Solo Female Travel & Backpacking in Iceland

Solo travel experience

I couldn’t decide when I got to Reykjavik whether to do day tours or rent a car. I went to the Blue Lagoon with a group, then rented a car and drove the whole country by myself in 6 days. Loved the freedom and the further I got out of Reykjavik the more I loved it. Went to all the main waterfalls, frisées, etc. Stayed in private rooms in hostels and ended up giving several people rides and loved the company.

Couple travel experience

We went in October. Went to Blue Lagoon and Sky lagoon. Sky lagoon was less crowded and newly open. Our hotel was about 1 mile from the center and we walked everywhere. In Reykjavik there was the rainbow street and so many restaurants and stores close by.

Solo travel experience

Iceland is a very safe place to drive around. I rented a car and drove to Vik by myself. It was beautiful. I pulled over so many times to take pictures, wasn't a problem at all. Just don't speed as the fine is heavy.

Group travel experience

I rented a car and drove the ring road. I stayed in AirB&Bs all the way around. My sister came with me. I got a WiFi hotspot for the rental car so we had signal everywhere (costly, but gave us peace of mind). We made it a rule that if either of us wanted to stop, we did, which was awesome and we saw some really cool things because of it. We packed peanut butter and flour tortillas because we heard the food was crazy expensive, it was a great snack/ lunch we had everyday while walking all the waterfalls and landscapes.

Solo travel experience

Iceland is incredible. I rented a car and used Reykjavik as a home base and did day trips from there. Did the Golden Circle (so many tours busses to use if you don’t have a car), Iceland’s southern coast, Blue Lagoon- amazing and in my opinion 100% worth it, and also did horseback riding with Icelandic horses.

Solo travel experience

I’ve been to Iceland twice. It’s incredible. I stayed right in Reykjavik (a hostel in town), I signed up for tours, so I was picked up, and everything was included. I found this much easier than trying to navigate the country myself.

Group travel experience

I went in the middle of Oct. It was fantastic and we saw the lights. Driving is super simple and safe. I was based in Reykjavik and did full day trips out. I highly recommend the snaefellsnes peninsula. So much to see and do. Lots of things are very expensive so shopping at the grocery store like Bonus is a great way to save money by making your own lunch. There are landmark signs (they are blue & white) on the roads and suggest pulling off there because there is something pretty cool there. We got to see a glacier by doing that.

Solo travel experience

I went to blue lagoon, northern lights trip, golden circle and south coast with beautiful Black Beach. I wasn’t a big fan of booking trips before but now I think it’s good to have a guide that tells you stories on the way, you can learn interesting facts. I recommend the Maritime Museum and be careful where you shop, some supermarkets are really expensive.

Itinerary: Day 1: Þingvellir, Strokkur, Gullfoss Falls Day 2: Kerið Crater, LAVA Centre, Seljalandsfoss Day 3: Skógafoss, various waterfalls, Sólheimajökull Day 4: Jökulsárlón. Ice cave tour, Diamond Beach Day 5: Reykjavik Day 6: Reykjavik Day 7: Reykanes peninsula Safety: Super safe and nice place Recommendations: Iceland is incredible and you can see most of it in 7 days, but it's expensive.

Itinerary: Day 1 - Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik Day 2 - Golden Circle Day 3 - Dogsledding Day 4 - South Coast waterfalls Day 5 - Jokulsarlon and Skaftafell Day 6 - Reykjavik Day 7 - Snaefellsnes Safety: I never once felt unsafe driving around Iceland on my own Recommendations: Iceland is amazing but it’s also the most expensive place I've been to.