That’s how we roll… Combining Iceland and Italy in one trip, because why not?
Welcome to the Journey Unburdened blog! This is a space where we will share stories and tips to give you inspiration for your travels.
As a starter, I thought I would tell you about the time we took a family trip to Iceland and Italy. If you look on a map, you will see that these countries are not exactly close to each other. But when WE looked at the map, we said, “We’ll already be most of the way across the Atlantic, why not throw in another country a plane flight away.” We loved the idea of seeing all of Iceland’s beauty, but didn’t want to commit our entire two-week vacation there. You could EASILY spend two weeks in Iceland, we’re just restless travelers. Our youngest is particularly fond of mythology and ancient history, so we decided to spend the other half of our vacation in Italy.
I know this type of disjointed trip may not make a ton of sense to a lot of people, but it worked well for us. So, know that if you decide to work with Journey Unburdened to plan your trip, we are open to all kinds of travel. You do you!
Our basic itinerary was as follows. There are pictures and some quick descriptions below. If the Iceland portion sounds interesting to you, I have a one-week pre-planned itinerary based on the sites we visited available for purchase HERE.
Day 1 - Fly Raleigh -> Montreal -> Reykjavik
Day 2 - Arrive Reykjavik in the morning, pick up rental car, visit The Settlement Center, Krauma Spa, check out Vatnsdalsholar View Point
Day 3 - Visit a natural hot pot, stop in Akureyri, see Godafoss waterfall, visit sites in the Myvatn Lake area
Day 4 - Drive to Husavik for whale watching, head to Dettifoss waterfall, hike in Studlagil Canyon
Day 5 - Visit a Viking film set, see Diamond Beach and a glacial bay with icebergs, take a hike
Day 6 - Take a hike, visit a black sand beach, see LOTS of waterfalls
Day 7 - Drive to the airport and fly Reykjavik -> Copenhagen -> Rome, drive south to Pompei
Day 8 - Visit Pompei, drive south to visit Paestum - the best-preserved Greek temples in the world
Day 9 - Visit the coastal areas of San Severino, Palinuro, and Pisciotta
Day 10 - Relax in Ascea and visit the ancient ruins of Velia
Day 11 - Drive to Rome and visit the Vatican Museums
Day 12 - Visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain
Day 13 - Fly back to Iceland, Rome -> Copenhagen -> Reykjavik, visit the Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik
Day 14 - Visit the Westman Islands, relax in the Hrunalaug Hot Spring
Day 15 - Hike to Reykjadalur Thermal River and enjoy a relaxing swim, check out Thingvellir National Park
Day 16 - Fly home, Reykjavik -> Montreal -> Raleigh with a long layover in Montreal to check out some sites
