B&B Farm Stays: Iceland (2023)

Guesthouse Steindórsstadir  is a friendly farm house B&B in a lovely setting near the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls north of Reykjavik, Iceland. The accommodation is fairly basic but lacks nothing in terms of cleanliness or comfort and there is a nice friendly atmosphere around the common areas which include an outdoor hot tub. The working farm dates back nearly two hundred years and has sheep, cows, Icelandic horses and a friendly dog and cat. THE ACCOMMODATION: The farmhouse is small and intimate with a choice of a single room, two doubles/twins and a triple room. All the rooms are spotlessly clean and have very comfortable beds. The bathrooms are shared but you will find them also spotlessly clean, and well equipped. The accommodation is B&B and you can expect a good, generous breakfast every morning. The kitchen is open to guests too so you can also cook for yourself during the day if you so choose and there’s a sociable shared lounge at the property too as well as a hot tub outside. The farm is a working farm and has been in the family for nearly two hundred years. They keep cattle and sheep as well as the ubiquitous Icelandic Horses. Horseback riding can be arranged and there are some lovely trails all around the farm and the local area to be enjoyed for riders of all abilities. THE LOCATION: Near the Hraunfossar waterfalls north east of Reykjavik the location is gorgeously peaceful and scenic, an expanse of open countryside between the ocean and the mountains that has a frontier like feel though it is only 100km from the Icelandic capital. The main attraction in this area is the aforementioned Hraunfossar waterfalls and the Langjökull Glacier, only around 15km away from the farm and very much one of Iceland’s many natural wonders. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “This was our fourth stay at Steindórsstadir, this says all. This time we brought five friends with us who liked it as well. Very friendly host, the old farmhouse is very welcoming and cozy, comfy beds, the bathrooms are modern and clean. Breakfast includes all what is needed for a good start into READ MORE

Solheimar Eco-Village is a special kind of farm stay near Reykjavik, Iceland. It is, as the name suggests, not just a farm but an entire community, with strong ecological principles and an artistic, cultured, atmosphere. In terms of farming they grow organic fruit and vegetables which you can buy in the village shop to cook with or to take home, and they also have the distinction of cultivating Iceland’s only organic forestry plantation. But that is only a small part of the story, they organize a huge range of activities and workshops at the village where you can learn about sustainability and permaculture amongst other things and create everything from ceramics and carpentry pieces to herbal shampoos and candles. Cultural events are organized too, involving music, theater or sports for example. All in all a stay at Solheimar can be a fully immersive, active experience if you so choose, or if not it is also a terrific place to unwind, and to meet some interesting, idealistic, people from around the world in a nice communal atmosphere. THE ACCOMMODATION: There is a choice of single and double rooms plus a couple of one double bedroom self catering apartments that than sleep a total of four using the sofa bed in the living room. A self service breakfast is included in all the accommodation options and there are also communal kitchen facilities which you are free to use throughout the day, a well as the sociable shared lounge. There is Wifi all over, and in the gardens you’ll find plenty of outdoor seating, BBQ facilities, and a children’s playground.Around the village there are the organic forest plantations which have many little trails down to the Ölfusá river and all around, and are a pleasure to explore. You’ll also find a host of facilities within the village too that you are welcome to use; a grocery & gift shop and a bakery & café/restaurant, where you can dine or take home some of their own homegrown and home made foods, with vegan and non-vegan options. There is also a sports hall & gym, an outdoor thermal pool, a hot tub, a church, a READ MORE

This warm, welcoming and very highly rated farm stay is located in the serene Reykjadalur valley of Northern Iceland, roughly between the town of Akureyri and the famous lake of Mývatn. THE ACCOMMODATION: It has four B&B double/twin rooms, at the geo-thermally heated farmhouse, all of which are comfortable and clean, and come with private bathroom and WiFi throughout. The farmhouse is surrounded by acres of land that contains cows, sheep and hens. They have some horses too and outside of winter horse riding lessons and horse riding trips around the area can be arranged. THE LOCATION: Though in a lovely isolated setting you are still only a few miles from the local village; Laugar where you can find a restaurant, a supermarket, a bank and a post office. Laugar also has its own outdoor geo-thermally heated swimming pool as well as hot tubs. The area around the farm stay is classically beautiful northern Icelandic territory, and great for long hikes into the hills or, as mentioned before horse riding. Nearby you’ll be impressed by Mývatn lake and nature baths, a well known tourist attraction in the area, about 40 mins drive away, as well as Goðafoss waterfall, closer even; about 15 minutes away. The entire region though is spectacular and awe inspiring in a way in which very few other places in Europe can compete. The nearest major town is Akureyri, Iceland’s second biggest urban area, about 40 minutes to the north west of the farm stay, at the bottom of Iceland’s biggest fjord Eyjafjörður.  You can take a 45 minute flight to Akureyri from Reykjavík, and travel on from there, or you can drive the spectacular northern ring road which would land you at Öndólfsstaðir Farm B&B in about 5 hours. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “This was by far the best place we stayed while visiting Iceland. Very clean and comfortable, the absolute best food served to us anywhere and our take away lunch was so good. I highly recommend a stay at this B&B….” “Facilities were super good, very comfortable, kind of new and super clean. Excellent breakfast, best breakfast I had while in Iceland. Location is amazing, READ MORE

