Posts in ITINERARY
HOW TO SPEND 48 HOURS IN SEVILLE, SPAIN
Seville, Spain
Seville, Spain
Seville, Spain
 

With endless amounts of tapas, an incredibly rich history, and one of the most famous destinations for flamenco, Seville is the perfect place to begin your adventure in Spain. While there’s so much to see and do when visiting, there are a few highlights that are must-see’s when you’re on a time crunch.

HERE’S HOW TO SPEND 48 HOURS IN SEVILLE, SPAIN!


 
 
Seville, Spain

GETTING TO SEVILLE

BUS:

Seville Airport (SVQ) has a designated bus that travels between the city center (Plaza de Armas) and the airport, with many convenient stops. The bus departs every 30minutes and the fareis 4€ for a single ticket, which can be purchased on the bus when you board. The line is named Línea EA: Airport Special and will take around 30-35 minutes to reach the center in normal traffic.

BUS TIMETABLE

TAXI:

Taxi rides from Seville Airport (SQV) to the city center do not have a set price, but should cost between 20-25€ depending on where you are going in the center. The fare should be displayed clearly on a meter and the driver may only charge you what is displayed under law. Nevertheless, if you have a lot of luggage they may ask for extra. To avoid any issues, you can pre-book or ask for the approximate price of the driver before you take this method of transport.

There are two types of fares for the taxis:
Daytime rate: (Mon-Fri 7am – 9pm) the price ranges from 20-25€.
Night-time rate: (Weekends, holidays and evenings between 9pm – 7am) €25-27.
Be aware that Spanish Holy Days may incur an extra 25% on the night-time price.


Seville city center

GETTING AROUND IN SEVILLE

The best way to get around in Seville is via walking. There are bikes and scooters available for rent or you can always take a taxi. The streets are very narrow which makes for fun exploring via foot.


City center Seville, Spain

WHERE TO STAY IN SEVILLE

Hotel Rey Alfonso X

This hotel is within a 10 minute walk of the Cathedral. Hotel Rey Alfonso X is a nice hotel stay that won’t blow the budget.

Hotel Casa Del Poeta

If you want to stay somewhere that has everything within walking distance, then Hotel Casa Del Poeta should be your choice. It is located in the Old City within walking distance to many of the sights and a ton of yummy restaurants.

Hospes Las Casas Del Rey De Baeza

If you can stay at Hospes Las Casas Del Rey De Baeza, then this would be my top choice. Hospes brand in Spain is outstanding! Their breakfast and service are absolutely amazing. They go above and beyond to make your stay special and memorable.


DAY 1

Seville, Spain Cathedral

Breakfast at La Cacherreria

This little bar is found on the hip Calle Regina, just behind the Metropol Parasol in Seville. They offer a wide variety of breakfasts including toast, yogurt with muesli, and smoothies – along with great gluten free alternatives! It is small, so you might have to wait a bit for their delicious coffee and lovely atmosphere, but it will be worth it. [Devour Seville]

Address: Calle Regina, 14

Free Walking Tour: Monuments of Sevilla

Being short on time, take a free walking tour to catch the major sights in Seville. These tours are great because do you not only get to see the major monuments, but you also get to hear the history behind what you’re seeing. These are usually ran by local students that are passionate about their cities so you are bound to have a great experience. Check out this one that we did through Free Walking Tours Sevilla.

Alcazar of Seville

Don’t miss this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its stunning architecture and storied past. Definitely buy tickets beforehand so that you are not wasting precious time standing in line for tickets! You can either buy just a ticket or get a guided tour.

Casa de la Memoria Flamenco Show

We went to this Famenco show and it was so fun! The energy from the dancers and their passion was palpable throughout the room. This show is located in the Flamenco museum and only has seating for a small crowd. Get there early so that you can get a great seat! You can buy tickets here. There are also two shows a night. I would recommend the early show and then you can grab dinner.

