
Ultimate Guide to Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
No-one has missed the beautiful black beaches of Iceland on Instagram. Wanting to know more about how to visit this spot? See our ultimate guide to Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland.
Our staff will respond to your query promptly and provide detailed information to your questions.
8 days - Self-drive independent tour with Silfra snorkelling, glacier walking and into the volcanoes.
Experience the thrills of the great outdoors on this Iceland tour. This self-drive journey allows you to explore the sights at your own pace and includes countryside boutique accommodation that lets you fully recharge for each day’s adventures.
This is a full-throttle holiday that features the best Iceland's southern region has to offer. Explore the insides of a volcano, go whale watching in a RIB boat and snorkel in the crystal clear water in the Silfra fissure. Depending on the season, glacier walking, kayaking and ice climbing are also included in this active tour. Finally, soak your weary bones in the Blue Lagoon with our comfort package.
A perfect blend of energetic pursuits and breathtaking sights, this trip is bound to leave you breathless!
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Transfers & self-drive with rental vehicle
The activities are seasonal and will be substituted depending on what you want to do and what is available.
Extra car insurance, such as S-CDW and gravel protection.
If you wish to hire an automatic car, these are 'on request' and can be difficult to obtain. Please seek further advice with us.
Flight tickets to/from start and end points, any airport taxes, travel insurance, visas, gratitudes and any items of personal nature.
Price per person, twin share. There are a five premium included activities on this tour. Due to the current volatility of the Icelandic Króna (ISK) and car hire costs, this price is indicative. We are happy to individually quote this tour for you.
The age limit for this tour is 14. We can adjust the itinerary to suit families with smaller kids by changing the activities.
The accommodation in this itinerary comprises some of Iceland’s best countryside properties, which are in short supply during the peak summer season Jun-Aug. Booking early is essential.
Driving in Iceland:
A hire car cannot be driven in the Highlands area. In regards to gravel roads; technically you’re not recommended to take a hire car on gravel roads, but in Iceland you may not have a choice. Some guesthouses are located on gravel road. Consider getting extra car insurance with gravel protection if it is something that might worry you. Ask us about what car would suit you - as it depends on the time of year and where you want to go!
When driving in Iceland, plan that all your destinations are going to take longer to reach than planned. Most of the time it is because you are going to make unanticipated stops to check out a waterfall, a viewpoint, a museum, or a shop. Sometimes it is also that traffic is just slow, animals may be crossing the road, or there is bad weather. If you build some extra time into your day, you won’t have to be rushing around at the end of the day.
For more Iceland driving rules and tips and to stay up to date on road conditions, check out the Road Conditions website and for all kinds of safety and travel information in Iceland check out the Safe Travel website. Bookmark both of these websites before you start your drive in Iceland.
No-one has missed the beautiful black beaches of Iceland on Instagram. Wanting to know more about how to visit this spot? See our ultimate guide to Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland.
Soak in a lava field & fine dine in your dressing gown - make the most of your visit to the Blue Lagoon.
For fully vaccinated travellers, Iceland now presents a great little high-end escape opportunity away from the usual crowds. Visit this summer and fingers crossed, you can also hike out to see the newly erupting volcano, a stone's throw away from Reykjavik.
Conditions in Iceland are in many ways unusual and often quite unlike what foreign drivers are accustomed to. It is, therefore, very important to read about driving conditions and if this type of tour suits you.
Road conditions in Iceland vary substantially. Highway 1 (Þjóðvegur 1) is mostly paved, but other country roads are often very narrow, steep and unpaved. Those unfamiliar with such conditions often find it difficult to drive on Icelandic roads, especially in winter. We advise all travellers to gain information before heading off to the roads and recommend driving a 4wd during the winter (October - March). Please visit the website www.safetravel.is for further information.
Before you get in your car and have to dial 112, please check the road conditions en route to your destination with this very informative map.
This atlas/guidebook/crazy facts book is also recommended.
Most of the farms and guesthouses have good signs on the roads and are marked on detailed maps. However we advise all travellers to buy good maps (e.g. 1:500 000) and to go over the route before the journey. If lost do not hesitate to call the accommodation and ask for directions.
The most useful map in the car and essential companion to the Iceland Road Atlas is the KORTABOK, beautifully designed by Hans H. Hansen, on a scale of 1:300 000. It can be found in all good bookstores and the better gas stations.
There are also some new mobile Apps that you can use to guide you.
**Just a note: you often stay at a different accommodation each night on these self-drive itineraries. Be sure to pack with this in mind. **
Check-in is usually after 14:00 and check-out before 12:00 but it can vary between the accommodation. The farmers should be notified if you intend on arriving later than 18:00.
Dinner is available in most of the farms and guesthouses. Some of them have fantastic restaurants with well known chefs while others offer more traditional meals in their own kitchen! Lamb and fish are amongst the most common dishes in Iceland.
Accommodation places we book for you do evening meals. When staying in the smaller farms it is often a good idea to give them a call in the morning if you wish to have dinner in the evening. This way you will also know what time dinner is served (on smaller farms there's usually a set time, around 7-8pm or so). Some of the bigger places have a restaurant that might be open for a few hours each night. Cost for a basic soup & bread dinner is around ISK2000 (roughly AUD20), 3 course meals (which are usually excellent) are around ISK4000-6000 (AUD 40-60), depending what you order. Glass of house wine was around ISK1100 (AUD11) in most places.
For lunch you can stop at petrol stations for example (they usually serve little sandwiches etc.), but I would probably recommend having some snacks (fruit, biscuits, nuts etc.) in the car, as the more remote locations won't necessarily have too many options.
Petrol stations also sell coffee and hot chocolate. Be sure to find the 'self heating' hot chocolate (and coffee) cans that you can get in some places ( Buy a few of these if you see them, and have them in the car).
Usually, horseback riding can be booked on the spot. Day tours and longer tours however must be booked in advance.
It is not necessary to drive a 4 wheel drive car in summer unless you are crossing the highland and F-marked roads.
The summer months, June, July and August, is the most popular time to visit Iceland. However spring and fall can be just as nice, especially for those who want to enjoy the tranquility of the countryside. If you are looking for a unique experience, a winter visit will be unforgettable with the northern lights and a magical landscape.
Some farmers in Iceland supplement their low farming income and cater for tourists, and the most natural way of doing that is building cabins on their land. They are reasonably basic, with private facilities in the cabins and rooms. The meals offered on the farm stays are generally traditional home made food featuring locally sourced ingredients from their own farm or neighbouring farms, such as geothermally grown vegetables, organic beef and lamb, freshly caught fish and home baked bread.