3 Days in Iceland
FIBI. This is a real thing and I am absolutely 100% for it, always. F*** it, Book it. My trip to Iceland was one of those, somewhere on my bucket list, but never thought it would be ticked off so soon. This little-big island is stunning! From the vast landscapes of volcanic rocks, to the enormous glaciers and everything in between. I say ‘little-big’ because the island itself is huge, but it only holds a population of around 405,000 people. I’m a firm believer that you are never going to see everything that a country has to offer in one trip, unless of course you are going for the rest of your life. But for most of us who are visiting for a limited time, there is so much to see and do, so how do you choose? Planning and research is vital. As much as I say our trip was a FIBI trip, we still planned it out. We knew the main things we wanted to see, and we knew from our own research when was the best time to visit. Starting there made it that much easier to plan the rest. So to help anyone out there thinking of visiting Iceland for the first time, here are some tips and a brief travelogue of our trip.
General tips
Plan and research
As first-time visitors going for only 3 full days we weren’t sure where to start in terms of planning. All we knew was that we wanted to see the Northern Lights, that was our main goal. The best time to see those was recommended to be winter (October-February) when the nights were longer. So that set the dates for us, and from there we just researched additional things we’d like to see/do as well as the ‘must-see’ sights. Some places aren’t ideal to visit in winter due to the weather conditions, so based on that you would need to adjust your dates accordingly.
Use a travel agent
If you are able to book everything yourself, then that’s great as it might end up being slightly cheaper, but if you are a first-time visitor, I highly recommend using an agent, especially if you are only going for a few days like we did. One of the main reasons for this is that Iceland is a huge island with a vast and varying landscape, which means it can take hours to get from one place to another, and the weather conditions are not to be underestimated. On top of this, if you are staying in Reykjavík then some transfers won’t pick you up from your hotels or air bnb’s, you’ll need to walk to the nearest pick up point. There are multiple around the city but to check which tour providers use which transfer providers, and which pick up point would be closest to which hotel just seemed unnecessarily long to do on our own, and so booking with the agent made all of that easier and smoother as it was all included.
Pack weather appropriate
This one is a no-brainer but pack appropriately. Layers, wind-proof, and waterproof. As someone who is almost always cold in general, thermal tops and trousers were a life saver. I practically had to buy a whole new (quite expensive) wardrobe just for this trip, but it was worth it. Do not skimp on quality even with the price-tag it comes with, if there was ever a time to prioritise it, this was it. The last thing you want to be thinking about is how cold you are in the midst of some epic views. Also, if you are visiting in winter do not think for a second that standard waterproof trainers will suffice. No. You need waterproof hiking or walking boots/shoes. Boots because they give you ankle support and more grip whilst walking on different terrains, shoes if you are doing just some standard walking.
Be prepared for the costs
Iceland being composed mostly of volcanic terrain with a cold climate, means that there isn’t much local produce, aside from specialty meats. This also means that all lot is imported and therefore is more expensive. So just be prepared for costs of food and drink to be on the higher side.
Day 1- The City and Perlan
Reykjavík is not a huge city, we stayed close to the downtown which made it perfect to walk around and enjoy the myriad of cafes and shops dotted around. We walked along Rainbow Street, and enjoyed the view of Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland. Initially our Northern Lights tour was cancelled due to low visibility (more on this later), and so we were able to visit Perlan, their Natural History Museum for a couple of hours that evening. Getting there from where we were staying was about a 5-10 mins taxi for around £20, or a 30 mins walk. At the time we left, it was clear skies, so we just started walking. About 10 mins in, it started pelting down with rain and heavy winds. We were completely soaked by the time we got there, looked at each and immediately decided that it would be a taxi back for sure. So a reminder – don’t underestimate the weather! Other than that the museum was very nice, not too crowded, had an ice cave to walk through, a volcano room to experience the scents and history of the island, a Northern Lights show, and a few other exhibit areas to walk around and enjoy. It also has a viewing deck, but because of how dark it got and the less than calm weather, we weren’t able to see the city skyline, but definitely something to try if you ever visit during the day.
