Every kind of Iceland - from three trips to a settled life
Days: 10 days
Time: October
Per capita: 30000 yuan
With whom: with friends
Play: free travel, photography, humanities, food, self driving, petty bourgeoisie, group, semi free travel, shopping
The author went to these places
Iceland
Reykjavik
Blue lake
Geyser.
Serialand falls
Selfoss
crater
Week
Skaftafell
Watner Glacier National Park
Mihu
Akereri
Husavik
Hells
Budur
Loft Hostel
Hofn
Recommended accommodation
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Published on November 13, 2014, 00:46
When I was a child, I dreamed of going to Iceland to see the aurora, but I didn't expect to finish this dream in the year of graduation. The plane pulled through the thick clouds. When I first set foot on this remote northern land, I didn't expect that this was just the beginning. After the first week's self driving tour of Iceland, I had the second trip to Iceland Aurora after a year and a half. After another year and a half, I finally realized my dream of coming to Iceland to watch the independent radio music festival and saw the most beautiful aurora. After 2014, I set foot on this dream land again, no longer travel, but live here to help and welcome more travel enthusiasts from all over the world who dream of coming to Iceland.
I have summed up a long time. I hope you can read it patiently. This article covers basic information such as itinerary plan, schedule, classic route, weather, driving, clothing preparation, etc., as well as brief introduction of Aurora, expedition, etc., and gives links to extended information log, so as to provide more detailed travel information for friends who want to continue to read in depth. If you have any further questions, you can leave a message to me or email me tianxiaochen@outlook.com
I have a lot of Iceland travel resources on hand now.
If you want to know more about Icelandic culture, you can also follow my microblog @ lost in Iceland
1. Planning: Iceland can be visited, explored and combined according to personal preference. Basic sightseeing - you can take part in some day tour groups or take a short drive to the most famous scenic spots to cooperate with the cultural projects in Reykjavik, the capital of China. As a stop between North America and Europe, it can be as short as three days, or as long as five or six days. In depth sightseeing tour - it is recommended to arrange 10 days to two weeks, with self driving around the island as the best choice. It depends on the time flexibility to decide whether to extend to more corner areas and towns outside the ring road, such as the eastern and Western fjords, Snaefellsnes Peninsula in the west, etc. Adventure Projects - friends who have outdoor experience and are eager for excitement can add adventure projects to basic sightseeing, such as hiking to inland Highlands, glaciers, kayaking, snorkeling, snowmobiling, etc. If you want to have a good time, you must prepare a little bit in advance. Iceland's travel resources are in short supply, so it's easy to book up accommodation, cars and groups in advance. Now even the number of people in the blue lake hot spring is limited, so it may not be possible to enter the hot spring in advance.
Maps - you don't need to buy maps to go to Iceland. After you go to the local hotels and tourist information centers, there are all kinds of free maps, which are enough to use. Moreover, the version is the latest, and there will be coupons from some businesses. In addition to Reykjavik's various urban maps, cultural and catering brochures, I suggest you take a big map (updated every year), which is especially useful for friends around the island. It marks the most important No.1 road around the island and the main scenic spots. Every time you enter a scenic spot or town, you can go to the local information center to get a regional map.
2. The best season: June to August is considered to be the peak tourist season in Iceland, which is indeed more advantageous in terms of weather and sunshine. In summer, the sun almost never sets in Iceland. In summer, it is convenient to travel and drive, and there are some rare natural landscapes, such as sunset in the middle of the night. This period is the first choice for most people, and there are more natural people. It should be noted that this season is crowded and hotels are often fully booked long in advance. Except for towns and scenic spots outside the capital, most of them have only a limited number of accommodation options, so it is safer to book in advance. However, this requires planning the schedule well in advance and reducing the flexibility.
This is the midnight sun at 2 a.m. on the beach of Reykjavik on June 21, 2015, at midnight of the summer solstice (in fact, it's the early morning of June 22)
4. May, September and October are called the should season. The sunshine is shorter than the peak season, but it will not affect travel. The number of tourists is greatly reduced. It is a good season for travel. The hotel is more secure, increasing the flexibility of itinerary.
November to march is a long winter. The sunshine time in the first half of winter is shorter than that in the second half. From December on, there are only about 5 or 6 hours of sunshine in the South and 4 hours in the north. Frequent rainfall and snowfall make it more difficult to travel. Many scenic spots may be difficult to reach in winter because of poor road conditions and high self driving risk factor. Please choose carefully. However, there are many English Multi day tours available from local travel agencies.
But in winter, there is a project that is hard to compete with in summer: Aurora! If you want to explore the aurora, naturally choose winter. As for the observation and suggestions of the aurora, I specially wrote an article about going to Iceland to see the aurora, which is called "from the observation of the aurora to photography - should I come to Iceland to see the aurora in the end?" I recommend it to friends who plan to see the aurora in detail. Don't post a link here, just search the name of the article by yourself.
3. Transportation
In Iceland, there are two basic choices: self driving or group driving.
Public transport is not convenient in Iceland. In addition to the capital area, there are only sporadic small towns, and there are no towns around many famous scenic spots. Even in places that can be reached by individual buses, it takes a long time to get off the bus to get to the destination scenic spot. In addition, the weather in Iceland changes quickly, with lots of rain and snow, strong wind and cold, so it's not good to travel by public bus. If you have a basic knowledge of English, you can drive by yourself or with a local English group. If there are more people, it's cost-effective to drive. If there are fewer people, it's more cost-effective to be with the English group. Icelandic tourism is not like domestic tourism. The tour groups just go to play and sightseeing, and they don't pull people to buy from left to right. Of course, the tour time is not as free as self driving, but it's very comfortable to be led, driven and explained. Iceland is vast and sparsely populated. Some places are not taken by people. Maybe it's hard to find them. I have a little knowledge about playing. Furthermore, the road condition is bad in winter, so it is really recommended not to drive blindly in winter. Snow in the west, North and East can lead to complete road closure. Although there is snow in the south, most of the scenic spots in the south are on both sides of the main No.1 Road, which is relatively guaranteed. Therefore, self driving in winter mainly focuses on the south bank. For a friend with a good budget, you can hire a private driver or a tour guide. The price is quite expensive. If you stay outside the capital, you should be responsible for board and lodging.
