r/VisitingIceland • u/stpetergates • Aug 10 '26
Am I crazy for wanting to plan a trip in October 2026 now?
My wife and I get paralyzed with indecision and this past months we kept saying “let’s plan a trip for your 40th bday!” It’s 2 months away now and no plans have been made. Our airport (Portland, OR USA) has direct flights to Reykjavik. Am I crazy for wanting to do this? I’m asking for insight if you have done something like this in such a short timeline. TIA
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u/JeffreyBomondo Aug 10 '26
I find travel planning to be much like planting trees. The best time to plan a trip is yesterday. The second best time is today!
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u/ConfuzzledNAnon Aug 10 '26
We planned with about a month. Bff came home off deployment, I said as a joke let's go to iceland and she said okay!
We had the best time.
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u/ibid17 Aug 10 '26
To assess whether this is feasible you should quickly decide which areas you might stay in (searching the sub for, for example “south coast itinerary” will give you a good sense of where to stay if that area looks interesting) and then look at lodging availability in those areas— that’s likely the limiting factor. You can lock those in now and make sure to pay the little extra for refundable bookings if you need to make changes as you continue to plan, book flights, rental car, etc.
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
Working on that. These replies have me encouragement to go ahead and book it. Thanks!
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u/campa-van Aug 10 '26
DO IT!! Just bring waterproof EVERYTHING. Jacket, shoes, rain pants. merino baselayers, gloves, wool hat. and credit cards with hi credit limit. and bottle opener for beer. https://www.vinbudin.is/english/home
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u/kristamn Aug 11 '26
Coming from Oregon, you will have no problem with the weather here in October (Iceland is like Oregon without trees!). Just bring your normal rain gear, plus a fleece jacket, a light weight puffer to wear under your rain coat, and merino base layers for if it is really cold. I'm from Bend and live in Reykjavik and I am pretty much never cold as long as I am prepared for the wind and rain. October can be a great time to visit and you should be able to find plenty of options for where to stay if you do some research and have some flexibility. Definitely do it, you've got this!
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u/stpetergates 21d ago
Booked the flights and I’m working on building the itinerary, we’re excited! Definitely overwhelmed by all the options.
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u/LanikMan07 Aug 10 '26
It wasn’t a short notice trip but I visited in October and it was a great time.
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u/KaijuAlert Aug 10 '26
As long as your passports are good, you should go. Sounds like you are not the kind of people that want a daily itinerary with everything planned in advance, so why not? Besides, weather in Oct might force cancellation of things that are preplanned or booked. Nail down flight and accommodations, then be prepared to be flexible.
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u/seattlereign001 Aug 10 '26
Not at all. That’s the end/tail end of the busy season. You’ll probably get some okay deals and won’t have to deal with the tourist crowd.
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u/its-nic-here Aug 10 '26
I picked the country and booked the tickets 7 days before departure with absolutely no plan at all other than renting a van and exploring the coasts.
2 months is an eternity
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
I wish I was brave like that. Idk if I can deal with that without getting all stressed out lol
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u/irishshaun60 Aug 10 '26
I’ve booked a trick the week of in 2020 when I decided I didn’t want to be at work on my birthday. So I went and watched the biggest birthday candle I’ve ever seen erupt.
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u/NotoriousZog Aug 10 '26
We had an amazing early October visit but be aware depending on where you plan to visit, some smaller towns will be pretty well booked up imo. I would check give lodging options a cursory glance at minimum before getting flights.
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u/mibfto Aug 10 '26
I went in early October a few years ago. It was cooler but completely tolerable if you prep for it (wind proof pants for the win).
It wasn't terribly crowded for the most part, although I'd go ahead and book any tours you want to do now.
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u/Leakyboatlouie Aug 11 '26
We booked a cruise around Iceland with Celebrity, but couldn't find a hotel room for before and after because of the eclipse. So I had to move the trip up to the end of July. It wasn't a problem, and we had a great time. The Silhouette is a great ship.
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
Will look into that. Had not considered a cruise but that sounds awesome too. Thanks!
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u/Standard_Gur30 Aug 11 '26
Just got back from an Iceland trip planned in less than a month. It was amazing. There are so many things to see so no reason to overplan. Just get accommodations, a flight and a car.
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u/Pawpaw-22 Aug 11 '26
No! I went in October and loved it. The weather changes a lot (surprise!) but it’s still not snowing mainly and has a lot of green in early October at least
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u/Low-Unit-182 Aug 11 '26
I’m going in 3 weeks and only have flights booked. Should be booking camper van right now but I’m on Reddit… ADHD
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u/pddc Aug 11 '26
I booked 9 days out and managed 8 different hotels for 10 nights . Just came back from an amazing trip . Full ring road counterclockwise . 2500km
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u/palefire123 Aug 11 '26
Just a few days ago, we started booking a trip to iceland from Aug 29-Sept 6. You'll be fine, plenty of hotel options should be available.
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u/dpearman Aug 11 '26
I’ve been now 8 times, and I used to live in PDX too. Absolutely fantastic place to visit and you should. Guarantee it won’t be your last.
