How we Cover Iceland Ring Road in 7 Days – Itinerary (Day 1 & 2)

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How we Cover Iceland Ring Road in 7 Days (Day 1)

Finally, we embarked on our 7 Days Iceland adventure! After days and weeks of planning out the itinerary, now it is time to start out journey!

1982 km in 7 Days!

Because we took on the Round Island Ring Road drive, hence the planning and the itinerary will be pretty squeezed.

We have to stay mainly at the Route 1 which is the highway.

A little bit of introduction for Iceland.

To many Iceland is known for the land of Fire and Ice. Ice because it is far north, hence very cold. Fire because it is an island born out of volcanic eruptions over millions of years.

There are like 300,000+ Iceland population. Slightly more than Bedok population (280,000+). LOL!

And because of work commitment constraints, we can only do 7 Days for this trip. When we research on Iceland, most strongly encourage not to do Iceland Ring Road in 7 Days. But looking at our itinerary, we covered quite alot in these 7 days.

Main Highlights in this 7 days that we done:

  • Blue Lagoon - We were soaking there for 2 hours (Day 1)
  • Myvatn Nature Bath - Soaking there for another 2 hours (Day 3)
  • 2 Hours Walk - Plane Wreck (Day 5)
  • Whale Watching - A 3-4 Hours Whale Watching Tour (Day 7)
  • Catching the Aurora on Day 1, 6 & 7

Except for the 1st day, the rest of the days we stayed in Airbnb Apartments or House. And hence, we DIY our dinner as well. Our dinner also not very miserable.

We whipped up

  • Grilled Lamb Chop (Day 2)
  • Grilled Pork Chop (Day 3)
  • Curry Chicken (Day 4)
  • Peking Duck (Day 5)
  • Grilled 2.5 kg Lamb Leg (Day 6)

No doubt it is 7 days, but most of the days we reach our stay around 8pm. And we left house at 10am. Pretty comfortable timing for the entire week.

Day 1

Parking at Paris Airport

This is the first time we are parking at the airport. Was researching for the cheapest parking rate and reading the reviews and comparing the price on https://www.parkvia.com/.

They cost significantly lower than parking at the airport itself. The Charles De Gaulle PR carpark cost €90+ where some sites at ParkVia cost less than €50.

But our concern is retrieving the car. Because we are not fluent in French and do not want the hassle of having miscommunication. So, we decided to pay abit more and have more assurance and convenience.

Check-In Airport

Checking in at the airport is easy. We both shared a check in luggage (20kg). It is challenging to pack 20kg of thick clothes into the luggage, with our chilli sauce and curry chicken ingredients. But we managed to squeeze zhun zhun (just nice).

2.30pm.

When we touch down, we were greeted by the amazing view of Iceland. Brown color land, not ice leh. Weather is chilling though.

We met up with our friends, Yanfang and David and off we go to collect our rental car.

Collect Rental Car: Blue Car Rental

To collect the rental car, you have to take a shuttle bus to the rental car area. Very fast one. The bus comes every 30mins, but sometimes the queue gets abit long.

We done a lot of research of which car rental to take. Apparently, we are down with 2 choices. Blue Car Rental and Sixt. Because I have 15% discount for Sixt, but Blue Car Rental review seems better. So we went with Blue Car Rental.

You keep read those review ah, say you kena (got) charged for stone chips lah, wind screen cracks lah. So we kiasi a bit (fear of death), check all the options for insurance.

We upgraded all the insurance coverage, but we did not take the GPS option, because we are using Google Maps for that.

Collection was fast, while registering our collection, our car is already ready outside.

For collection, you need to present your driver's licence. No need international licence. Use the Singapore driving licence can already.

So initially, we booked a 4x4 Dacia Duster, and was upgraded to 4x4 Nissan Qashqai. Of course happy lah! But we do not know the difference. But pricing wise the Nissan is like 10% more.

Everything was processed in less than 20mins, including the checking of the initial defects. As native Singaporeans, of course we will check swee swee, check everything.

We tested out our Google Maps and everything is good to go! Anyways, you don't depend on internet connection apps like Waze. Some areas have poor connectivity. We ended using Google Maps (offline) the entire journey.

Here - I teach you how to set everything on Google Map.

Stay: Bed and Breakfast Keflavík Airport

We booked our Blue Lagoon time slot at 5pm. So, we got a lot of time. It is only 3.30pm. So we decided to check in our hotel first and drive around before heading to Blue Lagoon.

This hotel is good man! We booked a quad share room, comes with breakfast for only S$250+ a night! The most valued stay we have in Iceland!

