices for used 600 primes have dropped dramatically since Nikon has made one for their Z series and I bought a used one earlier this year. I can’t not take it.
Nikkor 200-500 mm for telephoto, my 70-200 mm Sigma workhorse, a Nikkor 24-70 mm for landscapes, and a Nikkor 35 mm prime just because it’s small. I debated leaving the 70-200, but it’s such a good lens I couldn’t go without it. A shuffling of gear allowed me to squeeze it in.
Spare batteries and chargers, camera straps, my Cotton Carrier, Peak Design clips, Manfrotto tripod, Movo ballhead, a monopod, and a heavy load of memory cards.
A small assortment of tools in the event I need to do surgery on my lens in the field. (I may or may not have had to do that at Keekorok in Kenya). And duct tape. Must. Have. Duct tape.
Bags like you wouldn’t believe. The 600 mm lens is so big it needed it’s own bag, so I picked up a Vanguard Alta Sky 600 which will fit the Bazooka and some other gear. The rest will go in my ever-ready Canon bag that I’ve had since my early days of photography. I’ve got a Kelty pack, an REI day bag, and my Endurax camera pack for the city.
Clothing-wise is a mess of layers for winter, spring, and summer weather in outdoor and indoor settings, for hikes to waterfalls, long drives, and a horseback ride. We did pick up sleep masks to combat the long daylight hours.
Other Preparations
As has always been the case, learning the local language wins you big points and bigger smiles. Icelandic also has the added challenge of having some alphabet characters that are not present in English, so learning how to read/pronounce names (good luck) would hopefully help out while navigating the country. Naturally, I picked up some audiobooks on Icelandic and have spent the last three months working on it.
We acquired Icelandic Krona cash at the end of May to have some hard money with us on hand.
Several social media groups that I joined had recommendations for apps and they should pan out well based on user reviews from recent travels:
Parka - parking payment app. Many natural sites do not have an entry fee, but there is a small parking fee (usually around $10 USD).
Guide to Iceland - Our booking app for lodging. App users also get access to discounts at partner stores and restaurants.
Icelandic Krona - currency converter
Vedur - Weather app
SafeTravel - Alerts and warnings for roads and areas
Kringum - A list of nearby attractions and points of interest based on your phone’s location
Icelandair
Klappid - Reykjavik’s bus pass system. My goal is to not move the car once we’re in the city and rely on public transport or walking if possible.
Google Translate - make sure you enable the camera permissions if you want to use it to directly translate.
Final Notes
Book early and check your confirmations early. I found in early May that I did not have the confirmation number for our rental car. There was a moderate panic as I searched high and low for it in emails to no avail. I contacted Lotus Car Rental through their website and an actual person replied and forwarded the confirmations again, assuring us that everything would be ready for our arrival.
Pack early. By the third week of May, we were starting to gather everything and lay out what we were taking. It gives us the opportunity to cull the herd so to speak. Do I really need 10 shirts for 8 days or can I get away with 6? If possible, bring an extra suitcase for souvenirs. I’ve done this for my three Africa trips and would not want to go without it.
For the kids, this is their first time outside the US. I don’t think any of us knows how this will go. I am excited to see how well they handle the time change and the long days. They’re excited to, in their own words, see another country and be close to the ocean and some nature. Couldn’t agree more.
Stay tuned for stories and photos from the Land of Fire and Ice!
Skál!
-Ed