Our Seven Day Journey Through Iceland

There is no place on Earth quite like Iceland with its dramatic and breathtaking landscapes.  Also popularly known as “The Land of Fire and Ice” Iceland is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe, and some of the world’s most active volcanoes.  Iceland’s beautiful landscape features the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water in the most dramatic way.

Iceland is a progressive and peaceful nation where freedom and equality are the most valued. It  ranks high among the countries for quality of life, gender equality, and is one of the oldest democracies in the world. It was a refreshing change to be in a country which did not find the need to defend itself with an army and where the law enforcement personnel do not carry firearms or believe in them.

Iceland is a country of extreme geological contrasts. Long summer days with near 24-hours of sunshine are balanced by short winter days with only a few hours of daylight. We decided to make the trip later in November as we were hoping to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Sunrise is around 10am and sun sets around 4.00pm in November and that meant we would get around 6 hours of daylight to get our activities done, so we needed to plan our outings well. You don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you that it gets cold in Iceland as the first word in the country’s name starts with ice!  It can get bitter cold in Iceland in November with temperatures in 30s and 40s if not lower and you can have wind, rain, snow and sunshine in a matter of minutes.  In fact, a common quote by the locals is “if you don’t like the weather in Iceland, just wait for 5 mins”. So make sure you are equipped with a warm, water-proof jacket, shoes, caps and gloves as it can get cold and windy.  Iceland is the third windiest place on earth and the first two are not inhabited by humans, so you get the point.

Below is a day by day narration of our week long trip. We didn’t rent a car because we were worried about the treacherous icy and snowy conditions and being stuck in wilderness.  Only 20% of Iceland is inhabited after all.  However, we lucked out on the weather and could have driven.  Driving is similar to the USA on the right side of the road. Enjoy!

Day 1

We flew on Icelandic Air directly from San Francisco to Reykjavik.  We arrived at Keflavik Airport fairly early in the morning around 6.45am.  Immigration was a quick breeze at the airport and so was baggage claim and we were ready to head to our hotel right away.  As Keflavik airport is around 47 kms from the city of Reykjavik, taking a bus to the city is a good option. Bus service such as Flybus or Airport Direct stop at most hotels and apartments so they are cheapest and most convenient method of transportation. Bus tickets can range around $18- $20 per person and it takes approximately 45 minutes from the airport to the city. Taxi service is available but extremely expensive and a ride from Keflavik airport to the city can be easily around $200-$240…ouch!

We chose to take Flybus as the counter is at the exit after baggage claim at Keflavik Airport. As we reached our apartment still fairly early, we were able to check-in early as the manager was kind enough to let us do that. The name of our apartment was Atlantic Apartments and it seemed a couple miles from the city center on a busy street named Gensavegur.

Atlantic Apartment, Grensásvegur 14, Reykjavík, Iceland

Phone: +354 588 0000

It was only 10am in the morning and the sun was just rising. We relaxed in our room for a bit and then walked around the neighborhood and spent time in the area.  As it was a Sunday and sunrise was at 10 am, all cafes were closed so we went into a local gas station with a small restaurant called Olis and ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausages and bacon.

Jet lag took over after that and we slept for rest of the afternoon and went out for a walk in the neighborhood again and found the grocery store named Hagkaup and shopped for groceries.

Dinner was at a cute little restaurant named Le Kock which was decorated in punk style with excellent food. I chose the chicken option while the boys chose burgers.

Day 2

I had booked a couple tours on Wake Up Reykjavík as their tours were rated very high.

Wake Up Reykjavík, ID: 660218-2030

Phone: +354 7753555

info@wakeupreykjavik.com

www.wakeupreykjavik.com

The confirmation I received was from Sterna Travels for the Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Tour at 10.00 am pick-up.

Sterna Travel / Iceland By Bus, ID: 690611-0310

Phone: +354 551 1166

info@sternatravel.com

http://www.sternatravel.com/

The Golden Circle Tour takes you through three main attractions.  Our first stop was Thingvellir National Forest and the Silfra fissure. It’s the Eurasian fault that separates Europe and North America. We hiked through the fissures among giant rocks and lava fields. The vast land is dotted with lava rocks and lakes. There was a small waterfall at the end of the trail that I never got to because I was busy taking pics but the boys did. There is a gift shop and a small museum at the park that one can browse through.