Dinner at Eslava

This is seriously one of the best places that I ate while I was in Spain. If you have time, make a reservation at their Michelin Star restaurant and relax in the tapas bar while you wait for you table. If you’re not lucky enough to eat at the restaurant or just don’t have time, then I would highly recommend just getting full on their yummy tapas. You can check out my blog post all about Eslava here.

Address:  Calle Eslava, 3


Triana neighborhood across the river from Seville

DAY 2

Explore Triana

Grab an early breakfast at your hotel and head to Triana across the river for the morning. It offers everything from Spanish made ceremic pottery to delicious tapas restaurants. I’d recommend checking out the local Market hall, Mercado de Triana (Calle San Jorge, 6), for lunch or just some awesome snacks.

Triana is a vibrant old quarter in Seville, formerly known as Seville’s gypsy neighborhood, and otherwise known as Puente de Triana. If you’re up for it, then you can also go on a tapas crawl with Devour Seville.

Check out the Metropol Parasol

This is a wooden structure located at La Encarnación square, in the old quarter of Seville, Spain. It was designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer H.

Dinner at Torres Y Garcia or Mamarracha

Either option is sure to be yummy! Make sure to get your reservations beforehand!


Overall

Seville is one of my favorite cities in Spain. It is so cute with so many great options for dinning and shopping.


Do you have any tips for spending 48 hours in Seville? Let me know in the comments!

SHOP MY SEVILLE ESSENTIALS FOR FALL/WINTER!


 
How to spend 48 hours in Seville Pin for Pinterest
 

PIN FOR LATER!

 
UPDATE TO MY ULTIMATE ICELAND RING ROAD ADVENTURE BLOG POST
 

Before I left for Iceland, I took my planned itinerary and made a blog post about it. If you remember it, then you probably remember that it was a little over-zealous and included a lot of activities!

Here is the updated version of my Ultimate Iceland Ring Road Adventure!

 
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SUGGESTIONS:

In order to see the entire ring road, I would recommend no less than 10 to 12 days. We did the entire ring road, but it involved a TON of driving. We had to cut some stuff out so that we could make it to our next destination before midnight.

Þórsmörk is absolutely breathtaking! You could easily spend 3 to 4 days in this area hiking, snowmobiling on a glacier, or taking a Superjeep Tour (See my post here about our Superjeep adventure with Southcoast Adventures.)

While our Cozy Campers campervan was amazing, I highly recommend splitting up the trip and spending a couple nights in a hotel just to stretch out your legs. While I’m mentioning the campervan, it takes a while to get organized and head out from the campground in the morning. We would wake up, make breakfast, clean our dishes, then shower and get dressed. Depending on the campsite, the showering is sometimes more difficult than at other places.

Do yourself a favor and skip the DC plane - it is a 4 mile walk round trip and there is absolutely nothing to look at during the walk - OR you can pay 2500 kr to take a shuttle bus. It was the biggest tourist trap. I felt like they just placed this plane out in the middle of nowhere and were like these stupid tourists are going to walk all this way to see this - insert evil laugh here.

Hot Springs:

  • The Blue Lagoon: Like Disney World for adults (If you go, I would recommend staying at Silfra so that you have your own private hot spring.) Also, VERY IMPORTANT, do not get your hair in the water at the Blue Lagoon unless you have a ton of conditioner in it or your hair will be dry for weeks!

  • Grettislaug Pool: There is a campground here! I would recommend camping here overnight so that you can enjoy this amazing hot spring!

  • Secret Lagoon: While touristy, this was one was by far my favorite. The bottom is rocky instead of slimy like others and the water does not have a ton of floating algae in it.

Snaefellsnes Peninsula - If you remember back to my full itinerary post, then you will see that this is at the end of our trip. We were exhausted by this time due to all the driving that was involved during our last few days. We had planned to start the next day with the Glymur Waterfall hike but there was a monsoon the night before and morning of so we weren’t able to do it.

These are just a few of my suggestions to changes that I would make to the itinerary that I blogged about a few weeks ago! Updated itinerary Iceland post coming soon!



ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


 
ESSENTIAL ICELAND: CAMPERVAN PACKING GUIDE
 
 
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For our Ultimate Ring Road Adventure, we rented a campervan from Cozy Campers. I have NEVER been camping before (not tent, not campervan, not motorhome), so I knew that this was definitely going to be an experience that I would never forget.

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Just before we go into this packing guide, I want to talk about how disastrously we packed for this trip. First off, due to no fault of ours, the airline lost my husband’s bag and we didn’t get it for 5 days. This was even with taking a direct flight from DFW to Reykjavik. We couldn’t believe it! Just a heads up, if the airline loses your bag, make 100 percent sure that you grab some underwear and socks before you leave Reykjavik otherwise you will be SOL. Seriously, we did not find underwear for him until night four, when we finally found some at a local grocery store in the small town of Höfn. This sucks, especially if you’re planning on doing a lot of daily hiking and you’re staying in a campervan at campsites that either don’t have washers/dryers or they’re not working. (This is the problem that we ran into. The campsites would have washers but no dryers or they just were not working at all. -sigh)

We packed two HUGE suitcases! I’m talking, I brought my Away medium suitcase and my husband brought a large duffel that had rolling wheels. Not only did we have two large suitcases, but we had also rented a grill. We rented the Cozy 5, which looks huge online, so I thought that we would have a ton of room -WRONG! Along with the suitcases and grill, we also brought a duffel that was filled with food, as well as 2 backpacks. Bear in mind, when you’re getting ready for bed, you have to move all of this stuff to pull out the bed and to have room to move. Every night before we went to bed, we had to move all of this stuff. Mostly, it went into the front of the van to then again be pulled out in the am, but some had to stay in the back due to space limitations.

Bottom-line: If you’re renting a campervan, don’t be like us! Pack light and be intentional with your packing! If you can fit everything into a carry-on, then I highly recommend this, but if not, then I would recommend some soft-sided luggage that is easily malleable to fit the confined space.

TIP: If I had one piece of advice for you, then it would be to get organized before heading out on the road.

Spacing issues aside, Cozy Campers was awesome! I was very nervous about this experience since I’ve never been camping or even glamping before. The first two nights were pretty rough to be honest just due to getting used to the van and getting organized. If I had to give you one piece of advice, then it would be to get organized before heading out on the road. Once you get on the road, it will be non-stop sightseeing and you will not want to waste time re-organizing all of your things on a daily basis. Around night three of our trip, however, the campervan began to feel very comfortable and homey and I really enjoyed sleeping in it (and cooking in it, and dressing in it, etc. -HAHA).

Some more food for thought as far as the campervan goes, I would recommend getting the 4x4 so that you can hit up the F-roads! This is where all the remote spots are located for some great hiking, views, and possibly a secret hot spring.

 
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The packing list below are the necessities for a trip to Iceland. The weather is unpredictable in Iceland and changes daily, if not hourly, so I recommend to pack in layers to be most comfortable.


bags


clothing

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toiletries



What do you think about my packing list? Anything that I left out or you feel is an essential? Let me know in the comments below!


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


Disclaimer: This Iceland Packing List contains Affiliate Links for services and products I’m using on my travels – therefore I can highly recommend using them. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!

 
ÞÓRSMÖRK HIKING AND SUPERJEEP ADVENTURE WITH SOUTHCOAST ADVENTURE ICELAND
 

Written by: Lauren Bailey

www.thatblondetravels.com


 
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ICELAND - the land of FIRE and ICE. We spent a wonderful and adventurous 9 days in Iceland over Labor Day (You can find the blog post here.)

Our time was filled with numerous hikes, beautiful sunsets, and breathtaking views. One of our most memorable experiences was our day with Southcoast Adventures!


ÞÓRSMÖRK SUPERJEEP ADVENTURE:
Spectacular hiking options and adventurous rides over various un-bridged glacial rivers.

Porsmork superjeef adventure with Southcoast Adventures

Southcoast Adventures Gljúfrabúi base is located down the road from the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall. There is an amazing campground that is located at this base (Hamragarðar Campsite) that sits below the Gljúfrabúi waterfall. You can park your camper van here for the night while you spend a full day in þórsmörk hiking.

