Iceland trip report: photos and budget!

When I tell people we went to Iceland for one week to celebrate our 10th anniversary, many people ask if it was amazing.  It was.  Check the photos below.  Then they ask if it was as expensive as they hear.  It was, but I now have the budget numbers to back that up.  We used frequent flyer miles for free tickets, stayed in AirBnBs with kitchenettes, bought groceries and ate most of our meals in.  We decided to visit Landmannalaguer in a national park and when the bus tickets to the park and back were $280, we decided to splurge on a 4x4 rental for some national park adventures.  Sheesh bus.  Below the photos are our actual expenditures for two adults in Iceland for six nights.

We used credit card miles for free airfare, but counting that expense at $650 per roundtrip ticket, we spent $4,179 on six nights in Iceland for two people.  Our accommodations were quite basic - two AirBnBs for two nights each were the most expensive at $195 per night with all fees included.  The kitchens in these units allowed us to cook and save money on food costs though.

We would recommend visiting in September as the tourism numbers are lower, the summer is ending, the balance of daylight vs night is great, and the temperatures aren't too cold.  It's not a great time to visit for, say a school calendar, but our trip worked out well.