Our next stop was the Geothermal Area and Geysir. The whole area smells of sulphur and you can see steam bellowing from the ground. In some areas you can see giant pits with boiling water.

The main Geysir also known as Strokkur bursts every 5 minutes or so and is fun to see. After watching the geyser burst a couple times, we left to eat lunch at the cafe.

After lunch our next stop was Gulfoss Waterfall. Gulfoss is probably a mile or less from the geysers. Apart from Niagara Falls, I have never seen a waterfall that enormous and powerful. Gulfoss was beautiful with water cascading a couple levels before flowing into the canyon. We walked all the way up to the top tier of the waterfall. Be prepared for wet and slippery walkway and getting wet as the water spray gets you. Gulfoss was stunning as the sun was shining despite a cloudy and rainy forecast and there were rainbows dancing on the falls.

Our last stop at the end of the day was Secret Lagoon. It’s a natural hot water pool heated by hot springs and was perfect to dip in at the end of the day. You can rent out towels and swim suits etc. although we had gone prepared. Dipping in the hot water pool while it was freezing outside was an interesting experience. Some parts of the pool closer to the hot spring were very hot but the rest was comfortable and relaxing. A perfect end to the day for sure.

We drove back to Reykjavik by 7 pm and luckily for us, due to the proximity of our hotel to the freeway, we were the first ones dropped off from the tour bus.  For dinner we just walked close by to Dominoes Pizza place nearby.

Day 3

We had breakfast in the room as we had decided to spend the morning in the city.  We took Bus #14 from Grensavegur to Downtown Reykjavik (The Pond). The bus took us through the residential areas of Reykjavik.  All buses in Reykjavik take cash only and have free wi-fi.  You need to have the correct change for tickets as drivers do not provide change. We got off at the pond and walked around, the swans in the pond were beautiful and not afraid of the humans and came close. I saw a lot of people feeding the birds so that may be the reason. We walked around the historical buildings and the downtown including the plaza where some sort of protest was happening.

Our lunch was at the popular Hot Dog stands in the center of the downtown in a place called Holla Bator.

At noon we took the bus back to room as we were scheduled to go for the Icelandic Horse Riding Tour with Islenski Hesturinn. 

Website: https://islenskihesturinn.is/

The tour guide picked us up at our hotel exactly at 1.15 pm. The stables were half hour outside of Reykjavik and we were given a lesson in horse riding, safety procedures and then fitted with the gear.  I learned about gaits and the difference between cantor and gallop and a new term called “Tolt”.  Icelandic horses have a fast trot with a unique rhythm called Tolt.  After being fitted with the gear we were introduced to the horses and assigned to our horses.  I was assigned to a beautiful horse named Blessi Minn.  He was a gentle, loving 18 year old horse who would rest his head on other horses behind every time we stopped.  We were taken through the lava fields, hills and in some parts through 4 feet of water.

After riding for around 3-4 miles, we came back to the stables.  It was a fun sight to see the horses having their play time and rolling in the mud.  Each of our horse was a gorgeous creature and their names were: Blessi Minn, Adam, Tvistur, Graamann.

After spending 3 hours or so at the stable, we returned to our room at 5.15 pm.  That night we decided to have dinner in our room.

We had scheduled for the Northern Lights tour at 8 pm. The tour was booked on the Wake Up Reykjavik website and we were picked up sharp at 8pm from our hotel.  The tour took us west to Reykjanes and we waited for over two hours but the night was too cloudy and we couldn’t see any lights.  We drank hot chocolate and ate Icelandic donuts and waited but no lights were visible though as the sky was clouded. We finally gave up and returned to room at 12.00am

Day 4

We slept in until 8.30 and spent a relaxing day in Reykjavik downtown.  We went shopping bought beanies and other items at 66 Degree North, blankets at Cintamani, souvenirs at Viking, Christmas Shops, Hard Rock Cafe, and the Icewear store. Shopping in Iceland can blow a hole in one’s budget easily as everything is expensive.  You will find one of a kind items in winter wear at Cintamani, Canada Goose and 66 Degree North stores.

We decided to eat lunch at a classic Icelandic bistro and restaurant called Laekjarbrekka. It is housed in one of Reykjavik’s oldest buildings and makes for a very quaint setting.

