48 Hours in Reykjavik

Bill climbing the Sólheimajökull glacier

This quick trip to Iceland with Bill and my best friend Katie came together in less than three weeks. We were originally supposed to do a throuple trip to Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Czech Republic — my first intentional/strategic 50 Before 50 trip — but a number of factors derailed that trip.

After pitching a few different trips to Katie (a Bravo-themed trip to LA, a long weekend in Vegas, and a random trip to Salt Lake City), I had my marching orders: book a trip to Iceland and maximize the hell out of our time on the ground.

A long weekend is not nearly enough time to visit one of the most topographically diverse countries in the world, but you can see volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches, the Northern Lights (or the Midnight Sun) and a hot spring all in 48 hours with the right kind of action-packed schedule.


Is Iceland as Expensive as Everyone Says?

Yes and no. Restaurants are expensive and alcohol is ungodly expensive, but we found that the hotel, rental car and activities were moderately priced. And if you fly PLAY, you can snag flights for under $300 roundtrip from the East Coast. Roughly speaking, here’s what we spent for a long weekend in Iceland:

  • Hotel $150/night
  • Car rental $400 for 3 days
  • Flights $500/person
  • Food/Drink $500
  • Activities $300/person

When to Visit Iceland

  • April: The end of winter/beginning of spring is that sweet spot where it’s a little bit warmer (highs in the 30s) and you can still catch the Northern Lights on a clear day. Most of the inland roads are still closed due to snow & wind, but all of the exterior ‘ring’ roads are clear.
  • July: The middle of summer when temperatures are ‘warm’ for Iceland (highs in the 50s), all the roads are drivable and the midnight sun means 20+ hours of sunlight every day.

Where to Stay

Hotel Parliament: I can’t say enough good things about this hotel. It’s a 5-10 minute walk to anywhere in Reykjavik, the breakfast is amazing, and the rooms are huge. There’s also a nice bar and a spa.


Day 1: Rekjanes Peninsula, Sky Lagoon and Reykjavik

If you’re coming from the East Coast on a red-eye, you’ll arrive around 5am into Keflavik Airport, which is about 45 mins west of Reykjavik. There are a couple coffee shops open inside the terminal so you can grab a quick breakfast before heading to pick up your rental car. We booked through Blue this most recent visit in April ’24. The pickup process was automated with a PIN code to pick up keys from a dropbox and we were on the road in less than five minutes.

Despite an active volcano eruption near the Blue Lagoon during our visit, we were able to explore most of the Rekjanes Peninsula in the early morning. A totally trippy experience, it felt like we were driving on the moon one minute and Mars the next. For a few hours, we drove around and saw where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, a natural hot spring, and some stunning cliffs on the ocean.

Katie at the Bridge Between Continents, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet
The cold & windy walk to the Bridge Between Continents
The cliffs at Reykjanesta
Reykjanesta

The best way to manage jetlag is to visit the Sky Lagoon, which is on the way from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik. With an infinity edge hot spring overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, a swim up bar and a “ritual” process involving a hot sauna, cold plunge and salt scrub circuit, a two-hour visit to Sky Lagoon is a must. There’s also an onsite restaurant. Reservations are required and it’s best to book at least a week in advance because spots do fill up quickly and they don’t allow walk-ins.

The infinity edge pool at Sky Lagoon in Iceland

After a quick shower at Sky Lagoon, it’s onto Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Our first stop was something to eat at Grái Kötturinn, where we had the Icelandic equivalent of lumberjack breakfasts with pancakes, eggs, homemade bread, bacon and more.

We got lucky and were allowed to check in early at Hotel Parliament, so we took a quick nap and then were back out on the streets of Reykjavik to explore.

Bill posing on the Rainbow Road that leads up to Hallgrimskirkja, the striking cathedral in downtown Reykjavik
Walking around the harbor. The restaurant in the background serves a famous lobster bisque that I had for the first time in 2013 and again in 2024. Nothing has changed inside that place. You can still order a cube of fermented shark and a shot of Brennivin as a chaser.

