In June 2024, on our way back to Vancouver from Denmark, we spent 8 days in Iceland. It was our first time in Iceland and we thoroughly enjoyed the Icelandic summer.
- Visiting Iceland for 8 days – our Itinerary & experience (Part 1)
- Visiting Iceland for 8 days – our Itinerary & experience (Part 2)
Last year, when we were planning to visit Denmark to see family and celebrate birthdays in the fall, we thought it would be really neat to visit Iceland on our way back from Denmark again. We knew visiting Iceland in the fall (November) would be a completely different experience from the summer. We were absolutely correct.
Here’s our long overdue 5 days itinerary & experience in Iceland from November 2025.
Differences in Iceland between summer and fall
When we visited in June 2024, we had daylight basically 24 hours straight. Even when the sun set at around midnight, the sky was never completely dark.
This was not the case in November.
When we visited, sunrise was around 9:30 AM and sunset was before 5 PM. So we had to plan our sightseeing accordingly. Driving in the dark was also more challenging.
Darkness also meant it was easier to see the beautiful northern lights. But we found out that just because it was fall, it didn’t guarantee you would see northern lights. One night, the aurora index was extremely high with reports of northern light sightings in Reykjavik. We were about 3 hours north of Reykjavik but didn’t see anything.
Snowfall and icy roads were factors we needed to consider when visiting Iceland in November. A few weeks before we arrived in Iceland, the island got a dump of snow. Fortunately, everything melted before we got there. While we were there, we didn’t encounter snow or rain and the temperature was relatively mild (it went below freezing a few nights but it was above freezing during the day). We basically missed the “cold” weather window while we were in Iceland because a few days after we left, the temperature dropped to below 10 degrees Celsius.
It was very windy when we visited in 2024, but we encountered even more extreme winds in November 2025. One night, both Mrs. T and I felt our Airbnb cabin shake multiple times, resulting in the hanging lights swinging wildly.
Day 1 – Blue Lagoon & driving to Borgarnes
Our flight from Denmark arrived in Keflavík International Airport just before 4 PM and we booked Blue Lagoon tickets for 6 PM.
Wanting to spend as much time in Blue Lagoon as possible before we drove to our Airbnb cabin north of Borgarnes (about a two-hour drive from Blue Lagoon), we decided to grab a quick dinner by KEF airport first before heading to Blue Lagoon.
So after picking up our rental car from Blue Car Rental (highly recommend renting from them), we went to Public Deli for a quick dinner (Public Deli had a reasonably priced food menu and the food was excellent).
Then from Public Deli to Blue Lagoon was a 20 minute drive. We couldn’t go to Blue Lagoon in 2024 due to the volcano eruption (poor air quality), so we were very excited to finally visit Blue Lagoon.
Tickets for Blue Lagoon were not cheap, but children between two and thirteen were free. So we only paid for two adult tickets ($110 USD per person).
Was Blue Lagoon worth the price of admission?
Absolutely!
The water was warm and extremely relaxing. Going there at night meant there weren’t as many people. The temperature of the water varied in the lagoon, so we stayed at a few hot spots for a bit before moving to the cooler spots. Since the air temperature was around 5 degrees Celsius, we could cool ourselves down by hopping in and out of the lagoon. We also really like the silica facial masks, the nice sauna and the steam room.
Overall, we really enjoyed soaking in Blue Lagoon for over 2.5 hours and loved the experience.
Would I consider going back to Blue Lagoon again? Since we have already done it, I’m not 100% sure. If I had the choice, I probably would check out Sky Lagoon just outside of Reykjavik first before going back to Blue Lagoon again. However, after reading Ben’s trip report on his stay at The Retreat Hotel at Blue Lagoon, if we were to go back to Blue Lagoon, maybe we would splurge and stay one night at The Retreat Hotel…
Anyway, after Blue Lagoon, we hopped into our rental car and drove to our Airbnb cabin. Since it was pitch dark, we didn’t see much on our drive. The only cool thing was the Hvalfjörður Tunnel on Route 1, just south of Borganes. The tunnel is 5.8 km long and runs 165 metres below sea level.
Although we knew our Airbnb cabin was in the middle of nowhere, we didn’t realize we had to drive on a 15 km bumpy gravel road. Driving the bumpy gravel road at night with poor visibility meant Mrs. T and both kids got car sick!