Iceland is driving in the same direction as China. There are not so many automatic gears. It is recommended to book online in advance. You can find the most cost-effective one by comparing the price. Many of the cars with dates more than 2 days have discounts.
From September to may, especially from October to April, you must choose 4WD. Run into the road with ice and snow, two driving, car is not strong enough. The roads in many scenic spots are gravel roads, which can't be driven by cars. It's easy to cause damage when driving. It's not appropriate to lose money. Insurance includes basic insurance (CDW). Except for theft protection, there is no need to add other insurance. It is recommended that you can add it if you have the ability. There are more debris and sandstorms in some areas over there. Winter is more prone to emergencies. It should be noted that off road driving, that is, not driving on the road, is prohibited by law. If there is an accident in such a place, no insurance will be available.
If you don't want to plan by yourself, you can order a ready-made self driving package. The whole stay and car are arranged, and there is a detailed itinerary.
I recommend you to search the following two articles:
Tips for car rental in Iceland
Safety instructions for Icelandic self driving
For car rental, you can choose directly from guide to Iceland. There is a Chinese version of the website, which includes dozens of local car companies. You can compare the prices. It's very convenient and cheap. After all, local companies know the local situation best. There are Chinese version of the website, Chinese customer service, very convenient.
4. The length of the journey and the main scenic spots: for the length reasons, I will try not to introduce the history as much as possible, but simply list them. If you are interested, you can ask questions or expand reading. I can recommend some information sources to you. 3-4 days: if the journey is relatively short, you can take the capital Reykjavik as a stronghold and choose the daily tour route as the existing travel agency. You don't have to rent your own car.
Reykjav í K urban area
Reykjav í K, the capital of Iceland, is pronounced "Reykjav í K". JA is silent, which means smoking port in Icelandic. Reykjavik city is not big enough for walking (if the weather gives face).
- hallgr í mskirkja Cathedral in the urban area must be visited. This rocket shaped church, which is jokingly called "normal distribution", is the largest church in Iceland. It can climb to the top and overlook the urban area. The price of tickets on the first floor is 800 kronor, about 40 RMB. Take the elevator to the top floor. There are three windows in each of the four directions to enjoy the market view. Reykjavik is full of small houses with colorful roofs, especially in sunny days. In addition, the church closes at five in the afternoon. If you go late, you can't get in.
The Viking ship, s ó lfar, is on the coast of the city. It's easy to find on the map of the city. The map of Leishi is on the northern coastline.
Laugavegur, the main shopping street in Reykjavik, has various souvenir shops.
There are many swans and wild ducks in TJ? Rnin Lake in the center of the city. They are not afraid of people at all. You can walk among those swaying around on the shore. In winter, Lake TJ? Rnin freezes, and Icelanders skate and even play football on it. Wild ducks and wild swans will stand on the ice and look in the mirror There is also a green spire church fr í kirkjan by the lake, which is very mild and beautiful.
Harpa Reykjav í K - the newly built large-scale music and Conference Center in Leishi, whose glass appearance will show different colors in different weather, has just been built in 2011. The colored glass looks out from the inside and has a unique flavor. Harpa is now one of the main venues of Iceland airwaves.
Port:
Blue lagoon is a natural mineral hot spring. It's not in the urban area. It's near the airport. You can go back and forth from the urban area and soak in the hot spring for half a day. You can also soak for a long time and reserve a whole day.
B æ jarins beztu pylsur, a chain selling hot dogs, is the most popular one in Jiugang and the pavilion opposite harpa concert hall. It is known as the most delicious hot dog in the world. Former US President Bill Clinton has been here, and the photo of him and his boss is still hanging in the store. This hot dog is Icelandic mutton. It tastes good.
There is a row of restaurants in the port, including the old saegreifnn (sea Baron) near the end (or the beginning). The blue house is full of roasted seafood, vegetables and seafood soup. The special signs are lobster soup and roasted whale meat. You can feel it. The lobster soup is salty and fresh, and the roast whale meat is a little scary. It's bloody and stinky (only the surface is "roasted" and the inside is raw). The brave can challenge it. The timid like me can buy a bunch to smell it.
? Other recommended capital restaurants are:
The fish company:
The grill market, which has Icelandic characteristics such as whale meat, reindeer meat, etc
The Seafood Grill, the fish market, sushi samba and snaps are all my favorite restaurants.
The local vald í s ice cream shop has 18 kinds of flavors every day, which are very delicious. It's recommended!
Reykjav í K nightlife is famous for its party culture in the world. On Friday and Saturday, the local people will play until dawn. Because the wine there is very expensive, the local people's general practice is to drink at home for a while (to tell you the truth, I think it's a bit thunder), and then go to various pubs in the middle of the night until five or six o'clock in the morning. There are many excellent independent musicians and bands in Iceland. Those who have such hobbies should not be missed. There are always small music performances in Leishi. As tourists, it's hard for us to enjoy this kind of treatment for a long time. Let's see which performances we meet by fate.
Golden Circle: Iceland's natural first stop, golden circle is the most popular travel project in Iceland.
In short, the Golden Circle includes three major scenic spots.
