Journal of a 23-day Icelandic road trip

English translation by Roland Glasser ©

ICELAND DAYS INDEX

Foreword

DAY 1 - Paris > Reykjavik

Reykjavik

DAY 2 - Reykjavik > Track F208 north > Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar

DAY 3 - Landmannalaugar> Track F208 south > Vík y Myrdal

Landmannalaugar hike

DAY 4 - Vik y Myrdal > Reynisdrangar > Cape Dyrhólaey > Skógafoss

Vik y Myrdal

DAY 5 - Glúfrafoss > Seljalandsfoss > Hvolsvöllur > Sólheimajökull > Vík y Myrdal > Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Vik y Myrdal

DAY 6 - Foss á Siðu > Ingólfshöfði > Skaftafell National Park > Kirkjubæjarklaustur

DAY 7 - Track F206 > Lakagigar > Fagrifoss > Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón

DAY 8 - Jökulsárlón > Breidarlon > Höfn

Jökulsárlón

DAY 9 - East fjords : Djúpivogur > Fáskrúðsfjörður > Neskaupstaður

skrudur island

DAY 10 - Neskaupstaður > Egilsstaðir > Gufufoss > Seyðisfjörður > Hallormsstadur

reydafjordur

DAY 11 - Litlanesfoss > Hengifoss > Track F910 > Askja

road f 910

DAY 12 - Track F88 > Jökulsárgljúfur > Dettifoss > Selfoss > Hafragilsfoss > Hljóðaklettar - Rauðhólar > Asbyrgi

Dettifoss

DAY 13 - Húsavík whale watching > Myvatn > Leirhnjukur > Námafjall

Húsavík whale watching

DAY 14 - Kröflustöð Krafla Power Station > Viti > Grjótagjá > Hverfjall > Dimmuborgir > Höfði nature reserve > Vindbelgjarfjall

Grjótagjá

DAY 15 - Goðafoss > Akureyri > Tröllaskagi peninsula > Glaumbær > Blonduos

Tröllaskagi peninsula

DAY 16 - Vatnsnes peninsula > Hvítserkur arch > Illugastaðir > Ánastaðarstapi > Route 35 north > Hveravellir

Vatnsnes peninsula

DAY 17 - Kerlingarfjöll > Route 35 south > Geysir

Kerlingarfjöll

DAY 18 - Geysir > Gullfoss > Thingvellir > Eldborg

Thingvellir

DAY 19 - Snæfellsnes Peninsula South > Hellissandur

Snaefellness peninsula

DAY 20 - Snæfellsnes Peninsula North > Hellissandur > Kirkjufell > Stykkishólmur > Westfjords > Flókalundur

Kirkjufell

DAY 21 - Látrabjarg cliffs > Dynjandi > Sandafell > Ísafjörður

dyrafjordur

DAY 22 - Ísafjörður > Route 1 > Akranes

Ísafjörður

DAY 23 - Reykjanes peninsula > Reykjavik

Reykjanes peninsula

DAY 24 - Reykjavik > Paris

blue lagoon

Foreword    |    Epilogue

Check out my handmade map of ICELAND designed for photographers and hikers:

           MAP OF ICELAND

ICELANDIC eROADBOOK TRAVEL GUIDE

geysir gitzo chez monique bogen imaging

ICELAND 2009 COMMENTS:


ICELAND I ROADTRIP
Please share a feedback with us!
  • 1 - Par Harry Ogloff (Salmon Arm, British Columbia / Canada) - january 16th 2013

    Micheal, what a great idea.

     
    Took a quick look and your images are just fantastic.
     
    I must apologize but my French is really rusty and as I tried to read your story, I kept getting stuck on some wordage. I will have to wait until you have it translated into English, but do keep us abreast as to when it is available in English as I would love to sit down with a glass of wine and live through your adventure in Iceland.
     