We took our time driving and arrived at the Airbnb cabin just after 11 PM.
Day 2 – Relaxing and lazing around
We slept in on Day 2 and didn’t get up until after 9 AM. When I stepped out of our bedroom and into the kitchen, I was a bit surprised that the sun was rising and I was treated to a beautiful Icelandic sunrise.
Originally, we were planning to check out Hraunfossar, a waterfall about 1 hour drive east of the cabin as well as the surrounding area. But all of us were feeling a bit drained, perhaps from the late drive or from running around everywhere in Copenhagen the past week prior to coming to Iceland.
So rather than keep draining the battery, we decided to take a rest day. We lazed around in the cabin, used the sauna next to the cabin multiple times, and drove into Borganes for groceries and meals.
Since we had big plans for Day 3 of our trip, we wanted to make sure we were well rested.
Day 3 The Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The goal for this visit was to check out the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Because of the short daylight in November, we knew we’d have to wake up early to see and visit the various sights along the way.
We woke up very early on Day 3 and left our cabin just before the crack of dawn and headed toward Gerðuberg Cliffs. The plan was to go through the Snæfellsnes Peninsula counterclockwise. This direction was generally recommended because it would allow for highlights on the south side of the peninsula in the morning, saving the Kirkjufell mountain on the north side for later, closer to sunset.
We arrived at Gerðuberg Cliffs with the most beautiful lights. It was absolutely breathtaking! Kid 1.0, Kid 2.0, and I even climbed up to the top of the cliffs to get a better view.
After Gerðuberg Cliffs, we drove along Route 54, stopping at various interesting looking spots. It was quite windy and cold that day but we loved the breathtaking views.
My favourite stops were definitely Saxhóll Crater and Kirkjufell. The 360-degree view at the top of Saxhóll Crater was absolutely mindblowing. I could have just sat there all day and enjoyed the view. Kirkjufell was an amazing spot and I could see why this majestic mountain is the most photographed place in Iceland.
We originally planned to check out Stykkishólmur but as the sunlight started to quickly fade, we decided to cut the tour a little bit short and head back to the cabin. But first, we stopped at Selvallafoss.
For dinner that night, we had amazing food at Bara Borganes, a low-key family restaurant.
Day 4 – The Cave Vidgelmir
On Day 4, we checked out a lava cave called the Cave Vidgelmir, about one and a half hours away from our cabin.
The drive itself was relatively uneventful but when we arrived at the lava cave, the surroundings were completely surreal… it was as if we were on Mars!
Exploring the lava cave was very cool. It was a lot cooler down there. According to our guide, the Hallmundarhraun lava flowed from a crater around the year 900 AD. The lava flow is 52 km long and covers an area of about 242 km2. Vidgelmir is one of the larger caves with the total length of the cave being 1,585 metres. We only walked for about half of that distance for the tour.
After the tour and a quick lunch, we got into the car and started heading to Bifröst (those of you who know Thor should get the reference). In Bifröst, we checked out Grábrók, a volcanic crater.
When we finally arrived at Grábrók it was very windy and cold. At one point, I thought I was going to get blown away!
To wrap up our visit in Bifröst, we checked out the Glanni Waterfall and Paradísarlaut.
The aurora index was extremely high that night. Wanting to see the northern light, Mrs. T and I stayed up until 1 AM, staring into the dark sky. Unfortunately, despite multiple northern light sightings in Reykjavik, we didn’t see anything. Maybe next time!
Day 5 – Reykjavik & departure
Our flight home was at 5 PM, so we had almost the whole day to enjoy Icelandic air.
After waking up late, we packed, tidied up the cabin, and headed toward Reykjavik. Unlike Day 1, we actually saw stuff in the daylight!
We stopped in Reykjavik to have a quick lunch at Icelandic Street Food. The unlimited refill of lamb and shellfish soups was very much appreciated!
With time ticking, we returned the rental car at the airport and said our goodbyes.
Now that we have experienced Iceland summer and fall, perhaps we will visit this beautiful country again in the midst of winter and finally see the elusive northern light.
What an amazing country with so many things to offer! If you haven’t been to Iceland yet, I highly recommend visiting!