James Buonincontri
Our trip, which took place Nov 11-18, was Amazing. We had excellent weather with only 1/2 day of rain at most. Our van, which can hold 20, had only 11 travelers including ourselves. We bonded so well - eating together and watching for the Northern Lights - that there was talk of a reunion trip to Italy in 2027. Each row of the van has 3 seats, 2 on one side of the aisle and one on the other. As such we could spread out. We kept the same seats throughout but our guide mentioned that he sometimes rotates seats if the van is full. Please note that there are luggage restrictions that would have been more important if we had a full van. Items can be left overnight in the van, Our guide, Thor, was excellent. He was very flexible with the stops we made, gave us plenty of time, let us know what to expect at all times and made plenty of WC stops. We generally departed between 8:30 and 9:30 - before sunrise and returned to hotels between 5 and 7. The sites are amazing as my 1000+ photos will attest. I note that some of the hotels are in rather remote areas. As such at least 3 had no restaurants on premise or nearby. We accordingly had to stop at convenience stores to either buy sandwiches or something to microwave in the hotels' common areas. It makes sense to have a better lunch as that was generally available. Three hotels had dinner, but two of which offered just two choices. The other hotel's restaurant had plenty of choices and Akureyri, second largest city, had plenty of good restaurants within walking distance. I don’t think any hotel had microwave or refrigerator in the room. Consider buying liquor (best prices at Duty-free as you arrive) to provide some entertainment at night. Accommodations at some locations were very plain - sometimes just a bed, chair and side table. Showers were clean and had plenty of hot water. The remoteness, however, lent itself to seeing the Northern Lights on at least 3 occasions. Note - these are best viewed through your I-phone as it picks up color not that visible to the naked eye. Breakfast was provided each morning and it varied from good to adequate. One hotel offered nothing hot and 1 piece of bread per person - I kid you not. I hope the tour never uses that place again but it did have the more spacious accommodations. I think it was some sort of time share not accustomed to providing breakfast. Please note that we basically drove the Ring Road covering 1400 miles (2250 kilometers). While we typically made frequent stops there were a few times when we drove for 2 or 3 hours, so bring something to read or listen to. Temperatures were slightly above or below freezing as was expected for that time of year. The van was always comfortable even with coats off. We wore hiking boots throughout We had trekking poles but only used them in the ice cave. They probably weren't necessary at all but I used them because I had them along. The poles may have been more useful if there was more snow on the ground. Effort-wise this was generally a very easy trip. The most demanding was the glacier hike. Two people declined. It makes sense to have something along if you don't do the hike to keep you occupied as there is nothing else to do but hang out in the van for 3 hours that day. For other excursions, our guide either took those not participating elsewhere or to our hotel. Note – mobility is a must on this trip for both getting in the van and walking about (did not see many or any ramps). Excursion wise, we did the Lava Cave and Vok baths. Both were worthwhile. The bath was after dark (sun sets early in mid-November). On the whale watch, the vendor provides a one-piece suit that floats (you would have to try hard to go overboard) and provides extra warmth. It can be worn over your winter jacket. And yes, we did see plenty of whales, including flukes but no breaches. Lastly, take notes as you go along as there is much to see and it becomes a little over-whelming as the trip goes on. It doesn't help that Icelandic words or hard to pronounce and remember.
