The Best Way to Book Your Iceland Trip while Saving Time and Money
My Iceland trip is by far my favorite trip that I’ve gone on. It was also the first trip that I’ve gone outside of the United States and without my family. It was a big first trip for someone that really had no experience doing anything like this. I had no idea what to expect or what I was doing when I was booking this trip. But we found our way there and had the best week of our lives there. In this article I’m going to show you the best way to book your Iceland trip while saving time and money.
If you’re planning your Iceland trip for the first time this year and don’t know where to start, then this article is for you! Looking for a way to have the time of your life and save money in the process? We got you covered.
In this article I will go over a few strategies and tips that we used on our trip to Iceland. I am also going to reference the best travel company Iceland has to offer. And no, I do not make commission off of this, I solely want to shout them because they made our experience in Iceland the best it could’ve been!
Accommodation
The biggest spender in Iceland is going to be the hotels by far. You’re most likely going to stay in downtown Reykjavik as that is the main capital of Iceland and the center of your travels.
Do NOT go hotel. Instead opt for an AirBnb. Some of the hotels in the city are running around $300 USD a night. For a family or couple that are there for a week that is over $2000 just in a place to sleep for a week.
I spent less than $2000 USD in 8 days in Iceland and I am going to show you how and break it down for you.
My share of the Airbnb we stayed in was ~ $250 for 8 nights. We stayed in a small downstairs area in a little neighborhood outside the city. Even in this Airbnb it was less than a 10 minute walk to where the bus stop was. It was perfect. It was small, had a bathroom, kitchen and laundry room. It was not fancy but it did the job. And for less than $60 / night I was more than happy to pay that.
Tip #1 – Avoid staying in a hotel. They up charge as they know they can make a killing there when the Airbnb’s are more than sufficient for your stay.
Food
The first thing my girlfriend and I did when we got there was go grocery shopping at the local market. We got things for peanut butter and jelly. Fruit, granola bars and nuts. We got ramen noodles, yogurt, and pasta. I know this may not sound appetizing, but two recent college grads had to save money any way they could. We had yogurt and fruit in the morning, packed a PB&J for lunch everyday, and had ramen for dinner or a late night snack.
Of course we ate out when we were there and tried new restaurants a couple of the days, but we also enjoyed packing our lunches and cutting costs on food whenever we could.
Keep in mind Iceland is a very expensive country to travel to for tourists due to the imports.
If you’re looking for some of the best places to eat check out my article on that here.
The lamb is the best thing in Iceland in my opinion. (see Below)
My total spend on food including coffee, dinners, groceries etc was $330.29. Keep in mind I was with my girlfriend and we split a good amount of things, but my portion was less than $350. For 8 days worth of food! I know some people that could spend that in one day!
Transportation
In Iceland, you really do not need to rent a car. Especially if you’re staying in Reykjavik. There are many transportation options, buses, cabs, scooters etc to get around the city and outside of the city, very easily.
Like I mentioned we had a bus tour company that I am going to talk about in the next section that had a bus pick us up in the same spot every single day. And that bus would take us everywhere we needed to go for that day and hit the spots we needed to see.
If you want to check out the city they have city busses or taxis or you can just walk. The city of Reykjavik isn’t that large and it’s very easily walk able, and that is what we did on the day we stayed in the city. A car was never needed for us. There was ready transportation for us to and from the airport and shuttles running constantly when we needed them.
My total spend on transportation for this trip was $97.19. This includes the bus shuttle from the airport when we first got there and two taxi rides we had to take as well when we were there. The tours include all transportation with their ticket.
Excursions
Now you’re probably wondering, ok I get it. You can cut down on costs for the necessities, but how do you expect me to see all of what Iceland has to offer?
There are several different bus tour companies in Iceland that will take you all around the island to many different places. There are different tours for anything you can think of.
The name of the tour company we used was called “Bus Travel Iceland”
We used this company everyday we were there and these are the tours we went on:
- Grand Golden Circle Tour
- Northern Lights Bus Tour
- South Coast Waterfalls, Glacier and Black Sand Beach Tour
- Snaefellsnes Peninsula Tour (My favorite Tour)
- Hike to Volcanic Eruption Sites & Reykjanes Tour
- Blue Lagoon Transportation and drop off (MUST DO when in Iceland)
Those are some of the most popular tours that hit the really big spots of Iceland. Of course they have many more other tours and excursions that you can go on as well!