 
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TIP: Spending the night camping at Hamragarðar Campsite allows you to beat the crowds at Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi waterfalls

Our Þórsmörk superjeep adventure started first thing in the morning with a 45 minute drive from Gljúfrabúi base to Þórsmörk, which is the sight of many trail heads.

The drive to Þórsmörk itself is quite entertaining! You’re fording rivers and going over large rocks down one of Iceland’s F-roads all while spotting glaciers and mountains in the distance.

Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling
Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling

We did several hikes during our time in Þórsmörk valley. The main one that we did was . This is the longest of the most popular ‘short hikes’ in the area (around 10km) usually starting in the canyon valley. We started in Húsadalur and made our way to a delicious lunch at Húsdalur at Volcano Huts cabin. Our guide was Darri and he kept us entertained all day with stories of Icelandic Trolls (The Christmas story was especially entertaining.) and normal day to day life in Iceland.

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Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling

My husband’s bag was lost for the whole first five days of our trip so we had to cut our hiking day short. Just a heads up, there is no where to buy men’s underwear in Iceland - HaHa! (We finally found some at a local grocery store on night four!)

We had enough time to stop by a small canyon on the way back to Gljúfrabúi base, however. The canyon involves some jumping from rock to rock over a small creek/river. Once inside the canyon, you use this chain that has been bolted into the side of the canyon in order to pull yourself up over a small waterfall to see the much larger waterfall. It was gorgeous!

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Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling
 
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If I could do this trip all over again, I would spend a couple days in Þórsmörk taking in all the sights and doing multiple hiking trails. Everywhere you turn, the views are incredible and all so different. I would have to say this is probably the most favorite hike that I have ever done.


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


 
CANYONING IN PIHA, NEW ZEALAND
 
 
Piha Beach, New Zealand
 

Piha Beach is located about 40 km from Auckland on the west coast of New Zealand and is know as New Zealand’s most famous surf beach. This laid back surf town has more than just surfing up it’s sleeve however. During our trip to New Zealand, we took a day trip from Auckland to Piha Beach for a Canyoning excursion in Piha Canyon.

 
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The Piha Canyon is set in the hills behind the beautiful Piha beach in a steep-sided volcanic rock valley, with a series of thundering waterfalls that cascade their way down the valley towards the ocean – providing a spectacular setting for adventure.

 
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Once you get used to the freezing cold water (not to worry! - your wet suit will keep you warm), you’re in for an enjoyable day! After a short hike, the adventure begins by rappelling down a waterfall into a canyon.

At the bottom of the canyon we jumped into a pool of water and then climbed over several rocks and logs. Once on the other side, you swim through more water and then go through a rock tunnel to where you will do some cliff jumping!

 
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There are two spots that you can cliff jump from. It was seriously so fun - and I’m scared of heights!

On the way back to Piha Beach, we walked past Daniel Radcliffe. Our friends ran back and asked him if he found a go-pro haha!

 
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If you’ve never been canyoning, then I highly recommend it! If you’ve ever tried it, leave me a comment below about your favorite part!


Have you ever been to New Zealand? What was your favorite part of the trip?

You may also be interested in:

FIVE DAYS IN QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


 
10 PHOTOS TO MAKE YOU BOOK A TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND NOW
 

Written by: Lauren Bailey

www.thatblondetravels.com


 
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand
Auckland

Auckland

Franz Joseph Glacier

Franz Joseph Glacier

New Zealand
Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

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Poor Knight’s Caye Scuba Diving

Poor Knight’s Caye Scuba Diving

 

Have you ever been to New Zealand? What was your favorite part of the trip?

You may also be interested in:

FIVE DAYS IN QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


 
FIVE DAYS IN QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
 

FIVE DAYS IN QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

Written by: Lauren Bailey

www.thatblondetravels.com


Queenstown, New Zealand

In April of 2017, my friends, husband, and I spent an amazing 15 days in New Zealand. The first five of which we spent in Queenstown. If you’re thinking of planning a trip to New Zealand and have no idea of where to start, then Queenstown is probably your best bet! There are so many things to do there. From hiking, zip-lining, paragliding, skydiving, bungee jumping, the list is truly endless.

