• More about your Oliver Guide: Megan Hughs
• Trip type: Adult, City, Mountains
• Activity level: moderate
• Ideal length of trip: If you're just doing Reykjavik, and the nearby surroundings, 5 days is plenty. If you're doing the ring road, shoot for two weeks. You want to take your time at each stop without feeling rushed.

to & from

• Fly there then rent a car. Iceland was our only destination because we stayed for 2 weeks, but many people do the extended layover which is a great option if you only want to stay a couple days. Renting a car once you're there is a MUST. You don't want to be at the whim of obnoxious tour buses. (People drive on the right side of the road there so it's really easy).

Where to Stay

In Reykjavik and Akureyri there are a number of decent hotels (they’re building the first four star hotel in Reykjavik now). If you’re road tripping around the island like we did, I’d definitely recommend staying in an AirBNB. They’ll likely be nicer and more comfortable than the hotels in smaller towns (many of which have shared bathrooms – yikes!).

• In Reykjavik, definitely recommend Hotel Odinsve. If you can score a room on the top floor, you'll have a balcony with an amazing view of the city. It's walking distance to everything and the staff is wonderful.
• In Akureyri, stay at the Hotel Kea. It's definitely the nicest hotel in Akureyri - walking distance to everything and has a great hotel bar with a balcony right in the heart of the city.