So we took a drive around the area. The entire Iceland or those that is near the Geothermal Water have this sibei (very) smelly smell. They say is the sulphur. So get used to it ah.

Some apartment when you on the hot water also have this smell one. It is like the rubbish bin if you forgot to throw for a few days.

Visitors to Iceland often ask why the hot water smells of rotten eggs. This is because the hot and cold water come from two different sources. It is true that the hot water sometimes smells of sulfur, which is due to the geothermal origins of the hot water, making it excellent for bathing, but not drinking1

Go: Blue Lagoon

We drive drive drive, then landed up near Blue Lagoon. Wah, I tell you. The water around the area, some also blue color one sia! Before going in, we already take a lot photos.

Actually the entire trip, we took a lot a lot. Gotta QC until shag sia..

Okay, now at Blue Lagoon. This is the most expensive item we had. It cost S$ 530+ for 4 person to enter the blue lagoon. We took up the 2nd option (Comfort) because we lazy take our own towel. And it comes with another mask and a free drink.

1 drink at the bar eg: a mug beer cost like S$ 13.

Getting in is first, prior coming we have reserved our slot online.

Took our towel, and the wrist band we went to the changing room.

Their locker quite solid one leh. Electronic one with the wrist band, so that you won't need to carry the key around.

Before you enter the pool, you have to rinse yourself in the shower. For hygiene purpose obviously.

But when you are out of the shower, you feel sibei (very) cold. That you have to fast walk to the pool.

Later then we found out that there is an entrance to the pool just at the side of the building, without you braving the cold to the pool.

Using the tag, you can also get your free drink or purchase a drink at the cafe or bar.

There is a mask station where you see alot people gather. They have 2 kinds of mask. The free silica mask which you see everyday bua (apply) on their whole face and some even shoulder and chest and the algae mask (the comfort option)

It is said that the silica that will. Make your hair hard and difficult to manage. Hence, they advise girls with long hair to spam as much conditioner as possible before going in the lagoon.

Weather was good to us, there was sun and we enjoyed the lagoon session real much. P

Actually come to think of it, you can just get the basic option because the algae mask also doesn't have much effect. Towel wise, you can take from hotel.

There is fresh water in the middle of the lagoon, under the bridge. So you don't need to get a drink also.

Entire experience at Blue Lagoon was pretty good. They even provide you plastic bags to store your wet clothes.

Leaving the lagoon is also easy and fast. Just scan and drop your wrist band at the exit gantry and voila!

You are out of the area. Beep - S$140+ just gone like that in 2 hours. S$140 can do 3 x 2 hours of massage in Malaysia you know!

Go: Bridge Between 2 Continents

We have abit of time before dinner so we head for another place which is located 30mins from Blue Lagoon. You can actually do this before Blue Lagoon or after depending on your schedule.

Ok lah, this place nothing much lor. Just a bridge between 2 small cliffs. But geographically, you are standing in between the Europe and North America plates.

Hear say the gap will widen like 2cm each year. So maybe after many years, they need to rebuild the bridge again.

We went around 7pm+ when the sun is setting. There is like nobody except us. So got alot photos to ourselves without being photo bomb.

Dinner: Papa's Restaurant

We bookmarked 2 restaurants for dinner. Due to popular support and demand, we end up go Papa's Restaurant to eat. It is also call Papa's Pizza, whichever term you get to know. We reach there at 9pm so scare they close because will have nothing to eat.

Ordered 2 Pizza (1 x Medium, 1x Large) and a Fish & Chip. The bill comes out to be around 8000++ isk. Wah piang (oh gosh), S$120 for 3 items!!! I think they go and rob better lah. Portion is huge for 4 persons, because David can eat like a cow. We are very very full.

But well, the Fish & Chip is nice. Highly recommended. But 1 sad thing. I forgot to bring out my Chilli Sauce! You know that kind of feeling when you eat Nasi Lemak without chilli or your chicken rice without chilli. Ya, is that disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Go Back Hotel

It is 40mins away to our hotel, we wanted to go back hotel pee, wash up and come out chase the Aurora. Because they say that day is the strongest for the past 9 years. It is 9/9!

The Iceland Met Office has forecast great Northern Lights activity tonight with maximum activity, 9, on the scale of 0-9. The aurora should be visible in the South and in Breiðafjörður bay after 9 pm tonight.2

Then we drive drive drive, 5mins away from the hotel, I SAW A GREEN GLOW! It is the AURORA! Instantly, everyone forgot they need to pee.

Make a U turn and go back the earlier route because it is dark. Find a place to park and admire the Aurora.

This Aurora actually quite strong because while driving at the brightly litted highway, I still can see the glow. Means it must be sibei (very) power pack.

