Day Six, one to truly remember
If we knew in advance what this day of our Icelandic adventure had in store for us, the excitement and anticipation would have been too much to bear.
No sooner we were back on Iceland's peaceful Ring Road after fuelling up at Egilsstaðir, and we were pulling over for our first two viewpoints of the day, a snow-filled gorge and Rjukandi Waterfall.
In this eastern part of Iceland, the snow is a lot thicker than what we’ve experienced so far on this trip. However, today the sun has broken through, and I wish I’d brought my sunnies.
For our overnight accommodation in Reykjahlíð; we stayed at the Fosshotel Myvatn, which had ample parking and included breakfast.
Behind the wheel in Iceland
Gary only let me drive…Our Advice
Go for a 4×4 for the reasonable ground clearance it affords you. You can, of course, hire a 2-wheel drive vehicle, but you are not permitted to drive on ‘F’ roads and other tracks.
Our experience was that even access to certain Points of Interest along roads a regular 2-wheel drive wouldn’t get you there. Trust us.
Driving in Iceland
Take your timeWhere to stay in Reykjahlíð
In Reykjahlíð we chose to stay at the Fosshotel Myvatn, my favourite accommodation of the trip
We had a few essential requirements from each of our overnight stays in Iceland, which were:
Breakfast included or available nearby.
Scooby snacks along the way can be expensive.
Parking is a requirement, as this is a road trip after all.
Nearby cafés/eateries, or onsite restaurant for the evening.
Preferably a close-by fuel station; they can be few and far between en route.
The first waterfall of the day
DettifossUseful tips for driving in Iceland
If you are planning a road trip around Iceland particularly over the winter months you need to be very aware of the ever-changing road and weather conditions. During winter, parts of the Ring Road may be impassable, and you may not get to areas of the country you intended to.
Regularly check the conditions by using these useful websites and apps, believe me, they will come in handy.
- Icelandic Met Office
- The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration – Vegagerdin also has an app.
Closely followed by the second waterfall of the day
SelfossFree in Iceland
Planning your trip to Iceland
So you're planning a trip to the Land of Fire and Ice? There is so much to see and do in Iceland that you'll wish you were staying longer. To ensure you make the most out of your visit, head over to the official website of Visit Iceland for a little help and guidance.
Have fun!
Geothermal Iceland
Another planetIf you're tempted to tour the Land of Fire and Ice and would love to discover the whole country, then take a look at this DK Eyewitness book. This Top 10 Pocket Travel Guide is invaluable, I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into searching for more.
You can now grab the revised copy.
Exploring Iceland
Careful underfootFinding the right car for your Icelandic Road Trip
Discover Iceland’s enchanting Ring Road with its rugged landscape or the waterfalls and geysers around the Golden Circle for yourself.
If you want to explore Iceland's F-Roads, you must have a 4x4, but we'd recommend one anyway for the improved driving position, and if the weather turns, you have a touch of added protection.
We recommend Rental Cars as they search multiple well-known car hire brands and discovers the deals that suit you the best.
Discover Iceland
Tour of Lake MyvatnThe Nothern Lights in Iceland
They came out to playWe had been keeping track every day during our road trip around Iceland, of the likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights.
Arriving at our hotel I asked where the ideal place would be to go that evening to catch them, and the receptionist told us just to wander out the back of the hotel.
We were greeted with a fantastic display of, green, pink, purple & white waves dancing across the sky, fading in and out.
I didn’t know where to look; they were all around us, I was actually getting a bit choked up, I didn’t expect us to be so lucky.
In search of the Northern Lights
If you are Northern Light hunting, you need to be aware of the sunset & darkness times and the KP Index for the evening. It also requires dark and partly clear skies.
KP Index scale ranges from 0 to 9;
0-2: Low
2-3: Moderate
4-6: A big solar storm is coming
7-9: Highly unusual
You can monitor this via the Icelandic Met Office which is updated around 6 pm.
Our Iceland Road Trip
The routeWhere we stayed in Egilsstaðir
Our stopoverHighlight of the Day
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The Northern Lights for sure! EPIC! It looks so insanely beautiful. All of it, but what a capper to a seriously stunning day. Have loved your Iceland road trip series of posts. Thanks for sharing with #FarawayFiles, Erin
Thanks very much Erin, that day was certainly special. You never know what’s around the corner, the display of the Northern Lights was short lived but it was incredible, I’ll always remember it.