The guides were all so charismatic and knowledgeable about everything. Any questions you had, they had an answer for it. They made the experience very enjoyable.
The way the tours worked was they picked you up in downtown Reykjavik. There are several different bus stops they stop at within the city. Then they drive you to your locations, all along the way the guide is talking to you, telling you stories, giving you some information on the country and parts of the island you’re expecting to see. The run rain, snow or shine!
Once you get to a location they will typically drop you off for an hour or two to get out and explore the area on your own, then head back onto the bus and head to the next location. These are pretty much all day tours and you get to do and see a lot, all without having to worry about driving.
The drive to each location is about an hour or so in between, but the stories the guides tell and the mystical landscapes of the country side make the time fly by and you really will feel like you are on a completely different planet. Also yes the buses have wifi!
Snaefellsnes Peninsula Tour (My favorite Tour) – Do NOT miss this one. This tour isn’t as popular as some of the other ones are and it gets missed. However it shouldn’t. For this tour we were on a small shuttle with about a dozen other people, people from all over different parts of the world. A smaller group means you’re able to talk and meet more people. It’s always super fun and interesting to hear their stories.
The guide was amazing, driving through a blizzard like it was nothing, telling us stories of his life and upbringing in Iceland. We went to secluded spots and waterfalls that no other big tour group was at. Walked along a frozen pond, picked up huge rocks on the black sand beaches, went to the edge of the country over hanging the Arctic Ocean and more!
We of course stopped for breakfast and lunch along the way and got to talk and mingle as a group which was a really fun aspect of the tour. I can’t recommend it enough.
My total spend for all the tours was $477
This is by far the best way to visit and explore Iceland. Booking through a reliable tour company that knows what they’re doing. Let them take the reigns and plan your days, all you have to do is show up and go along for the ride!
Flight / Misc Spending
Now obviously the flight is going to vary based on where in the world you are. We were able to get a direct flight from JFK for under $500. This is where your biggest expense is going to be by far, but you can use credit card points and other booking strategies such as planning in advance, comparing sites for the best deals etc.
I usually always book my trips through Expedia. I just find out super easy and convenient as they show me all the flights that are available and compare prices from other sites as well. I don’t think you’re going to get anything cheaper by going directly through an airlines website.
Souvenirs – Aside from the flight, you’re of course going to want to get some souvenirs to bring home with you. In downtown Reykjavik there are a ton of different gift shops you can look at it. I always love to get a few t-shirts as well as a shot glass and sticker for our collections.
Total spent on Souvenirs – $69.82 – this included two t-shirts that were 2 for $30, two shot glasses, a postcard and Iceland candy for my family.
Rapid Fire Tips
- How many days do I need? At least a week
- Is it a good country for solo travel? Yes, absolutely, Iceland is the safest country in the world and very kind to tourists
- When is the best time to go? I’d say in the fall for the real Iceland experience. It’s chilly but not super cold like in the winter. The summer is also very nice.
- Do they know English? Yes, everyone there can speak English
- Can I see the Northern Lights? You have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the fall and winter time. You can take a bus tour to go looking for them but you’re not guaranteed to see them. You need a really good camera to capture the lights
Conclusion
My total spend for the entire trip was $1674.30 USD. (Keep in mind my girlfriend and I split the expenses so this was my portion). That was for eight days and seven nights in Iceland. If you’re a first timer looking to go to Iceland I highly recommend you follow the tips in this article and the other guides on my page.
If you want to try to do it on your own, rent a car and explore the country on your own time you’re more than welcome too. However you’re looking at a lot more money, time and troubles. Especially if you’re going in the fall / winter time, the Iceland roads are not the best.
Having a dedicated driver, a knowledgeable tour guide, a bus full of other tourists sharing the same experiences as you, is just a feeling I’ll never forget. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything during my trip and I would do the same thing again if and when I go back.
I hope this guide helped. Iceland is a very expensive country, but a country that everyone needs to visit at least once in their life.
5 Reasons why everyone should visit Iceland at least once in their life.