We visited during their “fall” since the seasons are opposite from the US. We were hoping to catch great weather, milder temperatures, and less crowds. Unfortunately, the weather is very unpredictable and we ended up having several adventures cancelled. If I ever go back (and I plan to), then I would shoot for their summer months, January and February, so that the weather would be more predictable.

 

FIVE DAYS IN QUEENSTOWN:
DAY 1: Arrive into Queenstown
DAY 2: Milford Sound: Fly-Walk-Cruise-Fly
DAY 3: Tandem Paragliding + Canyoning
DAY 4: Hike the Routeburn Track
DAY 5: Whitewater Rafting – Shotover River

RECOMMENDED HOTELS

Queenstown New Zealand

Welcome to New Zealand, where your adventure begins in Queenstown! After a long flight, grab your bags and head to your hotel for the next 4 nights.

After checking into the hotel, make your way to the Skyline Gondola + Luge for an adventurous downhill ride with stunning 220-degree views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range beyond.

If you’re feeling extra daring, you can also sign up for bungee jumping at AJ Hackett ledge jump or swing!

Grab some dinner at The Bunker or if you’re looking for something quicker to eat, try Smith’s Craft Beer House.

 
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This morning is an early start, but for an amazing reason! Head to Queenstown airport to catch your short flight to Milford Sound with Milford Sound Scenic Flights, where you fly over Wakatipu Basin and into Fiordland, sweeping the length of Milford Sound where you can take in unparalleled views of world famous fiord.

Once landing in Milford Sound, you will take a short boat ride over to Sandfly Point to begin your guided walk on the famous Milford Track. This is a three and a half hour walk taking you along a well formed track to the half way point, Giant Gate waterfall.

After the walk, transfer to the boat terminal where you’ll board a Mitre Peak Cruise through Milford Sound where you will see scenic highlights along the way, such as the Bowen Falls, snow-capped Mount Pembroke, and the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak itself, towering 1692 meters from the ocean floor.

The flight back is breathtaking as you first spot 548 meter Sutherland Falls. This scenic flight will allow you to take in magnificent views of the mountains, glaciers, lakes and forests of the Fiordland national Park on your way back to Queenstown.

After your busy day, grab dinner at The Cow. This is seriously the coolest restaurant. The ambiance is awesome and they have a roaring fire for cold, dreary days. This was one of my favorite restaurant experiences in Queenstown.

 
Dinner at The Cow

Dinner at The Cow

Pizza at The Cow

Pizza at The Cow

 

TIP: If you end up like us and have bad weather, take this opportunity to explore downtown Queenstown or plan a trip on the Shotover River Extreme Jet Boats.


Since you have some time this morning, I highly recommend grabbing breakfast at Bespoke Kitchen before your excursions for the day.

After breakfast, head to your thrilling Tandem Paragliding excursion.

Grab a quick burger at Fergburger for lunch or head back to your hotel and make a quick lunch if you got the suite with a kitchen.

Next up, canyoning! This was probably one of my favorite things that we did while in New Zealand. If you’ve never done it, then I highly recommend this excursion! This adventure you will go down natural water slides, zip lines, pool jumps, abseils (rappelling), swimming and scrambling. I have a major fear of heights, but I would do this again and again!

Suprisingly, New Zealand has some of the best Thai food that I have ever eaten! Check out @Thai for some delicious Thai green curry.

Bespoke Kitchen, Queenstown. Picture / Guy Coombes

Bespoke Kitchen, Queenstown. Picture / Guy Coombes


Routeburn Track, Queestown, New Zealand

The beautiful Routeburn Track is located in Mount Aspiring National Park and is our plan for today. It is a hike that begins with a gradual ascent, through 130 million year old magical world of ferns, mosses, lichens and beech forest. During this trek, you will explore forgotten paths of the Maori, finding enchantment around each corner. This walk is often described as, being “far better than the Milford Track”.