Þ Ingvellir National Park - geographically, Iceland is located at the junction of the American plate and the Eurasian plate. The two plates are increasingly divided, and Iceland is being gradually stretched. In 930, Icelanders established the world's first democratic parliament, which is located in the National Park, Þ In Icelandic, the meaning of ingvellir is parliamentary land. The wooden prospect platform is the place where people gathered to discuss national affairs. Behind the waving Icelandic flag is a natural black stone wall, which means legal rock.
The second is Geysir geyser. Geysir, the largest and most famous geyser in Iceland, became the English general name of geysers all over the world after it was brought back to China by the British, and its spelling changed to geyser. Now Geysir has mysteriously stopped erupting. Fortunately, his little neighbor, strokkur, is a little small in scale, but he is punctual and reliable. Every five to eight minutes, he sprays water up to 20 meters. In addition to geysers, there are many steaming geothermal pools in different colors.
The third is Gullfoss golden falls. Gullfoss is divided into two layers, and finally flows into a 70 meter deep canyon. 130 cubic meters / second of water will shake up layers of water mist, which will always cross a rainbow bridge on a sunny day. The source of the waterfall is hvita river -- Baihe River, which originates from glacier melt water tens of kilometers away.
It's only an hour's drive from the capital Reykjav í K Þ Ingvellir, which is another major reason why the line is so popular.
If there are ordinary sightseeing bus groups for the Japanese tour group starting from Reykjavik, the group combined with the exploration project is naturally more expensive than the ordinary group, but the number of groups is also relatively small, and each group has its own advantages.
You can choose according to your preference. There is a complete list of local golden circle tour groups on Guide to Ireland.
In addition to the basic bus sightseeing tour, it can also be combined with horse riding, snowmobiling and snorkeling. I would recommend Golden Circle + silfra snorkeling. Silfra is the gap between the Eurasian plate and the American plate. Diving in it is diving in the two plates. The color at the bottom of the water is very beautiful, brilliant blue and green, very psychedelic. Moreover, this stop is in the National Park, the former site of the parliament, so we have more time to play in every place.
Friends who choose to drive by themselves can also go snorkeling in silfra, and meet with diving guides at the site of the Council according to time. They provide diving suits and equipment. These are all kinds of snorkeling options. You don't need a diving license, but you need to be able to swim. In addition, if you have a special diving license, you can join the sfeira diving team.
Because I was afraid of the cold, I chose dry clothes for snorkeling. There are many layers inside, because they are well prepared, they don't feel cold at all. Local friends are more adventurous, all choose wet clothes snorkeling, can be submerged in the water, but obviously much colder.
In addition, it is very, very recommended that you choose to rent GoPro camera when you are in the group, so that you can take underwater photos. The photo effect is naturally very cool. This is a picture taken by a friend with GoPro:
Professional diving friends, reported this all day diving project.
Silfra:
South Bank of Iceland: Seljalandsfoss, SK ó gafoss, and V í K
These are the main points on the south bank. If you choose to drive by yourself, you can start from Reykjavik and walk counter clockwise along Highway 1. The main scenic spot on the south bank starts from Seljalandsfoss, which is about 120 km from Reykjavik. It takes at least one and a half hours to drive (the speed limit of Iceland's No. 1 ring road is 90 km / h). You can choose to stop in Selfoss town in the middle. In short, Seljalandsfoss and SK ó gafoss are two of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland. They are both on the way to V í K town along the No.1 ring road. V í K town has a famous black beach, which is rated as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world. Eyjafjallaj ü kull, which broke out in 2010 and completely paralyzed European air routes, is between the two waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and SK ó gafoss. The location shown on the map is not the location of the crater. The real volcano is buried under the ice and further inland. But when the volcano erupted, you can see the thick volcanic ash from the volcano on the map. Now the villages here have set up information boards to show you the information about the eruption and the difference between before and after.
Seljalandsfoss falls 60 meters from the cliff. A path leads to the inside of the waterfall. Looking from the inside to the outside of the cliff, watching the sunset through the water curtain is particularly beautiful.
Sk ó gafoss waterfall is white and looks like a snowflake silk in the distance. At the foot of the mountain, there is a famous folk museum. Although it does not have the star glory of the first-line international museums, it truly reflects the hundreds of years of Icelandic farm life. From the right side of the waterfall to the top, you can have a bird's-eye view of the waterfall and look back at the whole coastline
The town of V í K, with a population of only 300, is basically the southernmost part of the Icelandic mainland. The turbulent North Atlantic waves mercilessly beat the dark black sand beach. After staring at it for a long time, I really feel that it will be swept away by the waves at any time, which is daunting. A stone wall on the beach is a source of inspiration for Icelandic Architects - columnar basalt. Looking up at the stone wall with its back to the sea, rows of stone pillars stand in neat lines. The whole picture is angular, which makes a strong contrast between the black beach in Iceland and the traditional sunny beach.
Vik's black beach:
Screenshot of MV - [hologene] of Bon iver:
Friends with relatively rich time can choose to go to dyrh ó laey when they are about to drive to V í K. Dyrh ó laey is the southernmost part of the main island of Iceland. It is a rock cliff extending into the sea. In summer, many birds live here and can watch birds.
There is a small lighthouse on the top. But when it's windy, it's windy. From here to the East, there is a black beach and a lonely stone standing on the beach. The white waves came up like cream.
In the picture, the stone rises from the sea in the distance (a little bit like Wuzhishan in journey to the west, no?), It's reynis dragar. It can also be seen from the black sand beach on the side of V í K.
