Iceland. It might as well be another planet. It's the most unique place I've ever visited in terms of landscape. Glaciers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, geysers, geothermal pools, lagoons, SO many waterfalls... It was also expensive AF. But we weren't there for the restaurant scene so eating carrots from a bag while road tripping was fine by us. We had 7 days and nights to explore this crazy place - although the first night we got in well after midnight. It was also the only time we saw a flicker of the northern lights because it was so overcast the rest of the time. I would have appreciated those moments so much more if I knew that is all I would get! While I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, I want to provide a quick list of observations, "what we wish we'd known", and general advice (slash opinions as there are no guarantees this is good advice) about traveling here. I also won't bore you with a detailed play-by-play. You're welcome. how to travel iceland Know your time constraints. We knew we had only one week and a journey around the entire ring road would be aggressive. It would require a lot of driving (that Erik would have to do because I hate driving) and less time for exploring on foot. We choose to do a smaller loop around the south side of the island that allowed for ample exploring / running time. Use Duty Free. As I mentioned, Iceland is legit expensive. (AF.) Especially if you like to drink alcohol. No joke - the one actual restaurant we went to (where I just happened to meet up with Gilly - a friend I from HS I haven't seen in 15 years - and her crew) we shared a pizza between us and each had two beers: $110. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN DOLLARS. Gross. The pizza wasn't even that good. (The beers were though, so there's that.) We were arrived via Spain so we snagged a bottle of gin and four bottles of wine in duty free for $45. This got us through those cold windy nights just fine. Pre-Book. The Blue Lagoon is probably one of the most well known "attractions" in Iceland. It's close to the airport and easy to get to. Not to mention frickin' beautiful. Because of it's popularity - you must book a visit. We didn't realize just how popular it had become and almost missed our opportunity to get our soak and face mask on while sipping a drink from a swim up bar. Clearly it's something that must be experienced. Make sure you plan ahead! Rent a 4-Wheel Drive. Perhaps this tip won't apply to you. But if you like to travel with room for opportunity to stray from a set schedule - open to opportunities to explore and jump off the beaten path... then you need 4WD. The road we took into the highlands was horrible. So. Many. Potholes. You can't drive on many of the roads to get across the center of the island without 4WD, Obviously this is a more expensive choice in vehicle, but we found this expense worth it. Pack layers. Make sure that at least one of them can keep you warm with intense wind. While I was able to run one day in just a long sleeve running shirt - I had to wear my down jacket with hood the next. To be honest, the weather was pretty miserable for more than half our trip. This shouldn't be the kind of place you care how you look. You want to be able to be outside regardless of the conditions so pack for it. Be open about where you sleep. Whether you choose to rent a van you can sleep in (a choice we definitely considered) or open up to guest houses and tiny cabins - Iceland gives you the possibility to get outside your comfort zone in terms of where you lay your head at night. And, to be honest, unless you book really early and are willing to spend a lot of money, it actually forces you to do so. There simply aren't a lot of places to stay in some parts of the country. Supply and demand make everything a bit pricey - like our legit closet size room we rented in a guest house that required us to share a tiny bathroom with others for the bargain price of $120 / night. But everywhere we stayed was fun and unique and we wouldn't have changed any of it. Go here. Now. Book your Flight. The best advice I can give you about traveling to Iceland is to go now. In the 3 years since Erik first went he noticed drastic changes due to tourism. Iceland has been discovered. Which is great for their economy but not always as great as a visitor that wants a natural experience as opposed to a packaged, watered down trip. Go there. And make the trip your own. Read blogs and travel sites. But ultimately, define your own adventure. You can still do that here.
Take a shit ton of pictures. I will look back on these for years. And the pictures others took don't do the place justice. Looking back at these - I remember what it was like to see the most unique landscape I've ever laid my eyes upon. And with that, I'll leave you with a few more pictures to encourage you to go take your own. First up, horses. You're welcome.
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AuthorA Midwest girl gone global. I choose happiness everyday: I run, eat well, travel, and love completely. Archives
March 2022
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