For a modern Icelandic farm holiday experience near the famous Gulfoss waterfall in Iceland’s Golden Circle, and relatively near Reykjavik (within an hour’s drive), Farm Hotel Efstidalur mixes the hotel and farm sides of the business with ease. Though it might be far from the idea of a traditional Icelandic farmhouse, it has very good facilities; an excellent restaurant and bar, a nice terrace with seating and a hot tub outside, and in summer you can explore the lovely local countryside on one of their horse riding trips. THE ACCOMMODATION: It has a great range of B&B rooms, from doubles and twins to family rooms that can sleep up to seven. The rooms are nicely wood paneled giving them a slightly traditional feel, all have en suite bathroom and there is WiFi throughout. They have a very good restaurant at the farm with lots of good fresh local food, including breakfast. There’s also a cafe and home made ice cream shop in the converted barn. There is also a nice and sociable bar there too with a good selection of drinks, and outside you’ll find seating, a terrace area and also a very Icelandic geothermal hot tub. THE FARM: The farm is a fully working farm, in the same family since 1850, with cows and Icelandic horses. It’s pretty large you can take plenty of long walks around it and on into the surrounding countryside, or you could also hire one of their many horses, by yourself or go out on guided treks. The farm owners are enthusiastic about farming and are always happy to show guests around. You can take a look around the dairy too from where the cafe gets some of its fresh ice cream from, and where they also produce their own cheese and what is known as skyr, a very traditional Icelandic type of yoghurt. THE LOCATION: The hotel is within the well known Golden Circle Tour Region of Iceland, about an hour’s drive west of the capital Reykjavik. It’s also only 15 minutes away from the spectacular Gulfoss waterfall, one of Iceland’s most popular natural attractions, as well as the Geysir hot springs, where READ MORE

A cosy and very friendly traditional farm stay in Víðidalur, Northwest Iceland, Stóra-Ásgeirsá is a wonderful introduction to Icelandic farm life but with all the comforts and facilities of a modern guest house B&B. The farm keeps horses, sheep, goats hens and ducks and you can spend your days meeting the animals, going horse riding, or exploring the surrounding countryside of this very picturesque and remote part of northern Iceland, while in the evenings you can relax in the outdoor hot tub soothed by the sounds of the nearby waterfall. THE ACCOMMODATION: The farmstay is small and cosy with a choice of double/twin rooms and a larger family room which can sleep up to 4. All the rooms come with flat screen TV and there is WiFi throughout the property. There is a shared bathroom at the farmhouse and a dining room/lounge where you will be treated to a great home made Icelandic breakfast in the morning and where in the evenings you can socialize with the other guests and farm owners in a relaxed and homely environment. THE FARM: It is a fully working farm with some lovely Icelandic horses on which you can take horse riding trips around the farm, as well as a number of sheep, goats hens and ducks, all of which are very friendly and which are a bit hit with children at the informal petting zoo. The horses though are the farm’s main business, with the owners being well known horse breeders in Iceland who have bred many top riding horses. Their horse riding tours are highly recommended, they are open to all levels and can take you around the farm and along the banks of the salmon filled Víðidalsá river or on longer tours of the surrounding countryside. THE LOCATION: The location is really very special; in the small settlement of  Víðidalur, way up the north of Iceland, and surrounded by gorgeous countryside, rolling hills, valleys, rivers and brooding, misty mountains. The area has a wonderfully remote feel to it and is quite an inspiring place. There are many great hiking routes around that the farm owners can advise you about, and plenty READ MORE