Three to four days of travel can basically choose the above several scenic spots. There is no need to rent a car in Reykjavik. If you don't want to rent a car in Golden Circle and south bank, all travel agencies have ready-made tour groups. The service over there is absolutely up to standard. The travel society will pick you up directly from the hotel. The common hotels in Iceland are all within their pick-up range. Pay attention that if you rent a short-term apartment, you may not have this service. The disadvantages of travel agencies are the same all over the world. The freedom is poor, so it's difficult to have the chance to stop at a good scenery on the way. Iceland is very attractive along the way. The advantage is that you can learn more about the story behind it. The English of the tour guide is good, and there must be some accents. The Golden Circle Group has just been recommended. On the south bank, the most basic group covers two waterfalls and Vic town.
A summary of tour groups on the south coast of Iceland can also be found on the guide to Iceland website.
Nan'an group often takes you to M ý Rdalsj ü kull Glacier:
The glacier climbing group should not exceed 12 people in each group. It is necessary to reserve in advance, otherwise it is likely to be full.
There is a rare human landscape on the south coast of Iceland - the wreckage of an airplane. At present, there is only one small tour group in Iceland. It's the tour group of my good friend ing ó. He is a super outdoor enthusiast and has fun. It's the most fun to join his tour group. It can be said that no one can say it's not good.
This is his one-day tour of the south bank, including glacier hiking, plane wreckage, two waterfalls on the south bank, volcanic caves, and a beautiful secret hot spring swimming pool. You can search the name: Icelandic south bank niche scenic spot aircraft wreck seljavallalaug secret hot spring swimming pool glacier hiking volcano cave
5-6 days: the length of the roundabout is certainly not enough. You can slow down the journey mentioned above and enjoy it. You can also continue to look east from wake town to see the ice tongue in Skaftafell, and then look east at the ice lake, and then turn back.
Skaftafell skafta Mountain National Park is part of watner Glacier National Park. Here is the song of ice and fire: the game of rights, and the location of the Hollywood Science Fiction blockbuster interstellar. Therefore, it has become a must for many tourists. If you want to experience the star crossing "man planet", you need to participate in the glacier hiking project here. In fact, no matter whether you have made a movie here or not, you highly recommend the skafta Mountain National Park.
You can follow the guide to climb in the Skaftafell ice tongue area:
You must make an appointment in advance for glacier hiking. If you are not a friend for a one-day or multi day tour of the capital with glacier hiking, you need to make an appointment in advance for self driving. At that time, you can go to Skaftafell parking lot and gather with your guide to participate in the 3-hour glacier hiking project.
What I recommend most is this group: skafta mountain glacier hiking group - come to Iceland for interstellar crossing | suitable for self driving
Song of ice and fire: the game of power is here.
This is actually the place where the secret life of Walter Mitty takes pictures of the Himalayas (instead of going to the Himalayas, the crew took the Himalayas and Greenland plots together in Iceland, relying on the changeable scenery of Iceland).
From the vicinity of Skaftafell glacier tongue, you can follow the map north to the interior of watner National Park, find the black waterfall svartifoss and the quiet Icelandic farm, and see the characteristic grass roofed houses in Iceland. Black falls svaltifoss:
From Skaftafell to the East, it was not long before we came to J ü kuls á RL ó n, the ice lake. Ice lake is a place highly praised by photographers, which is basically loved by everyone. The information center can buy tickets to participate in the ice lake cruise project, which is quite interesting. The local tour guides will tell you the history of the ice lake, but they don't really teach you how to pronounce it (HA, they know it's hard for foreigners to pronounce it, so they definitely teach you with a sense of humor). They will also go to the scene to dig a piece of ice from the iceberg for you to taste. It's probably the oldest thing you'll ever eat in your life.
Ice lake is also a place that you can't miss when you come to Iceland. Many famous movies, such as 007, Tomb Raider, Batman and so on, come here for shooting.
On the other side of the bridge is an ice beach
Also to non self driving friends to provide some ice lake group as a reference.
You can search the Chinese website of guide to Iceland for a list of all tour groups of Jiegu salon glacier lake.
As shown in the previous map, the skafta mountains and the ice lake are also on the south bank, continuing eastward from Vick town. In this one-day tour, you also have to pass the Serialand waterfall, skoga waterfall and black beach in Vick town on the south bank, and you will visit these scenic spots. However, due to the long distance of the ice lake, the one-day tour takes a long time. Starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 14 hours, there is not much time to go to scenic spots such as skafta Mountain National Park.
So if days permit, you can take a two-day tour of the ice lake from the capital Reykjavik to have a better view along the road. The two-day tour throughout the year is ice lake + glacier hiking.
It includes the middle night's accommodation near the ice lake. The main scenic spots mentioned above are all available. It also includes the glacier hiking. Three times a week in summer. Every day in winter, and also take you to see the aurora in winter evening.
In winter (between November and March), there is a super dream project - ice cave exploration:
Ice caves are formed naturally and vary in size every year. It is not allowed for too many people to enter the ice cave at the same time at one time. To ensure safety, only a certain number of tourists can enter the ice cave every day. It's hard to find the entrance to the ice cave. It's also complicated. You have to follow an experienced local guide to get in.
If you are a self driving friend, you need to sign up for this ice cave exploration project:
Watnalan ice cave exploration tour group
There are several times in different time periods every day. Generally, the report may be full many days or even weeks in advance, so we should start early.
If you don't want to take part in the ice cave exploration project from the capital, you can take part in the ice lake ice cave two-day tour, which is also available from November to march in winter. It includes the middle night's accommodation near the ice lake, the main scenic spots on the south bank, the in-depth play, the ice cave exploration project and the night to see the aurora.
There is also a three-day tour of the ice lake, ice cave exploration and glacier hiking.
