11 Essential Travel Tips for Visiting ICELAND in 2025: Lagoons, Costs, Transport, Summer vs Winter

There are two very different ways that most people choose to visit Iceland, either by road tripping around the country, or having Reykjavik as their base and then doing day trips from there, either with or without a vehicle. As people who've experienced both of these holiday types, once with a winter in Reykjavik and once camping around the country in summer, will now be covering all of these topics, which I've placed into YouTube chapters. I've also put the most useful information into a free pdf guide which you can download and use for your own reference. So let's start with a big one. Enjoying Iceland's steamy hot lagoons is something I'd really suggest, and countrywide you have dozens of options, but these three are the most popular close to Reykjavik. So let's compare which lagoon is right for you and how to get the most from any visit. The Blue Lagoon is arguably the prettiest with its iconic colourful waters. The Sky Lagoon is unique for its seven stage rejuvenation process, complete with steam rooms and cold plunges, and the Secret Lagoon has a more rustic, rural feel to it, and costs a lot less. To delve a little deeper, on first impressions, the Blue Lagoon can feel quite busy and touristy, but the lagoon is massive, so after two visits now, we've found it relatively easy to still find your own space and relax. Package-wise, the standard Blue Lagoon comfort option will be ample for most people, including one face mud mask and a drink from the Inn Lagoon bar. The extra 20 US dollars for premium gets an additional drink and face masks, along with a bathrobe. This will mainly come in useful if you're planning on relaxing in between dips, visiting the cafe and restaurant for example, otherwise the comfort package would be sufficient. One final fun note about the Blue Lagoon is that it's only 20 minutes from the main international airport, so especially for people who've rented a car, they often use it as a unique way to either begin or end their holiday, making for a fun way to kickstart things after landing. Next up is the Sky Lagoon. As the newest kid on the block, it gives a unique infinity view over the sea out in front. What makes them stand out though is their 7 stage rejuvenation ritual. This includes a combination of hot and cold experiences such as a cold plunge pool, steam room, cold mist and body scrub. Overall the vibe is a bit more fancy in comparison, and much closer to Reykjavik. Only 20 minutes as opposed to 50 for the Blue Lagoon. Again, the standard package should be fine for most. All you're getting for the extra 20 dollars here is private changing facilities. The base package does still have private shower cubicles, but it's changing rooms are a shared locker space, so it's whether that's an issue for you. Otherwise the lagoon and ritual experience are both exactly the same. The last of the big three then is the Secret Lagoon, which, built in 1891, is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. Because of this, it has a more rural and rustic feel to it, but still with gloriously hot waters, and at a third of the price. It is 90 minutes away from Reykjavik though, and unlike the previous two, it doesn't have an official bus add-on service, so is a little harder to reach without a car. However, just like the Blue Lagoon, many Golden Circle tours that I'll talk about next include a stop here, so that's probably your best bet without a vehicle. Finally, if you are self-driving further afield, definitely do a search for Iceland Hot Springs online. There are around 45 smaller options dotted all over the country, some for a small fee, and some totally free to enter, such as this one that we stumbled across. We also visited the Míðvath Lagoon on the north side of the island, and absolutely loved it. It was very similar to the Blue Lagoon in style, but at half the price, so is well worth a look if you're in the area. As for getting out and exploring the countryside, the most popular route in Iceland is the famous Golden Circle. 45 minutes from Reykjavik, this loop is packed with some heavy hitters. Although there are some variations, day trips will almost always include this crater, the super impressive Gukfoss waterfall, and this infamous geyser. On top of these likely inclusions, Golden Circle trips can also include either the Blue Lagoon or Secret Lagoon as we mentioned, or maybe even Frith Heimar, a really cool tomato greenhouse that I want to put on your radar. I'll cover this restaurant in more detail later in the food portion of the video. Lastly, outside of the Golden Circle, I'd also consider trips for whale watching, puffin watching, riding those famous Icelandic horses, and trips that run to the south coast. This area is just as rewarding as the Golden Circle, but it isn't as well travelled in comparison since it's just a little further out, but it is still definitely worth seeing if you have the time. Plus, if you're visiting from September to April, you do have the potential of seeing the Northern Lights. Whilst this is something that's always escaped us, tours typically offer a second free outing if you're unlucky on your first night. But for Reykjavik itself, this charming small city can easily be explored on foot. Window shopping and cafe hopping makes up one full day that would be sufficient for most. I'd say that the only must visit site here is its iconic church, which is free to enter, but the tower views are worth the $8 entry fee. If you have more