Iceland - Day Three
Ingólfshöfði Puffin Tour - Jökulsárlón Lagoon - Freysnes Glacier - Dyrhólaey - Gamla Fjosid Restaurant - Kvernufoss - Airbnb in Holt
Ingólfshöfði Puffin Tour
We can’t recommend booking tours enough. While pricey, they open up opportunities and access you wouldn’t ordinarily have. Iceland is home to the largest gatherings of Atlantic Puffins in the world and as avid birders, we wanted to experience that. While you can see puffins at Black Sand Beach and Dyrhólaey, it will be in smaller numbers and from great distances.
The Ingólfshöfði Puffin Tour is a family-owned business, offering tours on their private island to see puffins, tour the island, observe other sea birds, and take in some history of Iceland. While never a guarantee, we knew this would give us the best shot to see puffins up close. Booking this tour ended up being the best decision we made on the entire trip.
For those interested in photography, I brought my Nikon Z7ii and rented a Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens for the trip. I rented from LensRentals.com and have used them numerous times.
Trips can be booked through their website - we booked our tour the night before but I believe they can get pretty busy, so book in advance. We chose the “Puffin Tour” instead of the “Photo Tour” but had plenty of time, more than 30min, to just photograph the birds.
Parking and Restrooms: There is a parking lot at the end of a long gravel road as well as an outhouse.
ARRIVE EARLY - The tractor left the parking lot 2min after the tour start time and left behind people who were running late!
Dress in warm layers - The tractor ride out to the island was chilly, but walking up the embankment and walking around the island warms you up.
Can anyone do this tour? - Not anyone, but most people can do this tour with relative ease. If you have any mobility issues at all, it could be challenging. The tractor ride is a bit rough, you walk up a sandy, very steep embankment, and the rest of the walk is a bit rocky.
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon (Part 2)
We visited one side of the lagoon on our way to Höfn but stopped to visit the other side on the way back. We had only caught a glimpse of this other side in passing and the icebergs immediately caught our eye, so we knew we needed a second visit. This side of the lagoon has a well equipped parking lot and tons of restrooms, so it's a good stop to keep on your map.
Dyrhólaey
Dyrhólaey is a very popular spot for the beautiful views and iconic arched rock formation. It was incredibly busy during our visit and though the parking lot is small, we found a spot. Ultimately, we weren't overwhelmed by the experience as we’d been spoiled by Ingólfshöfði also boasted impressive views but was far less crowded. I think most visitors really need about 30min Dyrhólaey (not including driving and parking). It's definitely worth a visit but you don't need to build your day around it.
You can view Dyrhólaey on the map here
Parking and Restrooms: The drive up the mountain is long and winding and it’s a very busy spot in the afternoons. Unfortunately, there are not restrooms.
Time needed: 45min to drive up, park, and take in views.
Gamla Fjosid Restaurant
Gamla Fjosid merits it’s own shoutout; it was delicious and unexpected. With limited hours and a young staff, it’s best to be patient while you're there, but everyone is extremely kind and the food is outrageously good and hearty. Everything in the restaurant is locally sourced and made on site including the meats, bread, jams and jellies, and cake. We highly recommend the steak sandwich, truly one of the best we’ve ever had.
The restaurant is located 12 min from Skogafoss and Kvernufoss so it's a great stop if you need a bite to eat.
AirBnb Near Skogafoss Waterfall
in Holt Iceland
We aren’t budget travelers but also aren’t luxury travelers. We needed an Airbnb that was centrally located, had views, and had laundry and Wallnatún Cabin fit the bill.
Book Early - We booked our Airbnbs and hotels somewhere around 6 months prior to the trip. You’ll find the best places go quickly.
Choose Airbnb’s with laundry - Packing camera and winter gear meant that there was little room for daily clothes, so laundry access was great.
Bring sleeping masks - Not all Airbnb's have blackout curtains. If you're visiting in the spring and summer, Iceland will not get dark. Having sleeping masks makes a world of difference.
If you drink, snag a twist top bottle of wine or some beer at customs at the airport where it's much cheaper and enjoy a drink at the end of a long day.
Ask your host for recs or check out their guides - our host sent us to what ended up being our favorite waterfall.
