For the third day, my friends and I used the Lonely Planet Iceland Guide to decide on where to check out next. We wanted to chose a place that was close enough to spend a couple hours at and then head back to Reykjavik. Gjain caught our eye - it's a small valley with waterfalls, caves and ponds. Plus they said a Game of Thrones scene was filmed there, so we had to go!

We headed out bright and early at 9am from KEX hostel, where one of my friends was staying. Before that we stopped for some yummy lattes at Te & Kaffi (literally translates to Tea and Coffee).  Anyways, the drive to Gjain from the hostel was 2 hours. 




The day we went was pretty rainy, but for some miraculous reason when we arrived the weather cleared up for a good hour or two. We entered near the Stong site - a viking settlement. An important note is there are signs that recommend a 4WD. You do not need one, but a 4WD drive does make your drive MUCH easier. With our regular sedan, it took us an extra 40 minutes from the entrance to reach the Stong Parking Lot. Past the parking lot, you do not want to drive a 2WD as it will damage your car. 

We also wanted to visit the Stong settlement, but the path to it wasn't very intuitive, so we proceeded to hike into Gjain. When we initially walked, we followed the river leading into the small valley, but it took us off path so we had to go back and follow the path. 



The walk into the small valley was incredibly refreshing and beautiful. You absorb so much nature around as you walk, but it also felt eerie to me. I've never felt anything like this while hiking. The entire time I could see the clear waters from the river, the fresh moss that covered the land, and the beautiful natural structures of the cave.... but I did not see any bugs or wildlife. It felt strange and the scaredy-cat in me would not hike this alone.





At a certain point of the short hike, you climb up rocky hills that over look the small valley. From up top you can see the caves and small stairs that lead into the waterfall. It was awesome, because there was only two other visitors at that time, otherwise we had the place to ourselves!



Unnatural walk on the path :D



All my photos above are unedited :) Later on that night I saw that in the summer, the waterfalls and river are much fuller and the area is much greener. Honestly, I would recommend coming here in the summer out of all the seasons. 

We ended the day with dinner at Restó! Apparently Restó is known for their fish. It was the fanciest dinner we had during our time in Iceland. It's a small restaurant, and I would recommend making reservations if you come any later than 6pm.


Grilled Ling with Lobster Tail and Madeira Sauce

Filet of Lamb

Panacotta with raspberry sauce and almond flakes

I had the pan-fried salmon which unfortunately I didn't get good pictures of. It was super delicious and very fresh - I was also a fan of my friend's dishes - snagged a bit of their food above ;D. My favorite was definitely the pancotta. It was beautifully layed out and all the ingredients tasted fresh. I'm not sure what the small berry was but it was also very good. If anyone knows, let me know!