Welcome to Part 3 of our Iceland Road Trip. Following on from Part 2, after spending day three marvelling at the beautiful waterfalls and coastal scenes that make Iceland famous, we arrived in Vik for our 2-night stay at Hvammbol Guesthouse. In Part 3 we cover our final full day exploring Vik and further along Iceland’s south coast, we then head back to Reykjavik for a mixture of relaxation, food and history.  

Day 4: All About Ice!

Day 4 was another massive day with the central theme being all about ice!  

Myrdalsjokull Glacier  

Booked through Get Your Guide, the Katla Ice Cave and Super Jeep Tour was a 3-hour trip which I had arranged a few months prior. From Vik we jumped into the super Jeep truck and drove across rugged rural roads to the Myrdalsjokull Glacier. The tour description boasted ‘incredible landscapes and jaw-dropping sights, however it being Iceland we unfortunately had another morning of thick fog so our view was this: 

Having stood and admired the fog for a few minutes while our guide let down the tires, we climbed back in the Jeep and proceeded up to the Myrdalsjokull Glacier. The tour company gave us helmets and crampons (overshoes for walking on the ice), and we hiked up onto the glacier.  

Our tour guide was lovely and gave us fascinating information about the area.

Fun fact: the Myrdalsjokull Glacier ice cap sits on the active (and some would say notoriously angry) Katla Volcano; a crater 14 kilometres in diameter which is completely filled with ice. Its last eruption was in 1918, and if you read Part 2 of the Iceland Road Trip you’ll know that Katla is described as a “menace” and “is overdue for its next major eruption”. The glacier is Iceland’s fourth largest ice cap, however its retreating at an alarming rate; shrinking by 380 metres in almost a decade.  

Now also in Part 2 I mentioned that some of the above facts about Katla, which we’d learnt about during our stop at the Lava Centre, had left an impact on me. When standing on top of the glacier I may have had a small (it wasn’t small!) panic attack which left me unable to move. I’m not afraid of heights but knowing there were earthquakes from Katla the day prior, seeing all the glacial meltwater with my own eyes, and with the dark mist that had decended over the glacier I genuinley felt as though I was going to fall into the abyss below.  

Surprise! I didn’t fall into the volcano, however due to the fact that my legs were now made entirely of jelly I couldn’t move from where I was standing and as a result, Ross and I stood at the top and waited for the rest of the group to come back. It did make me feel a tiny bit better when a few other people also had the same reaction and had to head back down. The hike back was steep, but the ever patient Ross and our lovely tour guide helped me walk (painfully) slow back down the glacier onto solid ground. Sorry to the people walking behind us!  

Having been on a glacier hiking adventure before in Alaska (which I loved) I am still super disappointed in myself for having that reaction. But hey, it is what it is and we still got to see the Myrdalsjokull Glacier up close.  

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach 

After arriving back in Vik, we grabbed some snacks to pump up the energy and set off to have one of the greatest afternoons of my life (talk about an emotional rollercoaster). The drive from Vik to the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach is around 2.5 hours, and thankfully the fog decided to lift for the afternoon so we were able to see the spectacular mountain ranges and cliffs that lined the coast.  

We drove through the Eldhraun Lava Fields which looks like a movie set straight out of Lord of the Rings. The peculiar and lumpy field stretches for as far as the eye can see and is filled with moss covered boulders.

Fun Fact: the lava field was created during the Laki crater eruption in 1783. It covers 565 square kilometres and contains more than 200 caves (that we know of). Prior to the trip I had been reading into Icelandic legends and mythological creatures. In particular I loved learning about the belief system surrounding the Elves, so while driving through Eldhraun my mind was dreaming and wondering how many Elves may live in the weird and wonderful system of caves.  

The road to the lagoon also snakes around the southern edge of the Iceland’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull. Covering an area of 8,100 square kilometres (8% of Iceland’s surface) it is also the second largest glacier in Europe. There are many points to stop and view the glacier, and if you look closely you can see it peaking through the different mountain peaks along the drive.  

