Guest Blogger: Barbora Guobyte, Often Out of Office
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Admiring Jökulsárlón-Glacier Lagoon
Hike the secluded paths at the top of Skogafoss waterfall
Our favorite waterfall in all of Iceland is called Skogafoss. Although its sheer size makes it a marvel to look at, we loved it even more after discovering the secret hiking trails that run for miles along the top of the waterfall. Once you climb the staircase on the right-hand side of the waterfall, follow the paths along the running water of the waterfall and you shall be rewarded with the most spectacular views of the mountains and get to witness just where the waterfall’s water all comes from. And the best part is, we hiked for about 2 hours and saw about 4 people that entire time! More on other stops on our trip - here.
Don’t pass up the opportunity to shop for snacks for the entire trip whilst at a Reykjavik BONUS Supermarket!
Iceland is one of the more expensive destinations out there. Having a very average meal for two, say two pizzas and two beers in Reykjavik will set you back about 70-80 EUR. Naturally one of the best ways to save a buck or two on your travels is to get snacks and some food at supermarkets instead of always eating out. The best option for this is Iceland’s BONUS supermarket chain. They have large stores with a wide variety of things to choose from. But the lesson here is not only that getting food from supermarkets will help you save money whilst traveling Iceland, but that in fact the amount of large supermarkets significantly decreases once you move away from Reykjavik. In fact, on the way from Reykjavik to Glacier Lagoon (Hof) all we found is smaller one-off food shops that have small variety and larger prices.
A shot from a random stop along the road, driving back from Hof to Vik
"Not Rushing to see everything and pacing yourself is a recipe for success!" (Often Out Of Office)
Iceland is the spectacular destination that it is and offers so much to do in terms of different landscapes - I mean mountains, glaciers, lakes, craters, waterfall, hot springs. You name it! It is understandable that once you make the trip out there, you might want to see it all! For us, a full 8-day trip got us from Reykjavik to the Glacier lagoon ( near Hof), with a day spent relaxing at the blue lagoon. (Read about what we thought about the Blue Lagoon - here).
That means there is still the entire northern coast left! But to be honest, our recommendation is to pace yourself. You don’t want to spend entire days in the car driving from point to point to then just get out, have a look and go back. If you want to be one of the few that have truly visited and explored all of Iceland, I’d say at least 4 weeks is necessary, but even then, having more than one visit will allow you to see Iceland in more than one season. Witnessing how the landscape differs from summer to winter is worth the trips!
The grand view from Reykjavik’s Hallgrimskirkja church tower
Gullfoss Waterfall
More tips and our biggest lessons learned from traveling Iceland as well as tips and itineraries for other destinations can be found on our site.
Guest Bloggers Often Out of Office is run by the travel couple Barbora and Karolis from Lithuania. With their blog, they show that you can combine a career and travel. They also will give you helpful travel tips on how to travel cheaper and experience more. Visit Often Out of Office and follow them on their Instagram.
Iceland Guide
Traveling to Iceland and discovering the Icelandic culture is on many travelers' bucket list. The Capitol on Iceland; Reykjavik, the Iceland Nature Experiences with the mysterious Icelandic Folklore make Iceland a top travel destination.