Independent
The honest review of Deplar Farm
Fat Score
Guides like Misa and bartenders who remember your drink turn up in review after review, though the wine upselling on a paid-in-full stay is a real complaint.
The turf-roofed farmhouse look outside gives way to a modern-rustic-Scandinavian interior that surprises people who only knew it from TV.
A working sheep farm turned lodge, tucked into a snow-ringed valley on the Troll Peninsula that guests nickname the Valley of the Gods.
The three-course communal dinner gets good marks, but the forced small talk at a table for 32 and the $180 charge to dine privately grate.
The geothermal pool with its swim-up bar, plus the sauna, steam and cold plunge, is the one thing almost nobody has a bad word for.
The Verdict
Sixteen rooms, something like 75 staff, and roughly $5,000 a night all-in on the Troll Peninsula. That ratio is what the rate buys. Guests who've also done Aman keep reaching for that comparison, then walking it back, because the warmth here reads as family rather than silent anticipation: the same guide who takes you horseback riding turns up on the whale-watching boat and the e-bike route. The geothermal pool with its swim-up bar, set against the valley peaks, is the image everyone brings home, and the sauna-steam-cold plunge sequence gets praised by people who stayed years apart.
The catch is dinner. Breakfast and dinner happen at a communal table for 32, and it splits people cleanly: plenty come around to loving the conversation with strangers, but couples wanting privacy get charged extra (guests cite $180 a night) to opt out, which stings at this price. The food itself gets called fine rather than memorable even by guests who loved everything else. One returning guest complained about the wine upselling on an earlier trip, then got the same pitch on a full buyout visit with premium wines already ordered, which is a strange way to treat someone who's already paying for the good stuff. Heli-skiing is the marquee winter draw and it's genuinely weather-dependent: Iceland's wind can ground activities outright, so book it for the experience and the setting, not for guaranteed powder days.
Worth it if you want adventure-lodge intensity with real five-star execution and don't mind sharing a table most nights. Ask about the private dinner option upfront if that matters to you. Book it for the guides, the pool, and a version of Iceland almost nobody else sees.
39 signals from multiple independent sourcesReports span Jul 2023 – Apr 2026Refreshed Jul 2026Next refresh Aug 2026How this works
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What People Say
It gets hella windy up there — like it'll blow over an 18-wheeler windy — but even so, Deplar Farm is an incredible experience.
The wind is just a fact of life on the Troll Peninsula and something anyone booking should go in expecting. That said, it doesn't take away from how special the overall stay is.
I haven't actually skied at Deplar because of the wind — if I'm paying heli-ski prices, I want a real shot at good powder, and you won't reliably find that here.
I'd consider it for a one-off touring trip, but the wind in Iceland is a real limiting factor for serious heli-skiing. Unless you get lucky with conditions, the powder just isn't consistent enough to justify heli-ski pricing on ski quality alone.
Deplar Farm is one of the true luxury exceptions in Iceland, but it's a very specific vibe rather than a classic Iceland tour.
It's an awesome property, but travelers should know it doesn't deliver the typical ring-road Iceland experience most people picture. Iceland's accommodation scene is generally more casual, so this is very much the outlier at the top end.
Deplar Farm consistently delivers incredible experiences, and pairing it with high-end tours like Land Rover expeditions or helicopter glacier access makes for the best possible Iceland trip.
Most travelers never make it to the north and east side of Iceland, which is a shame because that region is incredibly striking. Building a trip around Deplar as a base with strategic add-on tours elevates the whole experience well beyond a standard Iceland itinerary.
This place is an 11 out of 10 because of the staff — they genuinely become part of your family.
By the end of my stay I felt completely taken care of in a way that went beyond typical hotel service. It's the people here that make the experience unforgettable.
At around $5,000 a night, this just isn't the kind of Iceland experience I was after.
The price point puts it out of reach for most travelers and it felt more like joining an exclusive club than connecting with the country's natural beauty and culture.
Driving into that valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains, we started calling it the Valley of the Gods — and honestly, this place stays with you.
The service was flawless from the first greeting, and every corner of the lodge felt designed for the rhythm of adventure followed by rest — even the lockers for gear were a thoughtful touch. We were skeptical about communal dining at first, but sharing meals and stories with fellow travelers turned into one of our favorite parts of the trip. Our guide Misa took us horseback riding, whale watching, e-biking, and hiking to hidden waterfalls, and she made the whole stay feel personal. Nothing beat sipping cocktails in the geothermal pool with peaks towering all around us.
