Online travel consultations · Iceland
Driving around the island or hiking the stunning Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails – I’ll plan it with you. I’ve been travelling around Iceland since 2013, and in a 90-minute call I’ll pass on everything I’ve checked on the ground myself. Afterwards, I’ll send you a plan and a summary of our call.
I’ll get back to you within 24 hours with a proposed date. You pay only once we’ve agreed on it.
Where my recommendations come from
Artificial intelligence will write you a travel plan in ten seconds. Except it will stitch it together from other people’s texts and popular tips. AI has never stood on the Fimmvörðuháls pass or slid down the snowy slopes of Eyjafjallajökull on a rubble sack – I have, many times, and I’ll tell you how to do it :)
Sound familiar?
I have a concrete answer to each of these questions. Not because I’ve read about it, but because I’ve been there, driven that road and hiked that trail.
Services
I know Iceland from behind the wheel and on foot. Each kind of trip calls for different decisions – choose the one you’d like to talk about.
Travel consultation
Travelling by car or campervan? I’ll plan a route with you that fits your time and budget.
Trekking consultation
Hiking across the interior, camping or going hut to hut? I’ll prepare you for every stage.
Planning both? Mention it in the form – we’ll cover the road trip and the trek in one call.
Consultation: a trip around Iceland
After our call you’ll have a plan you can book and drive – not a list of links to read through in the evening.
Together we’ll decide how many days, which direction and where to stay. I’ll check whether your plan is doable and tell you what to cut, so your holiday isn’t spent behind the wheel.
I’ll advise whether to go for a 4×4 or a regular car, which insurance makes sense, what to pack for camping and what not to buy before you go.
I’ll show you the Westfjords, the interior and valleys that tour buses don’t reach. And the famous spots – at times when there are no crowds.
You’ll get discounts on the airport transfer to Reykjavík, at selected car rental companies and on some day tours and attractions. For two people, they can cover the cost of the consultation.
You’ll get contacts for glacier guides and drivers, plus the restaurants and shops I use myself.
Trekking consultation
It’s one of the most beautiful trails in the world – it regularly makes the lists of the best treks. I know every metre of it. I’ve been caught there by wind, rain, snow and a dust storm, so I know how to prepare for any weather.
Route · terrain model
The trail can be hiked in both directions – north to south or south to north. In our call I’ll help you choose the one that better suits your dates, the forecast and where you’d like to spend the most beautiful days.
I do it a bit differently from the guidebooks
Most people hike the Laugavegur the way the popular guidebooks describe it: hut to hut, stage by stage. I plan the camps differently:
In the interior this isn’t theory: wind, rain or a dust storm can wipe out a whole day of walking. In our call I’ll plan the camps with you around your dates and fitness.
I’ll help you decide: north to south or the other way round? Three, four or five days? Fimmvörðuháls at the start or at the end? And where to leave a buffer for the weather.
I’ll tell you where it’s worth staying and where it isn’t, when to book hut places and what to do if they’re all taken.
I’ll show you which rivers you have to ford and how to do it safely: what to wear and at what time of day.
I’ll teach you to read the interior forecast. I’ll tell you when to wait it out in a hut and how to dress so the wind and rain don’t ruin your day.
I’ll suggest what’s really useful, what not to carry, what to buy locally and what to bring from home.
I’ll explain how to get to Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk and Skógar by bus, what to do with your luggage and car, and how to fit the start and finish to the timetable.
Reviews
“It was our first trip like this, with backpacks and a tent. And it was definitely the trip of a lifetime. We brought back not just loads of photos, but also a tattoo to remember hiking the trail.”
“My boyfriend and I have hiked this trail twice now – it’s worth coming back to, it’s a completely different experience every time. Thanks, Maciej, for all the tips and for giving us the courage to do longer hikes on our own.”
“In short: Iceland is beautiful in every season and in all conditions, even the tough ones. Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.”
Price
A 90-minute call · a summary · discounts on various Icelandic attractions, depending on the “season” and how you travel
The road-trip and trekking consultations cost the same. That’s less than one day’s 4×4 rental in Iceland and less than one night for two in high season. One good decision pays it back on day one.
No risk. If after the first 15 minutes you feel the call isn’t helping – we stop and I refund you in full. No questions asked.
How it works
A few questions: road trip or trek, dates, group size and number of days, your time zone and preferences. Within 24 hours I get back to you with a proposed date and a payment link. I come to the call prepared.
Google Meet, WhatsApp, FaceTime or Messenger – you choose. I prefer video because I share my screen: maps, photos of places, specific rental companies, accommodation and trail sections. Feel free to interrupt and ask questions.
I put my recommendations, addresses and links into one document. You don’t need to take notes during the call – you can just listen.
About me
I’ve been travelling around Iceland regularly since 2013 – by car and with a backpack. I’m a guide with experience in Icelandic trekking and road trips, and I’ve hiked the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails more than 35 times.
I know not only the views, but also what spoils them: closed F-roads, queues at the wrong time of day, wind strong enough to rip a car door off. Whether you’re planning a trip around the island, a trek across the interior or the Westfjords – I’ll have a concrete idea for you, not a “top 10” list.
Since 2006 I’ve been writing the mediafun.pl blog (in Polish). I’m also the creator of AuroraRadar.pro – a northern lights forecast for 38 places in Iceland.
This is what it’s really like
I’ll tell you which of these fit your dates and budget – and which are better saved for next time.
Is it for you?
Not sure it’s for you? Write to me before you book: maciej.budzich@gmail.com
Questions and answers
For general questions – probably. But AI and search engines put answers together from whatever someone once wrote, including outdated and sponsored texts, written by someone who was in Iceland once, in July, in good weather. You’re not paying me for information, but for filtering out what doesn’t suit you. And for telling you straight: don’t do that – because I’ve tried it myself.
The season usually runs from late June to early September – that’s when the huts are open and buses run to Landmannalaugar. The exact opening date depends on the snow each year. You can hike it outside the season, but that’s a completely different expedition; I’ll tell you about that too.
The trail doesn’t involve climbing, but it’s several days of walking with a backpack, river crossings and weather that can change within an hour. In our call we’ll assess your fitness and gear together and I’ll pick the right option – including whether to go on your own.
In winter – definitely a 4×4. In summer it depends on your plan: if you’re not heading into the interior or crossing rivers, a regular car is enough and saves you quite a bit. I promise you, though, that a 4×4 gives you a lot more fun and options. In our call we’ll work out together whether the price difference makes sense for you.
Usually online – Google Meet, WhatsApp, FaceTime or Messenger, whichever suits you. If you’re in Warsaw and prefer to meet in person, let’s meet at a café – I’ll bring my laptop and notebook.
I can usually find a date within a few days. Bear in mind, though, that the best cars and accommodation for June–August are gone by winter, and hut places on the Laugavegur often even earlier. The sooner we talk, the more choice you have.
Once we’ve set a date, I’ll send you a payment link: PayPal or Revolut.
Booking
The questionnaire takes about 3 minutes. It helps me come prepared, so we don’t waste the first quarter of an hour on the basics. Within 24 hours I’ll reply with a proposed date and a payment link.
$100 for a 90-minute call. You pay only once we’ve set a date – PayPal or Revolut.
Road trip or trek? You’ll choose in the first question of the form – you can also pick both.
A few questions about the type of consultation, dates, group size, trip length and what you’d like to see. No account needed.
Prefer email? Write to me: maciej.budzich@gmail.com
