Do you dream of visiting Iceland and seeing the majestic fjords and grand waterfalls? I was recently in Iceland, and I’ve got some great Iceland travel tips to help you have the best time ever on your first trip to this incredible island. Whether you’re going for a couple of days or a couple of weeks, these are some very valuable things NOT to do!
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If you’re short on time, click the links below to skip ahead to each of the things not to do in Iceland:
- Not bringing waterproof clothing.
- Tipping everyone everywhere in Iceland.
- Paying for water.
- Overbooking your itinerary.
- Not giving yourself enough time to explore.
- Taking a tour bus instead of renting a car.
- Exchanging all your money for Icelandic krona.
- Not booking your accommodations and excursions in advance.
- Forgetting to get travel insurance.
- Buying all your alcohol outside the airport.
- Not trying all the Icelandic food.
- Not shopping at traditional stores.
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Here are 12 things NOT to do in Iceland!
Iceland, the land of fire and ice, captivates travelers with its otherworldly landscapes, rich Viking heritage, and awe-inspiring natural wonders. From the ethereal dance of the Northern Lights to the powerful eruptions of geysers, this Nordic island nation offers experiences unlike any other destination. However, as enticing as traveling to Iceland may be, it’s crucial to be prepared and aware of what to do and not to while there.
Here are 12 mistakes you don’t want to make when traveling to Iceland, whether it’s your first time or you’ve been before.
1. Not bringing waterproof clothing.
I was there in August, and it rained every single day, with highs of only 55 degrees. So, I was freezing and wet most of my trip. Make sure to bring waterproof hiking boots; don’t bring water-resistant ones, bring waterproof ones. I also had a waterproof rain jacket and a waterproof jacket and brought a poncho.
I also brought layers: tank tops, vests, and long-sleeve shirts. Each day, I needed my jacket, raincoat, tank top, and/or T-shirt. It just depended on where I was and what I was doing at that exact moment because the weather is so unpredictable in Iceland.
2. Tipping everyone everywhere in Iceland.
In Iceland, it’s not common to tip. You do not need to tip your waiters or other typical service people in Iceland because they make a living wage. If you feel like tipping your guides when you’re taking a day trip or something like that, I’m sure that is welcome because that is great beer money. In general, however, you do not need to tip while you’re in Iceland.
3. Paying for water.
There’s no need to buy water while you’re in Iceland. All you need is an empty water bottle! Just fill up with the water coming out of the tap or, when you’re doing some hikes, from the streams and the rivers. It is very pure, beautiful, beautiful glacial water, and it is very safe to drink.
4. Overbooking your itinerary.
Don’t overbook your itinerary and don’t plan too much in too short a window of time. The Ring Road, which is very famous, is actually 820 miles. You can’t do it in a couple of days, so make sure that you leave enough time to do everything that you want to do.
When going in summer, I recommend you plan two or three sights in the day—that’s it! The distances are very far from point A to point B, and you want to spend a good amount of time at each one. You think it may take 30 or 45 minutes to see a beautiful waterfall like Skogafoss; however, it may take you a couple of hours.
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5. Not giving yourself enough time to explore.
Make sure that you give yourself enough time in Iceland to really explore. It is not worth going to Reykjavik for a couple of days and taking two tourist buses that day. If that’s all the time you have, I guess that will work. But it is such a beautiful country that I highly recommend you go for a week or two, take your time, and see all the sights and everything that you want to do.
6. Taking a tour bus instead of renting a car.
I don’t recommend taking a tourist bus for three or four days in the southern part of the island. I highly recommend renting a car instead. The roads are very clear and clean as long as you stay on the main road. It’s really easy to do what you want when you want if you rent a car. In summer, there are 20 hours of sunlight, so you might be able to go to things when it’s 10:00 at night and absolutely nobody else is there, which is amazing!
Before we go on to other tips, I’m going to give you a couple of car tips:
- Do not speed! There are speed traps and cops, and it’s common to get pulled over as a tourist and get a $200 ticket. Sometimes, they charge you on the spot, and you better have cash or a credit card on hand.
- Make sure you rent a car at the international airport, not the domestic airport in Reykjavik. The international airport is about an hour away from the city, but if you’re already in the city, then of course you can rent a car from the city airport.
- Also, make sure you rent a car appropriate for the style of travel you’re going to be doing. If you’re going to be on the main road, say, throughout the south of Iceland, a two-wheel drive and just a little four-door car is great. But if you intend on going off-road, make sure that you have the appropriate insurance and a four-wheel drive.
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7. Exchanging all your money for Icelandic krona.
Iceland’s currency is the Icelandic krona, but you really don’t need a lot of cash here. It’s relatively easy to pay for everything with a credit card, even when you’re just buying a bottle of water. I know, I just said don’t buy a bottle of water, but sometimes to use a bathroom in a gas station when you don’t need gas, you have to buy a bottle of water. To be honest, I didn’t get any Icelandic krona while I was there.
8. Not booking your accommodations and excursions in advance.
A big mistake to avoid is not booking your accommodation and excursions in advance. And when I say in advance, I’m talking two or three months. In Iceland, the only way to save money is to book these things long in advance because things do book out, and then all that’s left right before your trip are the most expensive hotels. The same thing for the excursions.
If you want to go to Silfra and snorkel along the fissure, hike the glaciers, or do anything similar, those tours actually book out quickly, especially in high season. So, make sure that you book everything as far in advance as possible.
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9. Forgetting to get travel insurance.
Don’t ever forget travel insurance, no matter where you go. It’s so valuable in case something goes wrong on your trip! My favorite is Travelex. And not only do I have travel insurance, but I have a yearly policy for MedJet, which is medical evacuation from anywhere in the world as long as I’m 150 miles away. If, for example, something horrible happened while I was in Iceland and I was in the hospital, I could get home for free because MedJet covers the cost of all of those flights. You don’t need it until you NEED it!
10. Buying all your alcohol outside the airport.
Another way to save some money is to make sure you buy all of your alcohol duty-free at the airport. You can buy up to six bottles of wine, and I believe it’s a liter and a half of liquor, when you’re at duty-free when you land at the international airport in Reykjavik. It is so worth it! It is so expensive to buy alcohol when you’re in the country, so make sure to buy it duty-free.
11. Not trying all the Icelandic food.
Another mistake to avoid is not trying the Icelandic food. It is sometimes a bit weird, but it is well worth trying some of the unique delicacies. One is a fermented shark; did it taste good? No. Am I glad I tried it? Yes. They also have dried fish crackers with homemade butter, which may sound gross, but they were absolutely delicious!
Iceland is also famous for hot dogs, which are made with lamb, beef, and pork. They are delicious even though they’re expensive, around $15. Actually, the best piece of cod I’ve ever had was in Hofn on the south coast. It was so divine! I am not a big cod eater, but it was so, so good. So, make sure that you’re trying the typical Icelandic foods while you’re in the country.
12. Not shopping at traditional stores.
When buying Icelandic sweaters, make sure you’re buying them in a traditional store, not one of the big, well-known stores throughout Iceland. Also, make sure to read the tag because some of the Icelandic sweaters are not even made from Icelandic wool; they’re made in China.
I bought a beautiful Icelandic sweater from a lady’s house. There was a little sign in her window that said, “Come around back, I make sweaters.” I picked out the most beautiful sweater and actually paid less than I would have on the high street buying an imitation Icelandic sweater.
Did you enjoy these Iceland travel tips?
So, that sums up my mistakes and things not to do in Iceland! If you have any Iceland travel tips that you recommend, make sure to put them in the comments below. Also, check out this video on Iceland if you want more tips and suggestions.
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