Iceland
The five things you need to know about iceland
Everything is really expensive. Its deceiving because its so cheap to fly to Iceland but once you’re there, be prepared to spend a butt-load of money. It’s easily one of the most expensive countries in the world. The currency used is Króna, and the exchange rate is about 1000 ISK is equivalent to $10 USD. Every meal we had was very expensive, at least $25-$30 for something basic. We got fish and chips for about $30 USD and it wasn’t even the best fish and chips of your life. Cocktails at bars are also at least $20-$25 USD. The upside is that credit cards are accepted everywhere, I didn’t have to pull any cash out during this trip.
Everything is really far. The best way to get around is to get a rental car. Otherwise you’re forced to book expensive day tours on a long bus ride with a bunch of other tourists. There’s so much to see and so little time. The main capital is Reykjavik, where most people book their stay. It’s hard to find many hotels or Airbnbs outside of Reykjavik. Do your research and plan your trip well; map everything out before heading out for the day and expect to drive A LOT. Everything is at least an hour or more away from Reykjavik.
Don’t buy bottled water. Tap water in Iceland is deemed to be healthy for you. I learned this from the check out clerk at the corner store. The water does taste different and smells a bit like sulfur due to the geothermal fields, but its perfectly safe to drink. Bring a refillable water bottle with you and fill up.
The weather is unpredictable. It could be sunny one moment, rainy the next, and blizzard within seconds. The weather changes as you drive around the island. I drove to the northern part of Iceland and on our way back it was hailing and snowing like crazy. The cleared roads we were on previously, quickly turned into icy roads with 5 inches deep of snow. It is also incredibly windy in some areas of Iceland, I felt like there were times the wind pushed me a few inches. So dress warmly and pack lots of layers!
Plan days accordingly and be flexible. I’m a major planner, but even for me, there were days where we planned an entire day and we weren’t able to get to everything done. In the winter months, daylight time is limited. The roads are really dark at night, so you always want to head back at a good time and not get caught in a storm.
Day 1 - Arriving in Iceland
Iceland is not like any other country I’ve ever been to. It feels like you’re on a different planet. The air even smells different, various areas smell like rotten eggs because of the geothermal fields, and the terrain looks like something from Mars. Stepping off the plane, I already felt the cold wind chills. I picked up my rental car, which I highly recommend booking in advance, rental cars go quickly. Since I decided to go to Iceland two weeks before, it was tough to find a rental car for a decent price.
This is the Aribnb I booked, it was affordable and walking distance from downtown Reykjavik. Plenty of street parking and in a central and safe location!
We spent the day exploring around downtown Reykjavik, walking around the cute winter shops, and walked up to the largest church in the country, Hallgrimskirkja. This church is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and can be seen throughout the city. I didn’t get to go inside, but the architecture from the outside was still worth seeing.
Day 2- Driving to Snæfellsnes peninsula and Northern Lights tour
“Snæ” means snow, and “fell” means ‘mountain’ or ‘hill’
Snaefellness peninsula is the western part of Iceland, about 2 hours away from Reykjavik. I wish i had more time to venture around this area because driving along this road had the most eye dropping views. This peninsula is often called “Iceland in a miniature” because you can see all the country has to offer in one peninsula from lava fields, volcanic craters, glaciers, waterfalls, fjords, hot springs, beaches, and meadows… you name it. Not only that, but we experience every type of weather you can think of. Started the day off muggy and foggy, then became really sunny, rainy, to hailing and snow. My main stop was to head to Kirkjufell, but I made so many random stops along the way. There are so many lookout points and views to catch along the way that you can’t go wrong if you didn’t plan out your day. I made the decision to go to Snaefellsnes because its far less crowded than the Golden Circle.
Kirkjufell Mountain is one of the most photographed waterfall in Iceland because of its gorgeous backdrop. Its easily recognizable by its distinct shaped peak, also known as the “Arrowhead Mountain” from Game of Thrones. I hope you’re a huge game of thrones fan, because I am. I was so excited to see this place after reading about it and seeing it in Game of Thrones; pictures just don’t do it’s justice.
We had reserved a time slot to go to the Blue Lagoon in the evening so we had to head back at a good time. I highly recommend booking ahead of time, and going straight from the airport or on your way. Otherwise it’s complete out of your way because there’s nothing else around the Blue Lagoon. We had booked out time to late, and took the first available one.