The above-mentioned ice climbing groups all provide special equipment for ice climbing. You can wear your own climbing shoes, and the tour group will provide the claws. In addition, to go to the glacier to wear outdoor waterproof clothes, cotton clothes are taboo, because it is not easy to dry after being stained with water, and it will be very heavy, which is more dangerous in case of accidents.
Try to circle the island for a journey of 7 days or more. Then, the ice lake mentioned above, continue to drive counter clockwise along Highway 1, and you will come to the southeast coast of the port h ﹣ FN, where you can eat Finnish lobster. We deliberately waited there until 6 p.m. when the most famous local restaurant opened for a big meal. I still think mutton is better than lobster. H ü FN is a small town. According to the itinerary, you can choose a simple tour and then move on. You can also stay here for one night.
For the 7-day trip, it is recommended to go directly to Mihu district and Akureyri, Iceland's second largest city in the north. If you have enough time, you can drive all the way along the fjords on the east coast to enjoy the coastal scenery. Driving in fjords requires skill. There are many sharp turns and sudden uphill and downhill. Many uphill roads can't see whether the downhill side is left or right. Driving at night will greatly increase the risk.
Eastfjords and westfjords (East and West fjords) for those who come to Iceland for the first time and don't plan to travel in depth, they may not go there, and the scenic spots here can't be introduced too much. However, Iceland's travel information is complete. Apart from consulting the local information center and referring to books, you can follow your heart and stop when you see good scenery. This is a bit of nonsense. The key is here. If you see the symbol below, it means that there is a scenic spot and you can follow the road sign. The most famous one in the Northeast should be dettifoss, which has the largest amount of water in Europe. If time permits, you can come here to feel its explosive power. I will focus on it later.
We were taking a shortcut to egilssta from H ü FN ð IR eierstazi. By mistake, he lived in egilssta, which has a lot of history and reputation ð IR guesthouse, where he had close contact with the non mainstream horses in Iceland.
Myvatn Lake
From the town of eierstazi, continue to drive counter clockwise, you will arrive at one of Iceland's most famous scenic spots - Lake MI.
In the north, Mihu lake is located a little far away from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Many short-distance tourists choose to give up. In fact, Mihu lake should be as famous as the Golden Circle and the iceberg lake along the south bank. It is the most Icelandic place where the cold and heat blend together. Especially in the geothermal area around Mihu lake, the scenery is comparable to Mars. Near Mihu, you will come to Krafla volcano area first. Just smell the pungent sulfur (rotten eggs). There are bubbling puddles, hot (and smelly) geothermal vents and strange landforms, just like the surface of the moon.
The area mentioned above is on the left side of the road. The path on the right leads to V í Ti, a volcanic lake formed by an extinct crater.
It's no secret that the song of ice and fire is shot in Iceland. The crew just takes a fancy to the exotic feeling in the area of Mihu, which sets off the scenery outside the wall and makes people feel creepy and cold.
The landform of Mihu lake is unique. What's more unique is its "Humanistic" landscape: outdoor bathroom!
It turned out that there were two employees in the geothermal power plant not far away. One said that he could get an open-air bathroom in the Mihu district to ensure the water supply. The other said that if you could make it, I would go to your open-air bathroom to take a bath! Who knows that this colleague really ignored the cold and worked all night to build an open-air toilet of post-modern art, which has now become an interesting story for everyone to share. This is a real joke!
Go back to Highway 1 and go on to myvtan lake. It is suggested to go to the information center to get a map first, and then go around the lake to see each scenic spot one by one. The lake reflects the sky. Because of the endless clouds in Iceland, the color of the lake is really changeable. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to visit Mi lake when there is sunshine. However, there is a terrible place in Mihu. Because it is a volcanic area with fertile soil and a lot of sulfur materials, the whole lake area is full of all kinds of biological flying insects. If you come here in summer, you must buy a net on your head locally, otherwise you will suffer. It is also recommended to wear boots, put your pants in your boots and wear gloves, In short, there should not be an inch of skin exposed outside. The first time I went was at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Mihu in late summer
Although Mihu is not big, there are many places to play along the lakeside. There is a bird Museum, and you can also climb fake volcanoes and dead craters. In the summer zone, I left my name in the guest book on the top of the crater.
The scenery of Mihu Lake in winter and summer is very different. It is often covered by heavy snow. My last trip to Iceland in winter was shocked by the vast white scenery. I can hardly recognize the Mihu lake I saw at the end of summer. I couldn't recognize the white coat in many places. At that time, I couldn't help feeling that the driver's skillful driving skills, such heavy snow, couldn't recognize the way out at all. I didn't have the experience to drive in the winter in Mihu, and I was expected to sweat. Mihu is suitable for watching aurora in winter. The hotel also has Aurora service. You can sleep in the hotel. If there is Aurora, the hotel staff will call you up. Mihu in winter
After dealing with snow all day, nothing is more appropriate than hot spring. Mihu natural hot spring is 100% natural. Compared with the world-famous Blue Lake Hot Spring, its fame and area are much smaller, but the scenery is not bad at all. No matter in winter or summer, it is not as busy as blue lake. If you are lucky, it is your own private hot spring.
From Mihu, continue to drive west counter clockwise, about an hour to Akureyri, the capital of the north. But between Lake MI and acrelli, there is the gods' waterfall, go ð Afoss, go in winter ð Afoss has more snow and icicles than in summer. On the contrary, it has more charm. It's just a challenge to stand outside the car and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the waterfall if you catch up with the strong wind.
From Mihu, continue to drive west counter clockwise, about an hour to Akureyri, the capital of the north. But between Lake MI and acrelli, there is the gods' waterfall, go ð Afoss, go in winter ð Afoss has more snow and icicles than in summer. On the contrary, it has more charm. It's just a challenge to stand outside the car and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the waterfall if you catch up with the strong wind.
