Odds are you don't know anyone who has been to Iceland. The odds are also pretty good that when you tell your friends that you're thinking about it, they're going to look at you and wonder if you hit your head recently. Yet, for all of the people who might be weary, Iceland offers a true chance to step foot in a place of otherworldly beauty.
But first, some basic facts:
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Getting There:
From the US:
Iceland Air is perhaps one of the best options if you are on the east coast. Sign up for their Lucky Fares on their website (http://www.icelandair.com/home/book-a-flight/lucky- fares/), and it can end being less than $500 r/t to get there.
From Europe:
Iceland Express runs cheap flights from Reykjavik to most major European hubs. (http://www.icelandexpress.com/)
Suggested Time Allocations For A Trip:
Reykjavik: 1-2 days
The "Golden Triangle" + Blue Lagoon: 1 day (Do it all!)
Landmannalauger: 1-2 day
Landmannalauger + Skaftafell: 3 days+
Skaftafell: 2 days+
(For description of these, see below)
Inner-Iceland Travel Info:
Buses: http://www.austurleid.is/austurleid.htm
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And now, for the other basic tourist sights, plus a little more:
Yes, Downtown Reykjavik is not something to miss. The coffee culture during the day is excellent, except for the constant smoking, and you will be hard pressed to out-party any of the locals on any given Friday or Saturday night. The main commercial street (Laugavegur) is full of unique and interesting shops, including sma (Laugavegur 28), whose graffiti sheep are often seen around Reykjavik as well in his shop. Speaking of Graffiti, it's everywhere. Hiding, surprising, and constantly evolving the graffiti culture in Reykjavik is extremely vibrant.
Yes, the "Golden Triangle" of Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir, all easily doable in a single day as part of a tour or with a rented car, is a great and easy excursion. Thingvellir once was the home of the annual assembly of the Icelandic legislature, where representatives would meet to discuss matters of the realm. The Icelandic legislature is so old that the topic of whether to convert to Christianity or remain pagan was actually brought up. Sadly, Geysir is nothing more than a brief pause in your driving between Thingvellir and Gullfoss. The great Geysir, for which all geysers are named, rarely erupts, but leaving Stokkur, a near by geyser that erupts like clockwork, to pull in the tourists (and make them buy stuff at the large tourist shop nearby attached to the parking lot). Continuing on, Gullfoss is quite possibly the highlight of this trio: Glacial water in amazing quantities wraps itself around a rocky outcropping and then drops into a thin canyon, and yet anyone can walk up and stand inches away from it.
Lastly, Yes, the Blue Lagoon is pretty nice. You *do* have to ignore the fact that the water you're in is the (clean) run off from the nearby geothermal plant and that the pools there are 100% man made, but that's an easy feat when the afternoon can be so relaxing. More frugal travelers will prefer the public hot pools scattered throughout the city which are mostly free. ;)
Yet, all of these places are still in the "green zone" of Iceland. When you rent a car and after being warned about how "sheeps don't know the rules of the road", you're given a map of Iceland with most of it marked as "off limits" for your econobox. Even if you decide to rent a 4x4 (not at all required for the above destinations), you're still warned that no insurance covers water damage and not to try to ford rivers, unless you really know what you're doing.
That's the Iceland that you really want to get to, and one of the best ways to do it is by bus. If you head back down to the bus station where you transferred to get to your hotel/hostel from the airport, you can take buses to anywhere in the country along the ring road (or not). Traveling by the ring road is quick(er) and offers more chances to grab stuff to eat in the many towns that the bus will stop in, but there are also buses that do exactly what the rental agency warns against: Going into the middle of the wilderness and fording through rivers away from all civilization.
Route 11a to Landmannalauger is exactly such a route. At first, it seems like just another bus route, but in a more rugged coach, but soon after Selfoss the pavement stops. Not too long after that, the road stops being a real road and landscape becomes more difficult to recognize. The shades of the land turns from green to red and then even to black for a period, as the bus drives through central Iceland (pausing occasionally when the driver wants a smoke break). Eventually, you'll reach Landmannalauger where you'll have a 2 hour pause for hiking, a dip in the natural thermal pools (which is completely different from the Blue Lagoon), or lunch. Here, you find a torn and volcanic landscape alive with geothermal activity.
From here, you can continue on, eventually meeting up with the ring road and heading towards Skaftafell National Park, or head back to Reykjavik. If you have the time, Skaftafell is worth the visit. Situated between two fingers of the massive glacier vatnajkull (the largest in Europe), it is home to the iconic Svartifoss waterfall (inspiration for Reykjavik's Cathedral) and kilometers of hiking and camping in pristine natural conditions. Hikes are mild to moderate at best, but thoroughly enjoyable, and accommodations can be had in the park at Blti's Guest House, for a price. Otherwise, you'll have to provide your own tent. Staying at the Guest House is much like staying in a rented cabin, except the owner's private residence is next door and just outside the front door is a dramatic view of the coastal plains (It's difficult to remember that people actually live there at times). If you travel via Landmannalauger, you'll arrive around 7pm, which does not allow for much time, so plan to spend two nights there if you go that route (3 days total, including 1 day to travel back to Reykjavik).
There's much more to see in Iceland than just what I've described here, and given the chance there are other places I'd like to explore too, but traveling the southern coast of Iceland via Landmannalaugar is sure to give a person something to wonder over.