Iceland

What a trip!!!

Iceland is a wonderful vacation for adventurous travelers of any age who are able to walk moderate distances on uneven terrain. It is an easy 4.5 hour direct plane ride from Boston, MA and 4 hours home.

Iceland is a beautiful, friendly country with gorgeous vistas everywhere. The landscape was nothing like we had seen before. The terrain was Mars-like – black volcanic rocks covered with greenish-yellow lichen for miles, steam coming from the ground, beautiful cascades of water pouring from the mountains everywhere you looked, ocean all around, glaciers topping some of the higher elevations and secret steamy thermal baths in the middle of nowhere. The hillsides are dotted with sheep and iconic Icelandic horses are visible along the roadside.

Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, is a relatively small, slightly hilly city that is walkable. There is an incline from the harbor, up the rainbow-painted main street to the towering, iconic Halligrímskirkja Church with its strikingly tall pillars that were designed to mimic the natural basalt columns seen along the island’s South Coast. There are many little restaurants and shops in Reykjavik that make a day of meandering along the streets fun and easy to navigate.

Our Icelandic trip was the culmination of our planning to see the Northern lights, which unfortunately did prove elusive for us. Because I was teaching and our friends other vacation plans, we had to plan our trip for September. Unfortunately, September is the very beginning of Northern Lights seasonal appearance, but we took a chance and planned for the autumnal equinox, hoping for some celestial activity. Though we were disappointed for not seeing the aroura borealis, the rest of our trip certainly made up for it!

We visited prior to the November 2023 earthquakes and lava flow that caused damage to and the evacuation of the fishing town, Grindavik, on the south-west peninsula of Iceland. I am not sure if there is continued disruption of that area of the country.

The people of Iceland were very friendly and very proud of their homeland. Those that we talked with were happy to educate us on the lore of their land. Iceland comes with deep legends of fairies, trolls, and vikings. Our guide, “Thor”, (yes, that is really his name) during our tour of the South Coast loved to animatedly tell us of these stories while pointing out the fairy doors in the side of the hill.

We stayed at the Exeter Hotel in Reykjavik, at the harbor which is a great location. You can walk throughout Reykjavik from here. The Exeter has a modern, industrial décor. The rooms were small, with no dresser but very clean and pretty. The front desk staff were courteous and helpful and even helped us to book some excursions. They were great with assisting us with parking for our last day after check-out. There is a wonderful restaurant (LeKock) and bakery (Deig) within. Breakfast was included in the price of the rooms which was extremely convenient, especially since breakfast does not seem as easy to find a restaurant for as it is in the U.S.

We decided to be our own tour guides for most of our trip, so we rented a car that we picked up at the airport. The hotel had a few tight parking spots in a garage under for an extra fee. Steve was the driver and was a champion parker. I am not sure I would have been able to maneuver in that tight space. We were told that there was a municipal lot nearby that we could have parked at as well. Other than the parking, driving in Iceland was easy with GPS navigation.

Our Itinerary

Day 1 – We flew into Keflavik airport where we shuttled to pick up our rental car. There were some car rental desks at the airport but we booked on line and had to shuttle to ours. Our first stop from the airport was the Blue Lagoon.

We heard all the warnings from people that this is a tourist trap and don’t bother, but we are all so glad we went!! Cool air and creamy blue, warm water is a great introduction to Iceland! Some helpful hints if you plan on going right from the airport as we did, bring a short bathrobe and flip-flops and be prepared to see naked people in the locker rooms. The locker rooms do have a very small number of private changing rooms but the natives don’t use them. You will be expected to shower prior to entering the Blue Lagoon.

After settling in to our rooms we ventured out to wander through Reykjavik. We found a walkable, safe city with lots of little nooks and crannies to explore. We walked along the waterfront and got a quick bite to eat then found the rainbow road and followed it up past the storefronts and restaurants to the Halligrímskirkja Church.

Day 2 – We tackled the Golden Circle on our own. It was easy to navigate using the map that came in our Rick Steves’ book. The Golden Circle is a 190-mile loop full of attractions and goes through the Thingvellir National Park. This is smaller than the Ring Road, a 820-mile road around the perimeter of Iceland that we felt with our 5-day stay we did not have time to undertake.

In the Golden Circle we visited:

Silfra Fissure is a break in the earth that separates the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The fissures and lake are fed by melting glacier and is some of the clearest water on earth. There are any number of tour companies that offer both snorkeling and scuba diving here, but I do recommend booking ahead as they fill up quick. Jim and Steve did a snorkeling tour between the tectonic plates. They were happy they did it, but the water was extremely cold even though dry suits are provided. Other than the knowledge that you are between the plates and the unbelievable visibility, there was not a lot to see. Unlike snorkeling in the Caribbean or the Keys, there were very few fish to see. Also in that same general area within the national park is the 44 foot Öxarárfoss waterfall. This is worth checking out and has wooden walkways to the observing area that are easy to traverse. A short, easy hike from here is the Thingvellir Church, a small wooden picturesque building.

Geysir geothermal area is a place like no other. Water bubbles and steams from the ground along the walk to the Great Geysir and Strokkur Geysir. The Great Geysir is not as great as it used to be but does still bubble and spew, however the Stokkur Geysir erupts every 6-10 minutes spraying steam and water 131 feet into the air. I recommend wearing rain gear when visiting the Strokkur Geysir as with any of the waterfalls in order to keep dry for the rest of your exploration. https://youtube.com/shorts/VUkjrxjatsU

Gullfoss Waterfall is along the Golden Circle and water cascades 105 ft over 2 drops. The mist creates rainbows along the way. Gullfoss is a must see. There is a viewing area above the waterfall near the parking area, but for the best views you will want to hike alongside the falls which requires walking down a large, staircase and along a rocky, dirt path. There is handicapped parking on the lower level. Think about your abilities before undertaking this beauty to pick your optimal viewing point. https://youtu.be/J34-oe_ciH4

Kerid Crater is one of my favorite views with a beautiful aqua, blue-green lake at the bottom of a colorful volcanic crater that is right on the side of the road, a quick detour from the Golden Circle. It is a very short, uphill walk from the parking area to the top of the crater.

Day 3 – A day of rest and relaxation. We went to the Sky Lagoon , an oceanside geothermal hot spring 15 minutes from Reykjavik. Sky Lagoon is manmade, opposed to the natural Blue Lagoon, but it was done to perfection. It took a little convincing to get our 60-something year old husbands to agree to join us at the spa, but they thoroughly enjoyed soaking in the geothermal pool with a glass of bubbly overlooking the North Atlantic ocean.

We purchased Sky package that included the Seven-Step Ritual, private changing rooms and added on a post-spa charcuterie and cocktail. The ritual included using the hot spring pool area, cold plunge, dry and mist saunas, scrubs, steam area and shower. The infinity edge pool overlooking the ocean is amazing. We heard that sometimes you can even see whales.

The rest of the day was spent walking around Reykjavik and grabbing a nice dinner by the pier at Bryggjan Brugghús.

Day 4 – We had booked a glacier tour, but it was cancelled due to the weather – drizzle and high wind on the mountain. We changed directions and drove northwest a couple of hours to the Snæfellsjökull peninsula. This is one of those times we wished we had booked a hotel up this way rather than driving so much in one day. Every place we looked was more picturesque than the next. We took our time and stopped at various sites along the way. We visited a black sand beach (Djúpalónssandur beach), Kirkjufellsfossar waterfalls with the most photographed site in Iceland – Kirkjufell mountain (looks like the mountain in The Grinch) in the background. Game of Thrones was filmed here. It was very pretty and very different than anything else we had seen.

Day 5 – We checked out of our hotel and took a guided tour of the South Coast that ended with sleeping in the Buuble Hotel. This was the last night of our trip and was certainly a highlight. The Buuble hotel (like an igloo) was a fun and unique experience where we slept in a bubble under the stars (or under clouds and rain in our case). It was pricey, but worth it for the tour an experience.

The bubbles were set on a grassy knoll each in its own private wooded areas where we could see trees and sky all around while lying in bed. We had hoped to see the Northern Lights here as we did not earlier in the trip, but the weather did not cooperate for us. It was overcast and rainy on our bubble night, but it was still enjoyable. The Exeter Hotel allowed us to leave our car in their garage for this night. We left our big bags in the car trunk and only took a duffle bag with only what we needed to the bubbles as there is no room for large luggage. Of course, we included some wine and charcuterie. We were picked up and dropped off at the Exeter Hotel by Thor, our native and informative tour guide. Thor drove us to 2 waterfalls to explore on our own, Seljalandfoss (we walked behind this one) and Skogafoss. Next stop was Reynisfjara, a black sand beach in Vik.

At the Buuble Hotel there was quite a climb from the parking area to the bubbles and the shared, outdoor toilets. I had a hard time with this climb. The website did say there was a bit of a hike, but the difficulty was unexpected. Showers were in a building at the bottom of the hill that also housed a tiny kitchenette. The bubbles were spectacular, but the bathroom situation was more like camping. People our age need to use the bathroom at night… a lot… and in the rain this was a total bummer! One good thing, there are not a lot of wild animals in Iceland!!