In addition to self driving, you can also choose to take part in the MI lake group that you went back to on the same day from acreli, which will be mentioned below.
There is a basic Mi lake group all year round. Those who want to go to dettifoss have a one-day tour from acreli.
Akureyri
It's not far from Mihu to akerei, but because Mihu has a lot to play with, it will take a long time, so we should arrange more time. If you can leave Mi lake early in the morning, you can go north and take a detour to Husavik. H ú sav í k-husavik is known as the whale watching capital of Europe, where you can get close contact with whales. There are many whale watching groups to choose from.
Before arriving at acreli, you will see the gods waterfall go along the No.1 roundabout road ð afoss
Akureyri, the southern capital, is Iceland's second largest city. The second largest city is actually quite small, not as big as a street in Beijing. But it is located in the Fjord, winding long, beautiful at night, and cute during the day. The main scenic spots are akerei church, botanical garden, old house of Icelandic poets, etc.
Pocket akereri Airport:
Akerei's name means "land on the coast" in Icelandic, which vividly describes this narrow bay city. The pocket city can walk around in less than two hours. It's a great place to relax. You can play freely or make a rest base for other major scenic spots around. Akreri is located in eyjafj ö R, the largest fjord in Iceland ð Ur - "island fjord" - on the west side, the road across the bank to the north will give you a panoramic view of the fjord countryside in the north and visit the traditional thatched cottage.
Through the windows of the library in acrelli:
Less than 1 latitude away from the Arctic Circle, the city is quietly located in the world's northernmost botanical garden, blooming in midsummer, no less than the pampered tropical and temperate plants in sufficient sunlight. The intersection directly opposite the Cathedral of acrelli is the heart of the city. From here, the main streets are blooming like petals, gathering various bookstores, restaurants, handicraft shops, souvenir shops and cafes. Along the coast, all the way to the depth of the Fjord, is a quiet old wooden chapel and a museum transformed from the old house of the Icelandic poet Nonni.
Archway cathedral:
The old church of acrelli (summer)
The old church of acrelli (winter)
Old nunni house:
There are few tourists in akerei in winter
seaside:
Whether you are driving by yourself or taking part in a local tour group, you can choose to start from acreli to play around some distinctive projects, including the one-day tour of Mihu recommended above. All tours from acrey can be found on Guide to Iceland.
If you want to take part in the one-day tour to Mihu from the capital, you can report the following, including the round-trip air ticket from Reykjavik to Akureyri in the north. You can take a plane at 8 a.m., arrive at Akureyri at 9 a.m., pick up at the airport at 10 a.m., and return to Akureyri Airport after the one-day tour to Mihu, and then fly back to the capital. Reykjavik is the capital airport, in the urban area, not the far international airport.
Those who come to Iceland for the basic roundabout can directly drive back to Reykjavik, the capital city, from akerei, with good scenery along the way.
Of course, Iceland has more fun than that. In fact, there are many special projects and niche routes to choose from. For example, in one or two days, you can go to the Sinai Peninsula in the west, and in three days, you can go to the Western fjord in the northwest corner. In the summer, there will be more projects, such as glacier tunnels, traveling inside volcanoes, inland highlands on the south bank, and the western islands. Iceland has a lot of variety, everyone can find the most suitable for their own.
The above is the most important, or the most concerned, points in Iceland. In fact, there are many charming sceneries in many small corners, but it's difficult to visit them all at once because of time.
The West fjords in the northwest and the Snaefellsnes in the West are all my favorite places. Compared with Reykjavik, Golden Circle, ice lake and blue lake, the tourists in these two areas are much less famous and less tourists.
If it's a counterclockwise roundabout, drive back to Reykjavik along the No.1 roundabout road from akurelli. You can take a small road to the Western fjord and sneiffer Peninsula, and then return to Reykjavik. However, it's better to set aside about two more days for each, otherwise it's not enough to go around these two areas.
——————————Sneiffer Peninsula——————————
If you drive to mount Sinai Peninsula, you can go back to the capital Reykjavik from acreli and live on the peninsula for another day. The main scenic spots are kirkjfell, stykkish ó lmur, arnerstapi, hellnar, Sn æ fellsj? Kull and Budir.
Scenery along the road of Mount Sinai Peninsula:
For those who don't drive, if you want to go to Snaefellsnes, you can go to guide to Iceland to find a summary of all the tour groups in the Sinai Peninsula, and choose the one that suits you according to the season, itinerary and price. I recommend the minibus group. The experience is better.
——————————Western fjord——————————
Even among Icelandic natives, westfjords is a bit of a minority. If you are a self driving friend around the island, you can spend two more days around westfjords if you have enough time.
If European and American people come to the Western Fjord, many of them are outdoor sports enthusiasts. They may spend a whole week hiking and doing a lot of outdoor activities here.
Scenery of Western fjord:
Two special groups are also introduced
Glacier tunnel
If you come to Iceland in the summer, you have a chance to enter the glacier tunnel. They dug a glacier tunnel hundreds of meters long in Langer glacier, the second largest glacier in Iceland, which was just opened in June 2015. This ice tunnel is a new hot spot for Icelandic tourism. Interestingly, when people dug the glacier tunnel, they also found a huge ice cave deep in the glacier. In addition to 200 meters deep into the glacier and enjoying the dazzling blue light from the ice, you can also hold a wedding in the ice hall. The ice tunnel is open every day in summer (June to September) with one day round trip. Winter time is relatively less frequent, need to participate in multi day group.