Jokularslon Glacier Lagoon was created and is constantly filled by meltwater from Vatnajokull. It’s filled with icebergs that have broken away and they drift from the lagoon out to the Atlanic Ocean through Iceland’s smallest river, Jokulsa.  

The lagoon was spectacular for a number of reasons; the icebergs are impressive not only because of their size, but also because of their striking colours. They are white and feature vibrant electric blues and dramatic streaks of black volcanic ash from eruptions that occurred centuries ago. There are also seals swimming in and around the icebergs, and plenty of different birds to watch fishing in the lagoon!  

Diamond Beach is another black sand beach where icebergs from Jokularslon drift into the ocean, and then because of the tides they wash ashore. The contrast of the ice with the black sand gives the appearance of diamonds (hence the name) scattered across the sand.  

Wandering between the massive chucks of ice feels like walking through an art gallery of natural sculptures continuously being carved by the waves. Similar to Thingvellir National Park, I found Diamond Beach to be another spiritual, emotional and powerful place. Picking up the smaller pieces of ice you are holding a piece of history in your hand. Knowing the ice was formed thousands of years ago makes you feel connected to that moment in time.  

It was raining the entire time we were on the beach, but that didn’t stop us from walking between all the blocks and watching new pieces of history wash ashore and concluding the most beautiful, fun and special afternoon anyone could hope for.  

Day 5: Sky Lagoon

On our drive back to Reykjavik, 2.5 hours from Vik, we stopped in at the oceanside Sky Lagoon. After weeks of travelling and days packed with exploring out in the wet and cold weather, we were excited to soak in the warm waters powered by Iceland’s geothermal energy. We had booked the traditional Skjol Ritual, a 7 step Icelandic bathing journey that includes a soak in the lagoon, cold plunge, sauna, cold mist, body scrub, and steam before going back into the lagoon.  

We both loved all the steps of the ritual, however some of the elements were slightly spoiled by other visitors who instead of being quiet and considerate, decided to be very loud and obnoxious. This disturbed us, and others, who were embracing the traditional elements of the journey and wanting to feel its full effects. I have since read that Sky Lagoon has enforced a no phones policy in the saunas and steam rooms which, I can assure you, is an excellent idea. After the ritual and a delicous food platter that was included in the package, we left the lagoon feeling calm and relaxed, so I still highly recommend the experience.  

Day 6 & 7: Exploring Reykjavik

Once we arrived back into the city we checked into our accommodation, Reykjavik Marina Berjaya Iceland Hotel, for our final 2 nights. We spent our last days exploring Reykjavik’s museums and in search of some traditional Icelandic food.  

We visited visited the National Museum of Iceland, which gives a fantastic look into the different periods of Iceland’s history, from Viking settlements to more recent events. We also hit up the Iceland Phallological Museum which was a mixture of freaky and fascinating; kind of like when you witness a horrible accident but can’t look away.  

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the museum, so was surprised to see that the majority of the exhibits (mainly the animal ones) were presented in more of a scientific manner with many facts centred around the mating habits of different species.  My favourite part of the museum was the section on Iceland’s mythological creatures. I was delighted to learn about troll and mermaid penises…  

Both Ross and I were very keen to end our trip with a feast of traditional Icelandic foods. After a pit stop at Tipsy Bar & Lounge, we headed to Saeta Svinid Gastropub for dinner.  

We ordered and thoroughly enjoyed the Icelandic Platter, which featured Minke Whale, flatkaka with cured Arctic Char, and Horse tartare. Eating Whale wasn’t my favourite, however the Arctic Char and Horse tartare was chef’s kiss.  

Reflecting on the trip and looking back at all the amazing things we experienced, Iceland has now become one of my favourite countries. Even though we were there for just one week, everything we saw was so unique and special it won’t be easily forgotten. I truly feel you could spend a lifetime in Iceland and not see everything. We will hopefully go back sometime in the future with more time (and budget) to go beyond the more tourist-friendly locations.  

Thankyou for taking the time to read all about our epic Iceland Road Trip. In case you missed them, head over to Part 1 & Part 2 to read about our full itinerary.

 Author: Kelly