My Iceland Itinerary

 

I’ve just wrapped up an amazing week in Iceland — and I really liked my itinerary. It was designed for me to use as I updated our Iceland guidebook, but it would be a great template for any week there. Take a look:

Day 1   Fly in, pick up car at airport, drive to farmhouse hotel or B&B in the middle of the South Coast, within a half-hour drive of ferry to Westman Islands
Day 2   Explore the South Coast
Day 3   Take first ferry to Westman Islands, spend all day there, drive after dinner to Reykjavík
Day 4   Reykjavík
Day 5   Golden Circle, as a 10- or 12-hour day trip from Reykjavík
Day 6   Reykjavík
Day 7   Blue Lagoon spa, on the way to the airport to fly out

 

BTW, a lot of you have asked about crowds in Iceland. It’s true that Iceland sometimes feels like the land of monetized waterfalls, with the most famous natural wonders attracting hordes of tourists — but I found that the crowds were a fun part of the experience. After struggling with crowds in Italy, France, and Spain, Iceland felt more like a big party that we were all just enjoying together.

It helps that many Iceland sights have made changes in the last few years to accommodate the growing number of visitors. Parking lots have been expanded (and now often come with a fee), and there are several new visitors centers.

 

And here’s one more way Iceland is addressing the huge influx of tourists: Several farms have transitioned their barns into ranks of simple hotel rooms. 

 

(What about you? Do you have a great Iceland itinerary to share — or do you have any thoughts about how the pint-sized island nation is handling its tourist crowds? Let me know here, on Twitter, or on Facebook.)

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