When we travelled to Iceland back in May we did have a bit of trouble trying to find Iceland accommodations. During our trip we drove the entire ring road in 10 days. I’ve mentioned before that we didn’t do it cheap so staying in a camper van wasn’t really an option for us. Our goal was to find Iceland accommodations that were a mix of Airbnb’s and hotels.
I had no idea before I started researching what I could expect in terms of price. I was definitely surprised by how expensive things ended up being. That being said I wouldn’t change where we stayed for the world. Our Iceland accommodations were luxurious without absolutely breaking the bank.
Seeing as Iceland seems to be on absolutely everyone’s bucket list these days I thought I would put together our list of Iceland accommodations. We did a mixture of hotels and Airbnbs during our stay. In the more remote areas it was sometimes more difficult to be able to find Airbnbs so we opted for hotels in these areas. Realistically it ended up being a pretty even split between the two. For the hotels I used Booking.com. I always make sure to sort by traveller ratings rather than stars, I just find them a lot more accurate.
I’ll go through this list on where we stayed from the beginning of the trip to the end. To see a more detailed post about our Iceland road trip click: HERE.
*To get $40CAD off your first Airbnb stay click here!
Litli Geysir
First stop on our trip was the Litli Geysir hotel. Located right near the Geysir hot spring, actually it’s probably walkable if you like to walk. The Gulfoss waterfall is also located nearby. The area is a bit secluded so make sure you pick up groceries before getting to the area or be prepared to spend a pretty penny on food at Hotel Geysir. The hotel doesn’t look like much from the outside but it does the trick. The beds were comfortable and they had black out blinds which was another big plus. I probably wouldn’t spend more than one night here, just not enough to do and there are way cooler spots in Iceland anyway!
Average Price: $200 CAD
Hvammstangi Cottages
This was a bit of a random stop as it’s not necessarily one of the biggest towns in the area but we found a really great Airbnb and thought, why not. It ended up being really great. The Hvammstangi cottages can be found either on Booking.com or Airbnb. I didn’t really price compare when looking for the accommodations but I’m sure you can do this. These cute tiny homes were the perfect resting stop on our road trip. With mountains on one side and the water down the way it was really quite romantic. The night we stayed here we went for dinner at pretty much the only restaurant in town, Sjavarborg Restaurant, and had a great meal. The beds in this place were SOO comfortable as well. The only thing that would have been a nice addition is lawn chairs on the little deck but other than that, perfect spot.
Average Price: $130 CAD
Akureyri Small Homes
These Akureyri homes were definitely the ones we were forward to the most and they honestly did not disappoint. I can’t even explain how cute they were. Literally the perfect place to rest during your trip. If there was more to do in the area I would have opted to stay here more than one night for sure. The homes are all two floors with the bed in a loft style on the top floor. There was enough in the kitchen for us to cook our own meals. The best part of the whole place? The view. Holy crap! The big windows made it hard not to just sit on the couch and stare at the landscape around. Not to mention the fact that the host Valtyr left binoculars for us to watch whales … and we actually saw some from our window!! If you don’t stay here on your trip around the Ring Road you are seriously missing out.
Average Price: $200 CAD
Icelandair Hotel Herad
Our next stop was Egilsstadir. This are was rather hard to find Airbnb’s in our price range so we opted for the Icelandair Hotel Herad. Located right in the centre of ‘town’ (I use that term loosely because it is a very small area), I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was definitely the most modern hotel we stayed in. The best part of the hotel? Happy hour. Actually this is a lesson for Iceland in general, always find out when happy hour is you’ll save yourself quite a bit of money if you like drinking. The hotel is located pretty close to Lake Myvatn which made it a great spot for us that night.
Average Price: $200 CAD
Okay admittedly this was the worst place we stayed in on our trip, and didn’t fair to well in general. The hotel lobby of Hotel Edda Hofn and grounds were beautiful. The views were amazing as well, located right on the water. It was actually the best run I had during my trip, running along the water with a few of the glaciers in the distance. What I didn’t like however was that the rooms felt incredibly dated. Plus we were stuck in a wing with a tour group who got up very early and very noisily. I think what disappointed me most was the price we paid compared to all the others and what we got for that price. This is the only place on the trip I would say, if you can find somewhere else to rest your head, do so.
Again these little homes were unreal. Located on a farm just outside the little town of Vik, the Gotur cottages were perfect! They seemed brand new and oh my god, the bed was so comfortable. Definitely the best sleep I had in Iceland. The kitchen in this little home as well was well stocked, which made it perfect to enjoy a nice home cooked meal. I wish it hadn’t have been raining the day we were there because the scenery surrounding the property looked unbelievable. The homes are located close to the black beach as well which was nice. The best part about this place, actually there were two; the bed and the horses that grazed right near your windows!
Average Price: $215 CAD
Another amazing stay with Airbnb! This place was so clean, so modern and very well-kept. It was also conveniently located on the first floor of the building. The main strip of Reykjavik was such an easy walk from this place and the bed here was also super comfortable. Honestly I would have chosen this apartment to live in back here in Toronto if I could have it was that nice. Also the bathroom was probably one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Average Price: $175 CAD
There you have it, all of our Iceland accommodations. If you’re looking for the total budget you can check out my post: 10 day Iceland budget.
Additional Notes
ICELAND ACCOMMODATIONS
- Airbnb Click the link to recieve $20 off your first stay! For tips about booking Airbnb check out my post here.
- Booking.com
CAR RENTAL
- Hotwire is my go-to source when booking car rentals. I always find the best rates with them and it’s so easy to use. Most of the time I just use their app when travelling because it’s so convenient.
[…] Our Iceland accommodations around the Ring Road: The biggest trouble I had when booking my trip to Iceland was that I couldn’t find out where people actually stayed. Unless they were in a camper there wasn’t any real viable information. I put this post together for people who don’t necessarily want to just camp out and are looking for a little more. […]