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Today I finished my first trip to Iceland: five fantastic days that I enjoyed immensely. I can’t wait to tell you about all the amazing experiences I had and show you the unbelievable landscapes.
Many women email me telling me that they’re thinking of traveling solo for the first time. I always tell them to go to the place they dream about, the place that’s been speaking to their soul for years — but if they’re up for suggestions, I’ve got a ton!
And Iceland now tops that list.
So what makes Iceland an ideal pick for a first time solo trip?
Iceland is an easy and safe destination.
Iceland couldn’t be an easier place to travel. Nearly all Icelanders speak impeccable English, and there are English menus and signs everywhere you go. The country is built on tourism, and therefore the travel infrastructure is spectacular.
In addition to that, crime in Iceland is extremely low, and travel scams are virtually unheard of. When you go to Iceland, you won’t have to worry about things like getting overcharged by a taxi driver or struggling to order something you can eat.
Doing your first solo trip in as easy a country as Iceland will give you the confidence to tackle more challenging destinations down the road.
Iceland is all about day tours and excursions.
I love day tours and I always recommend them to solo travelers. They’re a great way to meet new people and socialize during the day, and sometimes you end up making friends for life!
Iceland has hundreds if not thousands of day tours, and they all focus on the same thing: Iceland’s beautiful and unusual natural environment. You could hike to natural hot springs like my sister Sarah did, or go whale watching or puffin watching. On my trip, I went glacier hiking, snorkeling in Þingvellir National Park, and horseback riding. If you’re more low-key, you could do scenery tours, like the Golden Circle or a South Shore tour.
It’s a surprisingly doable weekend getaway.
I recommend new solo female travelers to go away for a weekend on their own before trying out a longer trip.
The flight is five hours from the East Coast and there’s only a four-hour time difference. That’s a closer flight from Boston than Las Vegas. You could theoretically fly out on Thursday night, spend Friday exploring Reykjavik or doing a Golden Circle tour, go horseback riding or glacier hiking on Saturday, and hit up the Blue Lagoon on Sunday on the way to the airport.
Of course, a long trip is great, too. I’d love to come back, rent a car, and spend at least a week driving around the island.
Reykjavik has a lot of great cafes.
There are so many great cafes in this town! My favorite? The Laundromat Cafe, a fun and quirky place with an unbelievable skyr parfait. But there are cafes all over the place in Reykjavik, providing Icelanders with their daily java jolt.
So, what do cafes have to do with solo travel?
Cafes are a great place to go out alone. Bring a book, have some coffee, stay for dinner if you’d like, and you’ll fit right in with everyone else. Cafes can be much less intimidating than going out to a restaurant alone.
Iceland can be easily built into another Europe trip.
If you’re going to visit a friend in London or meet up with a group in Spain, why not add on a few days on your own in Iceland? If you fly IcelandAir from North America, you can build in a stopover in Iceland for free before or after flying to your European destination.
Icelandair is often one of the cheapest airlines for transatlantic flights, so I suggest you check it out as a possibility.
It’s ICELAND.
It’s impressive. It’s mysterious. It’s exotic, in its own way. When you come home and casually drop your recent solo trip to Iceland into conversation, you’ll get people’s attention — that’s for sure!
I mean, LOOK at that waterfall and double rainbow!!
One thing to keep in mind
Iceland is a very expensive country. When Iceland’s economy took a nosedive a few years ago, Iceland suddenly became…affordable. Since then, both the economy and prices have picked up. Prices are not as expensive as they once were, but they’re still quite expensive.
Expect to pay $25 for a hostel dorm room, $6 for a latte, and at least $15 for lunch. Most half day tours are $75-100; full-day tours are roughly double that. You can compare prices on hotels in Iceland here.
That said, I think that despite the prices, Iceland is excellent value. Iceland has such a unique environment and so many different things to do, many of them top quality. It’s hard to imagine any other place that could compare.
More on Iceland:
- My Actual Iceland Trip Cost: Detailed Budget Breakdown
- 35 Awesome Things to do in Reykjavík, Iceland
- Things to Know Before You Visit the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
- Why Iceland is Great for First-Time Solo Female Travelers
My Favorite Places in Iceland:
- How to Visit Kvernufoss, My Favorite Iceland Waterfall
- A Look Inside the Sky Lagoon, Iceland
- Sail Through the Sky with FlyOver Iceland
- Snorkeling Silfra: The Cold Neon Waters of Iceland
- How to Visit Studlagil Canyon, Iceland
- Visiting Stokksnes and Vestrahorn Mountain, Iceland
- Guide to the Gorgeous Tröllaskagi Peninsula, North Iceland
- Are the Vök Baths Iceland’s Best Geothermal Spa?