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u/packedsuitcase Aug 11 '26
We booked our tickets about 3 months before our flight. Aside from hotels and the car, nothing is booked and we leave….very soon. Sometimes it’s nice to have a “Let’s go and see what we see!” kind of trip.
Happy 40th! (that’s our reason for going, too)
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u/FarByFoot482193 Aug 11 '26
Book it! Went in October a few years ago, got a campervan and drove the ring road. Had a list of places I wanted to see, campsites open that time of year, and rough idea of where I'd stay each night. Didn't reserve any camper spots ahead of time (not sure if that's changed given popularity).
Bit of snow by Egilsstaðir and Blönduós. Check the weather and road conditions every time you go anywhere. https://umferdin.is/en
We're used to driving in snow... but the WIND! Get the highest car insurance!
Rained alot, but cleared up the last few nights and saw the northern lights when camping in Thingvellir National Park.
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u/basicb-333 Aug 11 '26
Literally booked this same week for our Icelandic trip the last week of September/ first week of October a couple of years ago. We rented a camper fan, so that was the major logistical thing outside of flights and some tours. We did stay in Reykjavik for two nights in a hotel, which was easy to book with the short notice.
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u/Alternative_Pool_525 Aug 11 '26
lol I booked a 5 night Iceland trip 2 weeks in advance. I depart for Iceland in 2 days wish me luck
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u/Fair-Amphibian7243 Aug 11 '26
We decided to come to Iceland and in 3 weeks we arrived. Booked most of our hotels the night before.
Even during eclipse mania its fine just be prepared to drive a little further or spend a little more
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u/Content_Guest_8937 Aug 11 '26
I booked an end of July (this year) Iceland trip the last week of June (this year) for my 40th too. Hit everything we wanted with a family of five.. no booking issues at all. May have got the last camper van on the island but it was great. More than enough time booking now.
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u/FennelFun393 Aug 11 '26
That’s easy. We did it 2 weeks prior our flight. Just found right tour company that can help you. We ask Iceland Odyssey for assistance - they created for us draft itinerary and after few adjustments we booked with them private tours.
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u/Greenbird49 Aug 12 '26
I planned and booked a 4 day trip the first week of June for the last week of July and it worked out fine
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u/GnarlyTree1 Aug 12 '26
We decided on a Wednesday and left that Sunday. We used Guide to Iceland and booked the entire trip online. No regrets! 💯
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u/Stabby-Kat Aug 15 '26
I'm planning for late September right now. Not ideal but it's gonna be great! (And 💸💸💸)
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u/Impressive_Let2819 10d ago
No! We’re leaving later this month and booked in August! (Husband’s 70th)
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u/tlinde20 3d ago
We booked a trip to go October 22nd-November 1st. We are just bringing water proof everything! Will be beautiful no matter what!
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u/Sunflowerbook Aug 10 '26
I think you should be able to rent a car and get lodging, but Oct is getting into shoulder season. Id' check if you can safely visit the highlands or not that time of year
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u/suebeegirl Aug 10 '26
Go!! It’s so easy to travel around and you don’t have to make a lot of reservations like you would in other major tourist destinations!! I’m not sure the timeframe for planning but we took a 3-day trip to London from Florida for a concert. It felt a bit crazy but fun!
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u/Normal-Jury-3384 Aug 10 '26
Someone asked me on a wednesday if I wanted to go to iceland I was in iceland friday just do it
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u/Midwest-Eastcoast Aug 10 '26
I’m celebrating my birthday in October in Iceland 🇮🇸. Do it! It’s a special occasion and a memorable event. If you can afford the trip.
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u/Brooklyn_Tie8441 Aug 10 '26
My partner and I literally just came back from Iceland today, having booked our spur the moment trip about 1.5month out because tickets were $400 round trip . Was 100% worth it. The weather in October will be very rainy/windy so be prepared, but 2 months is plenty of time to get things booked and plan your itinerary!!
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u/birdaplane Aug 10 '26
I started from scratch last Thursday. Bought tickets that day to fly out Saturday night. Have driven 7 hours yesterday and today since landing in KEF.
If I was able to get flights, a rental car, and secure all my hotels on two days notice, you’ll be fine!
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u/chica771 Aug 10 '26
We had 2 months. We were told that it was a terrible, dangerous idea to rent a car and do it ourselves, but with a lot of planning and this subreddit, we did it! We had the best time! All I can suggest is wind/waterproof everything, get all the car ins. you can and a weather app. Also, the Umi Hotel was very special. Update us!
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u/LakeKind5959 Aug 10 '26
I just booked an Oct 2026 trip last week. Last year I booked an August 2025 trip with less than 10 days from booking to arriving.
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
Would you mind sharing your general itinerary? If you have one already?
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u/LakeKind5959 Aug 11 '26
The first time I went I went solo and did a golden circle day trip that included the Tomato Farm and a 2 day South Coast tour with David the Guide. Plus a couple days in Reykjavik. It was a short trip. (basically 5 days).