Laekjarbrekka

Address: Bankastræti 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

https://www.laekjarbrekka.is/

We ordered fish and chips, fish stew with rye bread, fish of the day pan seared, and pulled lamb with mashed potatoes and veggies. The food was traditional Icelandic and amazingly delicious. We had an interesting experience at the restaurant as we were asked for permission to be filmed while dining as part of Iceland Air promotional video for 2019. The restaurant gave us fresh Icelandic donuts as a thank you.  So look out for us in the video next year!!

We also visited vintage stores like Sputnik and strolled up and down lighted streets. We took the bus back to our hotel and stopped to do some grocery shopping at Hagkaup on our way back.  We bought Krispy Crème donuts and groceries and had dinner in our room from a Chinese takeout place near by.

At 8.45 pm, the Saga Travel Iceland Tour picked us up for our retry tour for Northern lights on BusTravel Iceland. Make sure to call the tour company to set up a retry tour if you don’t get to see the northern lights on the first tour.

Saga Travel GeoIceland, ID: 421009-1040

Phone: +354 558 8888

sagatravel@sagatravel.is

www.sagatravel.is

We drove over an hour east from Reykjavik to Thingvellir National Forest and skies were clear in midst of the lava fields.  We managed to see some northern lights in the quiet icy cold darkness under starry skies. The northern lights were not the flashy bright waves but a bright fluorescent green band that spread across the horizon and was visible in the dark. Although my husband had the camera set up on the tripod, I had downloaded the Northern Lights App on my iphone and was able to take pictures on the iphone.  The tour guides are also knowledgeable and can guide you on the best camera settings to take pictures.

The tour gave us hot chocolate, donuts and I even tried some fermented shark which I liked much to the dismay of many people on the bus. We returned to our room at 1.15am satisfied and happy to have seen some northern lights.

Day 5

It was a long day of tour to Snæfellsness Peninsula on Grayline Tours.

The Gray Line Team

Email: iceland@grayline.is

Phone: +3545401313

Pick up was at 7.30 am so we were sleep deprived.  Our tour took us west to Snæfellsness peninsula. As pick up was early at 7.30 and we had left at 8 am from the main bus terminal, we were able to rest for an hour or so before a coffee stop at Borgarnes, a small community on western Iceland.

After a quick coffee and croissant break, we were on our way. Our next stop as we drove among old lava fields was Snæfellsbær where we stopped at a rocky black pebble beach with lava rocks.  It was interesting to see the black pebbles line the coast instead of a sandy beach.  Views were stunning with the vast landscape all around.

From the beach, our next stop was Arnarstapi, a small fishing village on the west coast. Here we went for a short hike along the picturesque coast to see coves and rocky beaches with stunning views of the mountains in the background. A rocky arch was a point for several pictures. Lunch was served in a small Icelandic cafe with an older nice woman manning the counter.

From Arnarstapi, we went to the Lava Caves Exploration where we were guided and taken to the lava tubes 150 feet below the ground via a steep spiral stairwell and were able to see lava beds, stalactites and stalagmites. We were taken to two caves but then explored a third cave on our own as we had a bit of extra time.  It was thrilling to be in the cave all by myself without a guide and the darkness and quietness hits you.  From the lava caves, we also got a stunning view of the Snæfellsjokull glacier in full glory under the bright sunlight. We were told multiple times how lucky we were as the glacier is supposed to be shy and usually hidden under the clouds. The weather was unusual for November for sure.

From the lava caves we were taken to the coast again to see a beautiful lighthouse as the group was split into two thanks to two tardy tourists on our tour who didn’t show up for a long time at Arnarstapi and the tour bus had to drive off without them. The guide stayed behind and managed to get them and a ride to the lava caves.. drama! So never be late!

I am not sure if the coast stop with the lighthouse was in the plans or not but it added to day and we ran late by an hour. After the lighthouse stop, we went to Djupalonssandur  Black Beach  and Dritvik which is a stunning black sand beach with the Snaefellnessjokull glacier in the backdrop. It’s a short hike to the beach amidst huge lava rocks and the beach is stunningly beautiful with fine black sand and rocky coast.  On the beach there are big round stones which men were expected to lift and test their strength in the days of the fishing stations: Fully Strong 154 kg, Half-Strong 100 kg, Weakling 54 kg and Bungler 23 kg. Weakling meant that any man who couldn’t lift the stone was deemed unfit as a fisherman.

