My husband and I are traveling to Iceland for 6 nights in March. We've already booked a place in Reykjavik for the first 2 nights, but would like to explore the southern part of Iceland for the remainder of the trip—in hopes of better weather conditions for driving. We like hiking, bird watching, beautiful scenery, etc. And eating good food—we are adventurous eaters. Wondering how far east we should venture and whether or not it makes sense to stay at a different place each night or 2 nights in a couple of places, doing day trips? And, does it make sense to book ahead, or should we decide as we go in case it snows? Our flight back to the US leaves around 4:30 pm on the 6th day, so wondering if it would be a safe bet to drive from a southern location, or to spend the last night back in Reykjavik.
Hi lulagirl!
South is really worth seeing. You may book Golden Circle tour – it is a day tour from Reykjavik. Then rent a car (I suggest http://www.reykjavikcars.com/ as we booked there ourselves last year) and go to explore south. For example, you can see Eyjafjallajokull Glacier, Vik – you can even stay here for a night. Skaftafell National Park – depending on the weather. And then back, spending a day in a relaxing Blue Lagoon.
Don't book the Golden Circle tour just use your own car to get around. Golden circle is a very popular route and all GPS devices will have it. Just be sure to ask for GPS device when booking a car. They have a lot of favourites programmed in their GPS devices so you just need to pick what you want.
Be sure to check Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon if you are venturing south:
https://tripcreator.com/catalog/item/92b412da-1cee-4070-a1b2-7f77b6d0b4b0/jokulsarlon-glacier-lagoon
This is an amazing site and a must see highlight of the southern part in Iceland. Highly recommended. You can book a boat tour and take a swim in a glacier lake.
all GPS devices will have it
Though if you are even half competent with the simplest of maps, then GPS is unnecessary.
We like hiking
You are going in winter when large parts of the island are covered in snow, though coastal areas can be snow free in midwinter depending upon on-going weather. There isn't a great deal of hiking apart from short walks in coastal areas, and then if the weather is suitable only. The classic trekking is really only accessible in the summer high season from late June to end August.
bird watching
That's for your next trip when you come during May-July.
And eating good food
Hope your wallet is very well padded. These days you can eat well in Reykjavik and get away for around €30, but such opportunities remain very thin on the ground outside Reykjavik.
And, does it make sense to book ahead, or should we decide as we go in case it snows?
You can usually have a fair idea of the risk of disruption a day or two ahead, so it makes sense to reserve on that timescale. Likewise for the driving back to the airport.
I would just book a rental car from the 3rd day of your trip (you won´t need a rental car whilst you are in Reykjavik) and do self drive day trips based from Reykjavik. The weather can be harsh and unpredicatable to say the least, so by not booking anywhere to stay you can be flexible in terms of choosing your destination. As has already been said, snow and cold weather prevail at this time so hiking is not really viable. Day trips to Borgarfjörður, Snæfellsness and Vik area all possible from Reykjavik (depending on the weather of course)
Have this website in mind, it updates the conditions of the roads so you can see if it is safe to travel or not
Thanks for the recommendation. I like this idea a lot so just extended our reservation in Reykjavik for the entire stay. One of the things on our list to see (weather permitting) are the Northern Lights. Would you recommend using one of the tour groups out of REykjavik or heading out on our own? Not sure what the nighttime driving is like that time of year...
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