Planning:

We planned our trip early, about 9 months prior to going. I am a planner to a fault as is my friend, Debbie. I like to research a destination thoroughly prior to booking. Iceland seemed so foreign that it was difficult to know where to begin. I aksed people I know who recently traveled to Iceland for their itineraries and for any ideas. Because I am old-school, I also purchased some travel books with maps. I find Rick Steves’ books particularly helpful for our age group who still like the feel of paper between our fingers rather than a keypad.

Even with all that information, we still wish we had done some things differently. For example, we stayed in a great hotel in Reykjavik for 4 nights, then in the Bubble for a night, but in hindsight we all wish that we had done a night or 2 further out from Reykjavik to see more of the island. This was recommended in the books and by the shared itineraries, but we decided to stay centrally, in Reykjavik, as we only had 5 days and did not want to have to move around so much. Now that we know how spread-out Iceland is, we would have stayed a few days longer and stayed a couple of nights outside of Reykjavik.

Clothing and Equipment:

Don’t over pack but bring everything that you need. Sounds easy, right? It is so hard to know what you will need in an environment that is so different than what you’re used to. I was surprised to find out that Iceland is fairly temperate. The weather is warmer than you would suspect from being so close to the arctic circle. Reykjavik temperature ranges from 14 F to 50 F in winter and 44 F to 77 F in summer. Iceland sits on top of geothermal activity, and the gulf stream brings warm air from the Caribbean and cold air flows down from the Arctic. This mixing of warm and cold air can cause precipitation, wind and storms. So, when packing you must be ready for anything.

Rain gear – You will need to have rain gear for the possibility of rain, but also for going close to those gorgeous waterfalls. Getting your outerwear wet will make for a miserable rest of your day. We purchased both expensive waterproof outerwear – jacket and pants – and inexpensive – Frogg Toggs – rain jacket and pants ($30 on Amazon) to pull over your clothes. We ended up using the Frogg Toggs more for the ease of putting them on and taking them off. They also fold up into a small pouch for easy packing.

Hiking boots – Ensure that your hiking boots are waterproof. I purchased new waterproof ankle-high hiking boots prior to our trip, but again, rookie mistake. I have thick calves and ankles and the friction rub caused discomfort and blisters. When I got home, I purchased a different pair that work much better. Make sure that if you purchase new boots, you wear them around for some time to break them in before your trip.

Layers – Because Icelandic weather is so changeable, dressing in layers is necessary. You can peel off or put on as necessary.

Refillable water bottle – Icelandic water is so pure they say it is drinkable from everywhere. You can fill your bottle at any tap and get great water. They also say you can refill in streams, etc… but I was not that brave.

Accessories – Other than the summer months, I suggest you bringing hats, gloves, warm socks and maybe even scarves, as much for the wind as the temperature. 

Food:

Whether enjoying casual or fancy dining, the food was great, oh and those hot dogs!

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about what food choices would be available in Iceland as I am not big on fish, lamb or hot dogs, what I imagined to be the staples of the land. Those are the mainstays, but I was surprised to find that beef and shellfish were abundant on menus as well and the lamb was delicious, not gamey at all.

We found that eating out could be fine dining or casual at a hot dog stand, take out or at one of the many food halls (mathöll) too so there is something for every wallet. We tried all levels of culinary cuisine and were not disappointed at any of them. Some of our favorites are listed below:

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur – The infamous Icelandic hot dog stand is a must do for any hot dog loving American and is located on Tryggvagata 1, 101 Reykjavik. This was close to our hotel which made the multiple visits we did easy. They also sell all the components of the hot dogs at the airport to bring home to the States.

Bryggjan Brugghús – A warm restaurant and pub atmosphere on the Reykjavik docks with good food and beers on tap. I had steak frites and they were delicious!

Sægreifinn (Seabaron) (couldn’t find a link) – Is a tiny seafood restaurant with limited rustic seating indoors and outdoors. We had lobster soup with bread al fresco. Definitely worth a stop.

LeKock – Is at the Exeter Hotel providing free breakfast buffet for hotel guests as well as lunch and dinner casual dining. Comfortable and affordable.

Deig Bakery – Is also at the Exeter Hotel and offers delicious from scratch bakery items including bagels and breakfast sandwich’s each morning and donuts on the weekends. This is a favorite among the locals.

Apotek – Is a fine dining restaurant in Reykjavik. This was a treat night as I had lobster tail and filet mignon, and Jim had a lamb ribeye which he raved about- delicious!!

Mathölls – Mathöll simply means food hall and they are all over Iceland. We tried a few different food halls as well. These halls offer seating in the center of a variety of stands of varying food types. Some were higher scale choices than others so check on offerings prior to choosing which to go to. Matholls that we visited served alcohol and had pizza, Mediterranean, Italian, Icelandic and typical American choices.