Árbakki Farmhouse Lodge

An idyllic farmhouse, conveniently located in the Golden circle. It’s a 1.5 hour drive from Reykjavik, 35 minutes drive from Thingevellir National Park on one side and is about 20 minutes from the Geysir (hot springs)on the other side, and the Gullfoss (waterfall) a little further after that. Lovely restaurants nearby too - Mika (good food, but fully booked. We ended up with take-away) and Fridheimar (which we didn’t go to but great reviews everywhere). The farmhouse is very cosy, with clean rooms and a very homely feel to it. You have to take off your outdoor shoes at the entrance but there’s a basket full of slippers to use inside the house. The view from the sitting area is straight out of a painting. There’s a little area with things on sale in one corner. The walls are adorned with family knick-knacks, pictures and souvenirs. So pretty! The rooms are fully equipped with everything you need- we did have to ask for a portable heater as there wasn’t any in the room and it was a bit cold. But after about an hour or so with the heater. the room was nice and toasty. The kitchen is fully equipped. We got take away from a local restaurant (Mika) and ate in the kitchen, which was really well stocked. Since we were two families with kids, this worked really well for us. Breakfast is like at home, fresh and seasonal. The host Magnus is a very discreet gentleman and was kind enough to answer all our questions. We were lucky to meet his beautiful dog, Thea (if I remember her name correctly). We loved this place and when we go back to Iceland (which we totally look forward to), this place will definitely be on our itinerary.