We’ve been home from our Iceland trip about two weeks now and finally getting back into the swing of things. After 10 days exploring such a beautiful country it’s hard to settle back into reality. If Iceland is a destination you’ve considered visiting – GO! We traveled around the entire island in a group of 7 split between 2 rental cars and wouldn’t change our adventure for anything! Some of the most beautiful places on earth are in Iceland and seeing them puts the whole world into perspective.
If you’re interested in a photo journal of our trip make sure to check out Gina’s blog Moody Cabin Girl. She shared amazing pictures from our trip!
If you didn’t know, Iceland is very easy to travel by car if you follow the Ring Road. The Ring Road is a national road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects most of the inhabited parts of the country. The total length of the road is about 830 miles. It’s well-maintained (in the summer at least) and you drive on the same side of the road as in the US, making it an easy adjustment for Americans.
Here’s a quick break down of where we stayed during our trip:
Night 1: We rented a rustic Airbnb nestled next to a glacier, the ocean, and our own private waterfall. We chose this location so we would be close to Diamond Beach for a glacier boat ride the next morning
You can use our Airbnb referral link to save money on your stay by clicking HERE
Link to our Airbnb is HERE
Night 2: We stayed in the beautiful sea town Hofn. We slept at the Hotel Milk Factory which provided a complimentary breakfast!
You can find the Milk Factory HERE
Night 3 + 4: After a long, beautiful drive and quite a few stops we made our way to Akureyri. Akureyri is the second biggest city in Iceland and we had an incredible Airbnb right outside the city.
You can use our Airbnb referral link to save money on your stay by clicking HERE
You can find our Airbnb HERE
Night 5 + 6: Our last 2 nights before we hit the big city of Reykjavik were in a cabin that overlooked the ocean in Arnarstapi. There was a creek and waterfall just a few steps away and many other beautiful landmarks.
You can use our Airbnb referral link to save money on your stay by clicking HERE
You can find our Airbnb HERE
Night 7 & 8: We stayed in Reykjavik our last 2 nights and the perfect rental with just a few minutes walk to the heart of the city.
You can use our Airbnb referral link to save money on your stay by clicking HERE
You can find our Airbnb HERE
Now let’s talk about our favorite subject…. FOOD
If you’ve researched anything about Iceland one of the first things you’ll read is food is EXPENSIVE. They aren’t lying. Food can be very pricey on the island so if you are on a tight budget follow these tips to keep your food and alcohol costs down.
- Stock up on alcohol when you first arrive. You can purchase alcohol at the Duty Free shop at the airport for about 50% cheaper than buying it anywhere else on the island. You’ll also find that when and where you can buy alcohol on the island is very limited – so again – STOCK UP EARLY. Keflavik Airport is your best friend
2. If you want to avoid eating out the majority of the trip, your best bet is to purchase the essentials at the local grocery market. We stopped at the first Bonus store we came across and loaded up on bread, peanut butter, jelly, chips, crackers and candy. Food is MUCH cheaper at a Bonus than at any gas station you come across, so again hit up the grocery store early and limit how much you need to buy from Gas Stations. Bonuses usually have a yellow sign with a pink pig on them. You can’t miss them.
3. Food Trucks are your friend. They are both cost effective and authentic. We found food trucks scattered all over the country, especially outside gas stations or in the harbor around local sea towns. My favorite thing to order was fish and chips, and Gina found plenty of vegetarian options. Side note: While buying pantry staples is more expensive at gas stations – the small cafes inside are less expensive than most sit down places and have great quality food. Don’t be afraid to grab meals from the gas station restaurants – the food is impressive!
Now that we got the best budget hacks out of the way, don’t be afraid to splurge on a few awesome meals while on your trip. The food in Iceland was amazing. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. If you have the money to do so, set aside part of your budget to treat yourself to nice meals during your trip. We did and we weren’t disappointed.
Some members of our group had already been to Iceland once before, but for the rest of us it was our first time. We didn’t research much about where to eat ahead of time. Although most of the places we ate were amazing, some were just okay. I’m going to share the full list of places we ate and our thoughts on each one.
Víkurskáli
Our first stop for food was outside Vik (The Black Sand Beach area). Víkurskáli is an old style diner located inside the N1 petrol station. The menu is small but has a great vegetarian option, burgers, sandwiches, fish, and traditional Icelandic stews. Order at the counter and then wait for your number to be called to grab your food. Make sure to clear your table when you leave. This diner is wallet friendly with a great view of the Reynisdrangur
You can find Vikurskali Grill here: Route 1, Vik 870, Iceland
Hafnarbuðin
Our next meal stop was on day 2 in Hofn. Hafnarbuðin is a cute diner that also provides a drive thru. They have a BIG menu that includes ice cream and alcohol. For all of our veggie friends they offer a great vegetarian burger here. I ordered the fried fish which came with fries and a tasty salad. Budget wise I would put Hafnarbuðin in the middle. Not our most expensive meal but not as cheap as a gas station cafe. You can eat inside and there is a small outdoor patio. This restaurant is located in the harbor area of Hofn. If you order ice cream I recommend adding the chocolate “frosting” basically a dipped chocolate shell. So good!