    Harry
  • 2 - Par Matt Tilghman (Miami - USA) - january 16th 2013

    Awesome photos and well put together. I really felt like i was there.

  • 3 - Par Phil Radlick (Danville - Canada) - january 16th 2013

    Michael, this is a fabulous contribution.

    For anyone considering a trip around Iceland, this is a must read! You also have an excellent photographic eye. Congratulations on your very fine effort.

    Best, Phil

  • 4 - Par Mike ((USA)) - www.farslowfotos.com - january 16th 2013

    Magnificent collection of images Michael ! Thank you for bringing me along.

     
    Mike
  • 5 - Par Andrew Burnett (Canada) - january 16th 2013

    By far the best collection of well presented photographs I've seen.

    Wonderful stuff !
  • 6 - Par Barry (Cabot / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Had to be a lot of fun. Thanks for taking us along.

    Barry
  • 7 - Par Jennifer (Finger Lakes / USA) - www.facebook.com/jennifergeckphotography - january 16th 2013

    I just went through every page and every pic and 2 hours later I can say it was well worth the time! Fantastic images, Michael. I love your perspective on things and your use of scale. I couldn't read a word of it, but don't think I needed to. The pictures speak for themselves.

    Thanks for sharing !
  • 8 - Par Martines (Cleveland Heights / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Very nice and complete.

    Should I never get to Iceland I now have a good idea of what it is like.
     
    Thanks for sharing.
  • 9 - Par David Andrews (USA) - january 16th 2013

    Went through 1st few pages and all I can say is WOW !

    Your work is incredible.

  • 10 - Par J. Andersen (Danemark) - www.photo.birklund.dk - january 16th 2013

    Very comprehensive - and a lot of good shots too.

  • 11 - Par Dave (Nashville / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Hi Michael

    Beautiful travelogue, it brings back some fond memories. Last July/August I was on a nature & landscape photographic workshop with Daniel Bergmann.
    We probably overlapped by a few days, I remember the Hummer. We visited many of the same places as you did. 
     
    Cheers, ...Dave
  • 12 - Par Carolyn (NM / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Hi Michael

    Awesome work !... thank you for your effort and the gift of your trip.
     
    Carolyn
  • 13 - Par Savarin (Canada) - january 16th 2013

    Wow. Beautiful. Thank you.

  • 14 - Par Alex Hancock (Columbus / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Really well done. Thanks for sharing your trip in such an awesome way.

  • 15 - Par Daniel Kkesi (Budapest / Hungary) - www.kekesi.com - january 16th 2013

    You had an exceptional time and made some really stunning photos. Congratulations!

  • 16 - Par Tony Riches (- UK -) - january 16th 2013

    Michael, fantastic work. Do you sell individual images ? I'd love to see some of these on my walls.

    Please let me know our usual rates.
     
    Best regards,
     
    Tony.
  • 17 - Par Tony Riches (- UK -) - january 16th 2013

    Michael, fantastic work. Do you sell individual images ? I'd love to see some of these on my walls.

    Please let me know our usual rates.
     
    Best regards,
     
    Tony.
  • 18 - Par Nikos (Athens / Greece) - www.nilophotography.com/portfolio - january 16th 2013

    Excellent idea, very well executed. The photos are all beautiful. I will be waiting for the english translation as I am sure there will be a lot of useful information.

    Congratulations Michael!
     
    Nikos
  • 19 - Par Daniel Bergmann (Iceland) - www.danielbergmann.com - january 16th 2013

    This is a great photographic journal Michael. I hope all the work will be worth the while, I've already sent the link to a lot of people. Many thanks for the effort!

    I was running photography workshops in Iceland while you were doing your trip. We saw you and that crazy car a few times, stayed in the same campsites a couple of times. Looks like you had a great time in Iceland, it's a wonderful place.
     
    Michael,
     
    Yes we noticed you guys a few times and you even have pictures of some of my group on your jour 16. We were playing a game of throwing a bicycle tire at Hveravellir.
     