After a short stop at the beach, we were driven to Gundarfarjobaer and the bus was able to find parking and stop at the stunning Mt. Kirkjufell.  It is one of Iceland’s most popular mountains and makes for a breathtaking structure with striations and makes for a beautiful sight with a small waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss across from it. Although, it was getting dark we were able to see the sight and enjoy the short break.

After Kirkejo we took a short break at Gundarfojorur for coffee and food at a small rustic cafe. The cafe had wooden tables and couches for customers and musical instruments were kept with a play me sign. My son decided to play the guitar and the guitalele while we were in line to order food and waiting for it.

After the stop, we drove back to Reykjavik which was a long drive back of almost two hours and we reached at 8.30 pm instead of the scheduled 7pm. Luckily, we knew by now that due to the close proximity of our apartment to the freeway, we were always the first ones dropped off.

As all of us were tired and knew we had another long day on Friday, so we stayed in the room and ate a light dinner of yogurt and eggs and bread and the boys went out for their daily hotdog at Olis. Who could resist when the hot dogs looked like this?

Day 6

We were scheduled to visit the South Coast and Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon with Grayline Tours. Another long day was ahead of us and pick up was sharp at 7.30 am. In fact, we came down at 7.25 am and driver was already waiting for us.

We left the bus terminal in a bigger bus at 8 am and were asked to rest for an 1.5 hours until we got to a small community called Hvolsvöllur where we stopped for coffee and morning break.

From there we were driven to Seljalandsfoss waterfall. Seljalandsfoss waterfall is a stunning waterfall along Iceland’s southern coast and is fed by melting water from the famed glacier-capped Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This powerful waterfall cascades into a pretty meadow and one can walk to waterfall.  There is a walkway behind the falls so you can get up close the water. Be prepared to get cold and wet near the falls as it is misty and you can feel the spray of water on you.

Take the path to the right to the waterfall as it’s an easier trek to the water and less rocky than path to the left. Beware that the path is rocky and slippery due to the wet conditions.

We were able to see Eyjafjallajokull or A15 and heard about the havoc caused when it erupted in 2010. The eruption caused all air travel from Europe to the American continent as the ash cloud went over Europe due to the winds. It was interesting to hear not just about the lava and smoke damage but also the glacial floods as all the active volcanoes in Iceland are ice capped with glaciers. The flood damage in such an event is unimaginable. The volcano Katya is expected to erupt anytime as historically it’s eruption has followed A15 eruption. We were educated about the nearby 600 household community in the area and the evacuation plan in case of an eruption and glacial flood. The people in the town practice running up the hill to keep themselves fit so they can run up the hill in case of a glacial flood occurring.

We stopped at a Falls which is right below the volcano. From Seljalandsfoss, we drove to another stunning waterfall named Skógafoss on Skógá River . The sheer intensity of the falls and the drop even though it’s a short drop makes for a stunning sight. The stream flowing from the waterfall is clear and we even took gulps of water from it. The whole area with the beautiful mountains, birds, the rainbows as the sun was shining and reflecting off the mist was beautiful. There is a pathway one can climb up to the overlook at the top of falls with 436 steps, however there is no view of the waterfall as one climbs up and you cannot see the whole of the falls from the top although one does get a bird’s eye view of the whole area.

The whole south coast and the two falls were part of several James Bond movies, Bollywood movies, Game of thrones TV shows etc.

From Skógafoss, we drove approximately 20 minutes to a small ocean front village named Vik for lunch at a small mall. After a lunch of spicy pasta and soup at the lava cafe, I took a short walk to the beach which was again stunning due to the black volcanic sand and rocks. The mall has an Icewear store where one can buy souvenirs or warm clothing. I decide to take a short walk to the black sand beach with stunning views.

After lunch was a long drive of 2 hours 20 minutes to our next destination, Jökulsárlón Glacial lagoon. The whole south coast was full of stunning sights with glaciers one after the other. The biggest glacier in Iceland or the whole of Europe, Vatnajokull has over 30 outlet glaciers and line the landscape. This is a view that needs to be seen and enjoyed by naked eyes and cannot be captured on a camera.

After what seemed like a long drive, we reached the glacial lagoon. It’s amazing sight with blocks of ice floating in the water. The glassy white blocks of ice along with a beautiful blue give the lake an ethereal look. The icebergs break off from the glacier and have made a lake as they melt. Considered to be the deepest lake in Iceland at over 300 mts deep, Jökulsárlón is stunning and a must see on an Iceland trip. The glacier was supposed to have reached the ocean half a mile from the lagoon and then receded. But the water from the melted glacier flowed into the ocean. The lake would not freeze because the tide would bring the ocean water inside. The icebergs floated in the water slowly as they went into the sea. The tide would also bring in sea animals such as seals into the lagoon.