Inside the volcano
Thrihnukagigur in southern Iceland is the only volcano in the world that has access to its interior. It's very cool. It's a dormant volcano, 4000 years after the last eruption. This project will take you to the depth of 120 meters underground to explore the bottom of the crater, giving us a different perspective to explore the natural charm of Iceland.
Travel within the volcano is only available in summer (May 15 to October 15) and needs to be scheduled in advance. You can search the interior of Icelandic volcano.
One day super Jeep tour in landmannarauca, inland highlands:
This is a picture taken when I joined the mountain motorcycle
Recommended clothing: swimsuits (hot spring) - Assault suits, such as the waterproof clothes of northface outdoor brand, must be 100% waterproof, half length with hat, and the cuffs can be tightened. You can choose matching waterproof pants. If you don't want to, you must prepare more pairs of changeable pants, otherwise it's easy to catch up with the rain and get wet（ I don't need an umbrella. It's windy and can blow you to the sky. Many of the Icelandic travel suggestions I've seen are strong rubber soled shoes Hats, scarves, gloves - if it's autumn or winter, or if you plan to go to glaciers or inland Highlands, it's recommended to bring an extra blanket and thermos for a rainy day. Summer: people often describe the weather in Iceland as changing every 15 minutes, and they are likely to feel the four seasons in one day. I've seen pictures of people wearing T-shirt in Iceland in summer, but European and American people can wear flip flop in winter, which is questionable. It is recommended to take at least one thick coat. It will be cold in the north and in the glacier area. The length of the coat depends on the length of the jacket. It should not be longer than that of the jacket. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the jacket that is afraid of water to get wet. It's easy to replace the ones that are close to the body. Another disadvantage of long clothes is that it is not easy to put on and off when getting on and off, and there is a big temperature difference between inside and outside the car. Winter: Although Iceland's climate is not as cold as its name, it may still be at a relatively low temperature in recent months, the South may be near the freezing point, and the north and glacier areas may reach about minus 15 degrees. Due to the frequent windy weather in Iceland, the body temperature will be lower. In addition, the play over there is outdoor, so the clothes should be warm enough to support staying outside for a long time. Look at the aurora. Be fully armed. How to be strict.
Visa and airfare Icelandic visa is Schengen visa. My visa three times is not in the country, the reference is limited. In China, Beijing can go to the Icelandic embassy, and the Danish Consulate may be required to handle it in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Iceland's visa in many other countries is also handled by Denmark and other Nordic countries. Please go to the website of the embassy to find out which city you need to go to. Basically need a round-trip ticket itinerary, a hotel plan or confirmation (please see the latest requirements of the embassy), as well as travel insurance, a certain amount of travel money, etc. If you have ever held a Schengen visa or a British American visa, it will be easier (good record). It should be noted that many times when you apply for a Schengen visa from the Icelandic / Danish Embassy, it will grant you a few days. For example, when you apply for a Schengen visa from October 1 to 14, it is likely that it will grant a Schengen visa from October 1 to 14, or there will be a few days left before and after. So please at least plan the general itinerary first, and know that you are going to stay in Iceland for a few days before applying for a visa. Once you approve the itinerary, you will regret it. There is not much room for change.
About hotels
You can go to booking in hotels, but the booking list is not very complete. In the peak season, some good places or special cost-effective places will be set out quickly. If you really can't find it, I can help you find some places you don't have on booking.
In Reykjavik's words, I have lived in several middle and high-end hotels, including three middle and high-end hotels, one youth hostel Kex and one apartment hotel. At the end of the article, the introduction of Aurora and several hotels are supplemented. Iceland's youth travel conditions are very good. If you want to save travel expenses, you can definitely consider that Kex, Reykjavik, City Hostel and Loft Hostel are all well-known. In order to come to Iceland, we only need to book in advance in the peak season, but now Iceland is becoming more and more popular, and the off-season is not so light, so it is more stable to book in advance, in case of setting too late, the price is too expensive, or there is no empty room at all.
Compared with other countries, CYTS in Iceland is not very cheap, but it is definitely cost-effective considering local consumption.
About car rental
The advantage of guide to Iceland is that it combines all the major local car rental companies. You can compare the prices and get the best prices for similar cars. You don't have to ask one company after another. You can make a horizontal analogy like booking accommodation.
The advantage of renting a car is that the journey is completely free, and you can park at any time along the road to have a rest. Let's talk about safety. Off road is illegal in Iceland. Most of the roads on non main roads are gravel roads. Even for four-wheel drive vehicles, this kind of roads are not included in the ordinary insurance. Insurance must be bought just in case (in fact, it seems to be a rigid requirement, otherwise it will not be rented). It's not cost-effective to rent a big car when there are few people, but if you rent a small car, don't try to run some water casually. Sometimes the water looks very shallow, but there may be deep places where stones will trip. In addition, there is little still water there, most of them may be turbulent. The four-wheel drive we rented at that time almost died in the middle after crossing a river that looked very shallow and not wide. It's more adventurous and the budget is not a problem. The most powerful car rental option is the super jeep, which is a modified four-wheel drive car. I feel that the wheels are almost as high as those of the beetle and mini. If you don't go to the inland Highlands, it's not necessary in normal seasons. In winter, you can deal with deep snow more easily. Therefore, we need to prepare snow shovels and ice shovels for car rental in winter. We can try to consult the car rental company to see if they provide them. Of course, it may cost extra. A more secure way is to configure satellite phones, as well as GPS. There must be a telephone, at least an ordinary one that can be reached. There is a great possibility that someone needs help. GPS is not only convenient to find the way, but also easy to find hotels and gas stations. Try to avoid driving at night. In order to circle the island, we used to take a non ring road at night. It was in the mountains. It was foggy like halliburt's Dementor. Maybe we were really driving in the clouds (it was in the middle of the mountain anyway). At that time, the speed was kept within 20 kilometers per hour. On the road, we met a local car and agreed to go together. Unexpectedly, we thought they were driving too fast. We were cautious (and timid), and felt that we couldn't keep up with them. However, less than 30 seconds after they led the way, they slid down the main road and drove on the slope. Fortunately, the road shoulder is not steep and it is not planted in the cliff. So this is not a joke. If you are not careful, danger may happen at any time. They may be too confident as local. Fortunately, they met us at that time. We took one of the local people in the car to the next town. She asked her friends for help and went to the mountain to find the two people left in the car. In winter, many roads will be closed, and the No. 1 road around the island will be open all the year round. It is not ruled out that some roads will be temporarily closed due to heavy snow occasionally. The government will send cars to clear the snow on the road every day, but the efficiency can not be high enough to ensure that the road is free of snow at any time. In the end, it's up to you to be safe. There will be N1 gas stations along the No.1 highway. Don't wait until the fuel volume is very small to replenish. It is recommended to replenish within half a cylinder. You never know if there will be an emergency or where the next gas station is (although there are signs on the map and GPS, it's better to be careful).