Routeburn Track
Routeburn Track, Queenstown

Just 2.5 hours down the track, the woodlands part to reveal the rich grassland of the Routeburn Flats, overlooked on all sides by cloud-scraping mountains, some so high they have permafrost. The Flats is a pristine site to stop for lunch. After a delicious Kiwi style picnic lunch, turn and enjoy the valley in reverse.

 
Routeburn Track, Queenstown
 

Being from Tennessee, I have been whitewater rafting numerous times. That being said, whitewater rafting on the Shotover River after tons of rain making normal class 4 rapids become class 5 rapids was a whole other level!

This was the coolest experience! Due to weather, it was almost cancelled. Thankfully, at the last minute, they decided to run the excursion.

Shotover River

The Shotover River runs through Skippers Canyon and was one of the richest gold bearing rivers in the world. Start the journey from Deep Creek over peaceful waters at first, head towards the exhilarating rapids of the lower canyon. The adrenaline pumps as you paddle Rock Garden, After Shock, Sharks Fin, and Pinball to name but a few of the rapids. Raft the 170m Oxenbridge Tunnel before shooting Cascade Rapid to complete your adventure.


Here are three hotels that I would recommend. We stayed in the Scenic Suites. It was really nice because it was walking distance to downtown and it had a kitchen so that we could cook breakfast in the mornings before heading out on our busy day.

PLATINUM QUEENSTOWN

LAKERIDGE QUEENSTOWN

SCENIC SUITES QUEENSTOWN


 
Queenstown
 

Have you ever been to New Zealand or Queenstown? If so, leave me a comment below and tell me your favorite experience of your trip!

If you need any help booking a trip to New Zealand, I would love to help!


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels


 
ULTIMATE ICELAND RING ROAD ADVENTURE
 
Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling
Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling

ICELAND - the land of FIRE and ICE. When I first starting looking into going to Iceland, I was entranced by it’s natural beauty and the idea of being in a remote area and having it all to myself.


ICELAND ROAD TRIP ITINERARY:
DAY 1: Arrive into Reykjavik + Golden Circle
DAY 2: Fimmvörðuháls Hiking Trail
DAY 3: Seljalandsfoss + Skogafoss Waterfalls
DAY 4: Svartifoss + Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
DAY 5: Lake Mytvan
DAY 6: Dettifoss + Husavik + Godafoss
DAY 7: Kolugljúfur Canyon + Snaefellsnes Peninsula
DAY 8: Glymur Waterfall + Reykjavik + Blue Lagoon
DAY 9: Leave Iceland for home

Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling

Arrive into Reykjavik and head to pick up your camper van at Cozy Campers. Grocery shop at the local Bónus. Once you’re loaded up and comfortable, head out to begin your roadtrip!

TIP: It is recommended to get to know your camper van and rest before heading out on the Ring Road. We had limited time to explore so we headed out immediately.

Begin your week long Iceland adventure with the Golden Circle Drive. Along the way, you will check out Flosagjá fissure, Öxarárfoss Waterfall, Geysir - Geothermal area, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Secret Lagoon (Gamla Laugin). This drive takes about 4 to 6 hours to complete.

End day one with the Reykjadalur hike - ~45 min to 1 hr hike that ends in a hot spring river!

Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling

Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling

This morning drive to Seljalandsfoss/Gljúfrabúi base for the Fimmvörðuháls Hiking Trail (25 km trail; 15.5 miles) if you’re feeling up to it with Southcoast Adventures. If hiking isn’t your thing, you can do one of their superjeep tours thru Þórsmörk.


Solheimasandur Plane Crash

Get up early this morning and beat the crowds to see Seljalandsfoss. While there, continue north to the waterfall Gljúfrabúi, which is found partially hidden behind a rock face. The rest of the morning is spent sightseeing - Seljavallalaugh Swimming Pool, Skogafoss, Solheimasandur Plane Crash, Loftsalahellir Cave, Dyrhólaey, and Reynisdrangar.