    I'm Icelandic and I live in Iceland. My website is www.danielbergmann.com
  • 20 - Par Bill Gass (Oregon / USA) - www.billgass.com - january 16th 2013

    Very kool. Thanks for posting. I just did a trip all around islande on my computer thru google earth a few months ago, would love to go there. Have a good one. You have some great wall hangers here.

    ~Bill~
  • 21 - Par kim magee (Canada) - january 16th 2013

    Just incredible...

    I wish I could read it !! but the pictures certainly tell the story.
     
    I'm only up to jour 8... jour 3 is my favourite so far, and the waterfall on jour 7, and the icebergs... ohhhhhh....this is awesome !
  • 22 - Par Mark Findlay (Brighton / UK) - january 16th 2013

    Tres interessent (malheureusement ce PC ne fait pas facilment les accents). J'ai commencé de lire l'histoire des deux premiers jours et ça me fait grand plaisir de voir les photos. Maintenant il me faut continuer mon travail mais ce soir je continuerai à lire votre histoire ...

    In English, very interesting - I started reading your history with the first two jours and I loved the photos. I have to go back to work now but will read some more tonight.
  • 23 - Par Sean Reidy (Ireland) - january 16th 2013

    I stayed up late last night to work my way through these.

    What a wonderful series. It was also a real education, to follow the routes that you took and to see the conditions you experienced. You seem to have had some very challenging weather. However, your skill has certainly made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves. Bravo !
     
    Sean
  • 24 - Par MPekala (USA) - january 16th 2013

    Spectacular shots. Wow. Impressionant ! I envy you. What a memorable trip, and your pictures really bring it to life.

  • 25 - Par JulesJ (London / UK) - january 16th 2013

    I want to complain !

    I have just spent the first hour of tojour looking at your site when I should have been working!!! And I'm only up to jour nine. Absolutely amazing and beautiful photography. It's so nice to see pictures not taken in the sun, a lot of photographers thinks cameras are only for good weather.
     
    My french is worse than my Norwegian but that gets me by with the bits of Icelandic which basically is Old Norske, but my schoolboy french lets me read a bit of your notes. But the pictures speak for them selves. I will get to Iceland and have a good Icelandic friend here in the UK who has a flat and relatives there. So far as to such placers i have been to the Lofoten islands which are in fact further north (and to the East) but they are not as stunning as Iceland. You are very lucky to have been able to do such a journey.
     
    I will continue to look at the site and see all the photos, well done.
    I visit your country at least once a year to see the Paris photo exhibition in Paris every november, a show that I am always praising on this site as i think it deserves the publicity.
    Well done Michael.
     
    Jules
  • 26 - Par pointedem (Salt lake City / USA) - january 16th 2013

    WOW, this is great.

  • 27 - Par Rajesh A (USA) - january 16th 2013

    Exceptional pictures. Really enjoyed going through your blog (well, not literally as my knowledge of French is limited to 3-4 words only).

    The photos show that you had a wonderful trip.
    Merci.
  • 28 - Par SDH (Akranes / Iceland) - january 16th 2013

    Takk fyrir linkinn. Ég get ekki sagt annað glöggt er gests augað.

    Það eru nokkrar þarna sem ég kolféll fyrir. Myndbyggingin það fyrsta sem kom í hugan var þetta er ekki venjuleg myndbygging eftir Íslenskan ljósmyndara ! Er ég einn um þessa fyrstu hugsun ? Snilld. Takk.

  • 29 - Par Gunnar D. (Kvaløysletta /Norway) - january 16th 2013

    Michael Levy has been on a photographic tour of the Island and has made a website with all their pictures, including cartes and texts (in French).

    This is really inspiring for those with an interest in landscape photography and for Iceland in particular. Enjoy the view !