The food was just okay, and I really didn't appreciate being forced into two hours of small talk with strangers at a communal table every night.
For what we were paying, I expected better food and more flexibility around dining. When we asked for a private table instead of the communal setup, they wanted another $180 on top of an already astronomical nightly rate. That felt ridiculous given how much we were already spending to stay here.
This is easily one of my top five lodges anywhere — the ratio of 75 staff to just 16 rooms tells you everything about how this place runs.
Chad Pike's flagship property is nestled perfectly in a valley of lakes, mountains and glaciers, and the all-inclusive model actually delivers: top-notch meals, most drinks included, and a personal guide for whatever outdoor activity you want. We hiked and e-biked during the day and relaxed in the geothermal pool, sauna, steam and cold plunge in the afternoon. Dinner starts at 8pm around the big communal table with lamb, salmon, steak and Arctic char, but the real secret is booking lunch at the Studio or Ghost House for something more special. At night there's a huge bar, fireplaces, a game room, and even a full recording studio since Chad's a music guy.
We brought our two kids and Deplar Farm still blew us away from start to finish.
Our guides Laura, Diego, and Maria were fun, knowledgeable, and made every outing unforgettable for the whole family, including our 7 and 11 year olds. The property itself is stunning, luxurious yet welcoming, and the spa treatments were some of the best we've ever had. The wait staff and bartenders made every meal and drink feel special too.
We came for our wedding and honeymoon, and the staff's dry humor won us over the moment my husband joked about grabbing axes off the gym wall to play Vikings.
The building looks rugged from outside with its turf roof, but inside it's casual elegance in a modern-rustic-Scandinavian style. I fell off a horse mid-stay and the staff quietly rearranged our snowmobiling plans for low-impact alternatives without missing a beat. We ended up loving lazy afternoons in the lodge's living room by the fire and evenings in the media room with movie snacks just as much as the excursions. Dinner at the communal table was fine the first night, but the private wine cellar dinners the rest of the stay were far more intimate, and the mocktails were genuinely impressive for my non-drinking husband.
We don't love communal dinners with other people's kids around, but they quietly gave us a private meal every night without us having to make a fuss about it.
The property is fantastic across the board — great rooms, amazing amenities, and activities to suit anyone. Our guides on two separate visits were both fantastic, and bartenders Robert and Andrew really seemed to understand what we wanted. Food was well done and I'm already looking forward to going back, group-dinner preference aside.
The pool and pool bar are unbelievable, but I'm still annoyed they tried upselling us wine on our buyout visit even after we'd pre-ordered premium bottles.
We've been twice now, once as a couple joining strangers and once as a private group, and loved both formats. The staff are brilliant, the spa and Viking experience are must-dos, and there's ping pong and shuffleboard to fill downtime. But the food wasn't quite as good this visit as it was in October 2022, and the wine upselling at dinner feels tacky and cheap when wine is supposed to be included — I complained about it the first time and nothing changed.
As someone who runs a luxury travel agency, I'll say this plainly: Deplar is on the Aman resorts level for service, but with a much more personal, family feel.
This was my second stay, after a winter visit that was equally great, and it remains one of my favorite remote luxury destinations anywhere. The activity-inclusive pricing and consistently excellent guides make the whole experience feel effortless. I'd put it up there with the best hideouts in the world, professionally speaking.
Our guide met us at the airport and from there orchestrated a trip we'll never forget, from helicopter rides over volcanoes to private lunches at a cabin on property.
She took us for coffee at the Botanic Gardens on arrival, hiked us to beautiful waterfalls, and set up our spa sessions, weaving everything together seamlessly. The restaurant staff catered to every special request, and the communal table turned out to be a highlight — we met fascinating travelers from all over the world with great stories. This resort was a wonderful surprise from start to finish.
How we score
The 15 signals above are a handpicked editorial selection from 39 signals we gathered across dedicated luxury communities, guest reviews, and editorial publications. Every signal we gathered — not just the ones shown — feeds into the Fat Score and verdict above.
Credibility-weighted
Detailed trip reports from luxury communities and major editorial reviews carry the most weight. Brief ratings add context, not conviction.
Recency-adjusted
Recent experiences matter more. Renovations, management changes, and staff turnover all surface in fresh signals.
Consensus-driven
When independent sources agree on a strength or weakness, that signal gets amplified. One bad night doesn't tank a score.
Kept current
Scores are re-gathered and re-calculated from scratch, continuously — no score is ever more than a quarter old. Last re-scored July 2, 2026.