 
Iceland-land of fire and ice-ring road adventure-ring road-self drive-hiking-active travel-travel-adventure travel-traveling-luxury travel-travel agent-traveling
 

After all the beautiful sights, head into Vik to have a yummy lunch at Halldorskaffi.

Continue on from Vik, stopping at Laufskálavarða, Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (3 km round trip hike), and Systrafoss.

End the day at Skaftafell campground, which is the perfect location to begin tomorrow’s adventure!


Today starts bright and early in Skaftafell National Park with a 3.4 km hike to Svartifoss (Black Falls) and Sjónarsker viewpoint.

TIP: If you have time to burn, then spend an entire day in Skaftafell National Park. There are tons of hikes in this area!

Svartifoss

Svartifoss

After your hike, head to the town of Hof to get some groceries and then continue to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach

Next is the town of Höfn for lunch at Pakkhús Restaurant and stop at Hoffell hot tubs if you have time.

After lunch, take Scenic Fjord Route 92 towards Egilsstaðir. Along the way, you will see, Djúpivogur (Lighthouse), Breiðdalsvík, and Litlanesfoss/Hengifoss (40 min detour for a 2.5 km hike).


Starting off over half way around the Iceland Ring Road today! Head over to the Lake Mytvan area for today’s sights!

Dimmuborgir Lava formations

LAKE MYTVAN SIGHTS:
Leirhnjukur Lava Fields and Geothermal Area
Krafla/Viti Crater
Myvatn Nature Baths
Grjotagja Lava Cave and Geothermal Spring
Dommuborgir hike to Hverfjall Cinder Cone and Crater
Dimmuborgir Lava formations and “The Church”
Skutustadir Pseudocraters

Dettifoss

This morning head to Dettifoss, which is said to be the most powerfull waterfall in Iceland.

Stretch your legs on a 5.5 mile hike to see Hafragilsfoss and Ásbyrgi Canyon both located in Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon or Vatnajökull National Park.

Stop in Husavik for lunch and a whale tour if you have time.

After lunch, head to Godafoss via scenic route I-85 (~40 min off the ring road).


 
Godafoss
 

Once you leave Godafoss, you will head to the town of Akureyri where you can spend some time exploring Akureyrarkirkja church.

Last stop of the day is Sundlaugin á Hofsósi (Hot pool by the ocean) for some relaxation.


Begin the morning with a short drive to Grettislaug Pool, then spend some time relaxing and enjoying your last day on the ring road!

Once you’re good and relaxed, head over to Kolugljúfur Canyon for some breathtaking views.

Snaefellsnes Peninsula is your next stop and where you will camp out tonight.

 
Arnarstapi

SNAEFELLSNES PENINSULA SIGHTS:
Gerðuberg Cliffs
Búðakirkja
Budhahraun
Arnarstapi
Snæfellsjökull
Londrangar
Djúpalónssandur beach
Saxhóll Crater
Kirkjufellsfoss
Kirkjufell
Berserkjahraun


Today is your last day in Iceland and we are going to make the most of it! Leaving the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, head towards Glymur Waterfall (~2 hour drive) for a short waterfall hike.

 
Glymur Waterfall
 

Grab lunch and head out to Reykjavik. If you have time, why not do a free walking tour of the city. If not make sure to check out these well-known sights: Sun Voyager Sculpture, Harpa Cultural Center, and Hallgrimskirkja Church.

 

TIP: Don't miss the hot dogs at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur! They are world famous!

Reykjavik

Finally, drop off your trusty van and head out to the Blue Lagoon. Why not treat yourself after spending an entire week in a campervan? Tonight, we are having dinner at the Moss Restaurant, which was recently recommended by the 2019 Michelin Guide, followed by a stay at the Silica Hotel.

Your stay includes entrance into the Blue Lagoon as well as a mud mask. Treat yo-self!

 
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
 

Say your final goodbyes to Iceland and head to the airport for home today.


This is the itinerary that I have planned for my husband and I’s trip to Iceland at the end of August. If you have any suggestions as to anything that we MUST see or do, please leave them in the comments below! I know that this is an over-zealous itinerary so I will let you know how it goes!


ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

Follow me: @thatblondetravels