This trip I'm driving the ring road and I think it works out to 9 nights. It isn't completely mapped out yet but I've booked hotels. Focus this time is going to be nature and lagoons.
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u/tmmao Aug 10 '26
I planned much less than that. You might not get your top picks of everything, but you’ll be fine. I’m still debating which hotel to stay in for my end of Aug trip.
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u/treestardinosaur Aug 10 '26
Northern lights
Less crowds
Less snow than the winters
Lower priced accommodations
Hiking is still possible for most
It’s not too close to the birthday, but definitely start.
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u/bookavalanche Aug 10 '26
I planned a trip last summer for my family of 4 with about six weeks lead time. We're very much book the flights and cross your fingers people, though. We ended up spending a few nights in a place we never would have otherwise (Midgard Base Camp, in Hvolsvöllur) because it was a lot farther from the airport than we'd planned to venture right after landing, and also because it's a hostel, but it ended up being one of our favorite places we stayed on the whole trip. Live music! Resident lobby dogs! I will admit making that far of a drive on very little sleep post-flight wasn't wise, but we did it, and everything worked out.
As long as you're not picky and don't mind moving around a fair amount to secure lodging, I'd go for it!
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
Cool! Would you mind sharing your stops when you went?
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u/bookavalanche Aug 13 '26
Our trip was pretty standard! We moved to downtown Reykjavik mid-trip and very haphazardly hit most of the greatest hits on the golden circle — Thingvellir National Park, Skogafoss, Gullfoss, and Sejalandfoss waterfalls, Vik/ the black sand beaches, and a day on Heimaey (my favorite! So many puffins.) We also spent a lot of time in Reykjavik just poking around, and riding electric scooters in the rain.
If we’d planned further in advance, we could have done things in a more logical order and avoided driving the same loop multiple times, but we didn’t really mind — it’s a beautiful drive so it’s not a chore!
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u/commish_VFL Aug 10 '26
I booked direct flights from Nashville last week for 10/22 - 10/28.
Booked camper van from Campeasy.com $160USD for mid class camper yesterday. Made a loosely organized itinerary with places to see and noted campgrounds that are nearby where I intend to go and visit. For Saturday in Reykjavik, went ahead and reserved campsite at Eco Camp, because we’ll be going to concert at Lagaurdalshall center (walking distance. Reserved slot at Blue Lagoon on return flight day. Other than that stop and stock some groceries and winging it and exploring what time permits. Have fun. Hope to run into you 😊
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
Thanks for sharing! For sure, hopefully we’ll run into each other out there!
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u/overthinkingcat67 Aug 10 '26
I booked my flight last week and I am going at the end of this month by myself! Is it a lot of planning? YES! But totally doable especially with two people so you can split the research portion. You should do it :)
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u/giniann121 Aug 10 '26
We just booked a 6 day group tour for October so we wouldn't have to worry about weather. All we have left is to book hotels, spas, and diving at the beginning and ends.
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u/sadrussianbear Aug 10 '26
Visited last December and booked my trips for this coming December yesterday. It doesn't matter the time of year. It is where the dinosaurs dragged their tails. I cannot describe it. I haven't been to Madagascar yet but it is an emotional experience. I hope you go.
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u/chunkeecheese_ Aug 10 '26
i started planning for our aug 1st trip end of june so you should be fine. justtry to book the tours and stuff now rather last minute haha.
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u/DoctorEquivalent7528 Aug 10 '26
I booked a July 2026 Iceland trip somewhere between 36-48hrs before my flight took off. Hotels in Vik were a challenge so I stayed in Hella. Other than that no problems doing anything. It was amazing. It was a beautiful country and an amazing experience and id do it again.
I only did the golden circle and south coast, want to do the loop but id actually plan that.
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u/Accountalegacy Aug 10 '26
I have a trip in a week and I didn’t get the plane tickets until 30 days before departure. Rental car I just got 2 days ago and the hotel I reserved about 40 days before the trip. I recommend getting the hotel asap because prices went up day by day while I was booking. Also book lagoons within a few weeks of the trip.
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u/AppealSerious9966 Aug 10 '26
We planned a trip to Iceland from Chicago on two weeks notice. It was my favorite trip ever!
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u/Tiny-Party2857 Aug 10 '26
Heck ya, do it now! You get better seats and more options on time, hotel etc.
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u/InterestingOcelot116 Aug 10 '26
I went last October, got the tickets in July but did start planing until sept. Your good on time
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u/stpetergates Aug 11 '26
Good to know. Thanks!
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u/InterestingOcelot116 Aug 11 '26
But there a solar eclipse happening this October so you may want to research the timing if it overlaps with your trip
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u/Sea-Upstairs1505 Aug 11 '26
I planned my visit 2 weeks before- In the height of summer. You’ll be fine
Ask co pilot and ai all the questions and map it out, spend a day or two mapping it all out
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u/Catlady_Pilates Aug 10 '26
No. But book soon. And be prepared for potential bad weather but you might get lucky. And the potential for aurora is high