Day 2 – Blue Lagoon
Under normal circumstances, a giant hot bath with a hundred people in it would not sound appealing. But the Blue Lagoon, in its steaming milky blue glory, is worth it. The geothermal spa holds water that is naturally renewed every 40 hours and holds temperatures between 37-39 degrees. You know the game ‘the floor is lava’, well this was like the ‘floor is ice’. I mean it, from the building to the water, and all the outdoor decks, it’s like walking barefoot on ice. The sweet relief of the warm water in the lagoon is the only cure so we spent as much time as we could in it. We got a free drink and choice of silica face mask with our booking, and the standard access to the steam cave and sauna. With the few hours that we spent in the lagoon, I could not have asked for something more relaxing in the cold weather. There are other lagoons that you could visit also, like Sky Lagoon, which I think has better views, but for our first trip, Blue Lagoon was the one to visit. If you have more time (and money) you could even stay at the lagoon and enjoy its spa facilities, just something to consider if you want maybe more privacy and time.
Day 2 Evening – Aurora Borealis
Cancellations! This is a common thing to note, but luckily the agent told us when booking that this could happen and also reassured us that if it did, they would automatically book us onto the tour the next day, or next, until we saw the lights. If we didn’t see them at all during our stay, then the voucher was valid for 2 years so it just meant another visit. We made sure to have it booked for the first day we were there so that if it did get cancelled (which it did) then we would have the next couple days to try before we left. Luckily, we were rebooked the next day and we caught them! The tours are in the evening/night time (obviously) so make sure you wrap up. It was a couple hours on the road to get to the spot to see them because you need a pitch black environment with no light pollution, so they took us far out of the city into Thingvellir National Park. Adjusting to the ‘no light’ situation didn’t take long at all because the moonlight was so strong and vibrant. Thankfully it didn’t interfere with seeing the lights. Now with the Northern Lights, you don’t just look up and see them. Sometimes, as it was in our case, you have to wait a while before they make an appearance. And, sometimes they’re not visible to the naked eye! So make sure to bring a camera or a good quality camera phone, most guides will help you with the settings as well to get the best pictures, so don’t be afraid to ask. It took about an hour, but there they were! The best way I can describe them is like waves of colours literally flowing across the sky as if it were an ocean. But don’t take my word for it, go see them! It was truly the highlight of the trip.
Day 3 – Golden Circle Tour
This tour is very common for first-time visitors as it covers three of the most iconic sites in Iceland. The first stop is visiting the rift valley of Thingvellir National Park where you can actually walk in between the two tectonic plates, the North American, and the Eurasian. In the summer months, you can also go diving in between the plates! We got really lucky and our tour guide and driver were amazing with their knowledge, both historical and geographical, which made it much more fun to experience. They even let us stop to feed some Icelandic horses! The valley itself was mostly frozen or snowed over but absolutely gorgeous under the clear skies. The next stop was the Geysir Geothermal Area in the Haukadalur Valley, where we got to walk around geysers that erupted every few minutes, a warming but sometimes pungent experience. And the final stop was to Gullfoss Waterfall (Golden Waterfall). This thundering two-tiered waterfall was half frozen over when we visited, but still its roar was so loud that we had to almost yell over it. It plunges 30m deep into a rocky canyon so be prepared for clouds of freezing cold spray to be felt on your face. There are a few different viewing platforms and I would recommend going down to the lowest one to get the full experience, although in winter it is freezing so just be prepared.
So there you are, the Land of Fire and Ice. This was my first ‘cold country’ holiday and I loved it! If you haven’t been already, then put it on the list and go! Go for longer than 3 days if you can, but if not, it doesn’t matter because you’ll still experience amazing things!