About Deplar Farm
Deplar Farm is a luxury adventure lodge occupying a converted sheep farm in the Fljot Valley on Iceland's Troll Peninsula, in the country's north. The property sits within a valley bordered by mountains, glaciers and lakes, and has 16 rooms and suites, with the exterior retaining a rustic character, including a turf roof, alongside a modern Scandinavian-influenced interior.
On property, guests find a geothermal outdoor pool with a swim-up bar, along with a spa offering treatments, a sauna, a steam room and a cold plunge. A recording studio, a media room, a gym and games such as ping pong and shuffleboard are also on site. Meals are served all-inclusive, with breakfast and dinner offered at a communal table and additional dining options at the Studio and Ghost House. Personal guides lead activities such as horseback riding, hiking, e-biking, whale watching and, weather permitting, heli-skiing, with the surrounding peninsula and wider northern Iceland accessible from the lodge.
Luxury amenities
- Geothermal Outdoor Pool with Swim-up Bar
- Private Personal Guide Per Room
- Heli-Skiing Access
- Wine Cellar Private Dining
- Full Recording Studio
- Outdoor Cold Plunge and Steam
- Viking Axe-Throwing Experience
- Ghost House and Studio Private Lunches
Social Vibe
What guests are sharing
@travelpirates.com
@adam_lovick
@andrysherly
@wealthplayg
@oquesaberantesdeir
@very.suite
Videos from TikTok creators — tap to watch
What fat travellers ask
Is Deplar Farm worth it?
For travelers who want an immersive, guided adventure experience rather than a passive luxury stay, yes — the personal guide, activity-inclusive pricing, and staff warmth consistently earn some of the highest praise in Icelandic hospitality. Those expecting private, formal fine dining or guaranteed heli-ski powder days may feel the price doesn't match the experience.
What's the best time to visit Deplar Farm?
Winter draws skiers for heli-skiing (weather permitting, sometimes extended into early June in exceptional snow years), while warmer months open up horseback riding, e-biking, whale watching, and hiking to waterfalls. Wind can disrupt plans in any season, so building flexibility into an itinerary is wise.
How does Deplar Farm compare to other Iceland luxury options?
Multiple guests and travel professionals describe it as being in a category of its own within Iceland, with service and attention to detail likened to Aman resorts but with a more personal, communal feel. It's frequently named alongside one or two other properties as one of the only true luxury exceptions in a country whose accommodation scene otherwise skews more casual.
Who is Deplar Farm best for?
It suits adventurous travelers, couples, and families comfortable with a communal, guide-led rhythm rather than strict privacy — those who want ski touring, e-biking, and hot-spring soaking bundled with attentive, familial service. Couples wanting an intimate, private dining experience should budget for the supplement or request the wine cellar or Ghost House alternatives.
Is heli-skiing at Deplar Farm reliable?
Not entirely — Iceland's coastal winds and shifting weather mean heli-skiing days are frequently grounded or conditions fall short of ideal powder, so guests booking primarily for skiing should treat it as a bonus rather than a guarantee.
How do I book Deplar Farm?
Two routes, and both end with the reservation sitting at the hotel in your name. Direct on the hotel's own site is the fastest — the Reserve button on this page goes straight to it. The other is through a travel advisor with consortia access: you pay the same rate the hotel is charging publicly, the hotel pays the advisor's commission instead of you, and an amenity package comes attached — breakfast for two daily, even on room-only rates, $100 property credit for food, drink or spa, room upgrade, subject to availability, early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability. We handle that side ourselves for readers who ask.
What is the smartest way to book Deplar Farm?
Through a travel advisor with consortia access, for almost everyone. You pay the hotel's own public rate and an amenity package comes on top that direct booking doesn't include — typically breakfast for two daily, even on room-only rates, $100 property credit for food, drink or spa, room upgrade, subject to availability, early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability. It costs nothing extra, because the hotel pays the commission rather than you. The one real exception is brand loyalty: advisor rates don't always earn nights toward status, so if you're chasing a tier or points, book direct. Short of that, there's no version of booking direct that leaves you better off. We're advisors ourselves, so you can just ask us.
Can I get a free room upgrade at Deplar Farm?
Never guaranteed — it depends on what's still unsold the day you arrive, and anyone promising one is guessing. Two things move the odds. The reliable one is booking through a consortia programme, where a room upgrade is written into the amenity package subject to availability; it costs nothing extra and it is the closest thing to a lever that exists. The other is telling the hotel in advance that you're celebrating something, which works more often than people expect. The first part is already handled if you book it with us.
Key Details
Fat Score
Fat Favorite · 17.5/20
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