Would you go to Iceland? Would you dare to go solo?
Many thanks to the Iceland Tourist Board for sponsoring my trip to Iceland. All opinions are my own.
Hi kate – I am hoping to travel around iceland for the first time this august. i’m 20, i’ve travelled a bit in finland and hitchhiked through france and germany last year with a friend. i’m going by myself to iceland this summer – what do you think about wild camping alone? ideally that is what i would like to do but do you think (as a woman) this is feasible?
Lotte, I’ve never wild camped before on my own, so I’m not a good resource about this. For what it’s worth, I found Iceland to be an extremely safe destination, but anything can happen anywhere, so you never know. I suggest you reach out to people in camping forums because they will be a better resource than me. Good luck!
Thinking about going to Iceland in late October! 🙂
It will be my first solo trip so I’m really glad I found your blog.
In which hostel did you stay in?
Kex Hostel. Great place — fantastic upscale hostel.
I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland and I stumbled upon your blog when I started doing my research. I finally bit the bullet and got a great deal through Groupon for a trip! I’m going solo, which is a first for me so it’s really inspiring to hear your thoughts on it as a great first female solo trip. I am, however, going with a group through a travel company so I’ll have some company. I’m going in January which is going to be…. interesting… but it was super cheap and I couldn’t pass that up. Hopefully I’ll still have a great experience despite the lack of sunlight. Any tips from anyone who’s gone that time of year?
Hi Kate!
I am thinking about doing my first solo travel in Iceland towards the end of November. I am 21 years old and have never travelled on my own before. I am currently studying abroad in Scotland till December. I think this would be an amazing opportunity for me to get to know myself while exploring a magical place. I would really like some advice on what to do, where to explore and where to stay. I only have time to visit Iceland for the weekend. So I will probably only have 2 or 3 full days there. I also have a pretty low budget as I am a student so I am trying to avoid taking an expensive tour unless you think it’s worth it. I am thinking about renting a car for the weekend. I would love some advice and opinions on creating an itinerary for this trip. I love nature and want to explore as much as I can! I also would like some safety tips (what type of car to rent, safest places to stay, best times to explore wilderness areas, driving at night to see the northern lights)
List of what I am interested in doing:
Hiking to a natural hot springs
Finding the Northern Lights
Waterfalls
Volcanoes
Anything that you think is worth exploring on a November weekend in Iceland!
Hi, Taylor —
I think this sounds like an excellent idea!
You can check out my other posts on Iceland here, which talk about several of the things on your list: https://www.adventurouskate.com/category/destinations/europe-destinations/iceland-europe-destinations/
Do u think it’s ok to travel in January? All the activities sound great. I have a 4 day weekend in mid Jan to go anywhere but I can’t decide where…
It will be dark and cold, but you can still have a lot of fun!
Hello! I’m planning on going to Iceland alone and I’m so glad to have found your post! I was wondering – how much did you spend with lodging and food? I plan to stay in hostels as well. Did you rent a car?
Thank you!
Hey!
I’m 18 and planning on soloing Iceland in September for a week. Looking at booking a hotel. Any tips on where to stay? Any tips on places in town to absolutely not stay??
Thanks!
I stayed at Kex Hostel and loved it. Full review here: https://www.adventurouskate.com/kex-hostel-welcome-to-hipster-heaven/
Hi Kate, thanks for your post! I’m going to Iceland this September for 12 days by myself. I’d love to rent a car and see the ring road for part of my trip. I was just wondering if you think it would be likely that other so travellers are looking to do the same thing and make plans once they get there?! Thanks!
Hmm, September isn’t quite peak season so I wouldn’t tell you to rely on finding people, but it’s entirely possible! You’d be best off finding people in hostels.
I’m leaving next week the 15th for my birthday. A gift to me from me! I can’t wait. I’ve traveled alone all over S. America and that’s scarier to me than Iceland seems.
I’m going to be in iceland on the 12th of July !!