The glacial lagoon with the glacier in the backdrop along with snowcapped mountains was a sight to behold and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Vatnajökull National Park

After a long stop at the lagoon, we drove a few blocks from the lagoon to the black sand beach also known as the black diamond beach. The Black Diamond Beach is a black sand beach belonging to the greater Breiðamerkursandur glacial plain, located by Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. The beach is covered with ice blocks and pieces of ice as the water from the lagoon brought the icebergs into the Atlantic ocean and the waves crashed them and broke them and they floated back to the beach. It’s a natures wonder for sure and I was happy I was able to make it.

We started the long 5 hour drive back to Reykjavik after the beach. We did make a stop at the same mall for dinner at Vik again on our way back. This time the Lava cafe was closed so we ate at the cafe in the Icewear store. After dinner was a non-stop 2 hours drive back to Reykjavik and we reached our apartment at 10.30 pm tired and happy to have done not one but two long days of touring where we covered a huge part of the country.

After coming back to the room, the boys as usual went to Olis market for a hot dog and coffee while I packed up all our stuff for our trip back home on Saturday.

Day 7

We slept in unlike our other days and woke up around 8am and felt rested. After breakfast in the room, packing and cleaning up, we decided to spend the day in Reykjavik as the boys wanted to spend time in the city center. This time we decided to forego the usual Bus #14 and took a taxi cab to the city center to save time. The drive took a quick 7 minutes and $30 but the cab driver took us to the flea market in the center of downtown Reykjavik.

The flea market called Kolaportið was a quaint market with locals from all over Iceland coming in with their goods to sell from jewelry to woolen goods. I ended up buying a woolen cap for myself and my son got a sweater for himself made out of Icelandic wool and the prices were better than the commercial shops we had visited. We walked around and shopped for trinkets and souvenirs to take back. Downtown looked festive as it was decorated for Christmas with lights and bells everywhere.

After spending a few hours, we came back to our apartment to pick up our luggage and waited for our ride to the airport. Keflavik airport is very technologically advanced as travelers are expected to not just self- check but print the luggage tags and out on their luggage. Travelers are expected to scan their own boarding passes to go through to the bag drop area. Bag drop is automated with travelers having to scan their luggage tags and putting the luggage on the conveyor belt.

Food is expensive and poor choice of food at Keflavík airport. Immigration is fast but the gate areas can be very crowded. Iceland Air does not board by zones but by first come first serve basis so lines can become very long and chaotic.

Tips:

1. Iceland is very connected with free wi-fi everywhere on public transportation and tour buses. Every store and restaurant offers free wi-fi also.
2. Tour buses are very comfortable and have great seating with USB connections to charge or plug-in to charge so carry your chargers with you.
3. Alcohol is not available at all stores and is carried by Vinbudin only. But it’s EXPENSIVE! So buy for consumption during your stay if you have to. If you plan to buy to take out of the country, the duty free shop at Keflavík airport sells the same alcohol at 1/2 the price.
4. Food is expensive in Iceland, especially eating out. A simple meal of burgers and hot dogs can cost anywhere between $15-$25 per person. You can easily spend $100 for a meal for 4 people in Iceland. So buying food at the grocery stores such as Hagkaup and cooking breakfast and other meals in the room if possible is a good optiom. We stocked up our fridge with bread, eggs, lots of yogurt etc. Krispy Creme is also available in Hagkaup.
5. Food is good even at N1 and Olis Markets which would be similar to 711 in the US.
6. Please make sure to get the tax-free receipt from the stores if you shop for more than 6000 Krona. At the time of departure at Keflavík airport, make sure to go the tax refund section before check in and submit the paperwork. You will get 14% refunded back on the credit card. They do require you to fill out each receipt with all your information including passport number and credit card number. Please remember, if your refund crosses 150,000 krona then you are required to have the items ready to be shown to the tax officer.
7. No food allowed to be eaten on tour buses and no drinks allowed.
8. In the hindsight, we could have used two days to explore the south coast of Iceland and stayed in Vik or even at Jokulsarlon.  It would have given us a chance to hike Vatnajokull glacier, visit the ice cave and other surrounding areas.