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2.5 day itinerary HELP for last min trip - Tours vs. Car?

Hi! I just found out I'm going to Norway for work in 3 weeks and added a 2.5 day stopover in Iceland. I'm a mid-30s female solo traveler. I want to find the best activities while also watching my budget. Any thoughts on the 2 options below? Also, is snorkeling the Silfra Fissure worth it? I've snorkeled in lots of tropical waters with coral and fish, and it doesn't look like there's much to see on this. But it's very unique to Iceland.

OPTION 1 (sleep in Reykjavik all nights w/ organized group tours)

Sunday, 6/16 - Arrive in KEF @ 11pm -- bus to Reykjavik

Monday, 6/17 - Golden Circle & Silfra Fissure day tour

Tuesday, 6/18 - South Coast day tour

Wednesday, 6/19 - Reykjavik in the morning & catch 5pm flight to US

OPTION 2

Sunday, 6/16 - Arrive in KEF @ 11pm -- bus to Reykjavik (sleep in Reykjavik)

Monday, 6/17 - Golden Circle & Silfra Fissure day tour (sleep in Reykjavik)

Tuesday, 6/18 - Reykjavik in morning, get rental car at 2:30pm & drive to south coast. (sleep in Vik)

Wednesday, 6/19 - South coast + drive to KEF for 5pm flight

Posted by
7937 posts

Looks like Option 1 has a guided daylong tour of the South, without having to pack and unpack and repack in Vik.

Option 2 opts for more time in the countryside, on your schedule, but involves doing the driving and shuttling your luggage to a new town Tuesday night.

The countryside attractions held the most appeal on our April trip, and the roads are good, so if you’re up for driving, Option 2 might give you the most flexibility. We drove the Golden Circle ourselves, but toured the South on a 3-day guided tour, kind of doing it the other way from what you’re considering. In April, we got black ice, encountered a fatal car accident, and had sun, wind, snow, and rain all on the day day. June may be better, icewise, but be prepared for any weather conditions when driving.

Check-in at the Keflavik Airport is streamlined and easy, so getting there Wednesday afternoon should be easy. Make sure your rental company is fine with you picking up in Reykjavik and dropping off at the airport. Can’t give you any direct snorkeling advice, but how often do you get to snorkel 2/3 of the way to the North Pole?