I’ve only made a couple of short solo trips and want to do more, so thank you for suggesting Iceland! I’ve definitely considered booking a trip on the way home from Europe, so it’s great to know that this option is feasible. Always a pleasure to read your posts and insights about solo trips for beginners!
Iceland is one of my favourite countries!!!! It’s such an awesome place with so much diversity!
I went in the middle of Winter and I’d love to go back in Summer (to experience 24hour daylight!)
Can’t wait to go back 🙂
http://aworldlyaddiction.com/
Iceland is everything you said, especially for the solo traveller. It was so easy to get around and such a comforting feeling to not feel like everyone is wanting to rip you off especially at the airport where it can sometimes be the worst other places, but not Iceland! I spent a week alone, which I like just as muchc as travelling with someone else. It definitely has it’s downfalls at times but also has perks that greatly outweigh. I did several day tours and met two great girls that I still keep in touch with. They were travelling solo as well. I love that there is much to do, it is to get around, very safe and how friendly all the locals were. The funniest thing overheard at by a local at a pub was “I saw a REAL American bar fight on YouTube.” Haha…
Hi:
I am from Ecuador. I went to Brazil in my first solo trip. It was so nice. I’ll plan to go to Europe next year. And this article it’s amazing so I think I go to Iceland and the other cities that i like. Thanks for your recommendations and article.
Thanks for sharing!! Any hostel recomendations?
I stayed at Kex Hostel and LOVED it. It’s definitely a luxury hostel. Very high-end.
I am travelling solo to Iceland in Feb as I have been informed that this is one of the best times to see the Northern Lights. I have a provisional hotel booking in Reykjavik but wonder if this would be the best way to meet other like minded travellers. Mystay is only 5 nights as I work in a school in UK but I want to see as much as possible. Would you still advise day trips as the best option or bus travel. Plus any other tips.
I am currently planning a trip to France for a friends wedding in August and am trying to find a place to travel & was considering Iceland with the stopovers they offer. This has really helped put Iceland at the top of the list! Thanks for posting!!
going to Iceland on my own in May, can’t wait, got two full days of trips and a day to wander. It’s only two hours from UK as well. Thanks for your views it’s Defo made me more excited
So for as long as I can remember I have always wanted to go to Iceland and have been thinking more about it as I approach my 40th b day and reflect on my haves and have nots. I have been on the fence about going alone but after reading this I feel confident I can do it! Going to make it happen!
I have always loved the idea of visiting Iceland, and this evening I began entertaining that idea by searching flight expenses and such. I came across this article and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’m 19 and a first time female solo traveler- destination: Iceland. This convinced me even more that this is where I need to go. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear it, Maggie!
I’ve been wanting to go to iceland for the longest time but my friends and i cant seem to pick a date that works for all of us. i know its safe to go alone but i’m as little scared. do you think you can introduce me to other female solo travelers? maybe i can find a travel buddy. thanx!
I have been dying to go to Iceland for years! And it’s silly, but watching the Secret Life of Walter Mitty put it over the top. I NEED to go. But I am wondering, is it challenging to find vegetarian food, or at least food that doesn’t only consist of meat? The only other country I’ve visited is Peru and it is not the most vegetarian friendly place. Thanks for your input!
i love to enjoy the world like you did.
but i don’t know when i will time for such thing
you have to make it. only one life
Hi
I really enjoyed reading this article. It is heartwarming to see that people feel save in our country and can com here and enjoy the peace and quiet that nature and all the wonderful places we have here.
Thank you for this wonderful article.
Einar Páll
Hi. I stumbled upon your post, and i actually booked a trip to Reykjavik about a month ago on a whim. Ive never been out of the country, or anywhere really. I touch down the day i turn 34 and am traveling solo. I will be there 6 days! Your post has assured me that i am not crazy, and has given me a boost of confidence. Im taking the full day Golden Circle tour and going to the Blue Lagoon of course. ive also rented a car so i can do some unguided exploring. Any suggestions on where i should go?
Check out the south coast for sure! Lots of waterfalls there, and you should have time to see the glacier lagoon at Jokulsarlon.
Amazing! Thanks for this informative blog! Yes, I visited Iceland once lonely and it really a very beautiful and safest place for the ladies on this earth. People of Iceland is so friendly. I really l like their helping nature.