Itinerary ideas

Hi all, we are planning to be in Iceland for 10 days in October. We would like to spend the majority of time in Reykjavik and take day trips with our rental car. But we'd like to get a little further out of the city for a few days and thought the Westfjords region would be nice. It looks beautiful. We didn't want to do the ring road and be on the road our entire holiday, that's why we're concentrating on the area around Reykjavik. I'm open to other ideas if anybody has any. Also, I know that weather in Iceland is quite changeable, but is there any place that is better or worse in October. We're prepared for anything. Thanks!

I think you'll like Reykjavik, it has a lot of interesting restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and shopping and it is a very pleasant city for walking.

Thank you, I'm really looking forward to spending time in Reykjavik!

thought the Westfjords region would be nice. It looks beautiful. We didn't want to ... be on the road our entire holiday

It is lovely, but it is also remote and the internal roads are slow when you get there, and there will be increased risk of travel disruption out of season. If you are driving out of Reykjavik, it needs quite a few days to make it worthwhile, you'd have to give over the greater part of your holiday to it. But for me it would be worthwhile, getting to the remote places is special. On the one hand it is something like 8 hours drive to Isafjordur if nothing terrible happens. On the other hand, you can drive to Stykkisholmur in something like 2h30, take the Baldur ferry across Breidafjordur (3 hrs - check off-season timetable) and you are there. But a shorter trip can be made worthwhile by flying. You can fly to Isafjordur and hire a car locally. Be aware that flights can be delayed, very delayed, during periods of bad weather, as Isafjordur is a difficult airport in strong wind. Give yourself a good day or so in hand for flying back.

but is there any place that is better or worse in October

In general the N & E are drier, and that is more or less true all year. But they are also remote and present greater risks of travel disruption outside summer. Again, you can reduce the drive time by flying and hiring a car locally.

We would like to spend the majority of time in Reykjavik

People have different tastes. Reykjavik gives you those urban services like a large choice of restaurants, which is pretty much absent in most of the rest of the country. But it is a small modern town and I get pretty bored by what the town has to offer after much more than a day or two. The interest in Iceland mostly lies in its countryside, not its settlements. There is a lot of interest in Reykjavik's hinterland, but you are missing a lot that is special about Iceland if you stick to the area within a day trip of Reykjavik. You have time to get well out of Reykjavik without it being whistlestop.

If Westfjords is now sounding like too far to go, consider Snaefellsnes and Borgarfjordur.

Thank you so much for the valuable information. I just recently discovered in one of my guide books that it's at best an 8-10 hour drive to Isafjordur. Google maps was telling me 5.5 hours! I think we will do as you recommend and explore the Snaefellsnes. Just one more question, would Akureyri and possible Lake Myvatn be a good excursion as well for 3-4 days? The guide book is telling me that it's about a 5 hour drive from Reykjavik. Thanks again for your advice!

Google maps was telling me 5.5 hours!

Google maps timings not reliable except on a few really major roads.

would Akureyri and possible Lake Myvatn be a good excursion as well for 3-4 days

Myvatn is the whole point of going to Akureyri, around there is where most of the sights are, so you may end up commuting that 60km each way to Myvatn a few times if you stay in Akureyri, though A offers urban services.... There are lots of very interesting things around there, but Iceland's biggest waterfall (by some measures) Dettifoss aside (now easily accessible by tarmacked road), they lack the grandeur of some other areas. On the other hand, you'd have a somewhat better chance of catching the northern lights up there, though don't depend on it, it's very chancy. Also the drive from R to A has some extended bits which are not very interesting by Icelandic standards. It's up to you what sounds interesting. It is an option very worthwhile considering, but you will wish to consider carefully the kinds of sights and whether they are what you are looking for - only you can decide that.

Thank you again for all of the great information. I think I have enough to work with to develop an interesting itinerary thanks to you. I'll do more research based on what you told me, and go from there. Appreciate it!