You can find Hafnarbuðin here: Ránarslóð 12, Höfn í Hornafirði, Iceland
Íshúsið Pizzeria
We also had our first Icelandic Pizza in Hofn! We grabbed 2 pies to go from Íshúsið Pizzeria, also located in the harbor. Pizzas ran from around $20 to $30. We ordered the Lobster classic and it was a bit pricier than most of the other options. It was topped with Cheese, langoustine, bell peppers, garlic, rucola, feta cheese. It was delicious!
You can find Íshúsið Pizzeria here: Heppuvegur 2a | Höfn 780 Iceland
You can check out their menu HERE
Kaffi Lára El Grilló bar
Day 3 was a LONG one! We visited the Vestrahorn, found waterfalls in the interior, and also checked out the gorgeous sea town Seyðisfjörður. Driving up to this town was AMAZING! The road was used the in movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and is curvy and steep. It also has the famous rainbow road and overlooks the ocean. Definitely check out this town if you can. We also had one of my favorite meals here at Kaffi Lára El Grillo Bar. When you walk in order at the counter, then grab your silverware and cups and find a table. They’ll bring your food when it’s ready! They had AMAZING vegetarian options here and the most delicious foil baked cod. The lunch and dinner menus are different – we ordered from the lunch menu. My cod entree was about $26. Alcohol was also served here.
You can find Kaffi Lára El Grillo Bar here: Norðurgata 3 710 Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
You can check out their menu HERE
Strikið
Akureyri was my FAVORITE city in Iceland and also where I had my favorite meal. Strikið is a beautiful restaurant with a gorgeous rooftop view of the harbor. They have a wide variety of seafood items, sushi, a full cocktail menu, and THE BEST FISH AND CHIPS! We ordered an app, 2 drinks (1 beer and a soda) and 2 lunch entrees. Our total bill was around $75. A little pricey for lunch but worth it for the food and view. I wish we could have come back here at night for drinks, but we went whale watching this day and didn’t get home until late. The fish and chips were made with Cod fillet, tempura, dill, shallot, capers and served with french fries and chili mayo. Highly recommend. It was my favorite fish during our trip.
You can find Strikið here: Skipagata 14 5.Floor | 600 Akureyri
You can check out their menu HERE
Quiznos
Random but the Quiznos in Iceland is so good. lol. We had a few nights where it was really late and Quiznos happened to be the only thing open. LOVED IT. Highly recommend.
Food Trucks
In Arnarstapi the food by our Airbnb was crazy expensive. We did order pizza and fish and chips. Neither were great, yet still cost an arm and a leg (I think because the little area where our Airbnb was located didn’t have much competition) However, when we were exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula we found delicious and affordable food trucks in the harbors! Food Trucks are amazing in Iceland and cost much less than a restaurant. You can usually find vegetarian options, fish and chips, and ice cream!
I believe we found these food trucks in the harbor of Stykkishólmur!
We also stopped at a wonderful bakery and tried Icelandic pastries! If you pass a bakery in one of the small towns – make sure to stop and order something sweet!
Our last 2 days were spent in Reykjavík. There are many amazing places to eat in this beautiful city so I’m going to share with you some of the places we were able to try.
Reykjavík Chips
We love French Fries so Reykjavík Chips is like a dream come true. It’s a restaurant that exclusively serves fries with about 15 different dipping sauces. If you get a large combo I think it will run you about 15 bucks and includes a soda. It’s a pretty good deal considering how large the portion is. 10/10 recommend!
Find Reykjavík Chips here: Vitastígur, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Check out Reykjavík Chips menu HERE
Reykjavik Roasters
Forgot to take a photo of my iced coffee from Reykjavik Roasters but I loved this cozy coffee shop. I believe this is a chain and there are a few around the city. No flavored coffees but they do offer some sweeteners. Coffee was delicious and I fell in love with the interior!
You can check out their website HERE
Bastard Brew & Food
We didn’t eat a full meal here but we had some of the best cheese dip in the WORLD at Bastard Brew and Food! PROTIP You get a lot of cheese for just two pretzels so also order a side of fries and start dipping!
You can find Bastard Brew & Food here: Vegamotastigur 4, Reykjavik 101 Iceland
You can check our Bastard Brew & Food menu HERE
Kaffibrennslan
I really enjoyed this coffee shop. It has a lovely patio but we sat upstairs with a great view of the street below. It was nice to sit, relax and people watch here. Kaffitár had lots of food and drink options and I recommend enjoying a morning here! Make sure to try the Icelandic donut. They are quite an odd shape but very delicious. They remind me of a Michigan cider mill donut. Yum.
You can find Kaffibrennslan here: Laugavegur, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
You can view their menu HERE
The Hot Dog Shake And Pylsa Stand
Icelandic Hotdogs are famous around the country and SO delicious. An Iceland hotdog is served with raw onion, fried onion, (I omitted the onion) sweet mustard, ketchup and remoulade (these 2 sauces were under the hotdog)
Hotdogs in Iceland are usually made with lamb meat and a small amount of pork and beef. They are super tasty with an awesome snap! I found myself ordering these after a night of cocktails at the local bars! They are considered one of Iceland’s most famous foods so make sure to try one if you aren’t vegetarian! There are lots of hot dog stands around the city. I tried a few different ones and they were all delicious!
Iceland is full of traditional dishes like fermented shark, lamb stew, puffin and more. I like to be an adventurous eater but not that adventurous. We didn’t really try any of the true Icelandic meals but they do have those options if you are interested.
Hopefully you found these tips and reviews helpful! If you are traveling to Iceland let us know! We’d love to chat about your trip! Cheers!