Þetta reddast- Everything is going to be okay

Planning Your Trip

We have always wanted to go to Iceland to discover the natural beauty of the fire and ice island. We flew Icelandair when we went to Europe last year so around Easter they were having a sale on summer holiday packages. These packages included airfare, hotels, transfers and excursions. It was a great deal for a great cost! So keep an eye out for deals that Icelandair offers. You can also plan your own trip by figuring out what places are on your absoulte must see list and build your trip around those! We were only there for a few days due to our schedules but I would recommend at least a week!

Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital city of Iceland. Reykjavik means, “Smokey Bay” and is exactly in the middle between Moscow, Russia and New York, USA. We went to Iceland in June, when the midnight sun happens so it was bright 24 hours a day. All my photos of walking around the city were taken between 9:00pm and 12:00pm and it really looks like its around 6:00pm. There were quite a few people out and about for being so late at night but that’s what is nice about the midnight sun, more time to get out and see the sights! It does mess with your sleeping schedule though so I definitely recommend an eye mask! While walking around downtown we went to the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church, Magic Ice Bar, Rainbow Street and we also went to a modern art museum.

Countryside

When in Iceland don’t just stay in the city. Get out and explore the stunning landscape that Iceland has to offer! We did a Southern Coastal Tour out of Reykjavik and it was our favorite day. We went to Skógafoss Waterfall, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Sólheimajökull Glacier and Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. We had a great tour guide who told us so much about the beliefs of the Icelandic people and the history of Iceland. I will share more details in another post. It was so nice not having to stress about driving to these locations and we were able to relax and enjoy the views.

Make sure to dress appropriately for going out and exploring. Summer in Iceland is still cold. It was 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit while we were there and it was dumping rain most of the day and then we would get soaked from the waterfalls. We brought rain pants, rain jackets with fleece inserts, hats, waterproof hiking boots and gloves and we stayed nice and dry. Others who did not dress appropriately were miserable. -Kylie

Sky Lagoon

When planning our trip, there was so much talk online about Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon. A lot of people said that the Blue Lagoon has too many tourists and is always under construction so it is hard to relax. We ended up going to Sky Lagoon and I am glad we did because the volcano was erupting near the Blue Lagoon and it was closed the days we were there. We loved Sky Lagoon and there were not a lot of people there when we got there at 1:00pm. We are from Colorado were we have natural hot springs as well and we would have liked the water to be a little hotter but for people who do not get to experience this all the time, I am sure they thought it was nice. They have a swim up bar that you tap your wrist band to and pay on the way out. Drinks were very expensive here but I got a sparkling rosé and it was very good. We did do the seven step ritual which is a little more money and I would recommend doing it if you go. First you sit in the lagoon, then do a cold plug, next is sitting in the sauna, then a cold mist, body scrub that you leave on, then the steam room, followed by a shower to get the scrub off and returning to the lagoon. It was very relaxing and the scrub made your skin feel so soft afterwards. By the time we got back into the lagoon after the ritual, there were a lot of people there so we decided it was time to leave. I would recommend adding it to your to do list, or at least doing one lagoon experience while in Iceland!

Transportation

Transportation was not as easy for us as it has been in some other countries. All the information I read online said to download their app called Klappið. I tried downloading it while in America and it would not work so I waited until we got to Iceland and it would not work over there either. When I downloaded it, it made you put in your phone number and it was supposed to send me a validation code. Well it never sent me a validation code so I was not able to use the app. My husband also tried on his phone and it wouldn’t work on his either. We were really struggling trying to figure out how to get the bus information. While I was looking into getting their City Pass they had a link to there to old bus system and that is what I ended up having to use. It was called Stræto. It was also hard to understand what the bus information was saying on the website. We asked multiple locals and they said that the bus system is screwed up and not user friendly and that everyone has a hard time using their app. After trial and error, multiple times we eventually figured out how to read the bus information on the website. On the photo I posted above it is saying that you need to be at the bus stop called, “Lækjartorg B” which is a 1 minute walk away. Then you need to get on bus number 2 which is called, “Mjódd” which is going to be there at 23:30. It is an 11 minute bus ride to your stop which is called, “Grensás” and it is the 10th stop. It was also confusing figuring out the City Pass and how to use it on the buses but you don’t scan it, you show it to the bus driver (which the bus drivers were not very happy with us having the City Pass and you can tell they have issues with it). You also have to go pick up the physical copy of the City Pass at one of the museums listed on the website (which is an inconivence if you need to take the bus to get to the museum). So we ended up just walking across town the the closest museum to us. I would highly recommend getting the City Pass because it is worth the cost for taking the bus around town and the free entry to multiple pools and museums across the city. If you can get the bus app to work on your phone, I image you will have a way easier time then we did!

Food

The food in Iceland was super good! We ended up eating a lot of Italian food but it was delicious! I had the best fish and chips I have ever had in the town of Vik! The fish was some of the best fish and the batter was nice and crispy. The Helga Raspberry Beer is also to die for! They had some at the airport when we were leaving but we opted to get an Icelandic Whisky to take home with us instead. I also had a reindeer Bolognese and it was SO good! Highly recommend trying reindeer when you get a chance. I did get an Icelandic hotdog from the famous hot dog place in Reykjavik called, “Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur” and it was really good! I ordered one with everything on it (not sure exactly what was on it) and I highly recommend it! We also ate at the first Italian restaurant in Iceland and I had a really good carbonara. Gelato is also a must!

I hope this information is helpful for planning your trip to Iceland! Takk Takk and Bless Bless!