We were there for a week at the beginning of June two years ago. The temperature never got above the mid-50s, and sometimes dipped below freezing. We had snow one day (but no darkness, ever). We had an absolute blast, and would go back in a heartbeat.
Blue Lagoon – We didn’t bother, it seemed eminently skippable, and sort of gross.
Ring Road – We didn’t have time to try the whole shebang, and basically stayed in the south-western quadrant of the country. We would love to go to the north sometime, though.
We loved Thingvellir. And the geysers (Strokkur, mainly), but you could love them and leave them in 30 minutes. We loved the black southern beach by Vik, which was truly scary – scary wind, scary sea.
Everywhere we went, we went swimming in the town pools. It usually cost $5-6 to get in, the pools were wonderful, the many hot tubs and saunas surrounding the pools even better, and the people very welcoming and friendly.
Three things we did that were somewhat off the beaten path:
– We hiked several miles up the river that ends in the Skogafoss waterfall. The landscape was sensational. You can book a guide and take a substantial hike through the volcanos and glaciars from Skogafoss into the area called Thorsmark, and if we went back that would be at the top of our list.
– There is an area near Krysuvik, which is not far from the airport, which is an eerie lunar landscape full of bubbling hot springs, steam vents, and volcanic debris. If you go to the top of the hill, you see two lakes that are utterly different colors. Stunning.
– Every town has a little museum or two. We spent time in some in a little town called Eyrarbakki, on the south coast, and it was very rewarding.
To prep: Try to read some of the Sagas – the most popular are Egil’s Saga and Njal’s Saga, and I also enjoyed The People of Laxendal. I learned more about Iceland from those than from anything else, and they are absolutely fundamental to the national identity. There are contemporary police procedurals by Arnaldur Indridasson that are quite good and clue you in to more current issues (although at this point I think they are somewhat dated - stuck in the Cold War). Watch the Sigur Ros video for “Glosoli” – if that doesn’t psych you up for Iceland, nothing will.