time in Reykjavik and want to stretch your legs, somewhere that isn't obvious is this lesser known walk just east of the domestic airport. It's an easy stroll with some nice spots along the way, and you'll also be near Iceland's Museum of Natural History. Here you'll learn about the fire, ice and life that makes up the country, as well as visiting this impressive rooftop cafe. From here, keep walking south and you'll next find this unique geothermal beach. There's a semi-heated water source and another small hot spring both for you to enjoy. With all of this and everything we've discussed so far, I'd allow anywhere from 3 to 6 nights for a Reykjavik based holiday. So let's next talk about public transport, when to visit Iceland and locations for booking your hotel, along with what to know when driving. But before we get to all of that, we've used an eSIM for every single country we've visited in the last three years, so I wanted to share an offer we've got for anyone wanting internet access overseas with the sponsor of this video, SimLocal. For those unaware, an eSIM allows you to keep using your existing sim, so all of your usual phone calls and messages still work like normal, but you have a second electronic sim that handles your international data, and at a much lower cost. With SimLocal you can set up everything before you fly, so as soon as you land you'll have internet access. We found this really useful for messaging friends or taxi drivers waiting for us, or even to check on connecting flight details. SimLocal operates in hundreds of individual countries, as well as for regional packages that allow country hopping around Europe. Their plans cover a wide range of allowances for different budgets, with a top trust pilot review score. And since you prepay you can use your phone for map directions, translation apps, restaurant reviews, all with no danger of spending more than you planned. So use the link below or QR code before your next trip and get a 10% discount whenever you add the code suitcasemonkey. Now let's discuss transport and getting to Reykjavik without a car. A taxi from the airport, roughly a 50 minute journey, starts from 100 US dollars each way. Since there's no public trains in Iceland, the bus is your best alternative, but it is a really good alternative, costing 25 dollars per person. The buses run every 30 to 60 minutes and will start stop at the BSI bus terminal, close to the city centre. There's an indoor waiting room which is very much welcome for a sometimes cold and wet country, and overall it is a great service, and what I'd suggest for most people. For accommodation we booked this small but cosy room for 200 dollars a night, which is in the mid range for a well located hotel. Looking at a map, anywhere within this area would be considered central or walkable, but just double check for reviews on noise if that's a concern. Our hotel's location was minutes from all of the shops and restaurants, but still quiet in the evening and about a 15 minute walk from the BSI bus terminal I just mentioned. This made the airport transfers all the more convenient, along with the day trips that we'd later take. They also have a 24 hour reception with included tea, coffee and hot chocolate throughout the day, which was really welcome as we came and went. I'll also add a couple of alternative hotels for different budget on that written pdf I mentioned. What time of year you visit Iceland will massively impact the experience you get. Iceland is largely a year round destination, so it really depends on what's important for you, but here are my thoughts after visiting both in summer and winter. Weather wise in the summer, the temperatures will go from mild, cold and relatively manageable, to cold and manageable with the right clothing in the winter. Iceland can be a windy and wet country with changeable weather year round, so it's always wise to pack with purpose. So the biggest difference throughout the year is the amount of light and dark. In late June you can experience a midnight sun with 24 hours of daylight. This means that between May and August you'll have much brighter evenings than you're used to. The opposite is then true with December and January, only having about 4 or 5 hours of direct sunlight each day. For comparison, the benefits of the summer are that it's a little warmer, all the natural sights will be much more accessible both from a walking and road safety point of view, whale and puffing watching is in full swing, and I think most importantly, you'll just have longer daylight hours to actually explore. If you're concerned about sleeping during daylight, most hotels will have good enough blackout curtains, and even our outside tent was fine in mid-August, but I'd heavily suggest bringing a good eye mask if you're coming in June or July and think this could be an issue for you. For the winter, the main benefit is that you get the possibility of the northern lights, along with the magical vibe that comes with the snow and a low hanging sun. Our winter experience at the Blue Lagoon for example was much better because you're often bathed in this golden glow. For anyone thinking of driving in winter, I guess it ultimately depends on your experience, but personally speaking I wouldn't, and not just because of the snow and ice and large number of road closures, but just that you have less time to see what you're actually driving through, which is kinda half the fun with any road trip. As for specific information on driving, its roads are super easy to navigate, incredibly picturesque, and you'll be getting away from the biggest collection of crowds. If you're just sticking to the main roads, any standard car would be absolutely fine, but some landmarks are at the end of a long off-road drive. This was when our Jeep became indispensable, and now I can't really imagine this road trip any other way. Parking was always incredibly easy as well. Coming from our Banff Canada road trip, where parking was often full and a little bit of a headache, we had none of that here. Parking was always signposted as we arrived to our destination, and there was always plenty of space. 