How 2 Broke College Students Visited Iceland for a Week for Less than $1700: How to Guide
See how someone with no travel experience and no money visited Iceland for 8 days, and how you can do the exact same thing!
This 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.
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 $1700 USD in 8 days in Iceland and I am going to show you how and break it down for you.
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 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.
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Food
The first thing my girlfriend and I did when we got there was go grocery shopping at the local market. We got 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.
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We opted for bus tours to take us around to see the spots!
If you want to check out the city they have city busses, taxis or you can just walk. The city of Reykjavik isn’t that large and it’s very walkable.
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 were 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.
- 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)
- Dynjandi Waterfall & Iceland Farm Visit Tour (Incredible Waterfall and awesome experience)
- Iceland is also a great place for Whale Watching Tours!
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!
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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.
They picked you up in downtown Reykjavik early in the morning and off you went!
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 countryside make the time fly by and you really will feel like you are on a completely different planet. Also, yes, the buses have wifi!
Check out the link below for my favorite tour and why it was my favorite
The One Small-Group Iceland Tour I’ll Never Stop Recommending
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!
Now if you’re a Game of Thrones fan like me? I’m sure you know that they did a lot of their filming in Iceland. Don’t worry, I have a whole guide on 6 Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Iceland You Can Visit
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.
When I visited Iceland, I used my credit card points to help pay the flight.
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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.
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.
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