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!

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!

You might also like:

ULTIMATE ICELAND RING ROAD ADVENTURE

ÞÓRSMÖRK HIKING AND SUPERJEEP ADVENTURE WITH SOUTHCOAST ADVENTURE ICELAND

ESSENTIAL ICELAND: CAMPERVAN PACKING GUIDE

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!

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Follow me: @thatblondetravels

TRAVEL, ICELAND, ITINERARY, CITY LIFELauren BaileySeptember 30, 2019ICELAND, MICHELIN STAR, RING ROAD, LAND OF FIRE AND ICE, itinerary, ITINERARY, HIKING, CITY, TRAVEL AGENCY, travel, TRAVEL AGENT, TRAVEL, THAT BLONDE TRAVELS, REYKJAVIK, TRAVELING, TRAVEL ADVISOR, ACTIVE TRAVEL, HOW TO TRAVEL, CUSTOM TRAVEL, ADVENTURE TRAVEL, WOMEN TRAVEL, LUXURY TRAVEL, COUPLES TRAVEL, TRAVEL SIZE, TOP ATTRACTIONS IN ICELAND, 9 DAY RING ROAD ITINERARY, 9 DAY RING ROAD ADVENTURE, HOW TO PLAN, VIK, SELF DRIVE, EUROPE, best cities to visit in europe, HOT SPRINGS, 5-STAR HOTEL, TREAT YOURSELF, CUSTOM ITINERARY, bespoke itinerary, ULTIMATE ICELAND ITINERARY, BLUE LAGOON, NATURE, WATERFALL, BEAUTY, GLACIER, HIKE, SUPERJEEP, SOUTHCOAST ADVENTURES, COZY CAMPERS, COUPLES, VACATION, ADVENTURE, ACTIVE VACATION, RELAXING VACATION, ICELAND VACATIONComment

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.

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.

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

Duffel Bag or Travel Backpack
- This carry-on bag from Lo & Sons is very nice and can fit so much!
Day Pack
Packing cubes
Reusable bags - For grocery shopping (you have to pay for all plastic bags in Iceland) or carrying your wet clothes after exploring a hot spring.
Reusable plastic Zip-lock bags

clothing

Thermals (Base layer) - I like Thermotech or Hot Chilly’s
Waterproof Jacket and Pants (I like this Northface Gor-Tex but Frogtoggs are the cheapest, most economical option.)
Mid-layers
- Fleece Pullover
- Hot Chilly’s Half-Zip Pullover
Outer-layers
- Warm Vest
- Jacket
- Hat (Preferably fleece-lined) and gloves
Hiking Pants (I like these Columbia ones or these Eddie Bauer ones)
Hiking Socks (My absolute favorite! They are double-layered to prevent blisters.)
Hiking shoes (Great resource for hiking boot reviews here)
- Timberland Women’s Mt Maddsen Mid Leather Waterproof Hiking Boot
- Merrell Moab 2 WP Low Hiking Shoes - These are my personal favorites, although, they are very heavy.
2 x swimsuits - There are a TON of hot springs so I would bring 2, so while one is drying you have a dry one available.
1 x Jeans (These Agolde ones are my favorite!)
Sunglasses

toiletries

Hanging Toiletry Bag
Micro-fiber towels
Refillable Water Bottle - This one is nice because it has a clip to clip to your bag and also it compresses so packs down easily.
Flip-flops for the shower (Old Navy has some great ones for super cheap!)
European Blow Dryer
Biodegradable wet wipes
Coola Sunscreen - My fav!

other ESSENTIALS:

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:

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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!

ICELAND, ITINERARY, PACKING GUIDESLauren BaileySeptember 23, 2019ICELAND RING ROAD ADVENTURE, ICELAND ITINERARY, ICELAND, ICELAND VACATION, ULTIMATE ICELAND ITINERARY, LAND OF FIRE AND ICE, TOP ATTRACTIONS IN ICELAND, COZY CAMPERS, COZY 5, RING ROAD, HOT SPRINGS, 9 DAY RING ROAD ITINERARY, 9 DAY RING ROAD ADVENTURE, TREAT YOURSELF, travel, TRAVEL AGENT, TRAVEL, TRAVELING, TRAVEL SIZE, TRAVEL ADVISOR, TRAVEL AGENCY, THAT BLONDE TRAVELS, ACTIVE TRAVEL, CUSTOM TRAVEL, HOW TO TRAVEL, ADVENTURE TRAVEL, WOMEN TRAVEL, LUXURY TRAVEL, DALLAS TRAVEL BLOG, COUPLES TRAVEL, ICELAND PACKING GUIDE, ICELAND CAMPERVAN, CAMPERVAN, CAMPERVAN PACKING GUIDE, PACKING GUIDE, MUST SEE IN ICELAND, CAMPING IN ICELAND, CAMP, CAMPING, bespoke itinerary, BESPOKE TRAVELING, BESPOKE TRAVEL PLANNING, BLUE LAGOON, BLOG, BLOGGER, COUPLES, MARRIED LIFE, SUNSETS, SUNSET, SUN, HIKING, HIKE, HIKING ADVENTURE, RELAX, REYKJAVIK, RELAXATION, RELAXING VACATION, NATURE, ADVENTURE, CAMPGROUNDS, itinerary, ITINERARY, VIK, CITY, WINE, EUROPE, best cities to visit in europe, THORSMORK, TEXAS, texas, AD, AMAZON, SHOPPING, ULTIMATE RING ROAD, ULTIMATE RING ROAD ADVENTURE, ESSENTIAL ICELAND, ESSENTIALS, ESSENTIAL, PACKING, CAMPER VAN, LOST IN ICELAND, TRAVEL IS MY PASSION, TRAVEL IS MY JOB Comment

ÞÓRSMÖRK HIKING AND SUPERJEEP ADVENTURE WITH SOUTHCOAST ADVENTURE ICELAND

Written by: Lauren Bailey

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www.thatblondetravels.com

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.

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.

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.

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!

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:

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Follow me: @thatblondetravels

CANYONING IN PIHA, 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.

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.

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!