70% of the time the car parks were free to use, with the rest of them being only around about $8, which we found to be totally reasonable for the upkeep of these locations, especially when the sites themselves are always free to just walk into, there aren't any national park fees for example. My main advice for petrol though, is if you're hovering around half a tank, just make sure you fill up at the next station, as sometimes it will be hours until you see the next one. Overall then, it took us 7 days to drive around the ring road of Iceland, but taking it at a slower pace, 2 weeks would also work out great. You could also just do a smaller return trip from Reykjavik, to the stretch of landmarks along the south coast. This could still include black beaches, icebergs, and two of the most popular waterfalls of the country, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss, and only take 2-4 days when taken at a steady pace. So altogether we drove 2,400km, and the total cost of diesel was $330, so use that as an assumed added cost for the circuit. Speaking of which, the most cost efficient way of driving around the country, is without question staying at campsites, usually costing $15-20 per person per night, either through traditional camping, or as we did with this rooftop tent. As non-campers ourselves, this setup was a lot warmer, drier, and safer than being on the cold grass, and it was super quick to both set up, and then pack away. The package that we took, was through a company called Nordic Nomads, and as of right now starts at €690 per person, and includes the jeep itself, with campsite accommodation over 7 nights, a rooftop tent with double mattress and pillows, plus a bunch of camping gear you'll need along the way. You can then also add a week's worth of camping food, over the 7 days for €105, and ultimately this worked out as a really good money saver, as dining out here really adds up, which we'll be covering next. The restaurants and cafes we visited in Reykjavik, were an unexpected highlight on this trip. Almost all were very good to excellent, so I wanted to share some of our favourites to save on your map. For dinner, our best meal was probably Rok. Best described as Icelandic tapas style, its servings were across smaller shared plates, and every dish was top notch. Next was this four course tasting menu, at a restaurant that fuses locally sourced seafood and meat, with southern Europe and central American cuisine. For lunch, we really enjoyed Sandholt, a bakery that either works for a takeaway pastry, or a good classic brunch if you want to stay a little longer. Also for something a little different, originally opening in the 60s as a bookshop, this place is now a coffee drinks bar with live music, and had a welcoming vibe. And finally, if you're looking for a restaurant, that specialises in pasta, steak and wine, fish and chips, Asian grill, Indian food, cocktails, sushi, aperitifs, pizza, tacos, wings, and burgers, then boy have I got the perfect place for you. It's this one. Moving outside of Reykjavik then, we had a great time at Frith Heimar, a popular tomato greenhouse restaurant. Situated within the Golden Circle, its unique setting is half of the experience, but its famous tomato soup lives up to the hype. Unfortunately, if you want access to the full indoor a la carte menu experience, you'll need to be booking about one month in advance. Reading reviews on Google Maps, walk-in wait times can be an hour plus, but there is a better way for last minute arrivals. The main kitchen opens from 11.30 in the morning, but they only reserve the greenhouse seats inside. So as long as the weather's looking good, the outside seats probably will still be available for walk-ups at opening. Otherwise, they do also have a bar area that opens from 9am and just serves the soup. Since this is their signature dish, this was perfect for us, and all with zero wait time. You might have noticed in that last section that price-wise, dining can really add up here, with Iceland being one of the most expensive countries in Europe. Generally speaking, if you were just to walk into your average restaurant, prices would almost always be higher than in London, for example. The good news is that tipping here for a meal isn't a thing, so do keep that in mind. American people, I'm talking to you. Oh, and just to say, during our entire 10 days in Iceland, we 100% used card and mobile payment for everything. Even at a cafe or a parking machine in the middle of nowhere, it's the most cashless country I've ever visited, and you literally do not need to bring any. For the full list of restaurants, hotels, and attractions covered in this video, everything will be linked on that free downloadable PDF, along with a few extras. Do check out our 7 Days in Iceland travel vlog for exactly what we got up to during that road trip. Leave a thumbs up if you've gotten this far, and as ever, thanks for watching, Suitcase Monkey.