We then swung by the bus station to pick up our rental gear for tomorrow’s adventure. We rented winter jackets, snow pants, gloves and hiking boots from Iceland Camping Equipment Rental.

For dinner, we got a same-day reservation at Fiskmarkaðurinn / Fish Market, which came as a recommendation from Top Jaw’s 48 Hours in Iceland YouTube. A little pricey since we went with the premium tasting menu (approx. $128 USD per person), this meal was nevertheless a major highlight during our weekend in Iceland. Our favorite dishes were Wagyu Beef Tataki with Black Pepper Soy, Truffles and Spring Onion, the Black Miso Cod and the over-the-top dessert plate which was at least seven different types of dessert, including the first fresh passion fruit I’d ever seen in my life. Kind of wild to think that it happened in Iceland of all places.

The dining room at Fiskmarkaðurinn / Fish Market in Reykjavik

 


Day 2: Road Trip to Vik and a Glacier Hike

If you come for a weekend, you’ll arrive on a Friday morning and depart Sunday afternoon so Saturday is your only full day in Iceland. So you’ve got to make the most of it.

We were up early around 6am and hit up the awesome breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Not as bad as you’d think… when in Rome!

It’s a little over two hours to drive from Reykjavik to Vik, a small town on the southern coast of Iceland, but you’ll want to make a lot of pitstops so leave early and give yourself plenty of time to make it to Vik by lunch.

Reykjavik to Vik road trip highlights:

  1. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
  2. Skogafoss Waterfall
  3. Black Sand Beach
Seljalandsfoss, which is a pair of smaller waterfalls before getting to Skogafoss, the more famous one.
Skogafoss
Skogafoss
Katie at the Black Sand Beach
Black Sand Beach

We arrived in Vik just in time for lunch at Black Crust Pizzeria, where we shared a couple charcoal-infused sourdough pizzas and some beers.

Pizzas from Black Crust Pizzeria in Vik, Iceland

Next, it was time to meet up with our guides from Arctic Adventures and hike into the Sólheimajökull glacier. We chose the three-hour hike, but there are countless options to choose from, including ones that’ll pick you up in Reykjavik if you don’t want to rent a car.

Sólheimajökull glacier in the distance as we drive back west from Vik
The beginning of the Sólheimajökull glacier sits a few hundred yards from the parking lot. When the parking lot was first developed 40 years ago, it was next to the glacier. It’s receded that far in the last four decades. In 100 years, it will be entirely gone.
Bill at the bottom of a glacier crevice. The glacier ice is striated with black lava from the volcano underneath.
Geared up with an ice pick, crampons, a helmet and a harness to climb Sólheimajökull.
The ice + ash layers of Sólheimajökull glacier
Ice formations are super blue
Repelling down into a crater
Standing on top of the glacier looking back at the parking lot

Back to the hotel to shower, hit up the spa quickly and head to a late-night dinner. We finished dinner around midnight and planned to hit up a club until 3am and then try to see the aurora in the middle of the night. We skipped out on the club and started to drive south away from Reykjavik, using the MyAurora app to guide us. It didn’t take long — we drove about 30 minutes outside the city — and we saw our first of the Northern Lights!

We chased the Northern Lights south of Reykjavik on our final night in Iceland
Northern Lights, Iceland
Northern Lights, Iceland

We wrapped up and headed back to the hotel, having packed a ton into a couple days in Iceland. Can’t wait to come back!


Iceland Tips & Tricks

  • For your best chances at seeing the Northern Lights, download the MyAurora app and get familiar with it in advance.
  • Don’t weigh yourself down with heavy jackets, boots & gear; rent everything you need (including camping supplies) from Iceland Camping Equipment Rental.
  • Rent a car! Even if you end up doing day trips, hikes & adventures with hotel pickup service, having your own car gives you so much more freedom to explore.
Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *