Iceland has always been on the list…What is there not to love about volcanoes, hot-tubbing, exploring national parks, waterfalls and (hopefully) seeing the Northern Lights? With the help from my gal Steph, I was able to explore Iceland in the most fun and organised way. With many of you wanting to visit, I’ve compiled a list of all the places we visited in this blog, the hotels we stayed in, the routes we toured, the tips I wish I knew and some lessons learnt.
As soon as got we off our late night flight at around midnight, I knew we would want the comfort of our hotel super close. With this in mind, I booked a hotel close to the airport called Hotel Berg by Keflavik Airport (take this as tip no.1). Simple, but affordable and comfortable – I would recommend.
Day 1: Explore Blue Lagoon | Hotel: Blue Lagoon Retreat Hotel
- I have always wanted to stay in the Blue Lagoon Retreat Hotel, having followed the hotel in its developments over some years. We booked the ‘Lava Suite’ which was absolutely incredible. It had the most beautiful scenic views of the once-molten flow, which makes you feel completely one with nature.
- Good news: We had exclusive access to both the hotel’s private Blue Lagoon and public Blue Lagoon (Iceland’s most visited tourist spot – paid entry) which was a short 2 minute walk away. Of course, the atmosphere varied immensely. On the one hand, you have champagne delivered to you in the private Lagoon surrounded by only a handful of people compared to a very lively atmosphere with hundreds of tourists from across the globe. Sounds like a nightmare for some, but for us – it was the perfect dichotomy of luxury and chill.
- Note that in the spa and the hotel Lagoon, a strict ‘no phone policy’ is enforced. If you’re banking on getting the perf instagram photo in the gorgeous blue water, it is not happening (I mean I did manage to get one on the low down, but the red nosed security guards will call you out in about 1.5 seconds of getting your phone out.
- Besides the Blue Lagoon, the spa is where I spent most of my time. It was only fitting to take part in the spa ritual, which involves being guided through various stations where you can apply face and body masks. Highly recommend to restore the moisture in your skin.
Day 2: Golden Circle Tour | Hotel: book somewhere in Hella
Drive in the following order from Reykjavík:
- Thingvellir National Park. There is an option to go Silfra snorkeling here.
- Geysir Geothermal area
- Gullfoss – the Golden Waterfall
- Drive to your chosen hotel in Hella
Day 3: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Ice Caves Tour | Hotel: Hotel Vik i Myrdal
We booked an ice caves and glacier tour at 1pm for Day 3. I highly recommend our tour, which you can view here: https://www.glacierguides.is/jokulsarlon-glacier-lagoon/crystal-ice-caves The tour guides were friendly and super informative. Worth noting, (but obvious) the caves that you see below may cease to exist by next year due to climate change. Do some research into cave tours before your visit and immerse yourself in the beauty. Some may call it spenny, but I found that the tour was good value for money namely because you can’t access to the glaciers without a guide.
En route to the tour, we made a few stops which you can see on the map below. Google them, choose a few that tickle your fancy and don’t miss out. I would highly recommend Skogafoss Waterfall and the Black Sand Beach. Fitting this in will depend on the time your tour is booked.
The next morning, we drove back 5 hours (should have taken 3) to Keflavik International Airport for our flight home. Blame the bad weather.
What you should know:
- The water smells really bad, but you can drink it: Sulphur smells like rotten egg, and you’ll learn this fast enough when you turn on the taps in Iceland (I give you three seconds, tops). Fact is, the water smells because it’s heated by geothermal energy, which stems from the Earth’s belly. Therefore, what you’re really smelling is the scent of sulphur at the core of Earth. You’d be surprised to learn that water which reeks this badly is actually one of the cleanest water to drink in this world.
- Don’t expect to see familiar brands such as Starbucks and McDonalds or 7/11.
- Yup, everyone speaks English.
- You are not guaranteed to see the Northern Lights and I wouldn’t plan my trip around the lights. My advice is to make sure you opt for the Northern Lights wake up call at your hotel. Ask reception – it’ll save you from staying up all night.
- If you’re serious about getting some pictures of the Northern Lights, take an SLR. Your Iphone (unless it’s an 11) will not capture the lights.
Lessons learnt:
- Hire a 4X4. Taxis are extortionate. We hired from a car from Green Motion Rental. They are based in Vesturbraut 10. I do not recommend them at all. We were given a faulty car, with a failing anti-brake system. There was quite a lot of skidding going on. This was expected since the weather conditions were bad. BUT ANTI-BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE, COME ON?! They said they would send a mechanic out and despite waiting a day – it never happened. There is plenty of other companies you can book with so check online. Our safety should have been a priority for this rental company, and sadly it wasn’t.
- The snow looks fun but it can become really challenging when driving. Check the forecast before you get on the road and allow plenty of time to get to excursions since road closures are common.
- If you’re Muslim and strict about halal food, it will be very difficult to find halal food outside of the centre. So, be prepped to be veggie.
- In retrospect, I wish we had booked all the activities for the start of our trip. That way, we could have stayed at the Blue Lagoon Retreat Hotel at the end of the trip and been relaxed going home. It also means you minimise the risk of missing your flight because you cant get to the airport on time due to bad weather conditions. So, stay close to the airport on the last day and avoid the stress.
Overall, Iceland was a ball of fun. It is so beautiful and you will 100% be in awe of it’s beauty. I hope you have found this helpful and can avoid hours of research. If you have a smaller amount of days than I did, make sure you do the Golden Circle Tour and visit the Blue Lagoon – these are a must.
I can’t wait to hear about your Iceland shenanigans!
HS xo