5 Days in Iceland: A Solo Traveler's Honest Journal
I went to Iceland in early October expecting dramatic landscapes. I got dramatic landscapes plus $12 beers, mandatory naked showers, and a sheep standing in the middle of a highway staring me down like I owed it money.
Day 1: Arrival and Sticker Shock
Keflavik Airport (KEF) is 50 km from Reykjavik. I'd pre-booked a rental car ($65/day compact) because public transport outside the city is essentially nonexistent. The drive into Reykjavik at 7AM was otherworldly — lava fields stretching to the horizon, moss-covered rocks, and not a single tree.
Iceland doesn't have trees. I mean, it has some. But coming from anywhere with forests, the treeless landscape is jarring and oddly beautiful.
Checked into a guesthouse near Laugavegur — Reykjavik's main shopping street. Walked to Hallgrimskirkja, the iconic church with a facade inspired by basalt lava columns. The tower elevator costs ~$12 and gives the best panoramic views in Reykjavik. The church itself is free and the organ is enormous.
Grabbed an Icelandic hot dog at Baejarins Beztu (~$5), a stand that's been here since 1937. Lamb hot dog with raw and crispy fried onions, sweet mustard, and remoulade. Bill Clinton ate here and it's the one celebrity endorsement I trust.
Dinner at a basic restaurant on Laugavegur: fish and chips and a beer. $42. I stared at the check for a long time. Iceland is expensive. Not "European expensive" — Singapore-level expensive. A basic meal: $30-50. A beer: $8-12. This is when I discovered Bonus supermarket (look for the pink pig logo) and committed to cooking most of my own meals.
Day 2: The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is Iceland's most popular day trip: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall. All three are free to visit. The drive from Reykjavik is about 6 hours with stops.
Thingvellir is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart. You can walk between them in Almannagja gorge. Standing in a rift between two continents is the kind of thing that makes your problems feel insignificant. This is also where the Icelandic Althing (parliament) was founded in 930 AD — one of the oldest in the world.
Geysir: Strokkur erupts every 5-10 minutes, shooting boiling water 20-30 meters into the air. The original Great Geysir (which gave all geysers their name) is mostly dormant. Stand upwind or you'll get a face full of sulfurous steam.
Gullfoss: a massive two-tiered waterfall that's genuinely breathtaking even in the rain. Which it was. Sideways rain, actually, because Iceland wind doesn't understand the concept of vertical precipitation. Bring waterproof everything — jacket, pants, phone case.
Drove back to Reykjavik through a landscape that looked like Mars. Cooked pasta and canned fish at the guesthouse. $6 dinner.
Day 3: South Coast — Waterfalls and Black Sand
Drove 2 hours east to the South Coast. This is the day Iceland broke my brain.
Seljalandsfoss: a 60-meter waterfall you can walk behind. I'm serious — there's a path behind the water curtain. Bring waterproof gear because you WILL get soaked. The path is slippery. Wear proper shoes. Worth every drop.
Skogafoss: a dramatic 60-meter curtain waterfall with stairs to the top. The mist at the base creates permanent rainbows on sunny days. I climbed the 527 steps and at the top, the river continues inland toward glaciers. I stood at the edge of a cliff with the waterfall roaring below and the green valley stretching to the horizon and thought, "This can't be real."
Then Reynisfjara black sand beach near Vik. Jet-black sand, basalt column sea stacks, and Atlantic waves that kill people. I'm not being dramatic — rogue waves (sneaker waves) have swept tourists off this beach. Never turn your back on the ocean. Stay well away from the waterline. The signs are there for a reason.
The basalt columns at the east end of the beach look like a giant pipe organ carved by a mad architect. I sat on one and ate a sandwich while waves crashed 50 meters away.
Drove back to Reykjavik. Cooked more pasta. Stared at the northern sky but it was cloudy. No aurora tonight.
Day 4: Sky Lagoon and Reykjavik
I'd planned to do the Blue Lagoon but it was sold out (book 2-4 weeks ahead, from ~$60). Instead I went to Sky Lagoon — a newer geothermal lagoon 15 minutes from downtown with an infinity-edge ocean view. Entry from ~$55 for Pure, $80 for Sky (which includes the 7-step ritual — sauna, cold plunge, steam room, body scrub).
The mandatory naked shower before entering is non-negotiable. Signs show which body parts to wash. Staff will send you back if you try to shower in your swimsuit. Icelanders don't think twice about communal nudity. I am not Icelandic. But I did it, and after 30 seconds of awkwardness it was fine.
The lagoon itself: hot geothermal water, steam rising off the surface, the North Atlantic stretching to the horizon. I soaked for two hours and my body forgave me for three days of driving.
Afternoon in Reykjavik: walked the Grandi harbor area for excellent seafood restaurants. The Reykjavik Maritime Museum is small but interesting. Laugavegur shopping street comes alive on Friday nights — Icelandic design shops, craft stores, and bars.
Evening: joined a Northern Lights tour ($70). Drove 30 minutes outside the city to escape light pollution. Waited in the cold for an hour. Then the sky turned green.
The aurora borealis is impossible to describe without sounding like a terrible poet. But I'll try: curtains of green light rippling across the sky like the universe was breathing. It lasted 45 minutes. I forgot I was cold. I forgot I was standing in a field. The guide said this was a "moderate" display. I can't imagine what "strong" looks like.
Day 5: Departure via Blue Lagoon (Planned Better)
KEF airport is near the Blue Lagoon — this is the strategic move. I'd rebooked for a morning slot on departure day ($60 Comfort package). Arrived at 8AM, soaked in milky-blue mineral water with a face mask and a drink (included in Premium, not Comfort). The volcanic landscape surrounding the lagoon looks like a science fiction set.
Two hours of soaking. Then drove 10 minutes to KEF airport, returned the car, and flew home smelling faintly of sulfur.
Rent a campervan and drive the Ring Road (7-10 days)
Come in September for better aurora chances with some remaining daylight
Budget $150-200/day and cook half my meals
Pack more waterproof layers
Skip the city restaurants and embrace the Bonus supermarket lifestyle
Iceland isn't comfortable. It's expensive, windy, wet, and the daylight situation (near-24 hours in summer, near-zero in winter) messes with your internal clock. But standing behind a waterfall, soaking in a geothermal lagoon, and watching the sky turn green — that's the kind of uncomfortable that changes how you see the world.
Pack rain gear. Check road.is and vedur.is daily. Shower naked without complaining. That's the Iceland playbook.