  • 30 - Par Ole André K. (Norway) - january 16th 2013

    Absolutely fantastic! This gave plenty of inspiration :)

  • 31 - Par Martin Hansen (Sandefjord - Norway) - january 16th 2013

    Consider how the landscape is just beautiful and the sunset and rise are absolutely incredible. A lot of gray weather on this trip, but he mastered the real conditions and have taken some fantastic pictures.

    Regards
     
    J. Martin Hansen-Just
  • 32 - Par Vidar S. (Norway) - january 16th 2013

    Great pictures. Here you can really see if a trip here is worth the trip. Also a helpful tool for planning a trip to the island.

  • 33 - Par Timberland (Netherlands) - january 16th 2013

    What an amazing trip. You must had a fantastic time there.

    Tim
  • 34 - Par Gardar Vilhjálmsson (Reykjavik / Iceland) - january 16th 2013

    Hi Michael,

    Wow... I've spent all night going through your trip! - What a trip it was... fantastic pictures !
    We are proud to be your partner :)
     
    Best regards,
    Gardar
  • 35 - Par Frenchie (Antwerp / Belgium) - january 16th 2013

    Hi Michael,

    I took a lot of pleasure in reading your blog, reminds me my own trip at the same period.
    Think you had a grand car? Here is ours (well, not mine but the one of the touring company...).
     
    And yes, it was rainy and windy. This is two jours after your hiking in Landmannalaugar. Our guide (living since 25 years in Iceland) never saw that much water in some of the places around Landmannalaugar!
    As you say in your story, taking pictures in those conditions was a challenge, many landed in the trashbin because of rain droplets on the front lens...
     
    Despite the bad weather, the two weeks spent in Iceland left me with a lot of very nice souvenirs (landscapes, hotsprings...).
    Greetings,
    Frenchie
  • 36 - Par Gubbe (San Francisco / USA) - january 16th 2013

    What does one say other than "WOW !"

    Everything about this is fantastic. The experience I can only imagine, the pictures are superbs, the website design/layout is great.
     
    Simply wonderful.
  • 37 - Par Scott E. Smith (Nashville, Tennessee / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Your images are breathtaking and inspirational ! Thank you for sharing your experience !

  • 38 - Par myweh (Seattle / USA) - january 16th 2013

    Really great stuff. Thanks for taking the time to organize and put this together. It really is spectacular. I think a lot of people can relate to the feeling of "wanting to document" a trip, but putting forth the effort to actually do it is another issue.

  • 39 - Par Kelly Akins (USA) - january 16th 2013

    One of the best photographic travel journals I've ever seen!

    Now, if only I could read it...
     
    Kelly
  • 40 - Par Michael Broomfield (www.pbase.com/mike-broomfield) - january 16th 2013

    Hi Michael,

    I spent 1 jour in Iceland on my way from the US to the UK some years ago. My sister had spent a week there and I arrived very early and we spent the jour walkign round Reykjavik then caught a late flight back to the UK together, so while I took as many photos as I could I never got out into the countryside and I've never had the chance to go back.
     
    I enjoyed looking through your log (still haven't finished it).
     
    Regards,
    Mike Broomfield
  • 41 - Par Kevin Morphet (Canada) - www.flickr.com/photos/morphetography/ - march 3th 2013

    I've just finished reading the account of your trip to Iceland in 2009. Thank you for sharing your journey with me. I am planning the route for my own trip this July. Your visit is inspiring and I hope that I have good light.

    Your map will prove to be a great resource. Thanks for producing it.
     
    Cheers from Canada,
     
    Kevin Morphet
  • 42 - Par Piotr Zaborowski (New York, USA) - april 22th 2013

    Hi Michael,

    In order to prepare I read many trip reports on Iceland on the internet, then I stumbled on the site of Joshua Holko that had a link to your website.

    I have to say your 22 day photo travelogue is the best I have seen so far and the most valuable for travelers who intend to photograph Iceland, truly fantastic.