Best Photo of the Night

I can only take with my Yi 4k Action Camera but mai hiam (Don't be fussy), can take very good already. It is clear sky at Keflavik area, we are so lucky!

After a good 30 mins, suddenly everyone remember they need to pee. So we decided to head back to hotel and release and wash up before coming out again.

And according to the news, there are more superb Aurora that night.

But hor, once we reached hotel, everyone is real tired and didn't want to come out chase Aurora.

Day 2 - To Akureyri

Refreshed and revitalised for the day ahead! We knocked out at the hotel, minutes after washing up. Woke up to read reports of the awesome Aurora during wee hours. Felt a little regretful that we did not stay up for it. But then again, if we did we will be dead tired for the rest of the day.

Priorities and decision.

No choice right? Today's drive is one of the longest drive for the week. We have to hit Akureyri and it is 6 hours away from Keflavik.

Breakfast: Bed and Breakfast Keflavík Airport

We booked this hotel because it is near to the airport and Blue Lagoon, and it has breakfast.

The breakfast can simply win most 4 Star hotels! Quite a wide spread of variety and more importantly, there is waffle! I missed the waffle with peanut butter in Singapore. Though it lacked of the pandan leaves fragrant, but compensated by the peanut butter.

Iceland Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

Breakfast

How many hotels provide peanut butter nowadays?

REVIEW ON BED AND BREAKFAST KEFLAVIK AIRPORT

Awesome value! The most valued stay in our entire Iceland trip. Their breakfast can win most 4 Star hotels!

QU Char Bor 
Chambord Visitor

See: Hraunfossar Waterfall

After a hearty breakfast, it is time to head out for the drive to our first stop. Along the car ride, we were impressed on how Reykjavik looks like. Pretty modern but it seems like the Capital is undergoing massive development.

The first waterfall for the trip had us anticipating for very long. This waterfall is unique in a way where it is actually a series of mini waterfalls.

First Water we see

Hraunfossar Waterfall

Hraufossar

Hraunfossar Waterfall

Hraunfossar (Borgarfjörður, western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull.1
This is one of the few waterfall that you can park near, and have a short walk to see it.

See: Barnafossar Waterfall

There is also another waterfall - Barnafossar just beside it.

Barnafoss is also known as Bjarnafoss, which was its previous name. Barnafoss is near Hraunfossar which burst out of Hallmundarhraun which is a great lava plain. Barnafoss is a waterfall in Western Iceland, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Reykjavík. Barnafoss is on the river Hvítá in Borgarfjörður. Hraunfossar flows out of a lava field into Hvítá near Barnafoss, creating a stunning scenery.2

Awesome! 2 waterfalls done in 1 location. If you are taking the Route 1 to Akureyri, you should pop to this waterfall before heading up to Akureyri.

Go: Supermarket - Samkaup Urval

Our planned first supermarket stop which is along Route 1. In this supermarket, they will many varieties of food and fresh produce as well. Initially we were looking for ingredients for curry chicken. But we came across marinated lamb chops! Mai tu liao, buy and cook for dinner!

Coffee: Ömmukaffi

After our supermarketing, and 2 hours drive, definitely we will be glad to have some coffee. The next stop, which is our stay is another 2 hours away.

Was very curious on the supermarkets, because we could not find any bottled still water at the supermarket. So we asked one of the cafe staffs, why?

First Water we see

Coffee

He replied "Because you can drink the water safely from the tap, hence probably not sold in supermarkets"

This is interesting! And Iceland tap taste refreshing anyways!

Stay: Airbnb - Akureyri

Our first Airbnb stay is at the town of Akureyri. We can easier check in to our stay with their self check in facility, which is a keybox. Pretty convenient, with easy parking beside the apartment.

Our Stay

Our Stay at Akureyri

Hraufossar

Our Dinner

Dinner: Iceland Famous Grilled Lamb Chop

The most exciting item for the day is the grilled lamb chop! Bought from the supermarket, grilled by Iceland pan in the Iceland House! Woooo!

Marinated Lamb Chop from the supermarket

Marinated Lamb Chop from the supermarket

Grilled lamb chop

Grilled lamb chop

The marinate makes the meat tasty and yummy! Of course, credits to Le Chef David for preparing this holysome meal!



7 Days Iceland Ring Road Trip

7 Days itinerary in Iceland

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About the author 

Donovan

Don is a Kiasu Singaporean that blogs his journey while exploring Europe.
A Singapore Travel Blog that provides travel guides and tips on how to travel free and easy in Europe.

  • What an amazing and fascinating place to visit. I really didn’t know much about this but after reading this post I will surely visit one day. Thanks for sharing such an amazing post.

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