About eating
There's not much need to eat big restaurants every meal. Information warfare and gas stations in various travel sites usually sell simple food, such as sandwiches, hot dogs, coffee, etc. It is suggested to buy some water, bananas, bread and bacon in the bonus supermarket and put them on the car, which is convenient and may save lives. We had two expensive meals in hofn and Akureyri (about $60 per person each time), but we didn't find anything particularly good, although both of them are famous local restaurants. In addition, Akureyri in the north can ask in the hotel. Many local restaurants have coupons in the hotel. In Leishi's case, you can ask more about the local people's recommendation. Besides the sea barons mentioned earlier, such as Icelandic Fish & chips and the Seafood Grill are all well-known local restaurants, I will try to introduce more to you in the future. In a word, fish, mutton and traditional mutton soup are characteristic Icelandic food. Oh, no, I forgot to mention skyr. It's a kind of dairy product handed down from the Viking era. It tastes like yogurt, but it should be close to cheese. Delicious ~ sold in supermarkets, skyr smoothie in blue lake is very delicious, and skyr cakes are very good. If you live in CYTS, you can buy materials in the supermarket and go back to CYTS for cooking, which is economical and palatable. Icelandic hotels have breakfast. You have to be full in the morning to have the strength to play. There is Chinese food in the capital, but it's terrible. There is a noodle soup shop, noodle station, on the road directly opposite the cathedral. I feel like Vietnamese flavor. The soup is a little sweet.
By the way, it's very convenient to use a credit card there. You can swipe a small amount of coffee without having to bring a lot of cash. If you change local currency, you can withdraw cash at the ATM in the city. Remember that you must have a savings card with foreign currency settlement, not a credit card. According to the exchange rate of the day settlement, there are certain fees.
Supplementary information
Look at the aurora
Whenever I talk to my friends about my experience of watching the aurora several times in Iceland, I always get tangled, especially when they say they want me to be an "expert" to bring them. Now, every time my good friend says this, I feel palpitation. Ah, let's not say that I am a self-taught expert. Even if I am a real expert, I am not an immortal. I have a lot of pressure, OK_ T 。 The most honest answer is, don't look at the aurora just to see it. Because it's hard to see aurora. Academically speaking, aurora is a process of large-scale discharge. Charged particles of the solar wind arrive near the earth, and the earth's magnetic lines force some of them to concentrate along the magnetic lines to the north and south poles. When charged particles enter the atmosphere (about 80 km above sea level), they collide with atoms and molecules (mainly nitrogen and oxygen) in the atmosphere and release energy to form aurora. Solar activity, solar wind and Aurora intensity are just as difficult to predict as weather. It is difficult to have accurate prediction of solar activity. We only know the big law of solar black word cycle. So it's impossible to predict Aurora activity accurately. But because it takes a while for the solar wind to reach the earth, scientists can predict the aurora intensity in 4-5 days before the solar wind particles hit the earth's face. The observation of Aurora includes the sun and the earth. Weather and cloud cover, as well as the brightness of the moon, will affect the Aurora Observation, such as:
The aurora intensity on the day of taking this picture was 6, which was rare among the rare (the aurora intensity was from 0 to 9, usually between 1-3). However, the cloud cover was large and the speed of drift was fast on that day, which fully showed the hazy beauty of the aurora. If expectations are too high, it is inevitable to be disappointed. In addition, professional photographers often choose the best Aurora works from thousands of works. Both photos and delay photography videos are the result of long-time exposure, which enlarges the brightness of the aurora. It's hard for the aurora to be as bright as the photo. At first, it may be just a ghost like shadow in the sky. The reality is likely to be that you are wrapped like a bear, but still want to cry, your neck is sour, and everything turns green at last（ The first time I went was to see everything turn green at the end Therefore, the best trip to the aurora should be on the premise of choosing the right season (hey, you go in summer, there is no Aurora at night in this big day, I say), and arrange a rich itinerary for the whole journey. For example, I went to Iceland for three times. The first time, I didn't find the shadow of the aurora at all. The second time, I spent more than 10 days in winter. Although I caught up with the solar wind and the intensity of the aurora exploded, due to various weather factors, the effect of seeing the aurora in four nights was still not ideal, which was a bit of a pity. The last time I went to see the Icelandic radio music festival, I didn't expect to see the aurora at all. But after the performance, I ran into the super gorgeous aurora. It was not only amazing in brightness, but also constantly changing. It was a night sky dance. So, don't look at the aurora just to see it. There are many interesting things to do in Iceland in