Day 3
Spent the morning relaxing and exploring Reykjavik some more.
In the evening, we booked a tour to a secret lagoon, buffet dinner, and Northern Lights hunt, see link here for the tour we booked. This tour picks you up from wherever you’re staying and is a great idea for those wanting to see the Northern Lights. The bus picked us up and took us to our first stop at a secret lagoon, where we got to enjoy and swim in the natural hot springs pool. After swimming, we went to a buffet dinner with traditional Icelandic food. I tried pickled herring for the first time and it was DISGUSTING. But if that’s the sort of thing you’re into, you might like it.
Pros and cons about this tour is that it was nice having a driver take you around, explain the history along the way, and experience a fun filled pack evening in a short amount of time. The downside of this tour is that we didn’t see the northern lights…. the ONE thing i had my hopes up for and the purpose of this tour. But that’s life, it was unfortunately a cloudy night. This tour is great, but its all about luck. I don’t think I would do it again unless I knew for sure that the chances were much higher for seeing the northern lights and it was pricey for what it was. I would recommend just driving around in your own rental car on a clear night and watch for the projections.
Day 4- Drive south to Vik
“Foss” means waterfall in icelandic
We started off our day early, and headed out at 7am. The song to this trip was “Sit Next to Me” by Foster the People. It was played nonstop in the car and reminds me of Kiki and I’s road trip. The drive to the southern coast is gorgeous, and a much different scene than the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, less mountain views and more waterfront views. See our adventure and stops below:
Seljalandsfoss- The first stop to make on your way to Vik. You can’t miss this from the main road. You can walk behind the falls and get a spectacular view! Be careful and bring a waterproof jacket because you will get wet.
Skogafoss - Not much further from Seljalandsfoss, this waterfall is much larger and you can get really close to the bottom of the falls. There’s also a hike you can do to get to the top of the waterfall.
Solheimasandur plane wreckage - There aren’t any signs marking this spot, but there’s a large parking area you can see from the main road you can’t miss. From the parking lot, it’s about a 4km walk to the plane wreck. The walk was brutal for us because it was super windy and it seemed like it went on forever before you can even see the plane and the ocean front.
A little history behind this plane crash. In 1973, a United States Navy DC plane ran out of fuel and crashed on the black beach here at Solheimasandur. Luckily everyone was okay, and it turns out that there was fuel but the pilot didn’t switch to the correct tank. The scenery of this white abandoned plane sitting on black sand is surreal. Even the landscape around is pretty amazing too, I’d crash here too if I was that pilot. The trek is worth adventuring to, you can even walk around and inside the plane. There were a lot of tourists here to check it out, unfortunately social media has ruined the true beauty of this place and its infested with people everyday…. I guess I’m one of them, but I still think its worth checking out.
Dyrholaey - A great place for views of the south coast. The sea has carved an huge arch you can see from the top of the cliff, and you can watch and hear the waves banging against the cliff below you. We got splashed a few times, and its outrageously windy up here too.
Reynisfjara black sand beach- This is where you can find basalt columns created by volcanic eruptions. Also. another Game of Thrones scene location from Season 7 and serves as the sea by the The Wall at the Eastwatch-by-the-sea. The waves roar pretty violently here and there are warning signs everywhere.
Vik i Myrdal - Finally end here in this cute little town known as Vik. We grabbed lunch here, rested up and got back in our cars to head back. Some people advised to stay here for a night. If I were to come back I would drive around the entire country, but we were limited on time and it was getting late.
Best Restaurants:
Dill Restaurant - First restaurant to win a Michelin Star - specializes in New Nordic Cuisine
Fiskmarkaðurinn (The Fish Market) - great seafood and sushi
Vox Restauant
Lava Restaurant - located at the Blue Lagoon. Food is pricey and you pay for the memorable experience when you’re at the blue lagoon, I really enjoyed it!
Noodle Station - a great cheap fast-food option if you’re craving ramen
Things to see:
Golden Circle
The Blue Lagoon
The Westfjords
The Snaefellsnes peninsula - talked about above
Vatnajokull National Park - Iceland’s greatest national park centered around the largest ice cap in Europe