Hi!
My wife and I just got back from this amazing trip a few days ago, so everything is still fresh. I want to share my impressions of everything we've experienced, so I've structured my review in a few categories, lest I forget something.
Schedule
Especially during the first 2-3 days, the schedule is jam-packed with activities or places to visit. These vary from location to location. For example, while visiting East Iceland, the number of objectives is much smaller than in the east, south, or Westfjords, but this was to be expected. Overall, we found the schedule to include, on those full days, slightly more objectives than can comfortably be explored in a single day. On the other hand, this is part of the charm of creating your own goals for each day, so that you only visit places that really spark your interest. All in all, I would say that the schedule alternates quite well between long drive days, with fewer activities, and shorter drive days, with more places to see.
Hotels
The hotels were, by and large, very nice. We especially enjoyed Skuggi (we even bought an extra night there at the end of the tour), Blue Hotel Fagrilundur, Hotel North, Hotel Laugarbakki (funny because it looked like a prison from the outside, but the inside was very nice), Hotel Isafjordur, and most of all Hotel Latrabjarg, where we had the best experience. We would highly recommend including Hotel Latrabjarg in all itineraries that go through that area.
Itinerary
The itinerary was well thought out for the most part, and we stuck to it on most days. After going past Skaftafell we started analyzing it 2-3 days in advance and then creating our own. One of the reasons was that some objectives were out of the way, in the sense that they were listed for day X, but the trip took us there anyway the next day. One example is Klaustur, which is 70km east of Vik and scheduled for day 3. We passed it on the way to Skaftafell the next day because it did not make sense to add 140 km to our trip just to return and sleep in Vik afterward. A similar example was Hólmavík, scheduled for Day 8, but we passed next to it on Day 9, en route to Isafjordur. Going there would have meant adding 250-300 kilometers to our trip, from Hvammstangi and back.
We based our daily goals on the itinerary until we got to the Skaftafell region, but afterward used it mostly as inspiration and for directions to the next hotel. There are a couple of days that only include visits to small coastal villages and not much else. We of course understand that Iceland is a large country and some days are just dedicated to the drive. In other areas, such as the Westfjords, Latrabjarg, or Snaefellsnes, we returned to the itinerary, but always used Google Maps as well, to find interesting attractions nearby.
For the itinerary, my suggestion would be to add some smaller points of attractions along the way, as many are available right on the side of the road or a small distance from Route 1. A small waterfall or some geothermal footbaths, the 1238 The Battle of Iceland museum in Sauðárkrókur, the Sauðárkrókur Viewpoint, and so on. I think such attractions are good waypoints, especially on days when you have to drive longer.
Communication
Communication with Guide to Iceland was below expectations. There was no contact from your side during the trip. I would have expected at least an email asking if we were doing fine or needed anything during the 2 weeks we were there. Just to check in and see how we were. At the same time, for the only email that I have sent you, the response was very late, much too late to be of any use to us. In your itinerary, you said to contact the email address if we needed to reach an agent urgently. We did, but there was no one there for 8 hours. Related to that, not having the ferryboat booked in advance was difficult to understand. There was a single ferry at noon that day, we were following our itinerary, so there should have been a spot for us there. A short communication from your end related to this would have helped.
Car rental
We chose a 4x4 automatic model and got a 2022 Toyota Rav 4. The car in itself was amazing and easy to drive. It took us across the country, including the Westfjords, without any issues. Both I and my wife were very happy with the specs, handling, and everything else. We were very happy with the selection.
We did not have Wi-Fi in the car, as it was not included in the package and we only figured this out in the middle of our second day. There was also an issue with having to pay a non-refundable 500 euros for insurance on the car, simply because we did not have a credit card. This was not communicated beforehand, either by Guide to Iceland or by MyCar. The trip's budget suffered accordingly and left a sour taste in our mouths. All of these requirements should be communicated to customers in advance, by both you and MyCar, so that we know what to expect. Having such an expense right at the start of our trip was definitely putting the left foot forward.
Summary
Regardless of the issues we've encountered, the trip was definitely worth it for us. We had the time of our lives visiting your beautiful country and were amazed at how quickly the landscapes and the weather can change. At times we felt like we were on the moon or some Sci-Fi movie set. We spent a lot of time on the open road and visited everything from innumerable waterfalls to caves and lava tunnels. The thermal baths are amazing and I would recommend including more of them in your itineraries going forward. They are were relaxing at the end of a busy day. The Myvatn one was especially beautiful. With the notes that I've mentioned above, we are very likely to recommend Guide to Iceland to our friends and family for our next vacation, and look forward to visiting Iceland and working with you again.
Thank you for the amazing experience!
Tudor
