That's right, Iceland for your next destination. Iceland has something for everyone. The Capitol city, Reykjavik has museums, great restaurants and pubs that are hopping every night. Iceland also hosts a number of music festivals every year. If you are a photographer or just like beautiful scenery, Iceland is like no other, with it's fantastic landscape and the aurora borealis, you are sure to get some great picture and even better memories. And, if you are an active outdoors person, where better to hike, bike or camp, than on a glacier or volcano? So, let's get started.
Choose the right time of the year to go, remember it's Iceland and the winter season is long, and dark, it is however, the right time of year to go if you are looking for the aurora borealis, so consider the winter months for that. If you are hiking, you probably want to pick the summer months, so please do your research.
If I had to guess, there are three types of tourists who travel to Iceland: The ones who want to see the northern lights, those who want get an overview of Iceland, and lastly, the active outdoors people who wanna hike or bike the shit out of Iceland. I will discuss each one of these but, no matter which one you are, your first stop should be the Blue Lagoon Spa.
Most flights going into Iceland are on the "red eye", so you land early, and probably cannot check in to your hotel until 12 or later, so everyone goes to the Blue Lagoon Spa. The spa actually provides buses to take you from the airport to the spa, check their website for booking info. If you are picking up a car at the airport, just follow a bus there. Pre-booking is required, so again, check their website. After a "red eye", there is no better way to refresh yourself, than here. I will not go into to much detail, but here's the link to the Blue Lagoon Spa. Take my word for it, it is a must.
If you are looking to relax and check out the northern lights, that is easy, many hotels cater to just that kind of tourist. These hotels usually have a good restaurant, fireplaces for a warm and cozy atmosphere, a spa and outdoor hot tubs to relax in while you drink wine and wait for the light show. Go on TripAdvisor, Iceland as your destination and search "northern lights" and tons of hotels will come up. Here are two that I read about and they rated very good on TripAdvisor:
Ok, when should you go to see the northern lights? From September to April, some might even say November to February to improve your odds and for the best displays. Also keep in mind the lights are cyclical, they are usually active for two or three days and then inactive for four or five days. So, for the best odds of seeing the aurora borealis, plan on staying for a week. It's winter remember, the shortest day of the year is in December, the sun rises at 11:20 and sets at 3:30, the good news for photographers, during the short days, it's always the "golden hour" for getting great pics. But, the days are short for sightseeing and the weather is unpredictable. If you decide to travel to Iceland in the winter months to see the northern lights, this website is a must read: Iceland in the Winter, enjoy!
The second type of tourist to visit Iceland, is the one that wants a little bit of everything. Reykjavik is a great city and small enough to see most everything in two or three days, leaving you plenty of time to do a few day trips outside the city. Be sure to eat at the Icelandic Fish & Chips for dinner, and the Laundromat Cafe for breakfast. Day and I are big fans of the walking tours, we have only recently started doing these, so we hadn't done any in Iceland, but I did a little searching and here are two I would do when we go back: City Walk and the Reykjavik Food Walk. Your options are limitless, so do some research on your own. We really like the food tours, and its great to try a tour that focuses on the history of the city and country. Furthermore, we like to do these in the beginning of our trip because it really helps to get a lay of the land and the guides are full of information that might help you plan the rest of your trip. I like to pre book them and try to get a private tour or at least tours that remain on the smaller side with 6-8 people. Check TripAdvisor for other things to do while you are there. Rent a car, the driving is easy in iceland, and plan on heading outside the city for day trips.
Day trips outside the city might include the "Golden Circle" or a glacier hike. Drive the Golden Circle yourself, fill up your gas tank, grab a coffee and some snacks for the road and most important, your camera. The Icelandic landscape is breathtaking. Plan on a full day and visit Pingvellir Nation Park, Geysir and the Gullfoss Waterfall. Next, hike a glacier, sounds more difficult than it is, ours was more like glacier walk, but there are tours for all levels. Seriously, the one we did could have been done by your grandparents. Our guide was fantastic and the views were stunning, so head out and be a little adventurous, you could even scuba dive the Mid Atlantic Ridge, where two continental plates meet. The water is said to be crystal clear, great for underwater photography. If you are looking for a trip with a little bit of everything, all of this would keep you pretty busy, but if you are looking for something a little more adventurous, there is plenty of that too.
Day and I are more like the first and second tourist, we didn't do any three day hikes or bike for a hundred miles, so I can't give you any personal account, but I have done a little research for you and added some useful links to get you started:
This is a pretty good read for anyone going to Iceland: Weather in the winter
Another good one for anyone who might be interested in guided tours for any level, these guys do it all, hiking, biking for just the day, or if you're crazy, for six days: The Icelandic Mountain Guides
Some good reads if you are a hiker:
For the bikers and campers here are a couple:
There is enough information here to get you adventurous travelers started. I do want to add a few more links for everyone who is considering Iceland for their next destination:
I always check out thè official website of wherever I am going:
Wikipedia because I like some background:
And Wikitravel, this is a great site: What money do they use? Which side of the road do you drive on? Do they speak English? This site answers all the questions a traveler may have:
And, I must take this opportunity to shamelessly promote my blog and photo album:
If you found this page helpful, please "comment and share."
Mentions: +Hotel Borealis +Icelandic Fish and Chips +The Laundromat Cafe +City Walk Reykjavik +Icelandic Mountain Guides
Luv ya,
Curly
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