ísland
Here is Iceland…
In 2017, Sean got to go on a European tour where he ended up in Iceland on his birthday - second year in a row. My jealousy overcame me and I decided to join him for a week of Icelandic magic. He spoke so highly of his first time there that I knew I had to bump it to the top of my list.
Iceland is like stepping onto another planet. Being from the midwest where driving along the River Road counts as exotic scenery, I had no idea what I was in for. There are mountains, glaciers, volcanos, black sand beaches, waterfalls (oh! the WATERFALLS!), hot springs, I could go on and on. You really have to use your time wisely here.
Let’s get to it.
STAY
We got a lovely Airbnb in Reykjavik for the handful of days we were there. It’s a very small, walkable city so it wasn’t an issue doing little day trips using the city as our home base. Airbnb is the way to go. It’s super affordable if you want it to be. We found a room in a woman’s home that had a shared bathroom and kitchen space we had freedom to use. I don’t always love mingling with other guests but in a place like Iceland, it can be fun to meet other international folk. That being said, we weren’t in our room much at all besides sleeping.
We picked up our rental car a few days in and had no issue walking everywhere until then. Parking was also not an issue!
EAT & DRINK
Reykjavik has one million adorable coffee shops, cafes, restaurants. It was overwhelming and I wanted to try all of them. One of my favorite parts of the trip was pretending like we lived there and going to the same coffee shop every day. When I arrived, Sean said, “Wait til you see this place, you’re going to love it.” Let me just say, when I walked into Stofan for the first time, I full on gasped in delight. I may or may not have been jet lagged but…he was right. I loved it. Being in that place felt like a warm hug. Stofan was our retreat from the cold (and freaking crazy wind), a quick bite, and a necessary wifi moment.
We also enjoyed The Laundromat Cafe, Grái Kötturinn, and Reykjavik Roasters.
It’s very important you try the Icelandic hotdog! The place we went was called Bæjarins. It was a tiny little hotdog stand (only outdoor seating) and it was cheap and so delicious. Make sure you get the crispy onions on top. So tasty!!
We were pretty pooped by the time nighttime came around so we didn’t get around to much nightlife. However, Stofan, is open into the night and has a cozy bar in their lower level.
And if you are a fan of The Dude, don’t miss the Lebowski Bar!
TO DO
There is no shortage of things to do in Reykjavik, let alone the whole country of Iceland. We just scratched the surface. Like I said above, if you’re itching to get out of the city, I highly suggest renting a car. There is TONS to see both north and south of the city but everything’s a bit of a drive. I also recommend you do some research on when the northern lights are visible. We made a trek out of the city late one night to get a glimpse.
While we hung out in the city, we signed up for a whale watching excursion which was such a cool experience. We didn’t see any whales (lol) but we saw some arctic black dolphins and got to be out on the water for a couple hours. They even supplied some heavy duty jumpsuits because it was pretty cold and very windy. The whole excursion was definitely worth the money!
Other things to do within the city that we enjoyed:
Explore the Harpa Opera House and the view of the mountains through the honeycomb windows.
Take a quick elevator trip up to the top of the Hallgrímskirkja for more views - we caught a childrens choir rehearsing before we went up to the top and may or may not have shed some tears to their rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.
Walk around!! Reykjavik is best on foot and you can do some shopping or get some fresh fish and chips at one of the many spots.
Find the Viking ship on the waterfront or check out the volcano museum
Golden Circle
Time to get in your car and check off some major sights on your list! The Golden Circle is a short drive from the city and there is so much to see.
Thingvellir National Park - hop on the walking trail, stop at the waterfalls, soak in the views
Geysir Geothermal Area - make sure you stay and watch the geysir erupt! It may take a few minutes. Fun fact: it will be so stinky, like sulphur, around the geysir and also while you’re showering or using the tap!
Gullfoss Waterfall - a truly amazing waterfall; we didn’t explore as much as I would have liked due to the spraying, needle-like splash from the falls my face was getting pelted with along with the intense wind
Now, the rest of your ventures (or, ours at least) can be broken into two day trips: North & South. There is pretty much one highway around the entire country - hop on that either north and south and you’ll get to everything. We just stopped wherever we wanted!
Very important note: Stop and pet the Icelandic horses! They are like normal horses but shorter and fluffier.
Northern points of interest
Arnarstapi
Snæfellsjökull National Park
Black church (Búðakirkja) - you’ll think you missed it on the drive but once you see it, you’ll know! One of the most picturesque places I’ve been
Snæfellsnes - didn’t make it quite this far but it was on my list and sure to be stunning!
Southern points of interest
Seljalandsfoss (waterfall) - this one you can hike around and BEHIND the falls. Super cool. There are three waterfalls right around this area - just stop when you see one!
Seljvavellir Pool - sort of hidden in the middle of the mountains but it’s a natural hotspring nestled next to a glacier. Truly unreal. Worth the small hike.
Skogafoss - my favorite waterfall!! There’s a stairway all the way to the top of the waterfall but it’s just as amazing to stay at the base and stare at the magnificence and maybe catch a rainbow.
Vik - black sand beach, explore the caves around the beach and drive up to one of the most beautiful cliffs I’ve ever seen. Take it in and let yourself feel very small!
For more photos from my trip to Iceland, take a look at my original photo dump on the blog here!
Stay tuned for more travel guides coming soon and feel free to let me know which spots you’d like to see next. Thanks for reading & happy travels.
